Recent Diagnosis Means Feeding My Cat Z/d Dry/wet Food....is There An Alternative?

[SFGlam]

Hi all,

My first time here - came here to hopefully get some good advice!!

I brought my 13 year old boy Orville into the Vet a couple weeks ago to get him checked out, as he'd lost a bit of weight recently and wasn't eating all his breakfast. Had the vet do blood work, urinalysis and an ultrasound. the Blood and Urinalysis came back ok (except for slightly elevated kidney levels) but the Ultrasound was in-conclusive. the vet said he either has IBS OR mild/early stages of Lymphoma. I could take him to an internist for a biopsy (spending a bunch more money in the process) but am trying to avoid that for the time being. he may eventually go on a steroid but I'm told that could aggravate his kidneys. so for now, the Vet prescribed him Science Diet Z/D wet and dry food.....it's expensive but he seems to dig it (especially the dry). He definitely has an appetite. the wet food is a bit dense and gelatinous and I read some reviews online where many people said their cat wouldn't eat it (but would eat the dry). I've been adding a dash of Tiki Cat tuna to make it more palatable and exciting for him.

anyway, my question is: is there an alternative to Z/D or am I stuck with this forever? I should also mention that Orville has a twin brother so whatever I feed one cat, I have to feed two. I sometimes feel like the vet hospitals maybe have some special deal with the food companies to exclusively sell that one brand of food.

I'm trying to decide now if I take him to another vet for a second opinion, keep doing what I'm doing, spend the money on the biopsy (and whatever that entails - though I would prefer not to put him through that), etc etc? so many unknowns.

I'm including a photo of my sassy Coons (Orville on the left, Wilbur on the right).

thanks in advance for any advice you all might have!

Dina

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

I'm sorry to hear Orville's not doing so well. There aren't really non prescription alternatives to the Hills z/d. mschauer can explain it much better than I can, but it's a hydrolyzed protein diet. Basically, this means that the protein has been processed in a specific way to make it ultra easy to digest and to avoid triggering any allergies. If he's not keen on the wet, you could talk to your vet about trying him with Royal Canin Hypoallergenic. This is their rx equivalent to the z/d. Do speak to your vet first though.

I'm pretty conservative with procedures, so at this stage I'd be inclined to see if the rx diet will make a difference. I'm not sure if a lymphoma dx would actually change anything in treatment terms, and if it won't alter the treatment it may be better to save him a general anaesthetic and recovery time. That's just my view though. There are others who'd want to know for sure, for their own peace of mind. If you trust and like your vet, stick with their plan. If you're feeling uneasy, seek a second opinion.

At this point it's impossible to say if Orville will need this rx food for life. If he does, supervised feeding times or feeding in separate rooms will be the vest way to keep Orville out of Wilbur's food, and vice versa.

 

[SFGlam]

thank you so much for your reply! seems that Z/D is the only way to go...I think I will still add a little Tiki Cat to it though

yeah, I really don't want to put him through a Biopsy, both for his benefit and my pocketbook. he's eating the wet food, and the vet said there's no reason why his brother can't eat it too - especially since he may very well be afflicted with the same issue at some point! it would be hard to separate their feeding times/area/food. I would just really like him to put on a little bit more weight...he's gone down about 3-4 pounds in the past 3 years I asked if I need to feed him this food for the rest of his life, and it sounds like I probably will.

I guess I'll just stay this course for now, and keep monitoring him like a hawk.

 

[Columbine]

I'm sorry he's lost weight with this illness. There are many members here with past or present experience with IBD/lymphoma cats, so you are definitely not alone
Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Cats

I understand you wanting to make the wet food yummier for him, but adding Tiki Cat (or anything else) to his food will defeat the object of feeding a hydrolyzed diet in the first place. For this diet to work, you need to feed ONLY the rx diet - no additions, no treats, just the rx food. At least he likes the kibble (which is more calorie dense, so helpful for weight gain).

