Food Poisoning

[Encephalomalcia]

I fed my cat some salmon canned fancy feast and within 20 minutes he was vomiting.  He became lethargic and looked very sick.  I took me to the vet at 1:00 a.m. and again today.  The bloodwork shows raised levels in gallbladder and the doctor thinks this is hepatitis.  Would this be an hepatitis A from food that he ate or how could he have contracted hepatitis?  

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Do you still have the Fancy Feast?  I would place it in the freezer if you still have it and ask your veterinarian where to have it analysed for toxins and bacteria.

The feline forms of hepatitis are not routinely alphabetized.

Cholangiohepatitis can be caused by toxins, infections (viral, fungal or bacterial), parasites, and autoimmune disorders.

If the Fancy Feast was contaminated with a toxin or bacteria it could have caused cholangiohepatitis, or, alternatively, the cholangiohepatitis could have been due to another cause and developed coincidentally after eating the fancy feast.  

Cholangiohepatitis is a disease of the liver and bile ducts, in which the bile ducts either become clogged by white blood cells or WBC products, or, the bile ducts become inflamed.  Acute cholangiohepatitis can be accompanied by another disease called pancreatitis, which is inflammation by the organs surrounding the pancreas and the pancreas itself by the pancreatic enzymes.

A very serious disease called Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is one common cause of hepatitis.  There is no reliable pre-mortem laboratory test for FIP.

[Encephalomalcia]

I saved the can, but did not put it in the freezer.  The can has been out since April 1st.  Would that corrupt the tests now?