Just diagnosed with IBD

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Squalliesmom

Squalliesmom

Member Since 2015
Hi all. This question actually concerns my (non-diabetic) baby Bengal girl. I noticed that a lot of folks here seem to be dealing with IBD as well as diabetes, so I thought maybe someone could help me.

My little girl Candy was diagnosed with probable IBD this morning. :arghh: The vet gave me some probiotics to give her, and a week's worth of Metronidazole liquid. He wants me to start narrowing down her food choices, i.e., which flavor of FF she gets, that type of thing, so we can hopefully find one she can tolerate. I figured I'd start by trying only chicken, it's fairly bland, and I know fishy foods can give some kitties diarrhea. I also thought the beef might be harder to digest. Does this seem to be a reasonable start? I'd like to stay with the FF if at all possible, but if we can't find one she can tolerate, I'm open to suggestions.

If you have experience with your cat and IBD, please tell me what food helps them, and what foods it is probably best to stay away from! Since all four of my cats eat at the same time, I'm trying to keep her on a "diabetic-approved diet", because of Squalle, and not break the bank while doing it!

Thanks for your input! :)
 
My MurrFee has IBD or similar (thickening of small intestines as shown by ultrasound) He has been on for about 1 1/2 years 1/4 of 250 mg of metronidizole twice daily, 1/4 of 10 mg Pepcid AC once daily, 1 mg of budesonide once daily. B12 shot one a week.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
My MurrFee has IBD or similar (thickening of small intestines as shown by ultrasound) He has been on for about 1 1/2 years 1/4 of 250 mg of metronidizole twice daily, 1/4 of 10 mg Pepcid AC once daily, 1 mg of budesonide once daily. B12 shot one a week.
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Thank you for the input, it helps me a lot to know what ideas to bounce off my vet, if you know what I mean. Have you seen an appreciable improvement in MurrFee since he's been on this regimen? My poor baby has terrible diarrhea all the time.
 
Bonnie, my civie, has had IBD for many years. She used to have constant diarrhea and vomiting. She is on Budeonside, weekly B12 shots (you can do at home), probiotics (Forti Flora) and a novel protein/limited ingredients diet (rabbit, duck or venison; she is on duck food). A novel protein diet is one she hasn't had before. When Bonnie is sick and her IBD flares up, she gets Metronidazole. But the diarrhea has improved substantially since she's been on a raw diet (Nature Variety Instinct's Raw duck) and a limited ingredients diet (duck only), Budesonide and B12 shots. I did introduce new/raw food slowly. Nature Variety also has a limited ingredients line of canned food. Sometimes hard to find in stores but pays to call around. Some stores may special order it for you. Otherwise, an option is Royal Canin limited ingredients food. It's prescription-only and your vet would need to order it. Another option is Hill's D/D but many of the canned versions have glucose in it. And Hill's requires getting the food from the vet, too.

You'll need to keep Candy away from Squallie's and the other cats' food. Anytime Bonnie gets into CJ's food, there's vomiting and diarrhea. All components, the budesonide, B12 shots, probiotics and diet are equally important for controlling IBD. I've never had Bonnie on Metronidazole on a daily basis.

FF is not a good idea for IBD cats. When Bonnie was first diagnosed, I tried several kinds of food and found the duck agreed best with her. But diet alone does not control her symptoms. It does help.
 
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My ex cat has IBD. She is on metronidiazole 2-3x/ week. Started out daily for a week or two then decreased to the minimum that would control her symptoms. She eats wellness turkey grain free and primal freeze dried turkey mostly. Anything with grain will cause her to vomit. Chicken also doesn't seem to agree with her.
 