You might be able to feed the z/d dry and RC Hypoallergenic wet, though, so that's worth talking to your vet about. Most vets are affiliated with either Hills or RC for rx foods, but the brands are pretty equal imo. Cats will often prefer one over the other, so it's often worth trying the other brand if your cat isn't thrilled with the first one

As I understand it, this particular type of rx diet is sometimes used as an elimination diet. Once you reach an allergen free baseline, it's sometimes possible to look at reintroducing single novel protein foods to try to find a more palatable longer term option. This isn't possible in all cases, but it may be worth having that discussion with your vet in the future

 

[LTS3]

You don't need prescription food for IBD. Many commercial cat foods are suitable. Here are two web sites with more info on IBD treatment:

Raw Feeding for IBD Cats
IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

A novel protein bland diet without too may fillers is best. Try a limited ingredient type diet:

Blue Buffalo Basics
Merrick Limited Ingredients
Koha Limited Ingredient
Natural Balance LID
Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet | Instinct Pet Food
RAWZ | 100% Rendered Free Cat Food
Single Novel Protein Grain Free Wet (not Raw) Food? Help!
Your favorite brands of "novel protein" canned cat food
Recs For Low-carb, Grain-free Pork Without Chicken Or Fish?
Canned - Pure Vita - Natural Holistic Pet Foods
NutriSource Pet Foods

I feed my IBD cat a commercial raw diet in rabbit. My vet would prefer that I feed Z/D.

A biopsy would definitely confirm IBD or other issue. It is expensive. I paid around $2000 for it.

 

[mschauer]

You don't need prescription food for IBD.

That's true but the cat not only hasn't been diagnosed with IBD, if it is IBD the cause is unknown. As Columbine has said, the reason for feeding a hydrolyzed diet is to determine if the cat has a protein sensitivity. If all his symptoms resolve with the hydrolyzed diet a protein sensitivity may well be the problem. And, also as columbine said, at that point non-hydrolyzed proteins can be reintroduced one at a time to determine which one the cat is sensitive to. Once the protein is identified a switch to a non-rx food is possible as long as that protein is avoided.

The problem with feeding a non-prescription diet to try to determine if there is a protein sensitivity is that much trial and error is required. And that can be a very frustrating process especially when using commercial processed foods because you have to carefully read the ingredients to be absolutely sure you know what proteins you are feeding.

There is the additional problem that the cause of IBD is not well understood. In some cats it doesn't seem to be a protein sensitivity but rather something about a processed foods. Some people find that all they have to do to resolve IBD is switch from a processed diet to a raw diet although that is not true in all cases.

Again, as columbine stated, there are other prescription hydrolyzed foods that can be fed for a bit of variety.

SFGlam - You should be very happy your boy will eat the hydrolyzed food. Many cats won't and their owners have a much more difficult time pin pointing what is wrong with their fur babies. That your boy does well on a hydrolyzed diet is an important piece of information your vet can use to know how to go forward with him. If I were you I would carry on with the hydrolyzed diet until there is reason to change. And talk to your vet. Ask what his/her plan is. Edit: Sorry, I missed your second post where you said your vet apparently wants you to feed the rx foods exclusively going forward. There are advantages to that but you can still talk to your vet about trying non-rx foods so long as you are very careful about reading the ingredients.

Oh, and btw, my IBD cat ( IBD confirmed by biopsy) is doing well on a home-made raw diet. She was in worst shape than your cat and was on steroids for a time but no longer is.

 

[daftcat75]

If he has lost that much weight to IBD, either get his B-12 levels checked or tell the vet you want to begin the B-12 replacement protocol and save the money on the test. Diseases of malabsorption like IBD deplete B-12. Once depleted, it is so hard for the IBD cat to restore from diet alone. But B-12 is so essential that healing will be that much more difficult without adequate amounts in the body. The B-12 shots are safe and easy to administer at home once the vet shows you how. There are also YouTube videos on how to do it. Much easier than giving a pill, that’s for sure. And it’s made a world of difference for my IBD kitty. She’s purring her head off in my lap now where one month ago, she’d still be pained crouching on the floor after meals.

