My cat Gato has lost alot of weight, vet took blood test and said looks like IBS, since then the vet has tried different steriod injections and all different prescription food diets and nothing is working, he has messy stools (has gone on the carpet a number of times) he acts fine, eats and is friendly just the weight loss (from 12 pounds to 8.5 pounds) now we are trying Tylan 2x day, no change yet. Vet said could do a biopsy but what would that show? plus he said it is very invasive and expensive. I am thinking of getting some probiotics to try. Anyone have any ideas? I don't think he has IBS, none of the things we tried made a difference.
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome in 12 yr old cat
- Thread starter leeno516
- Start Date
What foods have you tried?
My now 16 yr old had was in a similar situation about 3 yrs ago. Lost about 4 lbs, had diarrhea, vomiting (both of which progressed to include blood.) I did fecal tests, blood panels, the works. He was put on I/d and EN. No change. In fact, he was getting worse. Like your cat, Lucky continued to eat (though that too began to wane a bit.) I did opt for surgery after x-ray continued to show a suspicious area in his colon. Biopsies came back negative (except for imflammation.)
Longer story short, after MUCH medication, I started to do food trials with Lucky. I found out that he (who had been fed Cat Chow and Purina Naturals for 12+ yrs...) had an intolerance for grains, gluten, Pork (in I/d) and carrageenan/agar-agar.
Ever since I have figured out what foods he CAN eat, all is well. He is healthy (only issue is arthritis.) He eats Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Turkey formula (canned) with a side of the correlating dry or Pride by Instinct Diva Duck (made by same company.)
So, all this to say that I would start looking at the food as a potential culprit for your kitty's chronic problems. Try putting him on a grain-free food. If that doesn't clear it up, start eliminating other ingredients (such as chicken or fish.)
My now 16 yr old had was in a similar situation about 3 yrs ago. Lost about 4 lbs, had diarrhea, vomiting (both of which progressed to include blood.) I did fecal tests, blood panels, the works. He was put on I/d and EN. No change. In fact, he was getting worse. Like your cat, Lucky continued to eat (though that too began to wane a bit.) I did opt for surgery after x-ray continued to show a suspicious area in his colon. Biopsies came back negative (except for imflammation.)
Longer story short, after MUCH medication, I started to do food trials with Lucky. I found out that he (who had been fed Cat Chow and Purina Naturals for 12+ yrs...) had an intolerance for grains, gluten, Pork (in I/d) and carrageenan/agar-agar.
Ever since I have figured out what foods he CAN eat, all is well. He is healthy (only issue is arthritis.) He eats Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Turkey formula (canned) with a side of the correlating dry or Pride by Instinct Diva Duck (made by same company.)
So, all this to say that I would start looking at the food as a potential culprit for your kitty's chronic problems. Try putting him on a grain-free food. If that doesn't clear it up, start eliminating other ingredients (such as chicken or fish.)
my cats both developed IBD. my two had diarrhea as their main symptom. our vet at that time recommended using metamucil (the name brand, not a generic -- the plain/unflavored kind), to provide more fiber. i also switched both cats over to natural balance limited ingredient diet canned and dry cat foods. it took a month of finding the right dosage for them and letting the metamucil help them, and letting their gastro systems slowly calm down, before their explosive diarrhea stopped.
you might want to discuss trying metamucil with your vet. the fiber metamucil provides doesn't only help constipation, it can help firm up stools too. this is something i would definitely discuss with your vet before trying, because you certainly wouldn't want to cause any worsening of your gato's symptoms. IBD/IBS is different for each cat, and what helps treat one cat is likely not (as) helpful for another cat. our vet had us try just a very tiny pinch of the metamucil for the first few days, to see how it would effect their diarrhea and also to make sure there wasn't going to be any kind of negative reaction. you'll want to ask your vet to tell you the maximum daily amount for your cat, the amount you would go no more than per day -- so when you gradually increase the amount, you won't go more than that maximum amount per day.
something that my vet stressed to me was to pick one brand/one flavor of cat food and stick to it. changing canned or dry cat food can cause gastro upset in IBD cats. give the kitty's gastro system time to calm down and stick to one food. natural balance limited ingredient diets (LID) seems to help many cats who experience more loose or diarrhea stools.
you might want to discuss trying metamucil with your vet. the fiber metamucil provides doesn't only help constipation, it can help firm up stools too. this is something i would definitely discuss with your vet before trying, because you certainly wouldn't want to cause any worsening of your gato's symptoms. IBD/IBS is different for each cat, and what helps treat one cat is likely not (as) helpful for another cat. our vet had us try just a very tiny pinch of the metamucil for the first few days, to see how it would effect their diarrhea and also to make sure there wasn't going to be any kind of negative reaction. you'll want to ask your vet to tell you the maximum daily amount for your cat, the amount you would go no more than per day -- so when you gradually increase the amount, you won't go more than that maximum amount per day.
something that my vet stressed to me was to pick one brand/one flavor of cat food and stick to it. changing canned or dry cat food can cause gastro upset in IBD cats. give the kitty's gastro system time to calm down and stick to one food. natural balance limited ingredient diets (LID) seems to help many cats who experience more loose or diarrhea stools.
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- #4
I was feeding Gato Natural Balance but after the vet said he probably has IBS and to change his food to hypo allergenic. I have tried so many foods. I tried W/D and I/D from the vet with no change. Vet said to try rabbit, couldn't find it at the pet store so I ordered online and found some canned food with rabbit at the pet store and tried that, no change. So now the vet gave me Tylan for him and I am supposed to call back tomorrow. I don't want to do the biopsy and I don't know what else there is to try. All of the different steroid shots didn't help either.
We're you feeding Gato Natural Balance canned or dry food (or both?)
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- #6
I was feeding Natural Balance dry food. I was always feeding dry food until he started having these issues and then I have been giving canned food and he still has the dry Natural Balance out because I have another cat that is eating it and Gato sometimes eats some of that also.
I bought some Natural Instinct canned food which I am giving him now.
I bought some Natural Instinct canned food which I am giving him now.
@Leeno516, how is your gato doing? has the natural instinct canned food helped him gain weight/stop losing weight, or stop having "messy stools"?
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- #8
I have been giving him the Natural Instinct Turkey, I give him 1/4 of a can morning and night and then he has the Natural Balance dry food that is out for both my cats. He eats it well until it has been refrigerated. Plus I am finishing up the Tylan pills I got from the vet and his stools are looking better, still soft but more formed. I also bought a probiotic at the Petco and have been giving him that.
I don't notice any real weight gain yet but the vet was judging his progress by how his stools looked.
Seems like I had him get all those steroid shots for nothing.
Thanks
Eileen
I don't notice any real weight gain yet but the vet was judging his progress by how his stools looked.
Seems like I had him get all those steroid shots for nothing.
Thanks
Eileen
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
how is your gato doing?