Cat Ma said:
Bonnie, my civie, has had IBD for many years. She used to have constant diarrhea and vomiting. She is on Budeonside, weekly B12 shots (you can do at home), probiotics (Forti Flora) and a novel protein/limited ingredients diet (rabbit, duck or venison; she is on duck food). A novel protein **/diet is one she hasn't had before. When Bonnie is sick and her IBD flares up, she gets Metronidazole. But the diarrhea has improved substantially since she's been on a raw diet (Nature Variety Instinct's Raw duck) and a limited ingredients diet (duck only), Budesonide and B12 shots. I did introduce new/raw food slowly. Nature Variety also has a limited ingredients line of canned food. Sometimes hard to find in stores but pays to call around. Some stores may special order it for you. Otherwise, an option is Royal Canin limited ingredients food. It's prescription-only and your vet would need to order it. Another option is Hill's D/D but many of the canned versions have glucose in it. And Hill's requires getting the food from the vet, too.

You'll need to keep Candy away from Squallie's and the other cats' food. Anytime Bonnie gets into CJ's food, there's vomiting and diarrhea. All components, the budesonide, B12 shots, probiotics and diet are equally important for controlling IBD. I've never had Bonnie on Metronidazole on a daily basis.

FF is not a good idea for IBD cats. When Bonnie was first diagnosed, I tried several kinds of food and found the duck agreed best with her. But diet alone does not control her symptoms. It does help.
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Thank you , didn't know about the FF not being good for her! If finances allow, I'd like to try her on a raw diet and see if that helps.
 
billysmom (GA) said:
My ex cat has IBD. She is on metronidiazole 2-3x/ week. Started out daily for a week or two then decreased to the minimum that would control her symptoms. She eats wellness turkey grain free and primal freeze dried turkey mostly. Anything with grain will cause her to vomit. Chicken also doesn't seem to agree with her.
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Good to know about the chicken, thanks! Chicken is always my go-to when I think of bland food, but I didn't have any so right now we're trying turkey. Her vet put her on Metronidazole 2x daily for a week, and if he feels she needs it , we will continue it with less frequency for another week. Poor girl, she's so tiny, I hate to think of her maybe losing any weight. I feel terrible about her diarrhea because I noticed it several weeks ago (at that point it was off and on, and not so bad as it is now) but chalked it up to a change in her diet. Wish I'd taken her to the vet then, it might not be so bad now. I feel like a horrible kitty mom. :(
 
Look for products which do NOT have carrageenan, a seaweed derivative used to thicken things. It is known for causing GI inflammation and actually has been used in research to deliberately cause irritation.
 
BJM said:
Look for products which do NOT have carrageenan, a seaweed derivative used to thicken things. It is known for causing GI inflammation and actually has been used in research to deliberately cause irritation.
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:eek: Oh my gosh, thank you! I see carrageenan on almost every food label I read! I will definitely steer clear of it for her; sounds like maybe I should steer clear of it for all my cats.
 
Hi Lucy. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Budesonide will help ease the inflammation in her intestines. It's an anti-inflammatory that only targets the gut (it was originally developed for humans with Crohn's disease). If she doesn't improve on the Bude and a novel protein diet, you could try prednisolone.

Which probiotic did he recommend? I did a ton of research into different holistic options when Marsh was diagnosed with IBD. Just curious. B12 shots help IBD cats absorb nutrition from their food. The inflammation in their intestines can inhibit absorption. B12 also helps with energy and nausea. Does she have nausea? It could help to have some Ondansetron on hand (1/4 of a 4 mg tablet twice daily, available at human pharmacies with a scrip from your vet). Pepcid is OTC and works for some cats (1/4 of a 10 mg tablet). Cerenia is a stronger anti-nausea med if the other stuff doesn't work (only available from a vet and more expensive). Some IBD cats swing back and forth from diarrhea to constipation and nausea, and some just stick with one symptom. If constipation becomes an issue, you can try pumpkin purée or Miralax to get things moving.

In general, make changes slowly for IBD cats. Too much change at once can flare up their intestines. Also, if you make changes more gradually, you'll be able to pinpoint what works for her and what doesn't. Finding the right food will help a lot but that part may take time and patience. :( Hang in there. It's a different kind of dance from the sugar dance. Lucky you! Now you get to learn a whole new set of steps. :rolleyes:
 
granadilla said:
Hi Lucy. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Budesonide will help ease the inflammation in her intestines. It's an anti-inflammatory that only targets the gut (it was originally developed for humans with Crohn's disease). If she doesn't improve on the Bude and a novel protein diet, you could try prednisolone.

