Just diagnosed with IBD

My 6-year old kitty was just diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the vet has recommended Rayne's special diet. It contains rabbit which is a novel protein for my cat since I've never fed him rabbit. I checked out the Rayne's website since I'm not familiar with the company, and have discovered that their diet is dry only! I was quite surprised by that - you would have thought that a so-called "holistic" food company would have focused on wet formulas, since dry is not even recommended for cats! At least if they made both wet and dry formulas, then pet parents would have a choice. In the case of my poor kitty, he's never been able to digest dry food, and has been on wet for the past 2 years. Two of my other cats also had issues with dry - both had urinary blockages. Since they started eating canned only, 2 years ago, they've been fine.  I feed all my cats Hound & Gatos, a high quality US made food, that contains basic meat protein and added vitamins and minerals.

Regarding my 6 year old who now has IBD, I'm wondering if anyone can offer suggestions on what brands they have fed to their cats needing special diets, since I can not offer him the dry Rayne's food.

And another question regarding feline IBD, my cat's symptoms are unlike the most common, which are vomiting and loss of appetite. My cat is the exact opposite: he's always hungry, his appetite is enormous and he virtually inhales his food. He almost never vomits his meals. He has lost a lot of weight despite the huge appetite. He was initially tested for hyperthyroidism because his symptoms are exactly those of this condition, however his T4 was normal. I questioned the results because a normal T4 doesn't always mean the cat is negative for the condition. But in my cat's case his reading was so low (16 and the normal range is 10-60) and he is only six yrs of age ( and hyperthyroidism affects mainly cats of 10+ yrs), so the vet felt he was truly negative for the condition. I should mention that his tests showed no diabetes, no liver or kidney disfunction either. The diagnosis of IBD was based on very low B12 and folate levels. Regarding his ravenous appetite, contrary to what you would imagine with IBD, the vet said that although most cats will have a decreased appetite, some will have the opposite and always be hungry because they are not absorbing the nutrients from their food. Has anyone else had an IBD cat with an insatiable appetite, like mine?

Sorry for the long post, but vets can only tell you so much and I believe that just as  much relevant information can be obtained from pet people dealing with the same ailment in their precious pets.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Hi, and welcome!   I don't have experience with IBD, but I have to say that I very much agree with you that dry food will do nothing but aggravate your cat's condition.  I cannot understand why vets today ever recommend a dry food diet.  Your instincts are the same as mine - stick with the wet food.  Hounds & Gatos is fairly high calorie food, isn't it?  He might need a wet food that isn't quite so rich, but again, I don't have an IBD cat and I don't know the ramifications of that particular food on IBD.  

However, I do know that there is a link between low Vitamin D levels and IBD/lymphoma in cats.  I've been researching this because my daughter's cat is suspicious for lymphoma, although three aspirations have failed to prove conclusive.  These are prescription drops, formulated by a holistic vet, that can only be ordered by your vet:  http://rxvitamins.com/infopets-rxd3.html:   And here is a short YouTube video about them:    

My daughter's vet has finally been convinced to test her cat's D3 levels and order the drops if she has low blood levels.  This is not well-known in the veterinary community (we have two vets and an oncologist caring for Lexi and all are clueless about this), but it is certainly worth looking into.  I believe that Vitamin D3 is going to be the next big thing in veterinary medicine and will help with many animal ailments.  

Be very sure you only give the Rx drops formulated for cats.  Human Vitamin D3 doses can be toxic to cats.   All cats must, at a minimum, have monthly blood tests while on the supplemental D3 drops.  This is at least worth running by your vet.  At the very least, perhaps he could test your boy's D3 levels.  If they are low (20 ng/ml or less) and you can get the levels up (50 ng/ml or more), his IBD will probably resolve itself.

Here is the link to the article about low D levels and IBD:  http://www.vitamindwiki.com/Inflamm...ted+with+low+vitamin+D+in+cats+too+–+Jan+2014   

Someone with more experience with IBD will be along, I'm sure.  Since it's the weekend, it may take a while.  You sound like a wonderful, well-informed cat mom.  I wish you and your baby the best.

