Should I Put My Aged Cat On Prednisolone?

[jdwns12]

Seeking advice on a cat that has thickened intestinal walls. He most likely has IBD. He has thrown up a lot over the years, and my vet then gave me hypoallergenic foods. All of which my cat hated. I tried to slowly transition him to raw since my sister's cat eats raw, and when she runs low on Rad Cat she feeds LID wet food to her kitty, then goes back to raw. That didn't work with Tyler, he didn't touch the raw, and I tried several raw and/or freeze dried raw cat foods. I would even mix a little with his favorite food, and he wouldn't touch any of it. At any rate, he is 16 or 17 years old thereabouts. He had an X-ray and ultrasound of his intestines and he does have thickened intestinal walls. I chose not to do the endoscopy at his age as he gets extremely stressed and aggressive going to the vet, so now I use a Mobile Vet. He's the sweetest cat ever and will walk up to anybody, but he hisses and growls and claws at the vets. Previous vets have him listed as a difficult cat. At any rate, he recently had bloodwork done which I will get a copy of soon. Other things like thyroid and kidney values are in the high but normal range.
My vet said he does not have small cell lymphoma but has a high white blood count (not leukemia) due to inflammation. He is losing weight now. My vet wants to put him on Prednisolone, and I'm hesitant about that unless I know it will do him some good. I heard it can have bad side effects and make them feel a bit off, and the vet said it can shorten their life. Although I know quality of life is more important than quantity, and I want him to be happy. I'm just hesitant about giving an aged kitty pills for the rest of his life unless I know it could possibly bring the inflammation down and make him feel better. He eats like a horse, but he is now losing weight. I currently feed him Merrick LID Real Chicken wet cat food and Classic Fancy Feast Chicken. He doesn't seem to throw up that often on chicken. Although he throws up clear acid puke at times. He hates Duck, Venison, Rabbit, Pork. I've tried many wet LID cat food brands more than once, and he just doesn't like them, except for the Merrick Real Chicken. I took him off Beef three months ago even though he really liked it. He threw up more when he ate beef or fish. If people here feel I should have him on Prednisolone, I will really take that into account. He hates pills. If he should go on Prednisolone, what is the best way to administer that to him if indeed he should be on Prednidolone? I really like my Mobile Vet, but as my sister pointed out, they always have to prescribe something when you take your kitty in for something. I thought I would try this Merrick LID Cat Food since he likes it, and continue with the Classic Fancy Feast too, and see if he starts to gain any weight on these, but if you all feel he should be on Prednisolone as well, I will definitely have my vet put him on it. Thanks for any advise you can give.



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[Furballsmom]

Hi! I don't know about the steroid, (other than I've read it can cause increased appetite) but I wanted to mention this website, if you're not already familiar,
IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

Also have you considered a probiotic, like Tummyworks or Animal Essentials products to try and help his systems get everything out if the foods? What about kitten food with higher protein and fat?
Also take a look at kitten glop recipes on the internet, with goat milk.

You might find this interesting Prednisolone Making A Hangry Kitty

Hang in there!!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

From the many threads I've read here on TCS about cats with IBD, the use of steroids is very common, and does seem to help them. There are risks, indeed, but as you said, if quality of life can be improved for an elderly cat, then perhaps it's worth the risk? I think the main risk is diabetes, but usually the steroid use starts out strong, then is decreased as the inflammation decreases, which also decreases the risk of diabetes. There are several steroids that can be used. Did you find that section of the website referenced above? If not, here it is: Introduction to Steroids – IBDKitties

Is your guy on antacids? When you mentioned he sometimes throws up "clear acid puke" that's where antacids come into play. They can be very helpful. And since your guy is a little difficult to pill, I know for a fact that you can get those in injectibles. We used to give our last kidney cat her antacid as an injectible because she was impossible to pill. I just checked Prednisolone, and it can be compounded into just about any type you need...flavored chew, flavored liquid, injectible, transdermal gel, mini-melt, paste or powder, so if you can't pill him, you've got other choices!

