Hello. I am interested in other's experiences of their cat having irritable bowel or especially inflammatory bowel disease. My cat's vet suspects one of the two but a diagnosis involves getting my baby an ultrasound and biopsy which I can't afford. What treatment made your sick cat better? What kind of food helped ? - high protein and low fat for example, or what specific name of food? Was a change in food enough to treat successfully or were drugs or probiotics needed?
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Inflammatory Bowel, Irritable Bowel
- Thread starter snowyowl1
- Start Date
Now, although I don't have experience with it, there are several members here who do. I've flagged one who is a special friend, and when she sees it, I'm sure she will have good advice for you!
Until then, here's an article that will give you good general information!
Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats
Until then, here's an article that will give you good general information!
Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats
OMgosh!!!
OK, I will begin, please anyone help me if I get it wrong:
IBD is an extremely frustrating disease to deal with, to get a handle on, and to understand.
There are various symptoms of IBD.. most of them are: vomiting, diarrhea...inappetence, weight loss...
I ended up choosing to get a biopsy, for confirmation.
I tried every food under the sun.. I tried so many things.. finally had to see a specialist. We are doing a novel protein diet. That means a protein your cat has never had before; like rabbit, venison, duck, kangaroo, alligator, etc. Whatever my guy would eat. Unfortunately he would get tired of the food, so I would have to switch.
Some brands are Nature's Variety (I would not use if your loved one has constipation issues), Hound & Gatos, Koha, Red Barn, Ziwipeak... these are just few.. Chewy.com has many of them. Others, you would have to go to their website.
The idea of IBD is that your cat has an allergy to either the protein or to something added into the food. That is reacting to him, and causing the symptoms.
The best food would be without any additives.. a high protein is really good.
I discovered a chicken allergy, because he would immediately regurgitate (vomit) after eating chicken.
Regarding treatment: lots of drugs initially, perhaps leveling off, if symptoms decrease.
Anti nausea meds: Pepci, Cerenia, sometimes Zofran, things to calm the stomach and the are in the brain which stimulates the nausea..
Sometime an antibiotic
A Steroid to cut down on inflammation: Prednisolone..
A probiotic is usually added to food..
There are so many things going on with this disease..
There is a great website, created by a former member of this forum"
IBDkitties.com
There is also a Facebook Group under the same name.. it is a private group. You just need to ask to join. This is the FB group for the website. They are great. Awesome with knowledge and so understanding..
I do not know if I helped you out at all, or if I confused or scared you..
I have a very long, actually, never-ending story of me and my guy, Artie, if you feel like reading a book..
Good Luck, and if I can help anymore, please shout out..
There are so many great Advisors on this forum, who helped me out so much..
OK, I will begin, please anyone help me if I get it wrong:
IBD is an extremely frustrating disease to deal with, to get a handle on, and to understand.
There are various symptoms of IBD.. most of them are: vomiting, diarrhea...inappetence, weight loss...
I ended up choosing to get a biopsy, for confirmation.
I tried every food under the sun.. I tried so many things.. finally had to see a specialist. We are doing a novel protein diet. That means a protein your cat has never had before; like rabbit, venison, duck, kangaroo, alligator, etc. Whatever my guy would eat. Unfortunately he would get tired of the food, so I would have to switch.
Some brands are Nature's Variety (I would not use if your loved one has constipation issues), Hound & Gatos, Koha, Red Barn, Ziwipeak... these are just few.. Chewy.com has many of them. Others, you would have to go to their website.
The idea of IBD is that your cat has an allergy to either the protein or to something added into the food. That is reacting to him, and causing the symptoms.
The best food would be without any additives.. a high protein is really good.
I discovered a chicken allergy, because he would immediately regurgitate (vomit) after eating chicken.
Regarding treatment: lots of drugs initially, perhaps leveling off, if symptoms decrease.
Anti nausea meds: Pepci, Cerenia, sometimes Zofran, things to calm the stomach and the are in the brain which stimulates the nausea..
Sometime an antibiotic
A Steroid to cut down on inflammation: Prednisolone..
A probiotic is usually added to food..
There are so many things going on with this disease..
There is a great website, created by a former member of this forum"
IBDkitties.com
There is also a Facebook Group under the same name.. it is a private group. You just need to ask to join. This is the FB group for the website. They are great. Awesome with knowledge and so understanding..
I do not know if I helped you out at all, or if I confused or scared you..
