Battling IBD for 3 years, have weird sleep question

[Ocean Planet]

My oldest boy turns 16.5 this week. His name is Obie. I've been managing his IBD for just over 3+ years but I'm afraid it is getting to him more now that he is further into the senior years of life. Usually, he might throw up once or twice a month. Now, it seems he is throwing up a few times per week since the week of Christmas. Some good days and some bad. Usually when he does I can get him to take a Cerenia pill in his wet food and it would help. In the past, if he had a real bad episode, I'd take him to the emergency vet to get the injection version and some fluids and it always works to help him along.

I'm calling his vet to leave a message with the dr to see what they suggest we can do. He just seems uncomfortable some days. Like when he lays down to sleep, lately, he won't put his head down to sleep. He holds it up and just closes his eyes and will do it for a long time. I can't tell if that is a bad sign or not and internet searches don't really say anything on it. Anyone else have a kitty who has done that?

Honestly, I'm getting scared it is starting to get worse. I kind of knew it would as he kept on getting older. I lost my Girl Cat last year at 17 years old so I'm even extra anxious about this whole situation now that he is almost that age. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but making sure a senior cat is comfortable is so tough. It's been a worrying and exhausting weekend.

Thanks for reading. I just wanted to see if the sleeping with the head up should be an additional concern that I should mention?

 

[LTS3]

I'm calling his vet to leave a message with the dr to see what they suggest we can do. He just seems uncomfortable some days. Like when he lays down to sleep, lately, he won't put his head down to sleep. He holds it up and just closes his eyes and will do it for a long time. I can't tell if that is a bad sign or not and internet searches don't really say anything on it. Anyone else have a kitty who has done that?

That's usually a sign of an IBD flare up and the cat is feeling uncomfortable, like a really bad tummy ache. Do you give prednisolone to calm any flare ups? Cerenia only helps with nausea. Talk to the vet about starting pred if your cat is not already on it. Most cats need a short course of a couple of weeks to control flare ups. You can hide a pill in a Pill Pocket or something. I use a bacon flavored pill dough because my IBD cat can't have chicken which is in both flavors of Pill Pockets.

The throwing up also indicates a flare up. An occasionally throw up of liquid isn't cause for a concern but daily throw up is. Again, pred can help with that. How often do you feed your cat? Some IBD cats will throw up if they go too long without food.

Two web sites with lots of good info if you aren't aware of them:

IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

www.ibdkitties.net

Feline IBD

Address the root cause of IBD in your cat. Treat inflammation and gut dysbiosis with proper tools to restore health, not just manage symptoms.

www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org

 

[Ocean Planet]

That's usually a sign of an IBD flare up and the cat is feeling uncomfortable, like a really bad tummy ache. Do you give prednisolone to calm any flare ups? Cerenia only helps with nausea. Talk to the vet about starting pred if your cat is not already on it. Most cats need a short course of a couple of weeks to control flare ups. You can hide a pill in a Pill Pocket or something. I use a bacon flavored pill dough because my IBD cat can't have chicken which is in both flavors of Pill Pockets.

The throwing up also indicates a flare up. An occasionally throw up of liquid isn't cause for a concern but daily throw up is. Again, pred can help with that. How often do you feed your cat? Some IBD cats will throw up if they go too long without food.

Yes, it has been on a small dose of prednisolone the past few years. (We've been careful and take frequent blood work to monitor kidney values,etc with that). It's served him well for a long time. I wonder if they will want to up the dose to tackle this flare? I left a message, but she isn't working today, so she will call me Monday.

I feed him twice a day. Once before I go to work and once before bed. I leave the food out so he can munch on it through the day/evening. I know exactly what you mean about them throwing up if they go too long without food. It's a tough balance.

He finally lays his head down after like 30 minutes of sleeping with it up

 

[FeebysOwner]

Like when he lays down to sleep, lately, he won't put his head down to sleep. He holds it up and just closes his eyes and will do it for a long time. I can't tell if that is a bad sign or not and internet searches don't really say anything on it. Anyone else have a kitty who has done that?

Feeby, who is 16+ yo and is being treated for the only disease we know she has - hyperthyroidism - often sleeps with her head up but in a 'nodding off' position. I liken it to an elderly person who just kind of naps at times when they are sitting upright. She can be looking out the window, and the next thing I know she has nodded off. Other times she lays down to sleep. So, while it may be a sign of discomfort for Obie related to his IBD, it could also be for the same 'aging' reason I attribute to Feeby.

 

[Ocean Planet]

Feeby, who is 16+ yo and is being treated for the only disease we know she has - hyperthyroidism - often sleeps with her head up but in a 'nodding off' position. I liken it to an elderly person who just kind of naps at times when they are sitting upright. She can be looking out the window, and the next thing I know she has nodded off. Other times she lays down to sleep. So, while it may be a sign of discomfort for Obie related to his IBD, it could also be for the same 'aging' reason I attribute to Feeby.

Exactly. Good comparison to the human version! Everything I've found online was sleeping in the bread loaf position and every site said that is OK as it is a "light" napping mode for cats. Which I can see.... but when it is all he has been doing I started getting worried.

I just hope I can pull him out of this flare up. It's a bad one this time. We do the best we can.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I just hope I can pull him out of this flare up. It's a bad one this time. We do the best we can.