? Colitis Back: Need Opinions Please

[Louellen]

Just wondering how Morrigan is doing.

Hey SpecklesandMe....

Well, we gave her the last "taper off dose" of Flagyl on Tuesday night and now, we wait and see. She's been on ONLY the m/d kibble and her numbers are UP. I went in and talked to her vet on Tuesday about it all (not with her though as I don't want to set anything off again) and he took a look at her SS and said that yes, the numbers are higher but, if we can keep her bowels ok, we can dose UP to the numbers and NOT to play with foods right now in any way. We don't want to rock that boat and it's better to up her Lantus dose to the food.

I'm still unhappy about the food. I wanted her on the canned food but, hey....we have a balance that we have to strike and he (the vet) is working hard at methodically getting her to where she needs to be, both bowel wise as well as insulin wise.

So, if all is well still with her bowels, I'm to do a curve at home either Friday or Sunday and get back to him next week with those numbers and an update on her bowel situation or before if I need him. I hope NOT to need him for anything right now.

I am concerned though because these numbers have been consistently higher on the m/d kibble but, I suppose that like he's said, she's on 1U only twice a day so, it can be safely upped, work with that.

How's your situation going?

 

[Critter Mom]

We don't want to rock that boat and it's better to up her Lantus dose to the food.

I'd be on the same page as your vet with this one, Louellen. Like it or lump it, our little ones' bodies ultimately dictate the most appropriate treatment path. I've got similar issues with Saoirse. The early stage renal insufficiency demands a low phosphorus diet. The diabetes demands high protein and low carbohydrates. The pancreatitis demands something that won't make it painful and sickening to eat. The only food I've found to date - after nine months of food trials - that keeps Saoirse's blood glucose levels in control that doesn't hurt her to eat is high in phosphorus. I've got to work around the right food for Saoirse: all the recommendations about what's right for diabetes or for CKD are frell all good to her if she can't eat them. She has to eat. Game, set and match, pancreas. (Thank Heaven for phosphorus binders... )


Mogs
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[Louellen]

I'd be on the same page as your vet with this one, Louellen. Like it or lump it, our little ones' bodies ultimately dictate the most appropriate treatment path. I've got similar issues with Saoirse. The early stage renal insufficiency demands a low phosphorus diet. The diabetes demands high protein and low carbohydrates. The pancreatitis demands something that won't make it painful and sickening to eat. The only food I've found to date - after nine months of food trials - that keeps Saoirse's blood glucose levels in control that doesn't hurt her to eat is high in phosphorus. I've got to work around the right food for Saoirse: all the recommendations about what's right for diabetes or for CKD are frell all good to her if she can't eat them. She has to eat. Game, set and match, pancreas. (Thank Heaven for phosphorus binders... )


Mogs
.

Critter Mom...I did some hard soul searching on this topic because I felt like a failure for Morrigan. I had no choice but to come to some inner conclusion before I went insane and drove my vet there with me!

it's so hard when we're members of a board like this where you can read all about the "right things" to do BUT...can't do them all because your cat's own body and will come into play to halt that from being the case. Like I'm sure that you have done, I've spent many nights, fretting, crying, worrying, researching, listening to everyone's wonderful advice and feeling like I was somehow, failing her. The bottom line is that we are NOT able to go against what our cat's bodies or wills will accept/handle. And, like you have had to do, there has to be a compromise somewhere, somehow.

I think that you're in a much larger but, similar boat with Saoirse...it's figure out which of the health issues to treat and which to compromise on. Even when we can find what might be "the perfect food" (doesn't exist but...for demonstration purposes only )...there's also the good old fashioned "catitude" where finicky rules! Us-0 Cats-1

So, while I know what *should* be done...I can't do it. At least, not right now. The food that she tolerates bowel wise and will eat....doesn't work with her numbers....so, it's going to have to be that we dose the insulin to the food numbers and leave it there.

The same holds true for you....as you've said. Treat what you can, do the best that you can with what you can't treat and leave it there.

I'd love to be able to walk on water and part The Red Sea too while I'm at it but...hey....I'll settle for being able to get some form of control over Morrigan's BG numbers and bowel issues.

Come to think of it though...it might be easier to part The Red Sea some days!

HUGS....

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Hi Louellen,
Corn and chicken can both be causes of food intolerance and allergy. So it could be that either of these is affecting Morrigan.

