The liver can be considered as the processing factor of the body, playing an essential role in the cat s metabolism. Because the cat is a pure carnivore, the liver of the cat has lost the ability to carry out some of the processes that other animals designed to cope with a wider range of foods are able to manage, making the cat particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of certain substances. Liver disease tends to cause rather non-specific signs such as lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss.
More specific signs can include an enlargement of the liver itself, and jaundice.
Quite a number of cats have died because their owners have dosed them with drugs not intended for use in that species. Fat is laid down in the liver, causing serious interference with its normal functions. Treatment Differentiating the various possible causes of liver disease in the cat can pose a considerable challenge to the veterinary surgeon. Blood tests, X-rays, and ultrasound of the liver may all be useful, but in some cases it is necessary to carry out a surgical biopsy, taking a small piece of liver tissue to be analyzed under the microscope. Because the liver is important for breaking down many anesthetics in the cat s body, and because blood clotting is often prolonged in affected animals, this procedure is not without significant risk.