Hi, and welcome to TCS

A lot of people with IBD cats like Nature Valley Limited Ingredient Diet. I believe they do a rabbit one too. Basically, look for limited ingredient diets with a single protein source, grain free, and with as few ingredients as possible. As rabbit seems to be working for your boy, stick with that protein for now. A wet food could help tame the intense appetite too, being (as you know) far closer to what a cat is designed to eat.

As his symptoms are so atypical, you might want to consider seeing a specialist or seeking a second opinion. I'm saying this simply because you seem a little unconvinced that the IBD diagnosis fits your boy.

I hope you're able to find some answers (and a food that suits him!) very soon

Some of these threads may be helpful too - Search results for IBD

This web site may be helfpul: http://www.ibdkitties.net/

Some IBD cats can be managed with regular commercial canned foods. A limited ingredient / novel protein diet may be helpful. I found these TCS threads:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/307421/cat-with-ibd-food-choice-questions

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314495/tiki-cat-beef-liver-for-ibd-kitty-success-anyone

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/314474/is-it-ok-to-feed-fish-to-an-ibd-kitty-help

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/291586/ibd-kitty-getting-picky-can-you-rotate

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/306947/your-favorite-brands-of-novel-protein-canned-cat-food

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/265847/good-commercial-foods-for-ibd-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/302169/...bs-my-cat-is-allergic-to-all-protein-it-seems

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/307439/hills-z-d-for-ibd

To get weight onto an IBD cat, this may have suggestions: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/311187/high-calorie-cat-food-to-put-weight-on-kitty-with-ibd

Raw and home cooked foods may be an option:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/253243/considering-raw-for-ibd-kitty

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/291770/questions-about-making-homemade-cooked-food-for-my-ibd-kitty

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/247230/raw-feeding-ibd-cat

Hi! My guy has IBD. I am not going the holistic route. I am doing traditional  medicine with him.

Artie is on a novel protein diet. I use Nature Variety Limited Instinct rabbit. It does contain some pork, but not much. 

There are a few out there for you to try. The NVI, Pride, Wild Calling, Hound & Gatos, and Royal Canine specialized diet (prescription only). All these food are wet. 

You could also try the raw route. I am just afraid of raw. My guy free feeds so it would not work out. 

Your cat does not sound like the typical IBD cat. I personally would go for a second opinion to a Internal Medicine Vet. 

My guy does that. 

Artie is also a bit atypical. He vomited almost immediately after eating and has constipation. I discovered he is allergic to chicken. Since eliminating all chicken, animal by products; he has improved greatly with the vomiting, hardly ever.

The brands I mentioned are all very good brands. I am not familiar with Rayne's food or website. What country are you in. Probably a foolish question, but I am stumped...If you are in Canada, perhaps some of these food will be available there. 

IBD is a very frustrating disease. 

Also, Artie is on several medications a day, in addition to Proviable probiotic daily. 

Good Luck...

Kitties can have a wide range of symptoms.  My IBD kitty was atypical in that he had his first flare at only 18 months old.  He also never had what many consider the hallmark symptom, diarrhea.  I also think my kitty is atypical in that I don't believe his was triggered by diet.  It took 6 years of vet hopping to get a diagnosis.  I tried many different foods and he would still flare.  There was simply no rhyme or reason to his flares.  Diet does help many kitties and they are able to avoid steroids.  

If we know which country you are in there will probably be someone who can make food suggestions.

I believe @LisaMarie12 has an IBD cat who's a ravenous eater. LisaMarie 12 is very knowledgeable about IBD, ingredients, and foods in general; I haven't seen her on the site a lot lately but you might be able to find some of her posts about her cat. I know she'd been looking for high-calorie food options.

