I was told my cat had Mega colon now IBD....My story, what I learned from my 2nd opinion....

My cat is an 11 1/2 year old Siamese seal point purebred named Nala (from the Lion King Movie) Two years ago she began with constipation and vomiting but not always together but it did happen sometimes a lot sometimes not so much but constipation was chronic. I was given Lactulose twice a day to syringe down her throat which called several rhinitis which is a sinus condition so I stopped the lactulose which was not very effective and switched her to Miralax2x per day fluctuating from 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon a day depending on the severity of the constipation. She was also put on Cisapride 2 times per day and now has been increased to 3 times per day but this never made her poop regular 2 years later she still does not go but every 3 to 4 days but stools is soft and easy to pass. I mixed the miralax in a teaspoon of wet food in the morning and in the night that is the best way for a cat to take it and she was given dry food for her main meal at those same times...

This has been the regimen for 2 years now until 2 weeks ago when my cat was vomiting profusely immediately after eating her dry food and teaspoon of miralax. After 2 days of this I took her to the vet we always have gone to and a week later she had severe Pancreatitis due to the vomiting and she was blocked with poop from head to toe Not hard actually soft it just was not moving. They did x-rays, enemas, and sent her home with morphine for the pain of the Pancreatitis attack and anti inflammatory pills as well as anti nausea.  The vet also told me her colon was not stretched like Mega colon it looked normal but surgery may be an option if nothing else works. They told me I would have to go to the University that no local docs do the colon resection surgery so I immediately began to hysterically cry stating I cant afford what an University pet hospital would cost I will have to put my cat down. I was a wreck its one thing to put your cat down because it has cancer that is bad or has come back then id feel justified to put her down but to put her down knowing this surgery will help her but I cant afford it took a toll on me emotionally and my 14 year old daughter. My 14 year old daughter posted on Facebook a post begging someone to please help us save my cat and when I read that I almost passed out. This has been a horrible 3 weeks now of worry and fear.

My baby was so sick I never seen her this bad and really down I was scared to death to the point I bought a carrier to strap her to my chest and went every where with her including all around the house and she laid her head on my chest an slept. At night she slept on my pillow she was that ill. She started to do better last week and just days ago she started vomiting again but this time I went to a recommenced vet for a 2nd opinion which I suggest everyone does on top of turning to forums like this and Google Google Google about the disease and changed of food. Back to my story, I posted a sad post on Facebook I was so upset and the owner of the hair salon I go to responded and told me to go to her vet she was personally calling him to get me in for a 2nd opinion. The on call doctor called me to find out what was wrong and even though I was not a new patient yet she took the time to listen to my cats history and gave me an appointment the next morning. I went to the new vet and I hope he is right but much to my surprise he said unless he is missing something my cat does not need surgery that she is not a Mega colon cat but instead he felt IBD was the underlying problem. Motility is an issue for my cat as I said she does not for 3 to 4 days and stool is soft thankfully to Miralax so a motility problem exists even if it is not Mega colon.

The vet put her to sleep do extract all the stool with a colon flush and digging it all out with his fingers she was impacted with and give her 1 steroid shot that lasts a month to bring the inflammation down. When I went to pick her up he said he was shocked to find her stool not hard not soft but like plato stuck to the walls of her colon. He said usually it is hard but not clay like so suspicious about that as that could be food who knows. I recommend a colon flush to anyone out there with a constipated cat and one that gets back upped because this gives the cat a fresh clean colon and helps movement but does not sure the problem of course. He told me he does do colon resection in his office reasonable but he strongly felt changing my cats diet who fix this problem or at least make it better as no disease is fixable. The new vet asked me what food did my previous have her on and I told him for two years she was on Fiber Response dry kibble and never ate canned food her whole life because they said it will ruin her tooth that canned food was no good for animals period. He told me she should never have been on the Fiber Response dry because that is 4.7% fiber high in fiber and the last thing my cat needs is a lot of fiber she needs low fiber like 1%, low carbs, no grains and high protein all meat based, no plants or additives etc.

