Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome

ashleigh · Feb 9, 2013

Hi everyone,

I took my cat to the vet last Tuesday as he became listless and lethargic and stayed under my bed, I also noticed he had lost weight. The vet said she can feel a lining around his stomach area and thinks it could be Inflammatory bowel syndrome. I was given some special (bland) food and sachets of stuff (I think like yakult) to put on his food. Since then he has eaten, but very little, so we try him a few times a day with little bits. He has been out in the garden and done his business and had a stratch of his claws on the tree, and laid in the sun a bit, even rolling on his back for a tummy rub. He has left his bed and sitting on the window sill at times, but for most part stays in the same place sleeping.

Although I have noticed a slight change for the better (this morning eating a little bit more than usual) I wondered if anyone else has been through this? If it is a slow recovery? or should he be doing cartwheels in the gardenalmost a week on? He was very ill with pancreinitis (sp) when he was around 2yrs and we almost lost him,but at the moment she thinks this is what it is. I would be greatful if anyone could offer their own experience of this, much appreciated xx

mrsgreenjeens · Feb 9, 2013

I'm bumping this up in hopes that someone will reply soon. I know there are folks here whose cats have IBD, but that may not be the same as IBS.

Hopefully your little guy will be feeling better soon.

bastfriend · Feb 10, 2013

Sorry to hear of your kitty's trouble Ashleigh. What tests have been done so far? Any x-rays, blood-work, fecals? Has he vomited or had diarrhea at all? My kitty Big Guy has suspected IBD that is most of the time latent, but can get stirred up by a new food or especially fishy foods or even just stress. This will lead to worsening diarrhea and vomiting foam that doesn't get better on its own - he needs a course of metronidazole and that seems to calm everything down. It acts as an anti-inflammatory in the gut as well as an antibiotic. It sounds like your kitty may be dealing with something a little different though IBD can show differently depending on the cat. How are things going now?

ashleigh · Feb 10, 2013

Many thanks for replying.

He has had no tests yet. The vet wanted him on this bland food for a week ( he goes back on Tuesday) to see how he goes before anything. She didn't want to give him steroids as I had flea treated them thanks to the friends my kitten bought with him and I was sure he had managed to lick some and the vet didn't want to issue them incase it was that and it irritated it further. She said if no change they would do bloods.

As it stands 5 days on, he is eating slightly more than he was. He has been going out in to the garden but just to pee and lie in the sun for a little bit - Was raining today but he laid out for half hour under shelter- he has been getting off his bed and sitting on the window sill even if it's just for half an hour, he has been awake more than he was and although not very active has been more alert and watching us as we go about our chores etc.

Previous to taking him to the vet he was being sick, but with past pancrenitis he does this occasionally which is what we thought it was..and could still be but need to see the vet before anything...I have not seen him poop though! I watch him go out in to the garden and unless I missed it have not seen him go, I have a litter box for the kitten but not seen him go in there, again unless I have missed it!

denice · Feb 10, 2013

My cat has suspected IBD and has had it since he was 18 months old. The only way to get a definite diagnoses is with a biopsy which means surgery. He would quit eating, vomit bile, and be constipated, The constipation is different from what is normally seen with IBD. Recovery time from a flareup would vary but at times was certainly more than a week. He needs to be eating to keep him from developing fatty liver syndrome. My cat developed this with the last flareup. He doesn't want to eat much which means assisted feeding. Many cats that have a chronic inflammatory problem in the pancreas, liver, or intestines go on to develop a problem in one or all of the other areas. It's the anatomy of the digestive system in a cat, all three come very close together. I never did figure out what triggered flareups in my cat other than I know it wasn't food related. He would go for months on the same food and have a nasty flareup. He is now on a permanent dose of a steroid.

claudcat · Feb 11, 2013

I'm new here, but I suggest keeping him inside for awhile. That way you can monitor his poop. I know her won't like it, but

he'll get over it.

^~^

ashleigh · Feb 11, 2013

Thank you.

Today he has been awake most of the day and chilling in the window sill almost all day. This is a step up for him as he wouldn't leave his bed at all. Vets tomorrow so will know more then x

carolina · Feb 11, 2013

No matter what, your cat HAS TO EAT. Do NOT, under any circumstances leave it up to him to eat what he wants, "just a bit"... It is very very dangerous, and he can end up with fatty liver disease in no time. Go get some syringes and start assisted feeding immediately. It is life-saving. He needs to eat the SAME amount a day as he would eat if he was healthy. Every day. Again, this is VERY important.
The difference in between ibs and Ibd is Ibd is a Disease, not a syndrome, and although the symptoms are similar, in Ibd the damage can be seen on the gut due to the chronic inflammation of the digestive system. On ibs you have the symptoms but you can not biopsy or see the damage through tests. Ibs doesn't lead to cancer, Ibd does, also due to those damages and constant inflammation.
In cats, Ibd leads to lymphoma, in a lot of cases, when it leads to cancer.
A cat with ibs can have a flare, have the trigger removed from its diet, and once the system heals that might never happen again. That won't be the case with an Ibd cat, where the inflammation will have to be controlled for the rest of that kitty's life.
Some people/vets just call ibs/ibd the same thing.... And since this kitty had no test, no medication whatsoever, I am afraid that's the case here. Hope this helps a little

bastfriend · Feb 12, 2013

Hi Ashleigh, I'm glad to hear he's feeling a bit perkier. I would echo what others are saying about the eating. I had a cat who had lymphoma and it was complicated because he got fatty liver disease from not eating enough (but still eating) over a period of a couple of weeks. Assisted feeding doesn't have to be a traumatic thing - depends a bit on the personality of the cat and your relationship but it can be okay. The vet can help you out by showing you how to do it and give you the right kind of food and syringes. Another option too is to get regular weights for your cat either at the vet or at home, if he keeps losing weight then you know to act as well. Still I hope he just keeps on improving and you don't have to worry about any of this.

ashleigh · Feb 12, 2013

Thank you all. I did start doing this yesterday as he wasn't eating.

