I have an FIV+ boy who has IBD. We did surgical biopsies in September 2024. He’s been on Prednisolone ever since. At first I didn’t change his diet, he was just eating the same thing as before which was Weruva BFF pate (Chicken, Duck and Turkey Take a Chance for the most part) because I kept researching and trying to fond him food and thre was always something wrong with them that kept me from buying it (high phosphorus or high carbs or too many peas and lentils or chick peas, etc.) I would not buy the hydrolyzed protein foods because they were super high carb (like 40 percent). I was afraid he would become diabetic when combined with the Prednisolone. He kept eating and eating and losing weight. His appetite was good. I switched him over to an all beef diet and he liked it, at first he gained some weight but not a whole lot. We are now struggling to keep his weight up. He is becoming picky and he won’t eat more than small amounts of food at a time. Some days he looks unwell (his face looks pinched and he squints at me.) Recently we did a repeat ultrasound and the vet says his intestines are as inflamed as they were a year ago when we did the ultrasound and then the biopsies. It’s like the Prednisolone hasn’t helped his inflammation at all. He also had two cysts on his pancreas that were fluid filled. We had those removed and biopsied as well. Fortunately, they are benign. He has now been diagnosed with pancreatitis; we ran the GI panel last week. The ultrasound also showed that his gallbladder, while not having any sludge in it, appears “fuzzy” and inflamed. I feel like I am going to lose him just to weight loss. I asked about switching to Budesonide instead of Prednisolone, but I really have no idea if this is a good move for him or not. My vet doesn’t seem to have much experience using Budesonide at all. I need to do something or I am going to lose this boy.
I am so sorry. Are they sure it's nothing else? This sounds like my sweet boy last year. He was the one that had to be on raw rabbit and also had HT. No matter what he did or how much he ate, he kept losing. He got down to just under 6lbs his last visit when the other doc (mine was on holiday of course) broke it to me with his labs they'd just done.....
"I think he has bone marrow cancer and I think we should talk s about letting him go". I did, but man did it suck. I was raised in the type of home you don't cry, but no one in this world has seen me cry more than the vets.
I hope it's nothing like that. I've also had 2 with scl gi and now the doctor suspects another might as well. I'm tell you 1 think that helped change the first cancer girl's' life around.. Cbd. She was on chirp once a week, and pred2. 5 nightly. The pred stopped her from throwing up daily, which she was doing before the chemo. Ever since I brought her home from the shelter. She was on that for 3.5yrs until I researched cbd. After only a week I saw positive changes in her. After 2weeks she was doing so well, I decided to take her off the steroids. She never went back on them. She did great and never threw up again. Cbd, to me, it's a wonder supplement. I've treated several cats with it for varying reasons. It's helped that one with anxiety, arthritis, upset stomach, & inflammation. The inflammation is why I wanted to start it. She was a new cat after being on that.
I also had a cat that had barely any teeth left, and suffered from stomatitis. Poor fella would have at least once a month flare ups of drooling, stinky breath, and sometimes blood in his drool. Stomatitis is an inflammation of the gums, so I tried it on him next. He only took 1.5mg twice a day, and I don't remember how long it took, but it was good Fix! Didn't cure him of course, but he never had the symptoms again in the 2yrs he saw on it. It was great.
So perhaps cbd would be a viable option for your guy too? I've used it on multiple cats, always for inflammation issues, and it seems to gel them all. Only side effects known from it (cast cbd had no thc in it), is lethargy or over grooming. I had 2 that did the over grooming one. I just took them back down a little and that was that. I think I'm general they can have up to 7.5-10mg twice a day? It's been a while since I've had any needing it. But it had definitely helped them. 2 got it for their inflamed intestines. Best thing is, it helps so many things. Inflammation, anxiety, general aches and pains (such as associated with arthritis), nausea, and works as a natural appetite stimulant. Helps a lot of different things & no side effects like the drugs prescribed. Who knows? Maybe the cbd can replace the pred like it did in mine. Then he could be allowed foods with higher carbs. The only other food I had found with no poultry or fish that helped the ibd ones, was Essence Ranch and Meadow. But I had to feed the dry, and it was loaded in carbs. Don't know about the wet. I will say the Essence changed that same guy's kidney failure around though. He was on an app wet fancy feast plate diet for years before being diagnosed kidney failure. I couldn't change the food, as it's what the doctor said was good for her. But then a few months later, v his early stage 1 turned to stage 3. So I threw away all the old ways and went against the vet and with newer research. I have him Essence, which is a high meat protein diet with (in my opinion) pretty high carbs. Wasn't aiming fir high carbs. Just the quality, high meat protein diet. The research said kidney cats are fed the opposite of what they really need. Protein. Hence they waste away to nothing. At that point he had been on fluids every other day and Ondansetron twice daily. After 2mo of switching his diet to the dry version, he started fighting me with fluids I noticed he's gained some weight back, so took him in. All his labs showed he'd went from stage 3 to stage 1. Brought him back 2mo for more tests and recheck. Early stage 1. When he's been on for 6months, back for testing, clean bill of health. Infirmary he'd become tubby from the food. :/ And the next set of tests were 6mo after that. Still good. I go with newer science nowadays when I can. Unfortunately most all vets were taught old science. :/
My one that's suspected scl gi now, I'm thinking of trying get on fenbendazole, to see if she responds well to it. Always think outside the box if you can.
Has yours had any tests that would show any different types of cancer? I wish that in none, but it seems to be happening more and more in our cats. Blame cat food industry on that 100%.
It’s perfectly adequate and you are able to make it work.
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RFM sells boneless rabbit (for a premium price.