He told me to also stop the I/d gastro wet food I only used to mix her miralax in twice day, he said to donate the old food or throw it away. He googled a world known professor and Veterinarian at a University in Michigan on what is the best cat food to feed your cat that has IBD or Megacolon. This professor called the my new vet right away and told him the best food out there is Evo 95% it is slightly costly but is 95% all meat, low fiber, low carbs, no grain and high protein the best for cats with these conditions and no more dry food ONLY canned because dry is not good and very little water for the colon. So I said what about her teeth and he said it wont ruin her teeth and right now do we worry about her teeth or colon? I said colon. He said no more dry food only canned wet.

So it has been two days now since Monday from the 2nd opinion and colon flush and on the Evo 95 chicken & turkey and going to buy duck flavor this weekend vet said Duck or venison is the best if it cant be found then chicken and turkey mix. She had her first stool today soft and greenish could be from the colon flush and the old stool coming down no diarrhea just soft so I was happy to see her go since she had not gone in 7 days straight. Like the vet said vets, physicians of humans don't have all the answers they have extensive knowledge but don't have the answers to it all. He said my cat is unusual and he is not sure what the outcome will be but wants to try changing diets see how she does and leave surgery as a last resort.

This is my story and it has been a roller coaster or worry and fear and grief I have not been able to breathe and even thought I have a new vet with new ideas I am still leery scared what if it don't work...So I wanted to share my experience and advice about this brand wet cat food for cats with Mega colon and IBD issues. Feel free to ask me questions, share your story or give me advice I am open to it all. I learned a lot on this forum from other peoples posts I hope I can give back the same...

Karin Marie

I too have a kitty with IBD who is prone to constipation.  He had his first big flare when he was only 18 months old and it took a long time and vet hopping to get the IBD diagnoses.  I think a lot of vets don't consider IBD when there is constipation, they equate IBD with diarrhea.  He was so young when he started also which is unusual, not unheard of but unusual.  I use Miralax when I think he is starting to get into trouble and also through shedding season.  I have never tried the lactolose but from what I have seen here, people seem to have better luck with the Miralax.

I hope you find the regimen that works for your kitty, it really does seem to differ from kitty to kitty.  I do think that with this low fiber seems to be the best way to go which runs counter to what is usually done for constipation.  I don't know if it's because of the IBD or not but low fiber seems to generally work best.

How is she liking the new wet food?  Did you have a hard time getting her to eat enough?  I would be shocked if a cat that was fed only dry her whole life just took to it so easily!  I hope she's feeling better!

Hello Denise.. Thank you for reaching out to me I am glad to hear from you 

I cant believe you have been dealing with this dreadful disease since your cat was 18 months old, I just cant imagine the frustration. My cat developed this about 2 years or so ago and it has been a nightmare and an emotional rollercoaster on top of expensive but you find the means to care for your animal the way you would your children. Yes it is said IBD is associated with diarrhea but that is not true, also with constipation. Yes it is said constipation is linked to Mega Colon, and that is not true so is diarrhea. So I am glad I got a second opinion because 2 years thinking it was Mega Colon to learn it is IBD is stressful still but just mind blowing to me.

Correct do Not bother with Lactulose at all, it is thick and terribly sweet cats do not like it and when they throw there head around when you shoot it down his/her throat and that sugary mess gets on there fur it is hell to get off the cat must be bathed. I did not find it helpful but very little so I do not recommend it at all plus as I said in my story my cat has chronic sinus problems from aspirating the lactulose I regret using it ever. 1/4 teaspoon of Miralax twice a day is the best to do, if you know your cat is prone to diarrhea use it regularly because if it is kept in his system he will never get constipated that is what I do. In some cases you may have to up the dose to 1/8th the next teaspoon size up if he is still constipated. I have to go up and down with mine pretty much.    