Which probiotic did he recommend? I did a ton of research into different holistic options when Marsh was diagnosed with IBD. Just curious. B12 shots help IBD cats absorb nutrition from their food. The inflammation in their intestines can inhibit absorption. B12 also helps with energy and nausea. Does she have nausea? It could help to have some Ondansetron on hand (1/4 of a 4 mg tablet twice daily, available at human pharmacies with a scrip from your vet). Pepcid is OTC and works for some cats (1/4 of a 10 mg tablet). Cerenia is a stronger anti-nausea med if the other stuff doesn't work (only available from a vet and more expensive). Some IBD cats swing back and forth from diarrhea to constipation and nausea, and some just stick with one symptom. If constipation becomes an issue, you can try pumpkin purée or Miralax to get things moving.

In general, make changes slowly for IBD cats. Too much change at once can flare up their intestines. Also, if you make changes more gradually, you'll be able to pinpoint what works for her and what doesn't. Finding the right food will help a lot but that part may take time and patience. :( Hang in there. It's a different kind of dance from the sugar dance. Lucky you! Now you get to learn a whole new set of steps. :rolleyes:
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He gave her a syringe-ful of probiotic to take home and administer here, I can't remember what it's called but I'm pretty sure it starts with M, if that rings any bells? Luckily, I haven't seen any nausea or constipation in her, just the diarrhea. Poor little girl, she's only 11 months old and already she's had such a rough time of it!

We're prepared to do the gradual food changes; I'm really thinking about trying a raw diet for her. I've never had a cat on a full raw diet, but I've heard good things about it.
 
Squalliesmom said:
Hi all. This question actually concerns my (non-diabetic) baby Bengal girl. I noticed that a lot of folks here seem to be dealing with IBD as well as diabetes, so I thought maybe someone could help me.

My little girl Candy was diagnosed with probable IBD this morning. :arghh: The vet gave me some probiotics to give her, and a week's worth of Metronidazole liquid. He wants me to start narrowing down her food choices, i.e., which flavor of FF she gets, that type of thing, so we can hopefully find one she can tolerate. I figured I'd start by trying only chicken, it's fairly bland, and I know fishy foods can give some kitties diarrhea. I also thought the beef might be harder to digest. Does this seem to be a reasonable start? I'd like to stay with the FFLucy if at all possible, but if we can't find one she can tolerate, I'm open to suggestions.

If you have experience with your cat and IBD, please tell me what food helps them, and what foods it is probably best to stay away from! Since all four of my cats eat at the same time, I'm trying to keep her on a "diabetic-approved diet", because of Squalle, and not break the bank while doing it!

Thanks for your input! :)
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Lucy, sorry about Candy. Seems like you are running an infirmary at your house! Question: With the IBD does she have intermittent bouts of constipation? Bubba goes from being completely normal, to an episode of diarrhea to constipated. His Vets mentioned IBS but not any one symptom prevails very long. Just wondering if that is your experience also or is it strictly diarrhea? Which probiotics did he give you?
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Lucy, sorry about Candy. Seems like you are running an infirmary at your house! Question: With the IBD does she have intermittent bouts of constipation? Bubba goes from being completely normal, to an episode of diarrhea to constipated. His Vets mentioned IBS but not any one symptom prevails very long. Just wondering if that is your experience also or is it strictly diarrhea? Which probiotics did he give you?
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She has strictly diarrhea. And it's getting worse, I think. She was asleep on the bed this morning and had an accident, poor baby. She is pretty fastidious about her toileting habits, I know she never would have done that if she could avoid it.

I can't remember the name of the probiotic he gave her but I will make note of it next time I'm in the kitchen so I can post it. The vet told me to refrigerate it once I got home but, in the general chaos that is my life, it got left out on the counter overnight, so I'm not giving it to her till Monday, when I can call the office and make sure it's still okay.
 
