Almost 18 Year Old Kitty With Possible Ibd/scl , Please Help :(

[kittybella]

Buddy sounds like he's in good shape overall! I'm taking what you said as a good sign. Maybe it is just IBD! I hope so!!

Unfortunately, things aren't looking as good for Sweetie Yesterday she threw up blood with blood clots mixed in. She is now on Sucralfate. Sucralfate coats the stomach like a bandaid and helps heal ulcers. My vet seems discouraged by this recent development and says the concern is that she has a tumor that is bleeding I really hope it's something else, but the fact that she's been on steroids and is still throwing up without the Cerenia also isn't a good thing. Granted, she only started getting better after we raised the dose to 5mg daily. It's only been 10 days on the new dose, so maybe things will change? I asked if the meds could have caused an issue and he doesn't think so, but I've read online that steroids can cause ulcers in cats. I just don't know. Either way, she is being treated for the possible ongoing bleeding issue.

Despite all of that, she is still eating away! Her appetite has actually improved...I wonder if it's just the steroids though? She does still purr occasionally when I pet her and she does look better, but I still can't say whether or not she's feeling good. She does meow at me in the wee hours for food and it's almost like she's her old self, but it's fleeting. For now, as long as she isn't getting worse, I'll see how she does this coming week before I start thinking about saying any goodbyes

I hope you have continued success with your kitty!

 

[Cara80]

Poor Sweetie, how is she doing today? I hope the sucralfate and steroids are helping. I have read that steroids can cause GI bleeds, I hope it's that and not a tumor.

Buddy was doing so well until last Friday when he started a new medication for his blood pressure, it gave him diarrhea and he was vomiting. We took him off it and the vomiting has gone away, but he still has loose stools despite being off the med for 4 days now. I'm not sure if the runny stool really is from the med or if it's an ibd/lymphoma flare up.

Anyways, i'm thinking of you and your kitty and wishing the best. I know how difficult this can be. Really wish our cats could just find medications that help and keep them stable for a while

 

[1 bruce 1]

K kittybella , I'm so sorry you're all having these problems!! One of ours with IBD problems through the roof would throw up bloody looking clots in a clear liquid, and it was always during a flare up. Vet said there was always a possible tumor/bleeding issue but it also could have been a severely inflamed stomach in spasm mode that was literally sluffing off tissue. We never opted to find out due to their age, and they lived many happy years after this.
C Cara80 , I'm so sorry for you guys as well! If your guy is eating well do you think a probiotic would be accepted in his food? Sometimes diarrhea/loose stool can last much longer than vomiting just because of residual "ickies" in the lower GI tract. (In our experience!)

Seriously wishing you guys both the best. This is such a frustrating problem and so vague to treat. I feel those frustrations!

 

[Cara80]

thank you for the suggestion Bruce, I didn't think of trying a probiotic. I messaged my vet today and just assumed she would suggest an increase in steroids, but who knows. I'm still waiting to hear back from her, and hoping I don't need to make yet another vet appointment

Is there a probiotic you can suggest?

 

[1 bruce 1]

thank you for the suggestion Bruce, I didn't think of trying a probiotic. I messaged my vet today and just assumed she would suggest an increase in steroids, but who knows. I'm still waiting to hear back from her, and hoping I don't need to make yet another vet appointment

Is there a probiotic you can suggest?

Tummyworks was recommended to me by the folks at TCS =)
Lots of people here have had really good luck with Purina Forti-Flora as well!
I use yogurt for my healthy dogs but I think in this case a concentrated form would be best, plus some cats dislike yogurt and sometimes it's not "strong" enough for those with serious problems.
Our doggy with low grade chronic digestive problems will eat yogurt BEFORE he eats raw meat when his tummy is off. Otherwise, he eats his meat then laps up the yogurt. I think that's telling, it's like he knows what he needs!
If prednisolone needs to be increased for now, I say do it hoping that it can be decreased again.
We taper off SO slowly, it's almost ridiculous. 1/2 ML a week or so, so if we notice any changes we can go back up to where they were at comfortable before the problem becomes really bad.
It's taken us over a month to go from 1 ML to .7.5!