Thank you I hope this Evo 95 works for her no more dry food ever again maybe down the road a low fiber dry by Evo but vet doesn't think so time will tell long down the road. I found a place in the next county who sells the Duck flavor so I am going there tomorrow to buy some and try it and if she likes it which I am sure she will I will order it by the case but still far from telling what will work with her. She threw up at 5am this morning at least it was once so even with a steroid shot for inflammation in her stomach she still vomited. I call the vet today in a panic he said don't worry it was one time and needs to adjust to the food...

I am here if you need me

Hi Chloe Thank you for contacting me to find out how my kitty is doing that means a lot to me...You are right how the heck is a cat going to go from 11 1/2 years on only dry food to no dry at all only wet? Good question as I was nervous and feared she would reject it. She did turn her nose up to it and I began to panic then I went to the hair salon to get my hair done and was talking to the owner/friend who knows what is going on with my cat and I told her about the food situation. Heather said to me are you feeding her the food cold out of the ****? I said yes why? She said would you like cold wet food right or of the **** to eat? I said no and she said well neither does a cat especially a Siamese...

Heather told me to warm it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds so its slightly warm and feed it to her so I rushed home from my appointment and did just and my god she gobbled it down so fast! So now I heat it up every time and she eats it loves it like a charm. Great advice I was given I never would have thought of that... I don't have a hard time getting her to eat enough, heck she wants more in between her meals so I called vet to ask If I can give her a small amount as a snack and he said yes just no dry food.

She is doing better than she was last week Chloe but has a long way to go to see what food will work and for how long. Her motility is a huge issue. Time will tell with trial and error with things is what the vet is saying. Just pray

Denise one more thing, YES low fiber always look for 1%, grain free, low carbs and high protein of real animal meat not plants and additives because cats are carnivores this is how they ate in the wild and how they should eat in a domesticated lifestyle. Yes this type of diet is the best for IBD and Mega Colon cats without a doubt. Evo 95 is the best duck flavor is preferred the best choice but turkey or chicken as a last resort. Its pricy food but she will get the best to help her

My cat has had a couple of pretty severe constipation problems and his old vet put him on cisapride a year ago. We just weaned him off (it was a four-month process) and I'm watching anxiously to make sure he can poop on his own. So far, he's doing great; the weaning process was mostly smooth, so I have no reason to think he won't be fine without it.

June 2013, after his second bad constipation episode, we similarly transitioned our cats to all canned. We have further adjusted their diet to feed the the best we can. My cat has a number of food sensitivities, which we are managing now with diet but will address once we're sure he's pooping regularly without cisapride, and I suspect possible IBS/IBD and we will treat accordingly.

I am mentioning this to you because I've reviewed almost every high protein canned cat food available. My choices are limited because I cannot feed him fish (he develops urinary crystals) or chicken (he vomits). I considered EVO, but it has carrageenan, which causes problems in some cats and this is another thing on our suspect ingredient list. I am currently feeding our cats primarily Nature's Variety Instinct, which is higher fiber, but I am actually using fiber sparingly to feed his intestinal bacteria and help digestion and motility. I watch his output carefully to make sure he's not getting too much. I also feed Lotus Just Juicy and Party Animal fairly regularly. We'll be introducing commercial raw in the near future.

I do hope things work for you and the new vet. While there are many commonalities, this seems to be individual at the same time, as some cats respond well to one thing while other cats do not respond at all. You will likely go through some trial and error. You are on the right track, transitioning to a canned food diet with more moisture and protein, and lower carbohydrate. Once your cat is stabilized, you might want to talk to your vet about probiotics and tiny amounts of the right kind of fiber, such as slippery elm. I think the fiber we want to avoid in our cats is the fiber that comes from grains and other bulking substances and causes huge stools. But some is good to help digestion. Most cats in the wild eat the whole animal, not just the muscle meat and the organs.

In case you haven't seen these websites, take a look at them: http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/constipated-cats/ and http://www.felineconstipation.org/.