Took him back today and he has lost weight and the lump ( she never said lump last week!) seems bigger. He us back in the morning for a scan. We have both said if it is something sinister we don't want him to go through all the stress, and the part of you thinks but what if he gets over it and lives a long life...

Right now all I know is my heart feels like it's being ripped from my chest and I cannot stop crying. His sister is eating but you can tell she is stressing. I guess it all hangs on tomorrow x

bastfriend · Feb 12, 2013

to you, I know these are always such difficult times not knowing, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Please let us know how it goes.

ashleigh · Feb 14, 2013

Sorry for the delay, my head has been all over the place. I took Indie back two days ago and he had lost weight. They said the best way would be bloods and scan and so he had them yesterday.

The bloods came back neg for FIV and Leukemia and despite saying the scan was the best way to go we are none the wiser. It is either cancer or IBD..my options are pay 1k for a biopsy or try steroids so I chose the latter based in this..I know my cat and know an op will stress him and if it is cancer I am not prepared to put him through chemo, he could not handle it I know my boy. If it wasn't cancer I'd have put him through the stress of an op for nothing.

The vet said if it's IBD the steroids should show a difference within a week and if not then we can discuss doing the kindest thing. After assuring me he wasn't in pain he came home.

He ate last night when he was still under the influence of the sedation and slept all night. He looked groggy this morning but I gave him his steroid and within a couple of hours he has been up for a pee and wanting to go out, he is currently alert and laying in his garden spot and is letting us pet him which he has not been allowing, and when I went out to check on him he got up to greet me and brushed against me.

Have I made the right choice folks? I really don't want him going through stress and possibly dying anyway. My thinking is give it a week ( aslong as he shows no sign of going downhill/suffering) and on his check up if he is improving all good, if not then let him go. All I know is my heart is in two

denice · Feb 14, 2013

When Patches was very sick two years ago I went through the same thing about cancer or IBD. I went with the steroids which he is still on a small daily dose. It took a long time for his liver panel to come back to normal or even to start coming down instead of continuing to go up. It's really difficult to know if it's lymphoma or still IBD and there is no non-invasive way to make sure.

carolina · Feb 14, 2013

Ashleigh said:
Sorry for the delay, my head has been all over the place. I took Indie back two days ago and he had lost weight. They said the best way would be bloods and scan and so he had them yesterday.

The bloods came back neg for FIV and Leukemia and despite saying the scan was the best way to go we are none the wiser. It is either cancer or IBD..my options are pay 1k for a biopsy or try steroids so I chose the latter based in this..I know my cat and know an op will stress him and if it is cancer I am not prepared to put him through chemo, he could not handle it I know my boy. If it wasn't cancer I'd have put him through the stress of an op for nothing.

The vet said if it's IBD the steroids should show a difference within a week and if not then we can discuss doing the kindest thing. After assuring me he wasn't in pain he came home.

He ate last night when he was still under the influence of the sedation and slept all night. He looked groggy this morning but I gave him his steroid and within a couple of hours he has been up for a pee and wanting to go out, he is currently alert and laying in his garden spot and is letting us pet him which he has not been allowing, and when I went out to check on him he got up to greet me and brushed against me.

Have I made the right choice folks? I really don't want him going through stress and possibly dying anyway. My thinking is give it a week ( aslong as he shows no sign of going downhill/suffering) and on his check up if he is improving all good, if not then let him go. All I know is my heart is in two

Sorry

If I was in your position (and I was once), I would give a shot at a raw diet. It saved my cat. It was IBD and turned his life around when I was hopeless. It has done the same for other members here - it sounds like you have nothing to lose at this point.
My cat Bugsy 100% medication free and as healthy as ever.
There are commercial diets that can make your transition very easy - you can be surprised what a simple change of diet, the right diet - can do for an IBD cat.
We have a raw forum here, we can help you out :vibes:

peaches08 · Feb 14, 2013

What Carolina said! My cats' diarrhea had me and my former vet stumped, but a raw diet fixed it literally in about 24 hours. None are on any medications.

Gadget, who was the most affected of the 3, has a lump near his left kidney. My former vet aspirated it and looked at the cells under a microscope. He said he didn't see anything abnormal so I've chosen to watch and wait. A year later nothing has changed. I do watch for any changes, of course.

ashleigh · Feb 14, 2013

Thank you so much and please excuse my ignorance, but do you mean raw meat?

peaches08 · Feb 14, 2013

Ashleigh said:
Thank you so much and please excuse my ignorance, but do you mean raw meat?

Raw meat, bones, some skin, and supplements. Check out the resources sticky under raw feeding subforum.

I was scrubbing the litter boxes twice a week and picking them 4 or more times a day when they were on canned. Medications didn't help the diarrhea, neither did any fiber that I tried. Febreeze and candles didn't touch the odor problem. Raw feeding got the worst one having solid poops in 24 hours. I'm gone for clinicals from Monday until Wednesday night with no litter box cleaning (I'm thankful to have someone feed them!) and the house has no odor.

ashleigh · Feb 14, 2013

Thank you very much will check that out x

bastfriend · Feb 14, 2013

for you are your kitty Ashley - I hope it's just IBD and the steroids fix it. I know it's so nerve wracking not to know, to fear the worst and hope for the best.

ashleigh · Feb 16, 2013

He has gone, I put a post in crossing the bridge. Just want to thank you all for your replies and for trying to help us x

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