 

[Megsnan]

Im not positive but I think the danger with steroids is using them long term as they take a toll on the kidneys over time. My sisters cat has IBD and she gives him steroids just when he has a flare up. It really helps him as far as eating goes. I would try the medication and not switch up your kitty’s diet too much as that could potentially cause a flare up. However, please understand that I’m not a doctor nor do I know your cats full history. Following your vet’s advice will probably be your best bet.

 

[jen]

Yes yes yes give him prednisolone! It will help his appetite, and help him to feel better too.

 

[leo12]

I would try the prednisolone, but only if it was short term. Our cat was on it for many months, and in the beginning it helped a lot, he gained a pound and the diarrhea stopped. I wanted to taper him off of it once he improved, but the vet said to leave him on it. His appetite was tremendous, (which I attribute to the med), but after awhile he started losing weight again, even though he was eating constantly, and the diarrhea started up again. I found the hardest part of having a cat with IBD was trying to find a food that was good for him, and one he would eat. I went through so many different kinds, (both expensive and cheap), that our cat would eat for a day or two, then refuse. Make sure you get the Prednisolone in liquid form, it is much easier to give than pills. Good Luck

 

[jen]

I prefer pills to liquid personally but whatever works for the OP! My cat was on Pred for well over a year and it helped her so much. When she was hungry she would eat literally ANYTHING and Pred upped her hunger greatly to where she climbed on the sink and knocked over the trash can to get to food. Which was annoying but I was happy she was eating!

 

[leo12]

Ours wasn't on it that long, but I found it stopped helping after four or five months. It definitely makes them hungry, which, like you said, is great. But, with ours, he still was so very picky, the vet gave up on ideas for food that was good for IBD because he wouldn't eat them, and because he was so thin she just told me to feed him what ever he would eat. That turned out to be boiled chicken, which he loved.

 

[jdwns12]

Hi! I don't know about the steroid, (other than I've read it can cause increased appetite) but I wanted to mention this website, if you're not already familiar,
IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

Also have you considered a probiotic, like Tummyworks or Animal Essentials products to try and help his systems get everything out if the foods? What about kitten food with higher protein and fat?
Also take a look at kitten glop recipes on the internet, with goat milk.

You might find this interesting Prednisolone Making A Hangry Kitty

Hang in there!!

Furballsmom , thank you so much for your reply. You gave me some wonderful recommendations and links which I'm going to look into, and I never ran across that website before that you listed on IBDKitties - Helping Save Lives... One Paw at a Time, so thank you very much for that. Again, thank you very much for your wonderful recommendations!

 

[jdwns12]

From the many threads I've read here on TCS about cats with IBD, the use of steroids is very common, and does seem to help them. There are risks, indeed, but as you said, if quality of life can be improved for an elderly cat, then perhaps it's worth the risk? I think the main risk is diabetes, but usually the steroid use starts out strong, then is decreased as the inflammation decreases, which also decreases the risk of diabetes. There are several steroids that can be used. Did you find that section of the website referenced above? If not, here it is: Introduction to Steroids – IBDKitties

Is your guy on antacids? When you mentioned he sometimes throws up "clear acid puke" that's where antacids come into play. They can be very helpful. And since your guy is a little difficult to pill, I know for a fact that you can get those in injectibles. We used to give our last kidney cat her antacid as an injectible because she was impossible to pill. I just checked Prednisolone, and it can be compounded into just about any type you need...flavored chew, flavored liquid, injectible, transdermal gel, mini-melt, paste or powder, so if you can't pill him, you've got other choices!

mrsgreenjeens , thank you for the link, Introduction to Steroids - IBD Kitties. I took a quick look at it and it seems very informational, and thank you for suggesting antacid for my kitty as well. He throws up the clear liquid vomit sometimes. I will ask my vet about that, too. It's good to know that Prednisolone can be given in many different ways other than the pill. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[jdwns12]

Im not positive but I think the danger with steroids is using them long term as they take a toll on the kidneys over time. My sisters cat has IBD and she gives him steroids just when he has a flare up. It really helps him as far as eating goes. I would try the medication and not switch up your kitty’s diet too much as that could potentially cause a flare up. However, please understand that I’m not a doctor nor do I know your cats full history. Following your vet’s advice will probably be your best bet.

