Dealing With Food Allergies, Possible Ibs And Stomatitis

[huxleysmom]

It's so true! It does look like Huxley's markings! He is currently sleeping on my lap (his favorite place by far). He's not scooting anymore, which is good. He's eaten well, and I am now waiting to see if he'll go to the bathroom regularly. If not, we have a problem. Fingers crossed!!!

Lap-naps are always good, and especially nice way to celebrate a 6 month adoptiversary. Congratulations to you both. (Love how this smilie cat has similar mirrored markings to Huxley )

Hope he is a little better again today and you don't have to worry too much while away from him - though I know you will.

 

[huxleysmom]

I never thought I would ever be so excited about this but Huxley has pooped everybody!!! I will spare you the gross details on how I found out he did.... but the important thing is he did! Hopefully it'll continue to stay regular and easy to pass.

 

[bellel]

There is a group on FB called IBDKitties. 2 of my cats were diagnosed last year and IBDKitties has been a wealth of information and support.

How is Huxley doing today? Thank you for adopting him and keeping him despite his medical issues. You are awesome. I've found that rescue groups will sometimes lie because they want a really awesome cat to get a home, not thinking about the fact that an owner may reject that cat due to what they find out later to be the truth. I adopted a cat from one where I was told he was 2 years old. Took him to the vet and they said "More like 10 years old." I was smitten with him from the moment I saw him though so I just reconciled myself to the fact that I'd only have him for a few years. He lived 13 years longer!!! Wonderful, sweet boy that I'll never regret adopting. So, again, thank you for stepping up for Huxley.

 

[kittensx4]

I never thought I would ever be so excited about this but Huxley has pooped everybody!!! I will spare you the gross details on how I found out he did.... but the important thing is he did! Hopefully it'll continue to stay regular and easy to pass.

Sure hoping things stay in an upward swing for you guys. If any cat deserves it, it's your guy.

 

[huxleysmom]

bellel thank you so much for giving me that FB support group! I have just checked out their website and it is full of really helpful information and recommendations! It's awesome!

 

[posiepurrs]

Here is a site that may be helpful with the stomatitis issue. Feline chronic lymphocytic plasmacytic gingivostomatitis
It was for me when my Boo was diagnosed with it. I did some refining on his diet by eliminating all poultry and dry food. I used slippery elm and raw honey twice a day for the inflammation. He is better, not cured but no more drooling or death breath. He is eating with gusto.

 

[huxleysmom]

Thank you posiepurrs . I will definitely check it out! I am planning on getting rid of dry food (I wonder if that's what started his constipation) and will try SEB when I get back. I don't want to overwhelm my friends who will look after him for me.

 

[huxleysmom]

Can anyone give me some ideas of how to transition Huxley to wet only food? I trully believe that he is gluten intolerant and that it's causing the constipation. He currently eats 1/4 of a cup of dry food in the morning, and the rest is wet food. The problem is, it's quite high in calories and still represents a subtential amount of his calory intake, and also, he plainly refuses to eat wet food in the morning. I also think that he LOVES the dry food and is reluctant to let it go. He also does not seem to be able to eat more than 1/6th of a can of wet food At a time, which is a problem as I work full time. Any tips would be more than wecome! Should I just take it away and wait for hunger to get him to give in, or so you think he'll go on a hinger strike?

 

[bernii123]

Whats signs do they show when the have a food allergy or IBS?

I think my cat might also have a food allergy but im not sure

 

[huxleysmom]

The symptoms vary greatly from cat to cat. They can be mild to severe. There are several types of reaction:

-GI issues (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation) this can also be symptoms of IBS/IBD
-Skin issues (over grooming, mild/severe itching, pulling out hair, paw chewing, chin acne)
-Ear issues (ear wax build up, scratching ears/neck and forehead areas, recurring ear infections)
-Upper Respiratory issues (wheezing/asthma, frequent sneezing, eyes swollen or weepy)
I'm sure I forget some, but if your cat is experiencing some of these issues on a regular basis, you may want to talk to your vet about it, or try an elimination diet to see if things improve. Although they could also be triggered by environmental allergens like fleas, dust, dust mites, mold or pollen.

Whats signs do they show when the have a food allergy or IBS?

I think my cat might also have a food allergy but im not sure

 

[Daughter of The King]

As you can tell by the title, my poor Huxley has not exactly won the lottery of health. IBS has not officially been diagnosed yet, but all signs point to that. When I adopted Huxley back on New Year's Eve (we'll be celebrating our 6 months together in a few days!) all I knew about him is that he had had to have all of his teeth taken out, but according to the shelter it was all taken care of and he would not have anymore problems with that. He is my first cat, so I had no clue what stomatitis was. I did some research since then, and clearly it's not as simple as that. I also knew that he had food allergies, but was told they had found a prescription diet that worked for him. It didn't take me long to figure out they haven't. Now, after months of various food trials, and several unsuccessful attempts at weaning him off of pred, we are now suspecting IBS as well, probably triggered by his allergies. I'll be using this threat to ask for advice, record ups and downs and get support from this great community.
Right now, my aim is to get him eating properly before I leave for France where I'll be visiting my family for a month. If the nausea medicine doesn't work, we'll give him a steroid shot. Has anyone experienced both the pills and shots? Is the potential for side effects worse with the shots?

