Abstract

Background:
Hepatic lipidosis (HL) is a common and life-threatening hepatopathy in cats, for which novel therapeutic options remain limited.

Case Description:
A 14-year-old neutered male Egyptian Mau cat presented with a one-week history of anorexia, intermittent vomiting, and jaundice. Plasma biochemistry revealed markedly elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT: 7270 U/L), aspartate aminotransferase (AST: 2754 U/L), and total bilirubin (5.5 mg/dL). Histopathological examination revealed multifocal hepatocellular vacuolar degeneration and random hepatocellular necrosis, consistent with HL, potentially associated with chronic enteropathy and a suspected early neoplastic lymphoid process. Standard therapy with hepatoprotective agents and nutritional support led to limited improvement; therefore, 2 mL of equine placental extract (EPE; Japan Bio Products Co., Ltd., Japan) was administered orally once daily. The cat remained clinically stable with continued administration of EPE and ursodeoxycholic acid.

Conclusion:
EPE may represent a potential novel adjunctive therapy for feline hepatic lipidosis and was temporally associated with biochemical improvement indicating hepatocellular recovery and appetite restoration in this case.

Key words: Cholangitis; Hepatocellular necrosis; Hepatocellular vacuolar degeneration; Lymphoplasmacytic enteritis; Small cell lymphoma.