Also, @Felines6, do you have any sense of what ingredient(s) might be causing your cat's digestive issues? (I know that's always possible and know it can be multiple things... but just thought I'd ask!) That might also help in suggesting foods.

I am in Canada. I have been feeding all my kitties Hound & Gatos for the past 2 years. It is a high quality, very limited ingredient food: just meat with added vitamins and minerals, which is why it's known as the original paleolithic diet. I feed them 3 different formulas - lamb, beef, pork. They get fed 3 times a day as frequent smaller meals are better for cats.They have all done well on the H&G. Perhaps my ailing kitty has developed an intolerance to one of the meat proteins. I suggested running allergy tests but the vet said they are not recommended since the results for food allergies are often inaccurate. I don't know about that. One of my other kitties, a stray, had all kinds of allergies when I first found him. I had allergy tests done (this was at another vet clinic)  and luckily they pointed us in the right direction, a result of which was that we were able to eliminate the allergens affecting him.

Thanks for your reply.  Hound and Gatos is the food I feed my cats. I live in Canada but luckily H&G is sold in one of the chain pet food stores in the city. My cats have been on H&G for two years and all have done well. It is very limited ingredient food, meat and added vitamins & minerals and that's all. So it is hard to understand how the food could be the cause since it's exactly the kind of food you would suggest for a cat with IBD. Perhaps my ailing kitty has developed an intolerance to one of the meat proteins? I suggested running allergy tests, but the vet did not recommend it as she said they are often inaccurate regarding food allergies.

Yes I agree my kitty does not have the typical IBD profile which is why I'm concerned about the diagnosis.  He has each and every symptom of hyperthyroidsim, but he was tested and is negative. I read that the T4 level can show normal but the cat can still have the condition. However the vet said his T4 was extremely low (a level of 16, with normal being 10-60). So taking that in conjunction with the fact that he's only just turning 6 yrs old (and the vast majority of cats with hyperthyroidsim are 10+) led her to say that  she did not believe he had this condition and further testing for it was not indicated. She spoke with the vet at the lab where the analysis of his tests was performed, and that vet agreed with her, that he did not have hyperthyroidism. I still wonder...

Hounds & Gatos is an excellent food.  Perhaps you could eliminate one protein at a time for several weeks, I personally would start with the beef.

That is a good idea. I know many cats are allergic to chicken which is why I don't buy it for them, however I think beef may be another one that many cats can't eat. Yes, I'll start with the beef.

Thanks for your suggestion!

Thanks for your reply.  Your information about Vitamin D is very interesting and I will certainly follow up on this.  I will also speak to my vet to see if she's informed about the Vitamin D implication in IBD. I doubt she is, since in the host of blood tests she's ordered already for my ailing kitty, Vitamin D testing was not included.

Felines6 said:

 
Thanks for your reply.  Your information about Vitamin D is very interesting and I will certainly follow up on this.  I will also speak to my vet to see if she's informed about the Vitamin D implication in IBD. I doubt she is, since in the host of blood tests she's ordered already for my ailing kitty, Vitamin D testing was not included.

Click to expand...

Very few vets are familiar with D3 therapy for cats or with the link between low D levels and IBD.  It's currently considered cutting edge medicine.  It took three vets to find one who was finally inundated with so much research material from us that she agreed to run the tests and, if Lexi's D levels are low, to order the drops.  I have no doubt that her blood levels are extremely low.  All too often, D3 is not included in either the better cat foods or the feline vitamin/mineral supplements.  I'm sure that's because D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin.  Any D3 not used by the body is stored in body fat.  Doses are given according to how quickly the body uses the stored D3. Dosage is intricate at this point, but just as the many uses of D3 in the human body have recently come to light, they will no doubt continue studies of animals to determine optimal D3 dosage without toxicity.  We don't have years to wait.  Lexi has no firm diagnosis, and so cannot receive chemotherapy.  The only option for a definite diagnosis is surgery, which my daughter understandably doesn't want to put her 5-pound, 16-year-old girl through.  We are treating her with a mixture of standard veterinary care and alternative care.  She was semi-diagnosed on March 29, and she's still holding her own with what we're doing for her.  Again, I wish you the best in getting appropriate treatment for your precious boy.  You may need to get a second opinion for your own peace of mind.

