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Feline hepatic lipidosis
Hepatic lipidosis is an emergency specific to cats. When a cat stops eating, its body sends massive amounts of fat to the liver to produce energy. The cat's liver is not capable of processing this influx: fats accumulate there, clogging it...
What is it?
Hepatic lipidosis is an emergency specific to cats. When a cat stops eating, its body sends massive amounts of fat to the liver to produce energy. The cat's liver is not capable of processing this influx: fats accumulate there, clogging it and it gradually stops functioning.
It is the most common liver disease in cats, and it can appear in an animal that was perfectly healthy a few days earlier.
Remember a simple rule: a cat that does not eat for two to three days risks hepatic lipidosis. It's not a dietary whim, it's a veterinary emergency.
Key point
Potentially fatal illness within a few days. A cat that is no longer eating is an emergency, even if it otherwise appears normal.
Commonly observed signs
These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.
Related signs — each one links to its page:
Stoppage of food, total or almost, for several days. This is the constant starting point.
Rapid weight loss, often visible within a week, with wasting of the back muscles.
Marked depression: the cat hides, no longer gets up, no longer washes itself.
Jaundice: the white of the eye, the inside of the ears and the gums take on a yellow tint. The urine becomes dark.
Vomiting, sometimes heavy drooling or nausea at the sight of food.
Dehydration, constipation due to lack of food intake.
In advanced forms, the cat may appear disoriented, salivate abnormally or remain prostrate.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
Anorexia, whatever its origin, is the trigger. The liver then receives more fat than it can evacuate and becomes overloaded.
Any disease that suppresses the appetite can lead to lipidosis: dental problem, kidney disease, diabetes, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, tumor, infection.
A simple life event is sometimes enough: moving, sudden change in diet, hospitalization, arrival of another animal, boarding, loss of a companion.
In some cases no underlying disease is found: we then speak of a primary form, often linked to stress and prolonged fasting.
Overweight and obesity: the more fat reserves the cat has, the more the liver is overwhelmed when the fast begins.
Any stressful situation that causes you to skip meals.
Too brutal weight loss diets, imposed fasts, sudden food changes.
Ongoing chronic illness that gradually decreases appetite.
Middle-aged to elderly cats, but no cat is immune.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
The veterinarian first assesses the general condition: degree of dehydration, jaundice, palpation of the stomach, search for a cause for stopping eating (mouth, teeth, abdominal pain).
A blood test highlights liver damage and allows other organs, blood sugar and mineral salts to be monitored.
An ultrasound of the abdomen shows an enlarged and abnormal liver, and at the same time looks for pancreatitis, intestinal damage or a mass.
Liver samples may be offered to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other liver diseases.
The search for the triggering disease is an integral part of the treatment: treating the liver without treating the cause leads to a relapse.
Treatment
The treatment is primarily based on resuming food, without waiting for the cat to eat again on its own. This is the decisive point.
The most affected cats are hospitalized: infusion to correct dehydration and mineral imbalances, warming, close monitoring.
Food is delivered through a feeding tube placed by the veterinarian, most often in the esophagus. This may impress owners, but it is the safest and best tolerated way to provide the necessary amount every day, without forcing or stressing the cat.
Medicines against nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulants and liver-supporting supplements are used as appropriate, always by prescription.
The disease that suppressed the appetite is treated in parallel.
Never try to force-feed a cat with a syringe on your own initiative: the risk of misdirection, injury and lasting aversion to food is real, and the quantities provided remain very insufficient.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Monitor what your cat actually eats, especially if there are several animals in the house: in a shared bowl, a cat can fast without anyone noticing.
Check if your cat has not eaten anything for more than twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and immediately if he is overweight.
Maintain a healthy weight: an obese cat's weight loss must be slow and supervised by a veterinarian, never by severe restriction.
Change foods gradually, over a week or so, mixing the old and the new.
Anticipate periods of stress (moving, boarding, work) by providing a quiet place, their usual food and easy access to the bowl.
Possible complications
Liver failure with bleeding disorders and risk of bleeding.
Brain damage due to accumulation of waste that the liver no longer eliminates: disorientation, salivation, convulsions.
Dangerous drops in certain mineral salts in the blood at the time of resuming food, which requires gradual and monitored re-feeding.
Relapse if the disease causing anorexia has not been identified and treated.
When to see a veterinarian
Your cat has not eaten anything for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, or has eaten much less for several days.
He is overweight and has skipped meals: don't wait, the risk is higher.
His gums, the whites of his eyes or the inside of his ears turn yellow.
His urine turned dark.
He vomits, drools, hides, no longer washes himself or refuses to get up.
He visibly lost weight in a few days.
Prognosis
Taken in time and fed correctly, a cat affected by lipidosis can recover completely: the liver has a great capacity to recover and returns to normal functioning.
Recovery requires perseverance, often several weeks of assisted nutrition at home after hospitalization.
The prognosis becomes significantly worse when the diagnosis is late, when the triggering illness is serious, or when refeeding is interrupted too early.
Frequently asked questions
My cat hasn't eaten for two days, should I really be worried?
Yes. In cats, a fast of two to three days is enough to trigger hepatic lipidosis, especially if they are overweight. Unlike the dog, we cannot say to ourselves “he will eat well tomorrow”. Consult.
Why insert a feeding tube rather than feeding him by hand?
Because you have to bring all of your daily needs, every day, for several weeks. The probe allows this without struggle or stress, and the cat can continue to eat on its own otherwise. It is removed as soon as he eats enough again.
Will the liver remain damaged?
No, in the majority of cases. Once food intake is restored, the liver evacuates the accumulated fats and returns to normal functioning, without after-effects.
Can an obese cat lose weight without risk?
Yes, but slowly and under veterinary supervision, with suitable food and regular weighings. Abrupt restriction or fasting can trigger exactly the illness we are trying to avoid.
References
AAFP — American Association of Feline Practitioners
Content reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team · Updated 09 August 2026
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