Tags
cat health, coping with a sick pet, feline fatty liver disease, tips for dealing with feline fatty liver disease
It’s been a few months since we lost Jack, which has given me the opportunity to reflect on the situation.
Taking care of a kitty with fatty liver disease can be a very stressful process, so I thought I’d share a few of the things I learned along the way. Maybe they’ll help put you at ease.
Invest in Paper Towels and Cleaning Supplies There’s going to be vomit. A lot of vomit. So it pays to have a healthy supply of paper towels and your floor cleaning solution of choice. If you have carpet, you might also want to get some stain remover.
Be Aware of the Type of Tube Your Cat Has Most feeding tubes are made for 4 to 6 weeks of use. If your cat’s got the tube for longer than 6 weeks (like Jack did) it can start to work its way out of its body (like Jack’s did). If you think your furry buddy will have the tube longer than 6 weeks, ask your vet if they think a different tube should be used.
Get/Use a Blender or a Good Strainer We learned this the hard way – trying to use a small food processor to mix the food. A blender or fine strainer will help remove the chunks from the food and smooth food won’t clog your syringe or tube.
Try to Relax or Find a Support Group When it came time to feed Jack, I would get extremely nervous. Having a nervous human makes for a nervous cat, and a nervous cat makes for an unhappy cat and one that will likely barf up his feeding. A good support group (check out some of the links on the left) can help calm your nerves and be a place to share what you’re going through with people that have been through the same.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Other Options There’s a ton of stuff out there on fatty liver disease. If you see a medication used by another cat owner that worked well or another treatment that was successful, ask your vet their opinion about it. One of the regrets I have about Jack’s situation is that I didn’t ask about a stronger human version of an anti-vomiting medicine I had read about.
Don’t Give Up on Your Cat It’s tough, and stressful, and oftentimes really really disgusting, but don’t give up on your kitty. This disease is fully reversible if you keep at it and if you catch it early enough. You and your cat can get through it.