Felines6 said:

 
That is a good idea. I know many cats are allergic to chicken which is why I don't buy it for them, however I think beef may be another one that many cats can't eat. Yes, I'll start with the beef.

Thanks for your suggestion!

Click to expand...

I agree with Denice about starting by eliminating the beef. And good to know you didn't buy any with chicken for them from the start. Fingers crossed that the beef's the problem! (Just to make things easy...)

Thank you very much for providing the links to IBD related sites. I will certainly check them all out!

Yes, chicken is not on my kitties' menu. I always check labels before purchasing any products for my pets and have found in the past, that although a particular formula may be salmon or beef or whatever, chicken is still one of the main ingredients.

Felines6 said:

 
Yes, chicken is not on my kitties' menu. I always check labels before purchasing any products for my pets and have found in the past, that although a particular formula may be salmon or beef or whatever, chicken is still one of the main ingredients.

Click to expand...

And you only feed Hound and Gatos, right? Are you feeding all the ones without chicken: lamb, beef, rabbit, pork? What about fish, their salmon and trout? Fish is often a problem, too.

This is interesting, because, to me, I have seen many IBD kitties with atypical symptoms.

My kitty as either suspected IBD or cancer(possibly cancer because of high calcium)

She has had bloody stools, and occasionally had vomited, and very very very occasionally had diarrhea.

She too was tested for hyperthyroidism because of the symptoms, and her blood samples came back normal, except for the calcium and phosphorus(I believe)

But I would, perhaps, try a homemade diet at some point, after trying a few different commercial foods.

Cleo was previously on Chicken Maintenance Iams, and then we put her on Royal Canin Rabbit and Peas. She grew worse on that, so we put her on Wellness Core Turkey and Duck and she did much better on that, though the symptoms still persisted, although a little less. So we put her on a home-made diet of pork and beef liver, and she is doing splendidly! It's only been about a week or so, so we are not quite out of the woods yet.

MaggieMay said:

Someone with more experience with IBD will be along, I'm sure.  Since it's the weekend, it may take a while.

Click to expand...

Hello, I have just come across this thread.  I know a lot about irritable bowel disease in humans as I am a physician in internal medicine for humans, not cats.  However I have always though that irritable bowels in humans - and also cats - means just that - irritability.  Irritable bowels mean abdominal pain, diarrhoea and loss of weight..

In other words, your cat's symptoms are NOT typical.  I agree that you should consult a second opinion from a feline gastro-enterologist, if you can find one or  a feline specialist in internal medicine if you can't.

With best wishes,

Geoffrey

Felines6 said:

 
Yes I agree my kitty does not have the typical IBD profile which is why I'm concerned about the diagnosis.  He has each and every symptom of hyperthyroidsim, but he was tested and is negative. I read that the T4 level can show normal but the cat can still have the condition. However the vet said his T4 was extremely low (a level of 16, with normal being 10-60). So taking that in conjunction with the fact that he's only just turning 6 yrs old (and the vast majority of cats with hyperthyroidsim are 10+) led her to say that  she did not believe he had this condition and further testing for it was not indicated. She spoke with the vet at the lab where the analysis of his tests was performed, and that vet agreed with her, that he did not have hyperthyroidism. I still wonder...

Click to expand...

Felines 6,  I preface this post with the statement:  I am a human doctor, not a feline one...

May I advise you?  Don't wonder about the diagnosis.   I presume that ":each and every symptom of hyperthyroidism" means that you have been comparing symptoms with those of hyperthyroidism in the internet.  If so, don't.  You can cause yourself a great deal of stress - and expense!  Certainly not with a T4 of 16.   Let the vet make the diagnosis - not you.

With best wishes,

Geoffrey