Quality ofLife
The two most important factors affecting the outcome in FHL are believed to be the presence of a serious or irreversible concurrent disease (which is more likely in an older cat) and how early enteral nutritional support is begun.
A poorer prognosis is seen when concurrent pancreatitis is present, with hypokalemia and anemia also negative prognostic indicators (Hill and Armstrong 2014). In the absence of a fatal concurrent disease, recovery can be expected in approximately 80% or more of cases if enteral feeding is initiated early in the course of the disease and is sustained until voluntary food intake resumes. Owners should understand that tube feeding for 3-6 weeks or longer at home would be required for recovery. If owners are not prepared to commit for such a period to be active participants in their cats' recovery, then the decision to treat the cat should be reevaluated.Careful consideration of the owner's financial situation should also form part of the decision whether to treat the cat or not. Establishing the diagnosis, identifying any underlying causes and initial management often requires several days of hospitalization, including anesthesia and feeding tube placement - this can be costly and timeconsuming. However, if owners are prepared to commit financially, treating this
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