I have a very long, actually, never-ending story of me and my guy, Artie, if you feel like reading a book..
Good Luck, and if I can help anymore, please shout out..
There are so many great Advisors on this forum, who helped me out so much..
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Ok Thanks for that.
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- #5
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- #6
Thanks for all the great info. I failed to mention that my cat also drinks about a cup of water a day, pees for a long time when he goes, is losing weight, is itchy, and has soft stools. My place is dusty sometimes and I have tons of carpet so that could be why he's itchy. He very rarely vomits. Also he has protein in his urine which is a sign of kidney disease. He got a geriatric panel that includes an early kidney disease test 6 months ago and it was all normal. I got him tested about six months prior to that and no kidney disease or other problems on the blood tests.He is not hyperthyroid or diabetic and probably doesn't have liver disease. He has had protein in his urine for more than a year now and that's not normal. My vet has ruled out kidney disease and thinks it is a bowel/digestive issue but I'm not so convinced. I guess it's possible he could have a bowel disease and have kidney issues too. I can't afford another geriatric panel right now or I would get one for him. I wonder, could a bowel disease eventually turn into kidney problems? He is on a green pea and venison diet and doesn't seem to like this food and is only eating a quarter cup of it a day. I am so worried about him that I get sick from the stress.
IBD does not turn into kidney disease, it usually turns into lymphoma.
I am wondering about your cat possibly having diabetes or kidney disease.
He really needs to be completely evaluated. I know money is an issue, but.....vomiting, weight loss, excessive drinking, resulting large pee clumps are indicative of either.
Are you feeding wet or dry?
I am wondering about your cat possibly having diabetes or kidney disease.
He really needs to be completely evaluated. I know money is an issue, but.....vomiting, weight loss, excessive drinking, resulting large pee clumps are indicative of either.
Are you feeding wet or dry?
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I know this is scary but your baby needs a vet. Need blood work and a vet to palpate to see whats going on. Theres many things it COULD be but many ARE treatable. Please don't wait. It could be something simple and if you wait too long it may be too late. Please.
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- #9
I used to give him some of both but now mostly dry cause for some reason canned food seems to trigger soft stools for him. He rarely vomits, the last time was probably a couple of months ago and just once.
I would chime in that further testing is in order with what you are saying. It does sound more like a kidney problem or diabetes than IBD/food sensitivities; especially the peeing, thirst, weight loss and lack of vomiting you mention. Honestly, those are classic diabetes signs and I am surprised your vet didn't recommend blood work for that. While you had an exam 6 months ago things could have changed since then. How did your vet rule out kidney disease? Did your vet figure out the cause of the high protein?
Without knowing specifically what is the problem it is difficult to make diet changes. Diabetes is low carb, kidney usually does best on a prescription diet, IBD novel protein and low fillers. I think I would get all test results and ask for a second opinion or consult with a different vet. Maybe fresh eyes will help.
Without knowing specifically what is the problem it is difficult to make diet changes. Diabetes is low carb, kidney usually does best on a prescription diet, IBD novel protein and low fillers. I think I would get all test results and ask for a second opinion or consult with a different vet. Maybe fresh eyes will help.
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I do know something is wrong with him. I just talked to the vet this morning and she said that a general health panel blood test can be done but she doesn't seem that concerned. I am hoping she will feel his stomach later. I told her I'm on a serious budget and so she talked to me about his current symptoms on the phone. No exam but she will check to see if he's dehydrated at all today. The tests he's getting will test again for early kidney and liver disease and whatever else. She said his Feb. test showed his kidneys were in the high normal range so that can't be good. It seems she is still more concerned its a gastrointestinal issue so maybe I'm wasting my money. She said they can get a bit of info with the blood tests that could show whether he's got bowel/stomach problems. She said it's normal for a cat to drink a cup of water a day when on mostly dry food. Not sure why when there's protein in his urine that he's not suspected of having a kidney or other serious problem but I'm not a vet. He's getting the blood work done later today and I'll have the results 24 hours later.
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snowowl=I can only suspect it's GI related...If they give Cerenia and the cat still vomits-it could be a physical blockage. Is there anything that has strings or plastic that your kitty would have gotten into? We had these mice toys made with yarn-she loves to chew them and the string was long enough to cause issues-only 5 inches long. I hope they can help you.
If Cerenia doesn't stop the vomiting-try Zofran. Some cats respond better to that. There is something called Pancreatitis that is hard to diagnose but also causes vomiting.