Squalliesmom said:
She has strictly diarrhea. And it's getting worse, I think. She was asleep on the bed this morning and had an accident, poor baby. She is pretty fastidious about her toileting habits, I know she never would have done that if she could avoid it.I once I got home but, in the general chaos that is my life, it got left out on the counter overnight, so I'm not giving it to her till Monday, when I can call the office and make sure it's still okay.
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It's probably okay, the refrigeration is probably to just lengthen it's shelf life.
 
Are you giving any type of fiber? That may help with diarrhea and give the feces some form. Examples include plain psyllium (1/8 teaspoon to start), plain pumpkin (not pie filling, 1 teaspoon to start), and plain squash (1 teaspoon to start).
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Which probiotics did he give you?
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He gave her Diagel. Is that good? I don't know anything at all about probiotics.
BJM said:
Are you giving any type of fiber? That may help with diarrhea and give the feces some form. Examples include plain psyllium (1/8 teaspoon to start), plain pumpkin (not pie filling, 1 teaspoon to start), and plain squash (1 teaspoon to start).
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I wondered about pumpkin, if that might help. I didn't know about the psyllium (where do you get it?) or the squash.
 
Squalliesmom said:
He gave her Diagel. Is that good? I don't know anything at all about probiotics.

I wondered about pumpkin, if that might help. I didn't know about the psyllium (where do you get it?) or the squash.
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I don't know anything about Diagel. I have one on hand for dogs and cats but I don't know if all the ingredients are safe for diabetes. The first ingredient is fructooligosaccharide which sound like fructous. I called the company and inquired and they did not know if it were safe to give to a diabetic cat. That is my concern with probiotics.
 
Bobbie And Bubba said:
Lucy, sorry about Candy. Seems like you are running an infirmary at your house! Question: With the IBD does she have intermittent bouts of constipation? Bubba goes from being completely normal, to an episode of diarrhea to constipated. His Vets mentioned IBS but not any one symptom prevails very long. Just wondering if that is your experience also or is it strictly diarrhea? Which probiotics did he give you?
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Bobbie, going back and forth between diarrhea and constipation is common in kitties with IBD. Here's a post I wrote a while back that may help you. Scroll down to my second post on this thread. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ir-shedding-and-dry-coat.142159/#post-1470040

Diagel contains psyllium and oat bran fiber so it might work well. ECID of course. I give Marshmallow 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin purée daily and that helps enormously with her diarrhea. I mix in plain Miralax because she goes back and forth between diarrhea and constipation. Pumpkin works for some cats with constipation but it works better for Marsh when she has diarrhea.

You can get plain psyllium online or at a health food store like Whole Foods. @Squalliesmom, has she had the diagel or metro yet? If those aren't helping yet, add some plain pumpkin purée. Pumpkin keeps for about 5-6 days in the fridge. After that, the taste goes off so I freeze it in ice cube trays and defrost a cube each night.
 
granadilla said:
Bobbie, going back and forth between diarrhea and constipation is common in kitties with IBD. Here's a post I wrote a while back that may help you. Scroll down to my second post on this thread. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ir-shedding-and-dry-coat.142159/#post-1470040

Diagel contains psyllium and oat bran fiber so it might work well. ECID of course. I give Marshmallow 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin purée daily and that helps enormously with her diarrhea. I mix in plain Miralax because she goes back and forth between diarrhea and constipation. Pumpkin works for some cats with constipation but it works better for Marsh when she has diarrhea.

You can get plain psyllium online or at a health food store like Whole Foods. @Squalliesmom, has she had the diagel or metro yet? If those aren't helping yet, add some plain pumpkin purée. Pumpkin keeps for about 5-6 days in the fridge. After that, the taste goes off so I freeze it in ice cube trays and defrost a cube each night.
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Thanks for the info!
She started the metronidazole last night. I haven't given her the diagel yet because the vet told me to refrigerate it and in the craziness that is my life, of late, it got left out on the counter overnight. I don't know if it's okay to give it to her if it wasn't refrigerated, figured I'd call the vet tomorrow to find out.
 
