Leo has had IBS since last fall, his weight got down to 5 lbs, and he was constantly hungry, along with having diarrhea. Hes been on steroids for two months now, has gained almost a lb., has no more diarrhea, and his insides feel normal and not hard, but he is constantly, constantly hungry. I read some posts on this site about what food to feed him, and put him on Hounds and Gato chicken, which he liked in the beginning, but hates now. I asked my vet if I could give him different flavors of the same brand, but she said no, so now I'm going to have to try to find something else. My question is for anyone else that has a cat with IBS, "Does your cat have to be on steroids for ever?" I would like to take Leo off the meds because of the side effects, and see how he does, especially being on better food, but my vet says he will probably have to be on them forever.
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Cat With Ibs
- Thread starter leo12
- Start Date
Hi! I'm curious as to why your vet says no to other varieties of the same brand?
What else is she intending for you to do?
Have you tried toppers to entice him to eat? Does she have issues with those things as well, such as tuna, sardines, kitten glop (recipes are on the internet), boiled unseasoned chicken or turkey, canned kitten food, heating the food, adding a tablespoon of hot water to pate style food, bonito flakes, fortiflora, unflavored gelatin, kitten milk replacer...
What else is she intending for you to do?
Have you tried toppers to entice him to eat? Does she have issues with those things as well, such as tuna, sardines, kitten glop (recipes are on the internet), boiled unseasoned chicken or turkey, canned kitten food, heating the food, adding a tablespoon of hot water to pate style food, bonito flakes, fortiflora, unflavored gelatin, kitten milk replacer...
Steroids are usually tapered off. Some IBD cats are on steroids for a few months, other might be on for a bit longer depending on symptoms. Steroids can cause increased hunger so you may want to feed a little more food while monitoring weight.
You don't necessarily need the vet's permission to feed another variety or brand of food. Some vets are of the opinion "if it works, don't fix it". Try one new thing and see how your cat reacts to it. IBD cats have sensitive tummies so stick with novel proteins. Chicken is usually a no-no for IBD cats so I'm surprised your cat is ok with it.
You'll find helpful info here:
IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time
Raw Feeding for IBD Cats
You don't necessarily need the vet's permission to feed another variety or brand of food. Some vets are of the opinion "if it works, don't fix it". Try one new thing and see how your cat reacts to it. IBD cats have sensitive tummies so stick with novel proteins. Chicken is usually a no-no for IBD cats so I'm surprised your cat is ok with it.
You'll find helpful info here:
IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time
Raw Feeding for IBD Cats
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
My vet says don't switch flavors because the constant change would mess up Leos stomach, but if he gets sick of the same food and won't eat it, then I would think variety would be better. I even put another one of my cats on the same food, and he won't touch it anymore either. The vet suggested Hills d/d, but its almost $70 a case and I can't afford it, I have three other cats and its too expensive. I'm thinking of either trying Hounds and Gato beef, and alternating with the chicken, or switching to Natures Variety Instinct or Purina Pro Plan True Nature. He loves dry food, but I haven't given him any in a couple of months.
The article on the other kitties with IBS sounds like they were being tapered off the steroids when things cleared up, my vet says some cats have to stay on steroids forever. I don't like that idea without trying to get him off them at least once to see what happens
The article on the other kitties with IBS sounds like they were being tapered off the steroids when things cleared up, my vet says some cats have to stay on steroids forever. I don't like that idea without trying to get him off them at least once to see what happens
My 15 yo IBD kitty was on 2.5 mg prednisolone every day. We tried going to every other day and she lost over two lbs. We cranked up the dosage and she has gained a little back...hoping we can reduce the steroids soon but I think she’ll always have to be on them. It sounds like kitties don’t have quite as many side effects with steroids as humans do but I’d still prefer to get her on a lower dosage if we can.