 

[verna davies]

My vet suspected IBS with my cat and suggested a hydrolised diet. He contacted a specialist who said that they had good results with Dechra Specific wet and Proplan Sensitive dry. I dont know if they are available where you live but you could always have a word with your vet

 

[mschauer]

My vet suspected IBS with my cat and suggested a hydrolised diet. He contacted a specialist who said that they had good results with Dechra Specific wet and Proplan Sensitive dry. I dont know if they are available where you live but you could always have a word with your vet

Just a clarification: Those aren't hydrolyzed diets. They are meant to be used as novel protein diets. That is another way of determining whether a protein sensitivity is the cause of suspected IBD. Feed, exclusively, proteins the cat has never eaten before. If the symptoms go away it indicates the symptoms were caused by something the cat was previously eating.

 

[daftcat75]

If your boys decide they don’t like the hydrolyzed hockey puck, Tiki Cat works well for an elimination diet as they have at least a handful of single protein foods with no added garbage ingredients: just meat in meat broth plus vitamins and minerals. Most of the other “Limited Ingredient Diet” foods out there still have species-inappropriate ingredients I won’t feed to my cat anymore. Like rice and potatos, tapioca starch, peas, pea proteins, carrots, spinach, and enough with the cranberries! You ever see a cat forage in a cranberry bog?

My IBD kitty wouldn’t eat the hockey puck. Not chicken and rice. Not baby food. Not boiled beef. The only thing that restarted her when she stopped eating was treat tuna (tuna in water, supplemental feeding only). From there, I mixed in Tiki Grill Ahi Tuna and she took to that like a cat to tuna!

These days she does very well on a number of the seafood flavors. And if we want to retry chicken in a couple of months (because I’d love for her to have more options including the After Dark with organ meats), I know we can do that in a more or less controlled way because chicken would be the only protein and the only ingredient different from her tuna flavor.

 

[SFGlam]

HI everyone - thank you all so much for your great replies! I'm going to just reply here instead of replying to each individual post.

I just called my vet office and talked to the receptionist - I have a note in for the vet to call me. she said I should continue to give him the Z/D cause there's really no alternative out there. I did mention the Royal Canin and she said that they've had issues with sourcing their proteins, so she recommends I stick with the Hill's Z/D. I would LOVE to give him the tiki cat tuna as well as his favorite treats but it sounds like I need to put the kabosh on that

I will add that there was some concern of renal failure.....I mentioned to the vet that the litter box has seen quite an uptick in activity lately (both my boys share the box but I've had to scoop it out more than ever), and when he poops it's a bit more smelly. this might be some cause of concern and hopefully the vet will call me back soon so we can discuss.

the slight irritation I have with this vet office is they don't put any of this in writing - they discuss it all over the phone, so it's a lot of information to process and remember. When trying to reach the vet one day (and discovered she wasn't in) they had another vet send me an email which I will paste here:

"It is my understanding that Orville had an abdominal ultrasound recently and there is evidence of thickening in the walls of the intestine, as well as lymph node enlargement around the bowels.

There were also changes to indicate that there may be emerging chronic kidney disease, which is a common senior cat malady.

It looks like a discussion with you was had about further diagnostics at a specialist to have biopsies of the intestines done so that it could be differentiated between just inflammation (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD) or cancer. You had declined that referral.

Inflammation can be treated with prednisolone(cortisone), but it sometimes has risk to worsen the kidney disease. In the meantime, a hypoallergenic diet sometimes helps lessen symptoms if we are dealing with IBD.

To be clear, there is no diagnosis of the bowel thickening without biopsies, but prednisolone can help for awhile in most cases."

