Any age, sex, or breed can be affected.
Obese cats that suddenly stop eating are more at risk
of developing jaundice resulting from a syndrome called
feline fatty liver disease, or hepatic lipidosis.
The whites of the eyes of a cat with jaundice
often are more yellow than they are white; the animal's skin
and gums may develop a yellowish tinge as well. These changes
in color result from deposits of bile pigment entering the
cat's tissues, a common occurrence among animals with jaundice.
Unfortunately, this yellowish hue is not as serious as the
possible diseases that can be associated with it, including
kidney damage, liver disease, and disorders of the nervous
system.
Clinically known as icterus, jaundice occurs when
the cat's body has too much of a substance called bilirubin,
which comes from red blood cells that have been processed
by the spleen, the liver, and by bone marrow. In a
normal cat, the liver will absorb, metabolize, and
excrete this bilirubin. Jaundice results when too much
bilirubin is being produced, when the liver is not
able to adequately process the bilirubin, or when the
bilirubin cannot be excreted.
Jaundice is not a disease but a symptom caused by
a wide range of feline diseases that result in too
much bilirubin being present in the body. Some of these
diseases can be fatal. When the underlying illness
is severe and irreversible, neither it nor the jaundice
can be treated.
Some signs noted are lethargy, anorexia,
icterus, altered mentation, weakness, dyspnea, polyuria,
and polydypsia. A history of receiving a recent blood
transfusion is not uncommon for some cats with jaundice.
Common exam findings may include pale or jaundiced mucous
membranes, ascites, weight loss, hepatomegaly, abdominal
pain, melena, and peripheral lymphadenopathy.
In addition to jaundice, other symptoms
include tiredness; weakness; loss of appetite; a yellow-orange
color to the urine; a yellow color to the skin, gums,
or whites of the eyes; a decrease in mental alertness;
trouble breathing; increased water intake; increased
urination; swollen stomach; weight loss; and a "black
tar" appearance to the feces.
Cats that have jaundice develop a yellowish
color to their skin, gums, and the whites of their eyes because
of deposits of bile pigment in their body tissues. Jaundice
occurs when the body has too much of a substance called bilirubin,
which comes from red blood cells that have been processed
by the spleen, the liver, and by bone marrow. In a normal
cat, the liver will absorb, metabolize, and excrete this
bilirubin through the bile duct system. Problems occur and
jaundice results when too much bilirubin is being produced,
when the liver is not able to adequately process the bilirubin,
or when excretion of the bilirubin is prohibited.
Jaundice, which is not a disease but a symptom of
many different diseases, can make already existing
liver disease worse. It can result in an obstruction
to the flow of bile, in kidney damage, and even in
comas and disorders of the nervous system. Many cats
will require hospitalization during diagnosis and treatment.
Following hospitalization, the owner may need to provide
intensive at-home nursing care.
Depending on the cause of the jaundice and the severity
of the illness, the liver may be able to repair itself.
Some cats, however, will never recover from the disease
that causes the jaundice.
Diagnosis is focused on finding the reason
why the cat has an excessive amount of bilirubin, or "hyperbilirubinemia," that
is causing the jaundice. The veterinarian will take a careful
medical history about the animal, perform a complete medical
examination, and conduct appropriate diagnostic tests. Routine
laboratory testing will include a complete blood cell count,
or CBC, a serum chemistry panel, and urinalysis.
Additional testing needed may include abdominal and
chest x-rays, a blood coagulation profile, a test for
blood parasites, a serum bile acids test, an infectious
disease serology, an abdominal ultrasound, and an abdominal
exploratory exam. Liver biopsies, taken by ultrasound
or surgery, are commonly needed in cases of liver disease.
The veterinarian will recommend the appropriate diagnostic
procedures based on a cat's individual case and its
response to therapy. Some complicated cases are referred
to veterinary internal medicine specialists.
The prognosis for most cats depends
on which diseases are causing the jaundice. Some diseases
can be reversed completely while others will be fatal.
Cats' skin tissues may remain yellow for some time after
the hyperbilirubinemia has been corrected.
Jaundice results when there is too much
bilirubin in the body. There are several reasons why a cat
may have excessive bilirubin, a condition that the veterinarian
may refer to as hyperbilirubinemia. One cause is pre-hepatic
icterus, in which there is so much bilirubin being produced
that the liver is unable to process all of it. Pre-hepatic
icterus often results from a breakdown of red blood cells
due to the feline leukemia virus infection, defects in the
blood clotting mechanism, and certain medications.
When a cat has an abnormal metabolism and excretion
of bilirubin by its liver cells, it has the primary
hepatic form of jaundice. Primary hepatic jaundice
is the most common cause of icterus in the cat. Liver
diseases that can affect cats include acute toxic hepatitis,
cholangiohepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and feline
fatty liver syndrome. Other diseases that result in
damage to the liver -- such as diabetes mellitus, the
feline infectious peritonitis virus, cancer, and the
feline leukemia virus -- can also cause primary hepatic
jaundice.
Finally, when the cat's bile duct system interferes
with the excretion of bilirubin, a type of jaundice
called post-hepatic icterus results. Causes of this
include bile duct obstruction, a rupturing of the bile
duct, pancreatitic disease, cancer, inflammation of
the gallbladder, and inflammation of a bile duct.
There are various treatments for jaundice,
all of which depend on the symptoms and the cause. Some diseases
that cause jaundice, such as inoperable cancer, are irreversible
and result in death. However, other diseases, such as feline
fatty liver syndrome, in which fat gets deposited into the
liver tissue, can be managed quite effectively. Cats with
life-threatening anemia will need a blood transfusion.
Most animals with jaundice will require hospitalization
initially. Intravenous fluid administration, cage rest
to encourage the liver to heal, and appropriate nutritional
support may be needed. The veterinarian will prescribe
medications to manage symptoms such as vomiting, nausea,
excessive abdominal fluid, and neurological problems;
these medications must be carefully monitored, however,
since the liver metabolizes many drugs. Follow-up visits
with blood and urine re-evaluations will be needed
to determine the success of the treatment.
There are no preventives other than
prohibiting cats from consuming medications, chemicals,
and toxic plants that cause jaundice. Also, getting medical
attention for cats showing the initial symptoms of jaundice
may improve the prognosis. An owner should seek veterinary
care if the cat is overweight and refuses to eat for
longer than two to three days in a row.
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