Life after IBD??

[mphscat]

One small hairball today but:

Later in the day (at 10.30 rather than 4.30)
I woke up late so he didn't get his usual canned food this morning
He groomed himself AND his brother
I got home late and he didn't get brushed

So this one I'm chalking up to me. Lesson learned.

 

[mphscat]

Hairball this morning after heavy grooming but at 9.30....not extremely early as usual. Does anybody give their cats slippery elm in the morning rather than night? He doesn't ever vomit food, just the hairballs and in the am. I was wondering if the time change would make a difference. Thoughts??

 

[pocho]

Maybe it's time for totally raw diet? The new thoughts on hairballs is that it isn't actually normal or to be excepted but something unnatural due to a biologically inappropriate diet. That these should pass out the back end not thrown up. But to tell you the truth I have a puker who is on all raw and sometimes I see hairballs in it. It is confusing and frustrating at times. I believe in an ideal setting cats would eat what they need by their own accord. Like a tiger who after hunting it's prey maybe just eats the liver, another day maybe muscle and bone.....so even raw falls short of what nature intended. Sorry to ramble but I am sure you have also had these thoughts in your quest to make him well...

 

[betsygee]

I gave my IBD kitties the slippery elm bark in the mornings, and their meds in the afternoons (so that the SEB wouldn't interfere with absorption of their meds).  The SEB helped a lot to control the vomiting.  

Also, if you're suggesting or contemplating a raw food diet, please read this article:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/282314/recommending-a-homemade-diet-hold-your-horses

 

[mphscat]

I had thought about raw but have 6 cats and am often during the week out of the house 12 hours at a time....so I hate having have them to wait that long for a meal. I've tried giving the IBD cat multiple small canned meals today and we'll see how that works. This whole diagnoses had started with throwing up bile daily (maybe more) and as soon as I changed his diet to a novel protein, that stopped. His issue is now only the hairballs 1-3 times a week.

I had another two cats throw up today, both for different reasons.

So I'm wondering if just a simple, over the counter hairball product might work. He has been tearing through the house today playing with his brother. He looks great and I can tell he feels good. Not lethargic, no loss of appetite, beautiful eyes and fur, no stinky breath or poo. Just these dang hairballs.

 

[betsygee]

I had another two cats throw up today, both for different reasons.

So I'm wondering if just a simple, over the counter hairball product might work. He has been tearing through the house today playing with his brother. He looks great and I can tell he feels good. Not lethargic, no loss of appetite, beautiful eyes and fur, no stinky breath or poo. Just these dang hairballs.

I feel for you--I had seven cats at one point, three of them sick at the same time.  It was no fun cleaning up diarrhea and/or vomit all the time.  Mine weren't vomiting hairballs, though, so I never tried any OTC remedies for that.

 

[mphscat]

I have decided to stick with the Slippery Elm for a few more days and see the result. I tried to mix it in with his canned food and he caught it IMMEDIATELY. Then when i tried to feed him just the food, he glared at me, tried to cover it up and stalked off. I'll try again later.

I ordered some Nature Variety Limited Ingredient Rabbit from Chewy tonight. The ingredients are very basic and I figured better than the Royal Canin PR rabbit that contains soy (and I'm sure GMO soy at that).

We'll see how we do with hairballs tomorrow.

 

[betsygee]

You know, my cats ate the SEB in their food for awhile but then wouldn't so I ended up giving it to them by syringe.

 

[mphscat]

Yup, that's what I did too. I wished for him that he would take it on his on. Sigh. I'll go on with the syringe.