Need info about IBD

My vet has told me the only real way to diagnose IBD is with a biopsy, but I just wanted more information about IBD. Anyone have any good links? I'm suspecting a lot of Jordan's problems are IBD, and I just wanted some info.

Thanks

I need info on IBD too. My 8 month old Bengal cat has just been to the vet and he is really leaning on IBD as the culprit. I would love to find out a good diet for her rather than the z/d diet, Raw vs processed food, some kind of good recipe with all the nutrients...etc I know that there's a few people on here who are really good at this..

I was told Coco had it when she was 10 and she was put on some Metronidazole for it. She isnt on any Meds now. She has been on Pred before too.

My vets have also always said the only way to definitively diagnose IBD is via biopsy, but that was not an option for instance with Patrick given the age it came up and his overall health.

In his case, it was a presumptive diagnosis based on symptoms and the fact that on palpation, his intestines felt thickened and ropey...an ultra sound can also be used to check for any masses - which might mean something else is going on. I like U/S as they are non-invasive

In Patrick's case we treated as if versus (in his case) lymphoma, and based on his responding and how much longer he lived after this diagnosis, considered that it was indeed IBD.

Not sure this helps you very much, but this is some of what I've learned with my kitties (more than 1 has had this presumptive diagnosis in the past).

Coco never had the test either. She had a Ultrasound. She is 16 anyday so Cats can live long with it.

Cleo was given a presumtive diagnosis of IBD, based on her symptoms (explosive, bloody diarrhea) and her response (very good) to Flagyl (metronidizole.) Your vet is correct, the only way to definitively diagnose IBD is through endoscopy and biopsy. Because Cleo has Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) and general anesthetic is very hard on kidneys, I opted to treat her symptoms rather than submit her to endo and bx. When she has rare flare-ups, she responds very well to Flagyl. The diarrhea clears within a day or two. Unfortunately, when she's been on long term Flagyl, she ends up with highly elevated liver enzymes, so it's been a delicate balancing act with her. I've found that foods high in corn ingredients will usually trigger bouts of diarrhea, so I try to read labels and stay away from dry foods. We've been lucky lately, it's been well over 2 years (knock on wood!) since she's had a flare-up, but I've been very diligent about watching what she eats. Good luck!