Did my cat really have ibd?

So last april female cat was losing weight. Wasn't sure what was going on. At one point after feeding her with a syringe she seemed to be doing better. Then she got sick again after a week. Not knowing what to do the doctor wanted to operate to determine for sure if it was cancer or ibd. I wanted to put her on a treatment plan as if she did have ibd, since the surgery was going to be around 2G. The doctor cautioned us that in doing so, she actually might seem to do better in the short run, but if it was cancer and we really did not know she would eventually get worst again, and then it may be too late. So anyway we do the surgery, she is diagnosed with ibd. We syringe fed her every two hours 6 times a day for about a month and half and slowly watched her become her normal playful self again. The reason I am asking if she really had ibd is that after all her medicine was done, it has been about 4 months since we have done anything different than we normally did for her and she is fine. Not losing weight, happy. She is even eating the same exact food she always had for her entire life. From my understanding, I thought IBD was a permanent condition that needed to be managed, and I would think if she had this condition, surely she would have had a replase or something by now, but she has not? Anyone else experience this where their cat was diagnosed with ibd, but with no change in diet continued to seem perfectly healthy?

Not here..... On my case, it is pretty chronic. Bugsy can only eat raw. Anything aside from that he has violent diarrhea.
He is also very sensitive to EVERYTHING. Unlike a "normal" cat, Bugsy requires much slower introductions to food, supplements, vitamins, anything, really. He has severe reactions to drugs, and I need to be very very careful with him.
He has been doing amazing on raw, but still, I am convinced he will have to stay on it for life, and yes- it is a lifelong disease that has to be managed for life. That has been my experience so far. While the symptoms are gone, they are gone while I follow a routine that works for him :nod:
Has your vet shown you the copies of the tests?

See that is the gist that I have gotten from others, and even the vet, that it needs to be managed and a change in diet is the most important thing. We tried the diet change, but she really did not take too much to it, so we just let her eat her old food and watched her. So far so good. Kinda really annoyed with the vet and a 2G bill. I mean on the other hand, the vet did do their best in a terms of a treatment plan and getting her well again. Can't really put a price on a healthy kitty, but 2G down the drain isnt something I am too thrilled about. 

I think there are many different ways that cats are sick with ibd, different triggers and different symptoms.  I have a cat that had several episodes over several years that were not triggered by food.  He would have the vomiting, anorexia, weight loss, and often constipation.  He would go as long as 8 or 9 months between episodes.  He had a really bad episode almost two years ago and I took him to a feline only vet clinic and he ended up with a feeding tube for several weeks along with the medication.  He has been on a steroid since then and so far he hasn't had another episode.  I know it is usually triggered by food but in Patches case it wasn't.  I don't know what the trigger is for him but he wasn't constantly sick.

Mces97 said:

See that is the gist that I have gotten from others, and even the vet, that it needs to be managed and a change in diet is the most important thing. We tried the diet change, but she really did not take too much to it, so we just let her eat her old food and watched her. So far so good. Kinda really annoyed with the vet and a 2G bill. I mean on the other hand, the vet did do their best in a terms of a treatment plan and getting her well again. Can't really put a price on a healthy kitty, but 2G down the drain isnt something I am too thrilled about. 

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well... If your kitty is better, wasn't really 2 grand down the drain, was it :dk:
Just be aware, that if this is Ibd, this well might not be forever. Ibd is a beast, and is a disease. Watch her diet. If I were you, I would really work on that.... You don't need to go raw (even though IMHO raw is the best diet for an Ibd kitty) but you should probably be looking for a grain free, simple formula, high quality canned diet for this baby. Pay attention to the additives; keep it as simple and as natural as you can- she might be well now, but the key is to keep her well in the future too.