Hi AbbyNTim

Thank you for the message I appreciate reading your story and hear your advice. Yes every cat is different for sure and every food works differently for every cat...There will always be ingredients in one food that is not good there truly is no perfect resolution. Not sure how old your kitty is but constipation is very serious thing make sure you watch carefully because most cats can not come off of Cisapride when a constipation problem is present. A very small percentage can and maybe and hopefully your kitty is in the percentile. I know my new vet said down the road if she transitions back to normal bowel movements in the far future that he will try taking her off the Cisapride and Miralax but both are essential when a kitty is diagnosed with either Mega Colon or IBD/IBS...so just keep that in mind for the future. Best bet is to get your kitty tested and see is he/she does infact has IBD because the disease never goes away but is maintained with Cisapride and Miralax with a wet diet only and does usually pretty good.

These foods are hit and miss as you said but for IBD cats a low fiber of 1% is needed, low cal, high protein and grain free...The vet spoke to a professor of IBD in cats out of Michigan and he recommended Evo 95. I am sorry that it don't work for your kitty but the brand you use I read up on and is expensive also but very good. I just started my cat on Evo last week, just found her duck flavor today and had to travel an hour to get it but she gobbled it down warm out of the microwave so time will tell I have to see how her motility is. My cat will not have a stool for a week and that is not good her motility is poor she was misdiagnosed I am learning with Mega Colon when actually is IBD as you read my story so this is a whole new approach that just began a week ago and I appreciate your support and kind words.

Just remember also do not give your cat a lot of fiber yes it is needed but a very little amount and think of it like this, 1% is per half a can and I give my cat half a can in the morning and half in the evening so she is getting 2% a pretty fair amount and when she is hungry between meals I give her a "snack" of a little wet to hold her over so she is getting plenty be careful when adding fiber, talk to your vet about going about it because it is very very important when your kitty is diagnosed with IBD or Mega Colon I am here if you need me, and thank you for the websites I am going to check them out now....

AbbyNTim;
Great websites on constipation!! I saved them to my computer thank you sooo much!!

Karin Marie~~I just want to say I'm thinking of you, your daughter and your kitty.  I hope she feels better very soon.  I'm sorry I can't offer advice.  I just became a mommy to a 6 month old kitten.  So I am very new to all of this stuff.

Candi

Hi siameselove,

Yes, I am aware of how serious cat constipation is. I am working with a holistic veterinarian on this and she helped me wean Tim off cisapride and has provided valuable advice on nutrition and supplements. Tim has been very regular since we moved him to wet food. When he was on daily cisapride, he went between 5:30am and 6:00am almost every day. Once in a while he skipped a day. As we slowly tapered the dose, he skipped days on occasion, but has mostly maintained his daily schedule, usually between 5:30 and 7:00 in the morning. So I am hopeful that with the diet changes and improvements to his digestion, he will be fine without cisapride. In fact, Tim's digestion and motility is better now than it was when he was on daily cisapride. He doesn't even have hairballs anymore and instead the hair passes through in his stool. The vets that cleared him out felt the constipation was due to dehydration. We also think free-feeding dry food and stress played a part. Tim never had chronic constipation, just two bad episodes that we believe were due to a combination of those three things, two of which we have resolved. We are hopeful!

I am glad you liked the websites. Those and this site have been so helpful to me as I educate myself about the insides and dietary needs of cats. If you are ever able to consider weaning your cat off cisapride, I documented my journey on this site, all the ups and downs. Probably the scariest was waiting to see if he had become dependent on cisapride and could poop on his own. It was a long four months. And I would never recommend trying this without the support and guidance of the vet.