I have given my babies Ultimate Aloe Vera Juice it has helped with our cats for throwing up (we had a cat whose nickname was bulimic blossom until we gave her this juice) and respiratory problems. It's the only thing that really worked

 

[kittensx4]

I have given my babies Ultimate Aloe Vera Juice it has helped with our cats for throwing up (we had a cat whose nickname was bulimic blossom until we gave her this juice) and respiratory problems. It's the only thing that really worked

I thought aloe was toxic to cats???

 

[huxleysmom]

Thank you for the tip D Daughter of The King . I'll definitely look into that. Though right now Huxley has stopped eating and is not going to the bathroom, or drinking much either.
I have a feeling I'm going to have to board him while I am away. Maybe it's a good thing for him. They'll make sure he gets his meds, or even change his meds/readjust doses if necessary, start b12 injections... A very expensive solution, but maybe what's best for him now.

 

[Daughter of The King]

I thought aloe was toxic to cats???

Oooh no! I've used this on my cats and my bunny who had a bowl obstruction. I only would buy the Ultimate Aloe Plain (found on line) for them not the store bought because it's processed different. I have a Maine Coon that's about 15 lbs and I would give him 3cc once a day for 2-3 days for upper respiratory infections and my cat that threw up for years (vets told that was normal ) I gave her 2-3 cc a day. It has saved me many trips to the vet and I've been using it for years. Hope that's helpful for your baby

 

[bernii123]

The symptoms vary greatly from cat to cat. They can be mild to severe. There are several types of reaction:

-GI issues (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation) this can also be symptoms of IBS/IBD
-Skin issues (over grooming, mild/severe itching, pulling out hair, paw chewing, chin acne)
-Ear issues (ear wax build up, scratching ears/neck and forehead areas, recurring ear infections)
-Upper Respiratory issues (wheezing/asthma, frequent sneezing, eyes swollen or weepy)
I'm sure I forget some, but if your cat is experiencing some of these issues on a regular basis, you may want to talk to your vet about it, or try an elimination diet to see if things improve. Although they could also be triggered by environmental allergens like fleas, dust, dust mites, mold or pollen.

Thank you so much.
My kitten has the ear problem. Extreme build up. It gets so bad that he cant hear.
I will have to have a talk with the vet.

 

[huxleysmom]

you're welcome B bernii123 . When Huxley was eating poultry his ear wax build up was ridiculous. I had to clean his ear with a Q-tip every day and it still cane out full of black goo! Yuck!!
I would bring your kitten to the vet to be examined though as it could be a lot of other things too like a yeast infection or ear mites. Good luck!

 

[bernii123]

This is what comes out of my kittens ears. Everyday.

Ive been by the vet alot of time. He got treated for ear mites and alot of different kinds of ear infections. They even had him under and cleaned out his ears completelt.
He's been on antibiotics and also got different types of drops to clean his ears with. This has been going on for almost 3 months now

 

[huxleysmom]

Wow! That is a LOT of build up! What is your kitten eating?

 

[bernii123]

Wow! That is a LOT of build up! What is your kitten eating?

Its alot more than that. Thats only a piece of it.
The vet gave him special kitten food to be on. Cant remember the name at the moment . It has a weird name.

But they ever did any test so he might still be allergic to something in that food.

The sad part is, he is only 5 months old

 

[huxleysmom]

Poor little thing! Maybe you could try and elimination diet and see if anything works better for him. The problem is it could be environmental as well. When did it start? If it started around Spring time, then maybe it is some sort of pollen. Have you changed anything in your home recently? Detergent? Added a new carpet? Changed his litter or your parfume?
If you want to start an elimination diet, look the ingredients in his current food and go for a completely different protein that he has never eaten before like rabbit, venison or pork. I would avoid protein from the same family at first to avoid cross-reactions. So if he currently eats chicken, avoid turkey or duck at first (you can always try them again once you start re-introducing other proteins. I would also find a new food that has no grains, no soy, no legumes (same family as soy) and if it has carbs like rice or potato, make sure that ingredient is not already in your kitten's food. Basically you are looking at a food that only has meat and maybe one carbohydrate. Huxley is currently eating Hounds and Gatos pork and is doing well with it. Wild Calling is also a good brand, though he wouldn't touch it. When selecting a new wet food, read ALL the ingredients. Chicken and turkey seem to be everywhere! So are peas. If you are going to give him dry food, follow the same rules (although it is impossible to find dry food that doesn't contain one of the above ingredients. Once you have started his new diet, stick with it for 8-10 weeks (this will allow what makes him allergic to definitely leave his system). No cheating during that time. No treats or flavored medication. If his symptoms disappear, you found his allergens. If after 10-12 weeks he still has symptoms, he is also allergic to the food you've been trying. In the meantime, ask your vet if you can tey Zyrtec ( I'm sure you can, but since it's a kitten, it's best to check with your vet first).