My cat was recently diagnosed with Protein Losing Enteropathy (PLE), possibly IBD. I can't get him to eat much, lucky if he's eating 2-3oz a day right now. He was 12 lbs last year, and now that I think about it, we were having issues with his weight staying constant, but he was within 10-12 lbs, which is where his vet said he should be for his size. He was just at the vet last week for acupuncture, B12, and SRT/infused hemp drops, and when they weighed him, he was only 7lb, 11.5oz, which was down from 9lb 1.5oz only a few weeks before that. The vet said it's mainly muscle wastage, but given that he's barely eating, it has to be more than just muscle. I don't know what to do for him. The vet said they're usually diagnosed at 5 years old, and generally last till they're about 8. My cat is 12, and the vet said he now considers him to be a "super senior". His albumin and globulin levels are low, but were normal last June. He's been on 0.2m prednisolone and 0.25ml mirtazapine for the last 2 weeks. It doesn't seem to be doing much for his appetite, though I should say he seems hungry, so maybe there's some nausea too? He'll eat something one day, but not want it again.
He has an old spinal injury that the vet said can slow digestion, which may have led to the IBD, and believe could be the cause for the PLE. I have been using walnut shell cat litter, and though I like it because it's natural, I now wonder if it's prevented me from seeing diarrhea in the litter box because it's dark brown. I have constantly told the vet that he vomits, usually hairballs (until recently), and he said that if it's more than 2-3 days in a row, then it's a problem. I have read an article from a vet that if it's more than 1-2 times a month that they should be proactive about testing for IBD. He also started an odd behavior November 2021 looking for towels to try to shred and eat string from. He did end up a bit constipated, but not too bad, luckily. The vet said he was looking for, and probably needed more fiber, and I tried everything to get him to eat pumpkin or canned food with pumpkin pieces.
Is there anyone out there dealing with this, or has gone through it and able to stabilize their cat, and give them quality of life? I want to get him healthy, but I don't want him to suffer from this. Has anyone tried coconut oil for PLE and had good luck with it for gut healing and calories? What diet has worked best? He was on Stella & Chewy's raw food, with a little top dress for probiotics. We wanted to keep him on grain free, but the vet said he can't process the higher proteins, and needs plant-based protein because it's easier to process. I'm concerned about the inflammation from corn and wheat (I have celiac, so know about that), and the vet said the prednisolone will take care of that inflammation. I didn't expect that from a holistic vet. I am not really getting any answers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
He has an old spinal injury that the vet said can slow digestion, which may have led to the IBD, and believe could be the cause for the PLE. I have been using walnut shell cat litter, and though I like it because it's natural, I now wonder if it's prevented me from seeing diarrhea in the litter box because it's dark brown. I have constantly told the vet that he vomits, usually hairballs (until recently), and he said that if it's more than 2-3 days in a row, then it's a problem. I have read an article from a vet that if it's more than 1-2 times a month that they should be proactive about testing for IBD. He also started an odd behavior November 2021 looking for towels to try to shred and eat string from. He did end up a bit constipated, but not too bad, luckily. The vet said he was looking for, and probably needed more fiber, and I tried everything to get him to eat pumpkin or canned food with pumpkin pieces.
Is there anyone out there dealing with this, or has gone through it and able to stabilize their cat, and give them quality of life? I want to get him healthy, but I don't want him to suffer from this. Has anyone tried coconut oil for PLE and had good luck with it for gut healing and calories? What diet has worked best? He was on Stella & Chewy's raw food, with a little top dress for probiotics. We wanted to keep him on grain free, but the vet said he can't process the higher proteins, and needs plant-based protein because it's easier to process. I'm concerned about the inflammation from corn and wheat (I have celiac, so know about that), and the vet said the prednisolone will take care of that inflammation. I didn't expect that from a holistic vet. I am not really getting any answers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
. Can a cat survive on plant based proteins? They are obligate carnivores. Could you use digestive enzymes with this issues? I know they are plant based, but don't know if they would be harmful or not. I do know their purpose is to help the nutrients get into the bloodstream better.
