What is hepatic lipidosis (HL)?
Hepatic lipidosis (HL) is a liver problem that can affect cats of any age, breed or sex. It is also called fatty liver disease or fatty liver syndrome. HL occurs when a cat suffers a decrease in appetite or stops eating completely. The decrease in caloric intake triggers mobilization of fat stores from other parts of the body in order to maintain metabolic requirements. The fat is processed by the liver and in some instances it overwhelms the liver’s metabolic capacity to metabolize it. Fat then begins to accumulate in the liver and starts to impair liver function.