When the vet calls back I will inquire about both the B12 levels as well as hyperthyroidism. I'll report back!!

thanks again!
Dina

 

[daftcat75]

The most important thing is to stop the irritation (vomiting and diarrhea) and get the inflammation under control. Otherwise you risk add-on stress to other organs like the liver and the pancreas. Is he stable on the Hills? If yes, you're done. Add a probiotic to take the stool smell down a notch. Give him a month or two to heal while you do the B-12 shots. He may or may not need the pred. That's between you and the vet to decide. After you've given his body a chance to heal, you can experiment with other protein sources in a controlled fashion like single protein foods from Tiki Cat.

If he's not stable on the Hills, you need to address this even if it means off-roading, and trying single protein foods from Tiki Cat. How long to give him on the Hills is a question for the vet or someone else. I'm impatient but I know it takes awhile for diet changes to settle in.

Also go read ibdkitties.net for more information on what the vet might be looking for, and how you can direct Orville's treatment from an informed position.

 

[SarahSoAwesome]

My boyfriend's parents had to feed the same food to one of their cats. Only they just fed him the dry food, not the wet. They had like, 8 cats at the time. The cat that needed it (his name was Whisky) actually refused to eat the other cat's food so, they just left the normal food out for the rest of the cats, and they would feed Whisky when he was hungry (he would very loudly demand food).
If Orville is picky enough to not want the normal cat food, you can still feed that to his brother, assuming he doesn't develop the same conditions.
Or you can always feed them on a schedule, give them a bowl or two of food a day, and put any leftover food back in the bag.

 

[SFGlam]

My boyfriend's parents had to feed the same food to one of their cats. Only they just fed him the dry food, not the wet. They had like, 8 cats at the time. The cat that needed it (his name was Whisky) actually refused to eat the other cat's food so, they just left the normal food out for the rest of the cats, and they would feed Whisky when he was hungry (he would very loudly demand food).
If Orville is picky enough to not want the normal cat food, you can still feed that to his brother, assuming he doesn't develop the same conditions.
Or you can always feed them on a schedule, give them a bowl or two of food a day, and put any leftover food back in the bag.

Orville is definitely NOT picky and they are major grazers - so I need to leave dry food out for them at all times

 

[SFGlam]

sooooo...talked to my vet yesterday. she recommends keeping on the Z/D for at least two months, to give it time to take effect. So far it's only been 3 weeks. he eats it, his brother eats it, and he's acting mostly normal so I'm kind of in a holding pattern right now. I asked about getting B12 tested and she did acknowledge that as an option, but the test costs $200 and I think I'm going to leave that alone for now.

thanks for all the feedback and advice, I will post here again if there are any changes!!

 

[daftcat75]

B-12 is so important and it’s so difficult to get it back from food alone once stores are depleted through IBS/IBD. Please reconsider the test or ask for the shots directly if he seems stuck in his recovery.

 

[daftcat75]

For your reading list:
The Importance of B12 – IBDKitties

 

[Columbine]

I asked about getting B12 tested and she did acknowledge that as an option, but the test costs $200 and I think I'm going to leave that alone for now.

If Orville loses some of his appetite, it might be worth asking if he can have a B12 shot without getting tested first. I've never had any of mine tested, but we'd sometimes use a B12 shot as a pick-me-up/short term appetite booster with my two CHF guys. It's a much gentler appetite stimulant than the pharmaceutical options, so can be worth a try before moving on to actual meds. As far as I'm aware, the B12 can't do any harm, as any excess is excreted in the urine. It's a good 'tool' to be aware of

 

[daftcat75]

It really was the missing piece in my Krista’s recovery. I had the IBD controlled but she was still lethargic, not eating well, and not gaining weight. She’s now had 3 B-12 shots and has gained almost a pound. While she’s not tearing across the apartment at full speed anymore she is once again showing those lazy catnip mice who’s boss.

 

[verna davies]

I completely agree with the above members regarding B12 injections. They were recommended by my vet for my cat with suspected IBS. They are not expensive and wont do any harm. Nothing to lose and lots to gain.