L'il Bite of the Day - Don't Starve a Fat Cat

Please oh please - never starve a fat cat. Getting a fat cat to lose weight isn't about taking away their food - it's about getting the RIGHT food into their diet.  

Hepatic lipidosis is a condition in which fat accumulates in individual liver cells - it's real risk for overweight cats that stop eating altogether. 

Without food, the body starts sending fat cells over to the liver to process lipoproteins for fuel. Lipoproteins are composed of a simple protein and a fat component that carry fats in the blood. Left untreated, the liver can fail and the cat can die. 

The veterinary literature suggests that about 70 percent of cats will recover from hepatic lipidosis if they are hospitalized and fed via tube feedings. Starving an overweight cat is not an option. They cannot 'live off their fat.' Their fat, in fact, can kill them. Ideally, your feline weight loss client should eat at least a little something every 12 hours. 

Be mindful of this as you approach a sensible weight loss program for your fat cat.  More on feline obesity and how to deal with it safely - http://bit.ly/16kO41R 


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