Cat with Hepatic Lipidosis and Bad Gums

Can you help me with one of my cats: Motorboat. He has high levels for his liver enzyme and also his kidney's. He is on a predominantly raw diet (3 years) – what else can I do to support his system .. Last year he had something called lipidosis-- which is a liver challenge whereby he stopped eating and went jaundiced. I fed him by hand and got him back – this year its all about bad gums and dental work – I have 3 cats and just lost one of my beautiful ones a month ago-- so especially cognizant of how fragile life in them is --

Your email raises many questions but to answer generally: the first thing you might want to do is to re-evaluate your cat's diet. There are quite a number of commercially available raw diets as well as recipes to make your own but, unfortunately, they are not all created equal. In addition, one recipe or food might work for one cat but not another or one cat at one point in its life but not a few years later. It might be worthwhile to have a qualified practitioner take a look at your cat as well as his diet to see what they might recommend. Unfortunately, as yet there appears not be a specific reason for hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver). Texts mention a change in diet or stress levels or an association with another illness such as diabetes, pancreas/liver/gallbladder issues or inflammatory bowel disease. In my experience, diet and obesity always play a role. I am glad to hear that your care brought your cat back to a state of better health.
However as far as your cat's teeth are concerned, there may be further issues with his digestive system... again, it would be helpful to have a qualified practitioner do a full case history with him and read through the reports and tests compiled by your veterinarian. In the meantime, you could try letting him eat a raw chicken neck: once a week. This will give him something to gnaw which should help with tartar levels. Do keep an eye on him to make sure he does chew at it and doesn't try to eat it too quickly. And, should you decide that you are interested in seeing a qualified practitioner, please look at the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (www.vbma.org) website under "VBMA Member Directory". There you should be able to find someone in your area who can work with you to sort out your cat's health concerns.