It's probably fine to use the diagel. Metro works quickly so you should see some improvement by tomorrow. Heads up that in a few cats, they will stop eating and/or start vomiting while taking Metro. Doesn't happen a lot, but of course it happened with Marshmallow.:rolleyes: I had to stop Metro after two days and switch to pumpkin. That's when I started researching probiotics and other gentle forms of treatment, because Marsh has had some strong negative reactions to meds. (Prednisone? Bring on the diabetes! Antibiotics? Bring on four months of diarrhea! Metro? Bring on the puke and hunger strike!) Not that all natural stuff is safe either...:banghead:
 
@Squalliesmom Since she only has diarrhea, did the vet do or suggest a stool culture? Is the diarrhea foul-smelling? Does she go outside at all?

Squalliesmom said:
We're prepared to do the gradual food changes; I'm really thinking about trying a raw diet for her. I've never had a cat on a full raw diet, but I've heard good things about it.
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Excellent idea. I resisted giving Bonnie raw food for a long time and now wished I had started her on it sooner. Introduce it very slowly. It will be good for Squallie, too.

You took Candy in and got a diagnosis early, which is a very important step for good management of IBD. Metro works great but ideally it shouldn't be given daily, long term, especially for a cat so young. Bonnie has had many severe bouts with diarrhea but she's never been on Metro long term. If I were to keep feeding her anything other than her duck and raw diet, the diarrhea and vomiting would return.

You have a great vet; many vets fail to recognize IBD in cats and don' t treat it promptly. Diet alone may help eliminate the diarrhea but if it's truly IBD, diet alone very likely won't. A change in diet is an important start. See how the metro works. It sometimes takes a few days before it works for Bonnie.

If the probiotic helps Candy, I wouldn't worry about the ingredients since she's not a sugar cat.

Note: IBD and IBS share many characteristics but IBD involves inflammation of the intestines; IBS does not involve inflammation.
 
Cat Ma said:
@Squalliesmom Since she only has diarrhea, did the vet do or suggest a stool culture? Is the diarrhea foul-smelling? Does she go outside at all?



Excellent idea. I resisted giving Bonnie raw food for a long time and now wished I had started her on it sooner. Introduce it very slowly. It will be good for Squallie, too.

You took Candy in and got a diagnosis early, which is a very important step for good management of IBD. Metro works great but ideally it shouldn't be given daily, long term, especially for a cat so young. Bonnie has had many severe bouts with diarrhea but she's never been on Metro long term. If I were to keep feeding her anything other than her duck and raw diet, the diarrhea and vomiting would return.

You have a great vet; many vets fail to recognize IBD in cats and don' t treat it promptly. Diet alone may help eliminate the diarrhea but if it's truly IBD, diet alone very likely won't. A change in diet is an important start. See how the metro works. It sometimes takes a few days before it works for Bonnie.

If the probiotic helps Candy, I wouldn't worry about the ingredients since she's not a sugar cat.

Note: IBD and IBS share many characteristics but IBD involves inflammation of the intestines; IBS does not involve inflammation.
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I am definitely try Candy on a raw diet. Bengals typically do best on a raw diet, anyway, so it seems. I'm sure my other Bengal would like it, too. Squallie might, but the jury's out on that aone, at the moment, lol. And I don't think my Norwegian Fishing cat would even go near it, he's extremely weird about food (about most things, really!)

The vet said (and I could see) that there was a line of inflammation in her mouth, on her gums just above her top teeth. He said this indicated to him, along with the diarrhea, that she probably has some kind of immunity deficiency, and more likely than not, IBD. We haven't done an ultrasound yet, he wants to try the meds and diet change for a little while to see if that helps. If we can't get it under control that way, he will send her for an ultrasound then.

I guess we are lucky because she doesn't seem to be experiencing any nausea or vomiting!