The treatment is the same: fluids/pain meds/antinausa meds/food and appetite stimulants ONCE the nausea has been treated.
I am just shooting out in the dark. kidney disease can also cause vomiting in it's advanced stages-treatment is same- fluids and more fluids with high protein and low potassium diet IF they test high on potassium.
A CBC and chem panel may help give a clue to what's going on.
At the min sub fluids and anti nausea meds will at least make your kitty more comfortable for the next 24 to 48 hours. Vomiting causes dehydration. Dehydrated cats feel LOUSY. Fluids-can't recommend it enough.
If Cerenia doesn't stop the vomiting-try Zofran. Some cats respond better to that. There is something called Pancreatitis that is hard to diagnose but also causes vomiting.
The treatment is the same: fluids/pain meds/antinausa meds/food and appetite stimulants ONCE the nausea has been treated.
I am just shooting out in the dark. kidney disease can also cause vomiting in it's advanced stages-treatment is same- fluids and more fluids with high protein and low potassium diet IF they test high on potassium.
A CBC and chem panel may help give a clue to what's going on.
At the min sub fluids and anti nausea meds will at least make your kitty more comfortable for the next 24 to 48 hours. Vomiting causes dehydration. Dehydrated cats feel LOUSY. Fluids-can't recommend it enough.
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- #14
Hi Kieka. I'm getting my cat a health panel test today. Not sure if that includes a diabetis test but probably. He has been tested a couple times in the past for diabetes and yes things can change. I still don't know why there's protein in his urine. Could extra protein in blood spill over into urine? Vet told me before, after Timone's last test kidney test, that all values were in the normal range. I heard that itchiness could be a sign of toxins from the kidneys building up in the body. Not sure if it's a real symptom of kidney disease in cats. My cats seems to be itchy too.
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oh you can check dehydration yourself. Gums and skin slack.
You run your fingers in mouth along gums=if it's slippery then not dehydrate. if they are sticky tacky then they need fluids.
On the back- where momcat grabs the kittens at the neck-gently pick up skin and release it-watch how fast it snaps back. You can do this on the sides of hips too. less than 2 seconds is ideal. 4 or more seconds means fluids needed.
You run your fingers in mouth along gums=if it's slippery then not dehydrate. if they are sticky tacky then they need fluids.
On the back- where momcat grabs the kittens at the neck-gently pick up skin and release it-watch how fast it snaps back. You can do this on the sides of hips too. less than 2 seconds is ideal. 4 or more seconds means fluids needed.
Diabetes can cause protein in the urine. It should be part of a health blood panel but in the vet world what is tested for in blood work varies widely. Each vet can have their own terminology for the same type of testing. My vet has basic, pre-surgery and diagnostic blood panels for example.
My personal opinion is that it probably is more kidney/diabetes than intestinal but that doesn't mean that it couldn't be intestinal. I am biased because my cats have food sensitivities which leads to vomiting and diarrhea. So that I have never had the other issues you mention with my personal experiences with intestinal problems is why I feel so strongly that is it more likely something else. Specifically to the cup of water a day comment, my cats drink a lot of water, it isn't uncommon for them to drink 3 oz in a sitting or for a minute straight, but they always have drunk that much water. It sounds more like your cat recently started drinking more which would indicate something is interfering with ability to process liquids or throwing off a chemical balance.
Do you know why your vet thinks it is more likely intestinal and not kidney related?
You didn't say why you went to the vet in the first place. From what you have said here it sounds like vomiting was once or twice a few months back. Increase in thirst. Increase in urination. Loose stool on wet food. Weight loss. Itchy. Am I missing anything?
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- #17
LOL...that's what I meant when I said one answer tends to trigger others! Now you have some excellent suggestions and advice to work from! AND a ready-made support group who will cheer you on through whatever it takes.
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Foxxycat fortunately vomiting is not an issue at all for him. He might vommit up a hairball once every three months. I'm not sure if I should have but I used to give him up to a tablespoon of mineral oil with his canned food occasionally as a hairball remedy. I stopped doing this months ago and only gave him it about 6 times in his life, every couple of months or so. I read somewhere that mineral oil wasn't good to give cats. Sorry I'm getting off topic. I doubt he's eaten anything abnormal and the vet never suggested this being a concern. She felt his stomach area when he had his exam but it still could be a possibility he ate something he can't pass. I will ask the vet about it. Thanks
