Cat is 5, Ultrasound shows IBD or Lymphoma.. next steps?

lanerich

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Hi all, hope it is OK to make a new topic so the update on Picky Tabby is not buried in another thread. So it turns out all the problems I've been having feeding Picky Tabby the last 4 years are probably because he has IBD.

I'm kind of disappointed in the vet for not picking up on it til now because he's been losing weight slowly for over 2 years. At his last wellness check we had a big discussion about his food issues (I've mentioned it every year actually), they said he is almost underweight and they did more detailed bloodwork but then said everything looked good and nothing further was done. If anyone has a vet they love in the Austin area for IBD kitties I'd be interested to switch. The vet is just a standard suburban vet around the corner and I'm seeing now that if we drive further away we could get something a lot more specialized for cats. Especially since Picky Tabby is very anxious when he gets out of his home.

They are recommending to either start steroids and prescription diet or do a biopsy to see if it is really IBD or lymphoma. I'm not sure how to proceed. The biopsy estimate is around $1700.

I do know that I want to try and get him on a raw food diet because I'm hearing good things about it for IBD but the vet is against it because of bacteria/parasites.

He is currently on 12mg of Cerenia per day since 1 week and that is helping him a lot. He is 5 years old and 10lbs.
 

krisicat

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Hi all, hope it is OK to make a new topic so the update on Picky Tabby is not buried in another thread. So it turns out all the problems I've been having feeding Picky Tabby the last 4 years are probably because he has IBD.

I'm kind of disappointed in the vet for not picking up on it til now because he's been losing weight slowly for over 2 years. At his last wellness check we had a big discussion about his food issues (I've mentioned it every year actually), they said he is almost underweight and they did more detailed bloodwork but then said everything looked good and nothing further was done. If anyone has a vet they love in the Austin area for IBD kitties I'd be interested to switch. The vet is just a standard suburban vet around the corner and I'm seeing now that if we drive further away we could get something a lot more specialized for cats. Especially since Picky Tabby is very anxious when he gets out of his home.

They are recommending to either start steroids and prescription diet or do a biopsy to see if it is really IBD or lymphoma. I'm not sure how to proceed. The biopsy estimate is around $1700.

I do know that I want to try and get him on a raw food diet because I'm hearing good things about it for IBD but the vet is against it because of bacteria/parasites.

He is currently on 12mg of Cerenia per day since 1 week and that is helping him a lot. He is 5 years old and 10lbs.
Hi. Try the Royal Canin HP I highlighted below and stop the Cernia and all other cat food, especially wet food. Feed it to him exclusively and see if he improves. I ordered small bags of all 3, because mine is a "specific" eater, not finicky. I found out the dry food he is on is not a good one, so I changed it and he liked the new one and that famous brand was not good either, so I bought Dr. Elsey's chicken but have learned since from the internist at a pet hospital that he needed hydrolyzed protein.
Here's what happened. I have a 3 yr old Ragdoll who reached 11.5 lbs Jan 2020 and lost weight every since. He weighed 9.11 lbs in July. He was still eating well, but my vet gave him (1) cerenia and 3 days later I gave him one. It looked liked his kitty litter exploded forcing a cat to eat cannot be good if that happens. I decided his illness was out of the expertise of that vet, so I stopped it and took him to the Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Levittown, Pa. and had an ultrasound, endoscopy and colonoscopy. Results were mild IBD. I Googled in for cats and he only exhibited 1 symptom, weight loss. Because he was, their quote, a finicky eater (he is a "specific" eater and only wants his one dry cat food), they prescribed a large does of Prednisolone instead of changing food. Since long term use can lead to kidney problems and diabetes, and his IBD was mild, we decided to first try the recommended method of changing his cat food. The internist sent us a prescription for 3 veterinary dry cat foods; Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein HP, Hill's Prescription Diet z/d Original Skin/Food Sensitivities Dry Cat Food and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed Formula Dry Cat Food. Read the last paragraph at: Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food: Does Your Cat Need It? about Hydrolyzed Protein for Cats with IBD. Search for Blue Pearl Veterinary Hospitals in Texas when you are ready for the endo/colonoscopies and ask if they can perform those procedures and how much. Google listed 5 but the See More Results button did not work. I enclosed an ingredient list of those 3 recommended dry cat foods. Best of Luck and hope tabby regains his weight and health.
 

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fionasmom

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IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

I am sorry that you are facing this. The above website has a multitude of information about the condition.

Since you are going to a rather standard and routine vet, which most of us are in the beginning so that is no reflection on you, and since he may have missed IBD two years ago I would not continue with this vet. You have a couple of options. As for a referral to a specialty clinic or a specialist, at least an internal medicine specialist, or to a teaching hospital. Your vet could interface with them, but since he has not done a stellar job, you may want to bypass that step. I don't know if I would want this vet to proceed with the treatment. If no one else is available in your area specialty wise, start asking for recommendations from friends and coworkers or go on nextdoor.com and ask for names in whatever areas you are willing to go to.

Internal Vet Specialist - Veterinary Internal Medicine | Austin Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine Vet in Austin | Veterinary Internal Medicine
Heart of Texas | Heart of Texas Veterinary Specialty Center & 24 Hour Emergency Center

I have no experience with these hospitals or vets and am not familiar with the Austin area, so am not sure if they are nearby or not.
 