He also said he doesn't want her to take the Metronidazole for more than a week, because it can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause some serious problems. And if her diarrhea clears up before that he will take her off it then and see how it goes. Fingers and paws crossed!!! :)
 
Cat Ma said:
@Squalliesmom Since she only has diarrhea, did the vet do or suggest a stool culture? Is the diarrhea foul-smelling? Does she go outside at all?
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I tried to get a stool sample for him before we left but, wouldn't you know, the cat that goes upwards of 6 times a day had no inclination at all for the LB when I needed her to go, lol. I will be dropping one off one day this week, though. Yes, the diarrhea is the most foul-smalling stuff I have ever encountered! I have LB's all over the house, but if she goes at one end of the house, you can smell it at the other end, it is positively vile and very pervasive.

No, she never goes outside; I don't think she's ever been outside in her entire life, so far.
 
granadilla said:
Bobbie, going back and forth between diarrhea and constipation is common in kitties with IBD. Here's a post I wrote a while back that may help you. Scroll down to my second post on this thread. http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...ir-shedding-and-dry-coat.142159/#post-1470040

Diagel contains psyllium and oat bran fiber so it might work well. ECID of course. I give Marshmallow 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin purée daily and that helps enormously with her diarrhea. I mix in plain Miralax because she goes back and forth between diarrhea and constipation. Pumpkin works for some cats with but it works better for Marsh when she has diarrhea.

You can get plain psyllium online or at a health food store like Whole Foods. @Squalliesmom, has she had the diagel or metro yet? If those aren't helping yet, add some plain pumpkin purée. Pumpkin keeps for about 5-6 days in the fridge. After that, the taste goes off so I freeze it in ice cube trays and defrost a cube each night.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for this info .It seems that diabetic cats are prone to IBD. For the most part, he is normal, then it goes to one extreme to the other. Thankfully,he doesn't hang in any one extreme for more than 2 days. Right now, the pumpkin is doing the trick, thank goodness.
 
Getting a stool sample will be helpful to rule out an infection. Good that Candy doesn't go outside.

With all that diarrhea going on, you want to make sure Candy doesn't get dehydrated. Is she drinking and eating ok?

Hopefully this will be something temporary and not IBD after all. But if it is IBD, it is very treatable. It's just a little tricky when you have more than one cat. But it's doable.
 
Cat Ma said:
Getting a stool sample will be helpful to rule out an infection. Good that Candy doesn't go outside.

With all that diarrhea going on, you want to make sure Candy doesn't get dehydrated. Is she drinking and eating ok?

Hopefully this will be something temporary and not IBD after all. But if it is IBD, it is very treatable. It's just a little tricky when you have more than one cat. But it's doable.
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I've been keeping an eye on her for dehydration, so far so good. She drink regularly-she loves water and will play with her fountain while she drinks, lol-and I also add a couple of spoonfuls of water to all their food , every time I feed them.
 
Can anybody tell me how I can set it up so that my vet can see Squallie's ss?

EDIT: OOPS! Wrong thread!
 
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Bobbie And Bubba said:
Even though it is the wrong thread, LOl, I would imagine if you call the office and ask for an email address, you can attach it and send. Hopefully, someone who really knows can answer,LOL
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I have their email address, I just don't know what to tell them about how they can access the ss. I know how to set it up so they can view it but not how they access it in the first place, if you catch my meaning. Sometimes that can be very difficult as I often confuse even myself, lol! :)
 
Squalliesmom said:
I have their email address, I just don't know what to tell them about how they can access the ss. I know how to set it up so they can view it but not how they access it in the first place, if you catch my meaning. Sometimes that can be very difficult as I often confuse even myself, lol! :)
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How about if you save the SS on your desktop, then address an email to the Vet and then attach it. I think that would do it.
 
Lol! I just went to his spreadsheet, clicked on the blue "Share" button in the upper right corner, and entered their email address in the second box (the first one has the link in it). Just remember to click on the drop-down menu button to the right and make sure it says "View" not "Edit." At, least, I hope that worked! I'll let you know if it didn't. :)
 
Squalliesmom said:
Lol! I just went to his spreadsheet, clicked on the blue "Share" button in the upper right corner, and entered their email address in the second box (the first one has the link in it). Just remember to click on the drop-down menu button to the right and make sure it says "View" not "Edit." At, least, I hope that worked! I'll let you know if it didn't. :)
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Good Job!! Let me know if different. ;)
 
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