Initial exam of Tipper revealed that she had serious liver disease. Her skin color was very jaundiced (yellow) and she had a temperature of 104° F. Blood tests confirmed the diagnosis of Acute Hepatitis which is a very life-threatening condition in cats. Tipper's blood liver enzymes were in excess of 10x normal. The most common cause of Tipper's grave illness is a bacterial infection that comes from her intestinal tract and spreads backwards through the pancreas or gallbladder into the liver,

Tipper was hospitalized and treatment included fluid therapy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and medications to improve and protect liver funciton. Due to her illness, Tipper had no appetite, so it was neccessary to force feed her several times daily to give her the critical nutrition she needed to recover.

Kim and her daughter, Jacquelin, visited Tipper faithfully on a daily basis which helped her feel more comfortable at the hospital and gave her the reassurance that her family was there for her. Finally, after seven days of hospitalization and intensive care, Tipper had improved enough to go home. She still has to come to the clinic once a day for medications, but her condition has stabilized and she continues to improve. Blood testing one week after initial presentation indicated that Tipper's liver enzyme levels had dropped by 50% and she was showing good progress toward recovery.

Tipper's disease can possibly require month's of therapy but we are hopeful she can make a complete recovery.