Hydrolyzed protein - ZD for IBS. My cat is allergic to all protein it seems.

Hi all,

My cat has had explosive diarrhea for over a year now. The vets first prescribed Hills ZD which has hydrolyzed proteins. She hated it. In the meantime, I was reading forums and stuff about raw diets. I tried novel proteins and eventually settled on raw rabbit. It worked to an extent but my baby still had no control over her bowels. The poos stopped being explosive for a while but would then flare up again. Recently she got really bad - pooing blood and water everywhere. She has had bloods done and all came back fine. I went back to base and gave her the Hills ZD. I didn't give in because by this time I was thinking she is just allergic to proteins of any kind. The ZD, with all its crappy ingredients made her much better. I only had three tins left from last year so when I ran out I gave her Hills ZD, venison which I also had left over from last year. Now she is back to pooing blood etc.

I have now got the ZD for her and am waiting 24 hours to see if she starts eating again like she suddenly did last week (just spoke to vet on the phone and my baby has Metrondiazole or whatever its called).

My question is this: I would like to have her on a healthy diet but whatever I give her seems to trigger this terrible response. Has anyone heard of a cat that is allergic to all proteins unless they are hydrolized? Can I hydrolize the meat myself so I can give her healthy homemade food?

Thanks.

Hydrolyzing proteins yourself sounds way too involved, but I'm not a chemist. There are some hypoallergenic foods other than the z/d that you could try: Hypoallergenic Cat Food Brands Your cat might like another brand better.

Our cat has IBD, and the hydrolyzed protein foods we tried didn't do a bit of good; we tried an elimination diet over a very long period of time and found a number of proteins he could eat (rabbit, hare, reindeer, kangaroo, duck, horse, sometimes veal and turkey). He can't eat any grains at all, which is probably why the hydrolyzed foods didn't work. How many proteins did you try, and over what period of time? Have you consulted an animal nutritionist? We did the elimination diet under the supervision of one, only trying a new protein after Mogli had been doing well on the last one for 4 - 8 weeks.

A fellow shelter worker has a cat (now 7) that can only eat horse, whether as a canned food, raw or cooked, so there are extreme cases. that somebody comes along who can offer you advice, but I'd consider finding a certified nutritionist for guidance.

Hi Jcat,

I have tried her on rabbit which was working to an extent but now I think she has become allergic to that. I have her on the prescribed ZD but would like to get her off of these brands as I don't believe they are healthy. When you carried out an elimination diet and found certain meats your cat could eat - did you buy commercial raw foods or make the dinners yourself? Or did you just give your cat the animal flesh cooked or raw as the elimination trial?

I am thinking of trying her on an elimination diet, but most cat foods have additives, and she can't have rabbit, chicken, turkey or venison (I've worked out that much so far). I think I am going to have to source more unusual meats such as horse and deer maybe. I know I'd have to add the taurine myself but think its the only way.

I am now wary of feeding her ground bones as I read they are hard for cats to digest - this is after reading for months how a raw diet with ground bones was the way to go. There is an American company that uses organic ground eggshells instead of bones. It's so hard to get raw novel proteins in the UK, that don't have anything else in them.

Never thought about getting a cat nutritionist but just had a look and may ring some. They need to know about IBS and food intolerances and I will know after chatting with them for a few minutes I think.

Thanks.

We tried raw, cooked and canned. I kept an intake/output log and took in stool samples for analysis. Raw food went through Mogli's system virtually undigested, which I was told by the vet and nutritionist was due to the fat content. It was definitely the wrong thing for him. Cooked meat was much better - expensive cuts that were extremely lean. We've been lucky in that there's a good line of prescription food here in Germany with novel proteins, low fat and no grains that he tolerates very well. Unfortunately it's only sold in German-speaking countries and the Netherlands.

He's on the canned diet with a few meals of unsupplemented meat a week. The nutritionist gave me a few recipes for him, but the canned diet is easier because many of the meats are difficult to impossible to source here.

Chicken and any sort of grain, including rice, mean he has a flare, with inappetence and severe diarrhea. Lamb is too fatty, though he does well on goat.

Hi

I have had similar problems with my 10yr old male cat for over 3 months he has had diarrea and now about 3 tablespoons of fresh blood coming out of him in the last 2 days.  He has just finished 10 days of metronizole (also known as flagyl antibiotic for the colon) and is on a one months supply of 10 mg per day of pregnozone.  He is also on a prescription hypoallerginic canned food (contains duck and pea flour).  I was beginning to think he was allergic to chicken but with the duck there is no improvement.  I haven't had him tested yet for FELV he has lost a tremendous amount of weight.  I am going to have him tested for FELV next you may have to do the same.

Jcat, I am going to try my girl on goat. Barb, I think my cat has been tested for everything but will double check for the FELV. My cat hasnt lost any weight which is odd. The only thing she can keep in her without her bum dripping blood is the broken down hydrolized protein, so its a protein problem I think. Please let me know how your cat gets on. I have been out of my mind with worry here but ZD is controlling it.  My girl also had steroids last year but thaey didnt help. I have her on a low dose of Metrondiazole. I want to get her off the ZD if I can so am going to source some exotic meats that are antiobiotic free.

Leave her on the z/d if it's working.   This stuff is probably better quality that anything you'd get in the frozen food aisle or a fast good chain.  My wife has worked in a Vet Hospital for almost 15yrs and at one time managed the pharmacy.  She believes in the Hills and Royal Canin lines completely.  Our little 13yo Siamese mix, Sagwa, developed such severe gastrointestinal issues last Thanksgiving we had to miss a flight as we thought she was dying.  She was down to 6#,  wouldn't eat, lethargic, blood in the stool, etc.   We finally narrowed it down to the protein issue.   A venison based soft food sort of worked but not fully.   Our two boys are finishing off the two flats of that that we bought.  

The ZD is what finally brought her around fully.   She's up to almost 8#, her coat is back to normal, has her sass back, and her appetite is back so well we have to watch her to make sure she doesn't get into the boys soft food.   We just feed them soft at the same times and separate them.   All three eat the same dry.  I'd have to look again at the dry as it's not the z/d but I think it might be Royal Canin Selected Protein as that's what the venison-based soft food was.  She doesn't eat a lot of kibble so we've had no issues there.

Good luck!

Hi PintandaShot,

Forgot about this thread but just received a notification. The ZD made my old girl lose weight - my vet said this can happen - not sure why. But anyway, she is on raw food which is the best for her it seems. Anything else (apart from the ZD) makes her poo blood. I am feeding her Purrform raw food which is the best quality I have come across. Just wish they would do more "flavours".

Glad you have something working!  My only complaint w/ the z/d is the consistancy.  Takes her longer to get through the serving.  She'll typically walk away but if we move the bowl back in front of her she starts eating again.

I used to add a bit of hot water, otherwise she wouldnt eat it.

Thanks for that.  Might try it.  We make jokes about it being her "jello".