title: Spontaneous occurrence of hepatic lipidosis in a group of laboratory cats.
abstract: Clinical signs consistent with hepatic lipidosis occurred in six obese adult laboratory cats, housed in a group cage, 6 to 7 weeks after changing their diet from a commercial to a purified diet. The affected cats lost 30 to 40% of their body weight in this time period. This rate of weight loss is compatible with little or no food intake. For treatment, 5 cats were tube-fed three or four times daily with a high-fat liquid diet supplemented with L-citrulline and choline. All cats tolerated the diet, which contained 35% protein on an energy basis. Substantial voluntary food intake resumed 12 to 16 days after initiating treatment. The sixth cat was euthanatized. These observations suggest that 6 to 7 weeks of anorexia, associated with 30 to 40% weight loss, can induce hepatic lipidosis in obese but otherwise healthy cats, and confirm that with appropriate management the prognosis for cats with hepatic lipidosis is favorable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Biourge
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pion
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Q R
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy*; D002415:Cats; D002794:Choline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002956:Citrulline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D008064:Lipidoses / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002956:Citrulline; D002794:Choline