Hepatitis is characterized by liver inflammation, blood overflow, cell infiltration, dystrophy and necrosis, as well as severe hepatic insufficiency. There is acute and chronic hepatitis in cats, primary and secondary.
Hepatitis in cats - reasons
The cause of the occurrence of a hepatitis in a cat is the effect of an infectious agent or poisoning with toxins. This disease can cause toxins of pathogenic microbes, viruses and fungi, poisonous plants, chemicals (arsenic, mercury, nitrates and nitrites, zookoumarin), poor-quality feed.
Hepatitis in cats - symptoms
Infectious hepatitis in cats is expressed by the following symptoms: loss of appetite, vomiting, thirst, depression, increased temperature to 42 ° C, increased and painful with palpation of the liver. There are also skin itching, scratching of the skin, diarrhea, mucous becomes yellow shade, the level of bilirubin in the blood increases, the urine becomes dark. Hepatitis is accompanied by an increase in the spleen.
In young cats with viral hepatitis, such symptoms as augmentation of tonsils, rickets, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, inflammation of the cornea of the eyes, sometimes - convulsions of limbs and paralysis.
The diagnosis of viral hepatitis in cats should be made exclusively by a veterinarian, after carrying out the necessary clinical and laboratory studies. It is very important to exclude cholecystitis, hepatosis, liver cirrhosis.
Hepatitis in cats - treatment
Treatment of cats for hepatitis is in diet, exclusion of sugar, fatty foods. In the first day, arrange a hunger diet for the cat, without limiting it to drinking. You can drink simple or mineral water, decoctions of the roots of the althaea and turns, leaves of sage and yarrow, fish or meat broth. From the second day, enter in small portions rice, oatmeal, semolina porridge with a slight addition of minced meat.
In case of complicated or chronic hepatitis, the cat is additionally treated with corticosteroids. To stop the development of microbes use antibiotics and sulfonamides, and to speed up the removal of toxins - laxatives . For prophylaxis, you can not feed an animal cat with spoiled or toxic products, avoid taking medications that affect the liver.