Hi Candi (Braysnaner)

Thank you so much for writing me with concern for me, my daughter and my kitty that means so much, this is really a great site and I am glad I found it. Congratulations on being a new mommy to your kitten!! That is such an exciting time in our lives I remember when my Nala was just a kitten and it is so hard to believe she is now going on 12 in January 2015, where has the time gone? I don't wish what I have endured emotionally and mentally on any pet owner and it is unfortunate you don't know what will arise with our pets till they get older just pray for the best....It seems IBD and Mega Colon are very common disease in felines for some reason so just keep these things in the back of your head for down the line but with luck you wont go through so many of us are going through on this forum. If you need any kitty advice please contact me anytime I will always help you with any knowledge I have and if I don't have it I will get it for you 

AbbyNTim....I am realizing now that I am missing posts like yours that people have written to some weeks ago and I apologize I apparently do not know how to use this site properly yet...You are very lucky your cat did not have a Mega Colon issue like mine because Cisapride is the only med used and when it stops working the only option is surgery and thank god mine was young enough to have it and I did not have to put her down because she was to old....I am glad Tim is doing well with the transition to wet food and no Cisapride, wow is all I can say but so happy for you Yes I read all over the place and told from my vet any cat with bowel or stomach issues must be on wet NO dry at all....Dry is no good and I wish I had know this years ago, thank god for my new vet and internet just sad I did not find it all sooner and helped her...

Please share with me wet food that I can use for Nala as the vet an I are about to start trying foods to see what works for her coming Monday. I know you mentioned Holistic so please tell me if this is store bought and exactly what it is...I see all natural Holistic brands in the pet store unsure what to buy...

I wrote a post to all of you a few minutes ago on how Nala is doing since I brought her home yesterday...Look for the post when you can and thank you for your continued support through this new transition we are dealing with...

Karin

AbbyNTim...

Here again I missed this post to!! With another great website you left for me to view....You leave me the BEST websites to review and I have saved them all to my computer! Thank you so much You have a lot of knowledge and I appreciate you sharing it with me it means a lot to me and I need all the advice and literature I can get. Now that my cat had the surgery its figuring out the right foods and pray the 3 inches of colon left does not become diseased like the rest....xxoo

Truthfully, I live in fear that Tim will develop megacolon and have to go back on cisapride. But right now, he seems to be doing okay. His last dose of the medication was almost a month ago and, with the exception of just a few days, he's had a bowel movement every day. When he does skip a day, he usually does not exceed 36 hours after his last bowel movement and only once so far went 47 hours. I am lucky enough to often be in the room with the litter boxes (our home office), so I can see that he is not having any trouble when he goes. The trick is getting him to go, as we have learned over the past few months that when he gets stressed he holds it. Last week and into this week was very stressful for him, with a large new family moving into the house next door that was empty and quiet for over a year. I can see he does not like the noise and activity, but he is going to have to adapt. I think the worst is behind us, as he seems to be regulating over the past few days.

I think food for Nala is going to be trial and error. I've gone through a lot of trial and error with Tim, but he had a lot of other problems I had to resolve, too. In fact, he still has lingering issues (sensitive tummy, occasional coughing) that we need to address. With close observation and detailed notes, I eliminated carrageenan and chicken, because he vomited every time he ate a food that contained one or both of those ingredients. Every time. If I fed him a food without them, he was fine. I also had to eliminate fish because doing so eliminated struvite crystals in his urine. And, for now, I am avoiding some other ingredients (guar gum, xantham gum, lamb) because they seemed to correlate with signs of nausea in Tim. He's so much better now, so I will eventually try some foods with those other ingredients in his rotation to see how he tolerates them.

Right now, Tim eats mostly Nature's Variety Instinct canned rabbit. He eats some Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet turkey. He eats some Lotus Just Juicy turkey stew and some Lotus Just Juicy pork stew. He also sometimes eats (because he steals from Abby) Party Animal Organics turkey (this one contains guar gum, so I am trying to limit how much he steals). We are going to introduce commercial raw into his rotation once he settles in and adapts to the new neighbors.

I have been following your other thread and will comment there. But for food, I would probably feed my cat the best quality I could afford. Honestly, I think I'd feed him what I'm feeding now as it is working and satisfies most of my standards for food. I would want low residue food that will produce little waste, as your girl now does not have as much colon to store it in. I would suggest you research different brands, make lists of those that you think would work (higher protein, low carb, fat is variable by cat), and buy a few to see how she likes them and tolerates them. Keep track of what you feed her and when, so if she gets sick or has problems, you can note possible patterns and narrow down problem ingredients. I am still doing this with Tim.