Megsnan Thank you for your reply. I think you're right that switching up the cat food too much can cause flare ups. I also think you're right that following my vet's advice would be my best bet. I'll express my concern though to him about not wanting him to be on it long term, but of course, I'll listen to what my vet recommends.

 

[jdwns12]

I prefer pills to liquid personally but whatever works for the OP! My cat was on Pred for well over a year and it helped her so much. When she was hungry she would eat literally ANYTHING and Pred upped her hunger greatly to where she climbed on the sink and knocked over the trash can to get to food. Which was annoying but I was happy she was eating!

jen , thank you so much for your replies. I'm glad to hear that the Pred helped your kitty with her appetite to the point where she would knock down the trash can to get to more food! Also, in your earlier reply, you strongly suggested my kitty be put on the Pred saying it should make him feel better. Thanks for that! The consensus seems to be anyway that he should be given the Pred just like my vet recommends. I think I just want him monitored on it closely because of his age.

 

[jdwns12]

I would try the prednisolone, but only if it was short term. Our cat was on it for many months, and in the beginning it helped a lot, he gained a pound and the diarrhea stopped. I wanted to taper him off of it once he improved, but the vet said to leave him on it. His appetite was tremendous, (which I attribute to the med), but after awhile he started losing weight again, even though he was eating constantly, and the diarrhea started up again. I found the hardest part of having a cat with IBD was trying to find a food that was good for him, and one he would eat. I went through so many different kinds, (both expensive and cheap), that our cat would eat for a day or two, then refuse. Make sure you get the Prednisolone in liquid form, it is much easier to give than pills. Good Luck

L leo12 , thank you for your replies and for wishing me good luck! Thank you also for sharing your experiences with your kitty with IBD. I think you're right. I don't want my kitty to be on the Prednisolone long term either. I think the liquid form would be best for my cat too! I will express my concerns with my vet about all this. I think I will try that boiled chicken and give it to my cat on occasion!

 

[LTS3]

The pred pills aren't hard to give if you use Pill Pockets or other pill dough. I give my IBD cat the pills with bacon flavored dough. But liquid and flavored chewable treats and transdermal gel, among others, are options for those cats who won't eat pill dough.

Pred can cause temporary diabetes-like symptoms but it's nothing to worry about. Long-term use of any steroid can cause diabetes but IBD cats generally only need to be on it for a few months. Most vets typically start at a high dose and then slowly taper the dosage off. My IBD cat was diagnosed in January and he's still on pred today, mostly because the pred also helps his asthma. It's a tiny dose, half a 4 mg pill once a day every other day.

B12 injections are helpful for IBD cats. Low B12 levels can cause weight loss. The vet will have to do a specific blood test for B12.

Your cat may need other medicines to help with the iBD, at least at first. My cat was on Cerenia and then omeprazole and clarithromycin and amoxicillin. He also had mirtazapine just in case but I never had to use it.

Chicken can cause IBD flare ups in some cats. Vomiting and crouching are common flare up signs. If your cat seems ok with chicken, feed it but also try other proteins. There are IBD food suggestions here: Finding Foods That Work For Ibd I feed my IBD cat a commerical raw food.

 

[alzycat]

I'm curious as to why your vet thinks it can't be small cell lymphoma... If you haven't done a biopsy, it's very difficult tell between lymphoma & IBD. My cat had very similar symptoms to yours, including a thickened intestinal wall, & my vet said it could be either lymphoma or IBD. I didn't do a biopsy to tell between them & just started using prednisolone, & it has done wonders for my cat. She has gained about 4 pounds (she was severely underweight), she has a great appetite, she's playful, etc etc. She was actually supposed to live to a max of 6 months after her diagnosis but it's been about 8 months now & she is still doing great.