LTS3

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There are commerical brands of raw pet foods you can feed. There's still a small risk of possible parasites and bacteria. You don't need the vet's permission or approval to feed a raw diet.

If you like the vet otherwise, you can ask the vet to consult with a veterinary school or an other vet hospital to get more insight and suggestions on how to best treat your cat's particular issues.

Cats with IBD often have low B12 levels which causes weight loss. There is a specific test for B12 that the vet has to request. It's not included with standard routine blood work. Treatment is injections of B12 at a frequency and dose determine by the vet.
 

maggie101

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Hi all, hope it is OK to make a new topic so the update on Picky Tabby is not buried in another thread. So it turns out all the problems I've been having feeding Picky Tabby the last 4 years are probably because he has IBD.

I'm kind of disappointed in the vet for not picking up on it til now because he's been losing weight slowly for over 2 years. At his last wellness check we had a big discussion about his food issues (I've mentioned it every year actually), they said he is almost underweight and they did more detailed bloodwork but then said everything looked good and nothing further was done. If anyone has a vet they love in the Austin area for IBD kitties I'd be interested to switch. The vet is just a standard suburban vet around the corner and I'm seeing now that if we drive further away we could get something a lot more specialized for cats. Especially since Picky Tabby is very anxious when he gets out of his home.

They are recommending to either start steroids and prescription diet or do a biopsy to see if it is really IBD or lymphoma. I'm not sure how to proceed. The biopsy estimate is around $1700.

I do know that I want to try and get him on a raw food diet because I'm hearing good things about it for IBD but the vet is against it because of bacteria/parasites.

He is currently on 12mg of Cerenia per day since 1 week and that is helping him a lot. He is 5 years old and 10lbs.
When my cat had IBD she had an ultrasound no biopsy. She was on instinct and koha limited ingredient, wet. Because her immune syst weak, I would not feed her raw. She was on prednisolone compounded at a pharmecy. I also had a vet that would not do any tests so I switched
 

artiemom

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I agree with all of the above.. The first thing I would probably do is to switch to a novel protein diet. This means a food that you cat has never eaten before: duck, rabbit, venison, pork, quail, etc...

I always make sure that the ingredients are not mixed with other proteins.

Chicken is a common allergen for IBD kitties.

And an Internal Medicine Vet is the best option.

Usually, at least from my experience, you start with a plain ultrasound and a ton of specialized blood work. From there, a diet is tried.

You do have to remember that if a steroid is begun, You cannot have a biopsy, because the steroid will influence the extent of IBD.
You would have to wean you cat off the steroid before having the biopsy... In other words, make you cat sick--again, before you diagnose it with biopsy.
That is why they do the ultrasound first; try the novel protein or hydrolyzed protein diet, and the biopsy before prescribing medication...

One thing I learned from my specialist... Change only one thing at a time. Do not go rushing into doing all at once. You need to find out how each thing done is reacting to your kitty... that is, unless the meds are prescribed by a specialist...

I hope this makes sense...

I wish you luck... this is a tuff road.. try to make a chart of symptoms and when you started something new.. that can help a lot.. remember, it make take days before you see a reaction to anything....

((hugs)))
 

Catmom1234567890

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Hi all, hope it is OK to make a new topic so the update on Picky Tabby is not buried in another thread. So it turns out all the problems I've been having feeding Picky Tabby the last 4 years are probably because he has IBD.

I'm kind of disappointed in the vet for not picking up on it til now because he's been losing weight slowly for over 2 years. At his last wellness check we had a big discussion about his food issues (I've mentioned it every year actually), they said he is almost underweight and they did more detailed bloodwork but then said everything looked good and nothing further was done. If anyone has a vet they love in the Austin area for IBD kitties I'd be interested to switch. The vet is just a standard suburban vet around the corner and I'm seeing now that if we drive further away we could get something a lot more specialized for cats. Especially since Picky Tabby is very anxious when he gets out of his home.

They are recommending to either start steroids and prescription diet or do a biopsy to see if it is really IBD or lymphoma. I'm not sure how to proceed. The biopsy estimate is around $1700.

I do know that I want to try and get him on a raw food diet because I'm hearing good things about it for IBD but the vet is against it because of bacteria/parasites.

He is currently on 12mg of Cerenia per day since 1 week and that is helping him a lot. He is 5 years old and 10lbs.

Most vets miss IBD as it can manifest with silent symptoms. I did not know my gal had IBD until she had Hairball obstructions. No classic IBD symptoms like diarrhea. She was a normal kitty until she puked hairballs more frequently and just stopped eating and would curl up in meatloaf position all day.

If your kitty stops eating that’s sign something is wrong. Don’t waste time by waiting for your kitty to get better on its own. That is what I did and she almost died from 2 surgeries and major Financial stress.
 
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lanerich

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Thanks everyone for the advice. Picky Tabby has an appointment next week with an IM specialist. We will re-review the ultrasound because it was lacking in details about the severity and also hopefully do more GI bloodwork like the B12 level.

I decided to cut him back to only one protein, so I am only feeding Rawz canned turkey and I am slowly mixing in Lotus Raw Turkey.

He is still on 12mg Cerenia a day which is working really well and making him more enthusiastic about his meals.

His friend Orange Tabby is not super thrilled about having the same food every meal but he is still eating it for now!
 
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