Glad you like the websites, though they are probably a little moot for you now! But they still contain great information on feeding and caring for cats. We need to educate ourselves to care for them.

You might want to start a new thread about foods for cats following this type of surgery; you might get more responses that will give you some ideas of brands to look at.

AbbyNTim...

Hello Thank you for the fast response on the food. I want to say I did post a new thread in regards to foods post Mega Colon surgery but I will do it again now for sure I would like input.. I am still new to the forum and I cant figure something's out like realizing there are posts from a week or more ago I didn't read or see? lol.. Is the Nature Variety Instinct canned rabbit in the pet store??I want to say I saw that brand in Pet Supermarket and I hope so because I will try a few cans for sure. If they don't have it I found a pet supplier who can order anything pretty much I want and will research any food I needed based on ingredients and cats problems but an hour away I hope what you mentioned is in the store...I was told raw diet is good but I cant bring rabbit in my home it will kill me to do that it has to be in a can I cant cook it no way I know that sounds crazy but I cant plus I am busy and to grind food for her blender it etc will be rough. I was told along as canned food it high quality and the best it will work as good as raw.. I want the best for my cat and will only buy the best I always have. Just before surgery she was on the EVO 95 canned duck but surgery is done she may stay on Evo Duck she may not like you said and you are correct the vet said to it will be trial and error we are starting over fresh post surgery.....

I can imagine the fear you must feel when it comes to the motility of passing stool, I have lived it for years and the past year in a half was the worst as she went down hill and 3 weeks ago her colon stopped working completely so I know how you feel and as much as that is scary find comfort in knowing that a colon resection is worth it and will correct the problem, they key is a good vet to do the surgery. Don't think like that yet try to be calm and positive but at the same time get a plan ready if your head if not. I will keep Abby and Tim in my prayers that it does not reach that point and he continues on a mobile path with his stool.

I see your avatar photo of them...They are so pretty! They look like black silk so precious Again that website I printed out my vet will appreciate that very much, Vets like human physicians don't have all the answers and have to google and confur with other vets for the right approach...Like with Nala because one vet said she had IBD and new vet said no its Mega Colon he did research and called other vets even professors at major universities to get opinions of the right outcome for Nala and that made me think he didn't know what he was doing and I flat out asked him why are you asking people to give you advice don't you have the answers your a vet? He said Karin you work for physicians, do they have all the answers on their patients? Just because you don't see the doctor googling to research doesn't mean they aren't doing it. So I understood what he was getting at and I put my trust in him and here we are.

I have a journal already started recording her stool an consistency daily and when the vet and I talk Monday about what type of food to start with I will start a section for the foods and keep a diary of when I feed it and everything you told me to note. Thank you for your advice it means so much. Glad I met you on here....Your not alone...

You are right also that we are pet owners have to do our own research along with the vets to give our pets the best possible longevity and quality of life possible Amen I learned that lesson recently and never just depend on a vet, had I don't that years ago I may have figured out Nala didn't have IBD but in fact Mega Colon and I should have gotten a second opinion 2 years ago...Lesson sadly learned. Vomiting was an issue for her for years not sure if it was due to the colon but time will tell, when she vomited last night I freaked out. Colon is gone and vet said small intestine was pushing food through digestion was fine no problems so I pray there is no problem but if she has the occasional vomit syndrome I will worry and talk to the vet about it....

I have everything you have me saved on line and the copies printed out my vet will appreciate your information....

AbbyNTim...

I am considering raw food now as well, I found a local pet groomer who can order the raw food frozen for me and all I have to do is thaw it out and leave in refrigerator it is good for two weeks...I wanted to ask you what raw diet flavor were you going to try? I want to know what is the best flavor to use...Thank you for your help I appreciate it kindly....This is so over whelming on what food to use. The vet is researching tonight what canned food to use so I left him an email asking what did he think about a raw diet canned food....