I haven't noticed any side effects with my cat, but every cat is different. We did start her off on a high dose because she was in very rough shape, but now she is on a low dose & still doing fine. I'm actually thinking about talking to her vet about cutting the dose down again to see how she does. Also- my cat has some kidney issues too (not caused by the pred), & they haven't seemed to worsen since started the prednisolone.

I would personally recommend the pill form. Giving liquid medicine to cats is so tough, & apparently the liquid prednisolone has a very strong 'medicine' taste & smell so cats avoid it like the plague. You would have to syringe it into your cats mouth instead of putting it on their food. I give my cat the pill form & just put it into a little ball of her wet food & hand feed it to her- she rarely notices the pill!

 

[jen]

I'm curious as to why your vet thinks it can't be small cell lymphoma... If you haven't done a biopsy, it's very difficult tell between lymphoma & IBD. My cat had very similar symptoms to yours, including a thickened intestinal wall, & my vet said it could be either lymphoma or IBD. I didn't do a biopsy to tell between them & just started using prednisolone, & it has done wonders for my cat. She has gained about 4 pounds (she was severely underweight), she has a great appetite, she's playful, etc etc. She was actually supposed to live to a max of 6 months after her diagnosis but it's been about 8 months now & she is still doing great.

Exactly the same for my cat. The vet couldn't be sure without a biopsy but treatment was Pred, B12 shots and cerenia (as needed) and it worked wonderfully. She was 14.5/15 at the time of finding out she was sick and lasted over a year before I put her down about a month ago at 16.

 

[1 bruce 1]

We have a cat that will be on prednisolone for the rest of his life, unfortunately, but it has done it's work and he has other issues besides digestion that it helps. I don't love the fact he'll be on it, but I love it more than I'd love a cat not eating, not drinking, puking, diarrhea, etc.
For us, the goal was to treat the acute flare up with a heavier dose, then slowly taper down to the lowest dose necessary to keep things going well. The initial dose was high, now it's quite small.

 

[jdwns12]

The pred pills aren't hard to give if you use Pill Pockets or other pill dough. I give my IBD cat the pills with bacon flavored dough. But liquid and flavored chewable treats and transdermal gel, among others, are options for those cats who won't eat pill dough.

Pred can cause temporary diabetes-like symptoms but it's nothing to worry about. Long-term use of any steroid can cause diabetes but IBD cats generally only need to be on it for a few months. Most vets typically start at a high dose and then slowly taper the dosage off. My IBD cat was diagnosed in January and he's still on pred today, mostly because the pred also helps his asthma. It's a tiny dose, half a 4 mg pill once a day every other day.

B12 injections are helpful for IBD cats. Low B12 levels can cause weight loss. The vet will have to do a specific blood test for B12.

Your cat may need other medicines to help with the iBD, at least at first. My cat was on Cerenia and then omeprazole and clarithromycin and amoxicillin. He also had mirtazapine just in case but I never had to use it.

Chicken can cause IBD flare ups in some cats. Vomiting and crouching are common flare up signs. If your cat seems ok with chicken, feed it but also try other proteins. There are IBD food suggestions here: Finding Foods That Work For Ibd I feed my IBD cat a commerical raw food.

LTS3 , thank you for your reply. I do give my kitty B12 shots once a week for now as his B12 was very low. My mobile vet left a VM and said that although his white count is pretty high, it is slightly lower than the last time, and he said he talked to a pathologist about this, and the pathologist doesn't feel it's in the realm of being small cell lymphoma but most likely a reactionary condition due to inflammation. Thank you for sending the link on IBD food suggestions btw. That is very helpful. Perhaps I might go the route of putting the Pred in a pill pocket or other pill dough, although I had a cat that would eat those and then spit out the pill.