Cerenia For Ibd Kitties?

[ChaoticEva]

Hello!

My old man Oscar has been on Cerenia for maybe a month (I've been skipping doses so that I can give it to him when he has flare ups), as well as an anti-acid medication to help him when his IBD flares up. I called my vet to get more, as he vomited again yesterday. I wouldn't mind giving him these meds for the rest of his life if need be. But I am worried on the side-effects of long term use. I know he probably doesn't have many years left (he's 16-17!), as he also has Hyperthyroid, but I'd like him to not feel sick all the time.

Has anyone giving this medication long term to help with IBD?

 

[kathyfrank]

Hi ChaoticEva. I gave my Moe cerenia a while back. I was going through something similar as you are. Moe had thrown up in the past, but not often. I moved to another state and idk if the stress brought things on, but he began vomiting all of the time. His stomach would also make a lot of noise, and when it would get really bad I knew he was going to be throwing up. The vet sent me to an internist and bloodwork came back fine. They didn't know what was going on, and thought it was acid reflux. So I was giving Moe an antacid but that hardly worked. I then HAD to use cerenia because it was the only thing that would keep him from vomiting. Btw, his vomiting seemed really intense and it was always dark brown so maybe there was bile it in...? Anyway, I also had issues with long term effects of this drug, not to mention the high costs. After a while the cerenia wasn't working and he was starting to vomit again. It was also hard to pill him because cerenia is so acidic and horrible tasting. Even though the pill is tiny, he would foam at the mouth if it didn't go down right away (which it never did because its not coated). So I was at a loss and I ended up having Moe undergo a scope to figure out what was going on inside. That is when they determined he had IBD. I forgot to mention, the vet had originally put Moe on a small does of prednisolone, and it didn't seem to be working, thus the scope. No one could figure it out so I felt a scope was needed and it was less invasive than surgery. So, that was the results from the scope and the internist said that Moe was not on a high enough dose of prednisolone. We doubled the dose, and he as been on it since. Although it is another drug, Moe is doing great now and has no need for any other meds. The acid reflux (which I don't think was a thing) is gone, tummy rumbles gone, eating very well, no vomiting (unless he gets a lower amount of pred). So, I told you all of this because it sounds like your cat is going through something similar as Moe did. The vet said that the 'signs' were not what one would expect for IBD, and so it was confusing to him and the internist vet. But, Moe had IBD and the miracle drug was pred. I cannot tell you how long we struggled and how bad it was. He was vomiting all of the time, poor baby. It might be something to ask the vet about.....

 

[ChaoticEva]

Thanks for the info.
Oscar has been doing well on the Cerenia. When I give him his meds, it works for a couple of days. So I think i'll give him one pill every 2-3 days. I don't want to give it to him every day, since it isn't fun for the old man. I haven't had any issues with giving him Cerenia. I use a syringe of water to flush it down. It seems to work very well. He was also on an anti-acid, but I stopped giving him that since he just pukes it back up. I also find that the pill is quite large. My vet told me that there was much that could be done with IBD besides help the symptoms. So I'm hoping that it will help him a bit.
I read that Cerenia (or something similar) is also available by injection. That sounds super interesting to me. It may also be lower in cost, which is double interesting to me.
I'll have to ask my vet and see what she says/thinks.

 

[kathyfrank]

One thing that I did that I didn't mention was have the cerenia compounded. It is not cheap, but neither is the pill. I have a pharmacy that will compound medications for humans and animals. It was the only way that I could give this med to him. So they took the medication and made it into a tuna flavored liquid. They will do it in such a way that the dosing is accurate. It would be worth even traveling a short distance for if you don't have a compounding pharmacy in your town. I had a conversation with my vet and went this route because he had told me that it is important to also be aware of the relationship you have with your cat. It is not worth shoving things down the throat of a cat if you are not going to be friends anymore. There isn't much that can be done with IBD like you said, but it also isn't a death sentence. My beloved Hobbes who passed away last year had IBD for about 4 years. He was 17 when he passed.

 

[ChaoticEva]

I don't think I need to get it compounded. Oscar takes it quite well and I only give it to him 2 to 3 times a week.
Oh I am quite aware that IBD isn't a death sentence. My old guy is 16-17 with heart problems and hyperthyroid. So if anything, the Hyperthyroid is what's going to cause him the most problems.

 

[Sevilay28]

Oh my God kathyfrank . My head is about to explode from shock. Your cat was licking strange things as if she was passing out. You have vomiting problem and many similar things! Today, I was crying when I couldn't get results from the food that I saw as a last resort, and you appeared in front of me. Now I'm one hundred percent sure, my girl has ibd.

 

[kathyfrank]

Hello. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I went through a whole lot with my precious Moe. He passed away a year ago. Only recently was I okay enough to get a new kitty. I’m not sure I can help but I can try. Pls let me know.

 

[Sevilay28]

I'm so sorry for your loss.. I can only imagine how hard it was. I hope your cat is very happy wherever it goes.