 

[Cara80]

I did see forti flora for sale at my vet's office, so i'll pick that up if my vet suggests a probiotic.

I do wonder if my vet has been a bit conservative with the prednisolone dose. We started at 2mg twice daily for a week, 2 mg once daily for a week and then 2mg every other day. But then again, she's a vet and knows more than me lol. The dose might be lower because my cat has kidney disease and high blood pressure

 

[1 bruce 1]

I did see forti flora for sale at my vet's office, so i'll pick that up if my vet suggests a probiotic.

I do wonder if my vet has been a bit conservative with the prednisolone dose. We started at 2mg twice daily for a week, 2 mg once daily for a week and then 2mg every other day. But then again, she's a vet and knows more than me lol. The dose might be lower because my cat has kidney disease and high blood pressure

I think vets like to keep the dosage as low as possible especially for the short term because pred can and often does have nasty long term side effects. =(
Our guys needs higher doses upon flare ups but it can be tapered down a bit. If there's kidney/BP issues, that may be the reason but I understand your concerns. Hoping they call you back ASAP!

 

[kittybella]

So update on Sweetie....

She was hanging in there, but lately she hasn't wanted to eat much of anything. She is on 10mg of prednisilone daily as well as an entire 16mg pill of Cerenia. I know that dose is high, but it is the only thing that is preventing her from vomiting daily. If I even cut the dose to half as much, she is drooling and nauseas the next day and will usually vomit before her next dose. Her weight is stable, and her recent blood work looked okay as well. I've tried to switch her over to better food, but she is just so picky. I just don't know what to do now. I'm guessing this is cancer, and things are starting to turn. It's already crazy that the steroids alone have not stopped the vomiting. I don't know what else to do. We can try theChlorambucil, but she does drool intermittently, and I've read some things saying to avoid saliva for 48 hours after pilling. Well, that would be impossible So, I'm at a loss now. She also needs Mirilax for constipation. So many meds.

C Cara80 , I read your update about Buddy in another thread, and seems he is doing well. That's great! I hope he continues to do well

 

[Furballsmom]

In case it helps, Tanya's kidney cat site has a support group which could help, possibly.

 

[Cara80]

kittybella, is chlorambucil available as an injectable medication or though iv? so sad to hear about your kitty maybe adding a 2nd anti nausea med could help her

 

[Lynx Rufus]

Definitely discuss with your vet getting started on a good probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement. These are key supplements in cats with digestive issues. I give these to my girls who are 15 and 18 daily. My 15 year old has IBD and pancreatitis. I use NaturVet digestive enzymes with pre and probiotics along with a half capsule each of a human grade pro-b called VSL#3 as recommended by my vet. I'm not sure if these are the brands your vet will agree with, but they have worked well with my little girl. I also give her a few licks of plain canned pumpkin a few times a week which seems to make her more regular. I would suggest asking your vet about CBD oil as well. My vet recommended it and it really has made a difference, especially in their appetites. It is beneficial for many things, nausea being one, and I have been able to cut down Samba's cerenia doses significantly since I started her on the oil. She also has a heart murmur so I was afraid of getting her started on any type of steroid treatment. I'm all for going the holistic route when it works, and thankfully my vet is very open to these methods. Samba was so bad at the beginning of the year that I really thought she was near the end. I had a few nights laying by her side and thinking she was in her last moments, but through patience, tons of vet trips, and quite a bit of money and experimenting with what works best she has bounced back. It's a rough road, but it's well worth the effort to see my girl feeling better. She still has her bad days, but those are far outweighed by the good ones now. I hope you find what works best for your kitty. Just stick with it. Ask questions, do online research, and make sure to give Sweetie plenty of love and patience. Don't give up hope, and stay strong and positive for Sweetie's sake!