Bertie gets bouts of colitis.
I don't know what causes it. I've tried eliminating various foods but haven't yet found the cause (not even completely sure that it is food-related).
When he gets diarrhea I give him a hefty pinch of slippery elm bark powder in his breakfast, and also add Fortiflora to his food. This seems to firm his poops up. And, he has regained a bit of weight since I've been doing this (he'd been getting a tad skinny, possibly due to the diarrhea.)

I do understand though that it is easier to mix stuff into wet food, and Morrigan is eating dry at the moment.
My little tortie girl likes Fortiflora so much that she will actually lick it up dry. Maybe Morrigan would do the same?

Or, I wonder if it's possible to do with Fortiflora (and slippery elm) what some folks do with phosphorus binders; ie. Mixing them into dry food/treats and then leaving overnight. When phos binder is mixed with dry food/treats overnight, it sort of gets absorbed into it. Maybe the same would be true of Fortiflora/slippery elm, etc...?

Really hoping you can find something that works for your boy.
Huge reassuring hug to you

Eliz

 

[Louellen]

Hi Louellen,
Corn and chicken can both be causes of food intolerance and allergy. So it could be that either of these is affecting Morrigan.

Bertie gets bouts of colitis.
I don't know what causes it. I've tried eliminating various foods but haven't yet found the cause (not even completely sure that it is food-related).
When he gets diarrhea I give him a hefty pinch of slippery elm bark powder in his breakfast, and also add Fortiflora to his food. This seems to firm his poops up. And, he has regained a bit of weight since I've been doing this (he'd been getting a tad skinny, possibly due to the diarrhea.)

I do understand though that it is easier to mix stuff into wet food, and Morrigan is eating dry at the moment.
My little tortie girl likes Fortiflora so much that she will actually lick it up dry. Maybe Morrigan would do the same?

Or, I wonder if it's possible to do with Fortiflora (and slippery elm) what some folks do with phosphorus binders; ie. Mixing them into dry food/treats and then leaving overnight. When phos binder is mixed with dry food/treats overnight, it sort of gets absorbed into it. Maybe the same would be true of Fortiflora/slippery elm, etc...?

Really hoping you can find something that works for your boy.
Huge reassuring hug to you

Eliz

Awww...thank you, Elizabeth

I *think* I have her colitis under control again now BUT...the vets have all cautioned me that once we find a food that works to keep that at bay (which the m/d kibble seems to have done...knock on wood it has)...don't change it....change the dosage of the insulin to suit the food. So, that's what I've been doing. Now, I'm 2 days into a .5U dose (now on 1.5U bid) increase and not a budge in the numbers. The m/d kibble really is an issue as I know that I can get her numbers down on canned foods BUT...that took 3 months to get her onto them even at a 50/50 mix of wet and dry....and....the colitis keeps flaring up on the canned foods...no matter which ones I've tried. The ONLY wet food she'd eat was the Purina Pro Plan Kitten formula and THAT was horrendous for the colitis. I have Wellness Core wet, DM canned, Merrick varieties, Nature's Valley(?), and several other top brands available but, can't even offer them to her according to 3 vets now. She won't look at the Fancy Feast, 9 Lives, Friskies etc.. Go figure. Most cats think they're at McDonalds on those. Not her.

I'll have to look into the slippery elm though! I have had FortiFlora (though I need more now) and didn't try getting that into her via licking it. She just might do that! The slippery elm though, I haven't tried so, I don't know. How much of that do you give? I wouldn't even know.

ETA: I'm wondering about this now. You've got my wheels turning because *IF* the dose goes up to 2U's and it's not making a difference, I'm going to insist that I try her on the canned foods again...adding back slowly...VERY slowly to see so, having those 2 things on hand might be a good thought.

 

[SpecklesandMe]

Glad Morrigan's better.
I have used slippery elm on myself and it works for me (but EHID). I think if you leave it in food overnight, it will make it more jello-y, but if she doesn't mind, then I don't see why it would be a bad idea.

 

[Bobbie And Bubba]

Hi Louellen, and glad you are getting things under control Such a worry to have it go on for so long. Recently, I have been reading about Aloe Vera Juice for animals. I started giving it in my doggies food about 3 months ago at the advise of my homeopath. She was having digestive issues too. Within days of giving her 1 tsp. in her food (she is only 13 lbs) and cooking for her, all digestive issues stopped. Now, I'm reading that it is recommended for cats too for GI health and diabetes. I'm thinking I will try it for Bubba as well. My one son drank it for some time also for GI when he was experiencing GI trouble. Anyone have any experience with it?