IBD Question about elimination diet

kittymama18

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 3, 2018
Messages
68
Purraise
57
How does one do a food trial on a cat who is fine as long as she's getting prednisolone? Do IBD cats usually show symptoms on steroids, or only unmedicated? I'm afraid to start giving her something new and mess up her innards more than they're already messed up, but not know about it. :dunno:
 

Sajast

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Messages
87
Purraise
85
So no symptoms while on steroids? I think you’d try a novel protein diet and then see if you are able to wean them off of steroids. If symptoms return, back on steroids and try again with a different diet.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

kittymama18

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 3, 2018
Messages
68
Purraise
57
Thank you! Yes, no symptoms I think. She had no symptoms before anyway - then a vet said she had to cold-turkey off steroids - diarrhea ensued. She’s back on steroids now (other vet gave injection today) and I’m hoping the diarrhea dries up soon. 🤞
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
I hope you can get something resolved with this. I saw your previous post and it would seem a whole lot of things are going on. How were some of the things in your previous thread resolved (if they were)? That might help some to respond here.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

kittymama18

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 3, 2018
Messages
68
Purraise
57
Nothing's resolved, lol! Vet is going with IBD, until something changes, so we're just going to treat symptoms. (HE says the single creatinine value high with others low, and her symptoms/overall situation is unlikely to be kidney failure, but we'll keep an eye on it, but for now we need to get her GI healthy again) He gave her depo-medrol injection yesterday, so she's all stocked up on steroids for a while, lol. He started her on metronidazole yesterday as well. Her poop is poop-colored and is closer to toothpaste - or maybe pudding - than the total liquid it was when the other vet took her off everything all of a sudden, so improvement. I am planning to wait till her poop is normal before I try making any changes, since that's all that's left that's wonky about her. She's happy, she eats, she drinks, she urinates - just the poop issue. I started giving her some of my probiotics and have some S Boulardii (I keep wanting to call it Chef Boyardee, haha) coming tomorrow from Amazon, and have been giving her prozyme as well as dancing widdershins around the house holding a holly branch and singing Christmas Carols in the dark of the moon. :flail: Something will work eventually, I'm sure!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

kittymama18

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 3, 2018
Messages
68
Purraise
57
Well, I'm stumped. Nothing has changed. Still pudding-consistency splat poops, and not a lot of 'em.
If I try any variety of canned food (I've tried 4 brands now) she gets lethargic and depressed for 4-6 hours and then recovers. Home-cooked turkey and beef have the same result. On the other hand, home-cooked chicken, tilapia, and duck and she is fine, happy, and energetic.
I would think IBD would result in more distress, and for a longer span of time, right?
I'm going to try the Hills ZD recommended by the vet tomorrow, even though I'm not impressed by the ingredients. What the heck, maybe it'll strike her the right way.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

kittymama18

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 3, 2018
Messages
68
Purraise
57
I've had her on Tiki Cat tuna food since last posting. (There was a brief flirtation with other tuna varieties, but calamari makes her barf every single time, interestingly) Her poops very very very very gradually normalized, and are now fine. She still pulls fur every once in a while, but not as bad as it was when the 1st vet took her off prednisone cold turkey. I think she may still have a little pain now and then because of that fur-pulling, but otherwise she is happy, playful, sleeps well, poops well, urinates well, and is perfectly happy being spoiled rotten and kept separate from the other cats to avoid any accidental encounters with non-gold-plated-kibble. Sorry for lack of updates, it was just really gradual, so there was never one day when I woke up and said, "Yay, she's all good now!" lol. :) Thanks for asking!!
 
Top