May 6, 2011
Hi everyone, I’d like to let you know first off that despite everyone’s valiant efforts to help little Vern, unfortunately he didn’t make
it. We really don’t know when this happened but probably due to his spinal injuries, his immune system was unable to fight it and
he developed FIP. He went in for neurological tests this last Monday and he was in such bad shape the neurologists
recommended they not go through with the tests and Nancy said her goodbyes to that little angel. It broke our hearts and I know it
does with so many of you. The money that was donated will go to other pet parents who are out of work or struggling to pay for
emergency care for their babies. Thank you all for participating in the auction and finding it in your heart to help him. The effort will
not be wasted.

I’m pleased to announce that my good friend Tracey is now making customized healing crystal charms for IBD and other related
health issues for your kitty. If you go to this page and scroll down, she’s got some already made for the liver, pancreas, immune
system, pain and depression; these are collar charms for your cat. There’s one for IBD awareness for the pet parent to carry and
there are other charms offered as well for causes such as cancer. These particular ones are pre-made but you can work with
Tracey by giving some information on your kitty and she’ll make a customized one based on their symptoms and illness.
www.zibbet.com/CrystalPaws/section/ibd-kitties.

Dr. Lisa Pierson has a new page added to her site about over vaccinations! Excellent information:
www.catinfo.org/?link=vaccines. I also want to reiterate that if your cat is suffering from any chronic & inflammatory condition such
as IBD, asthma, allergies, etc. you have the right to request a waiver or a titer test from your vet as their immune systems are
already compromised and may not be able to take it!

This article definitely should be read due to the amount of yeast I’m seeing in pet foods these days. Allergies to foods are bad
enough without adding this to the mix.
Chronic Itchiness and Infections - Could it be Yeast Overgrowth/Candida?
www.onlynaturalpet.com/KnowledgeBase/knowledgebasedetail.aspx?.
articleid=93&click=73977j&utm_source=cheetah&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ecm-042011-itch.

And as I’m always stating, your pet is just as susceptible to pollen allergies as we humans are, especially when they’ve got a
compromised immune system. This article released today is confirmation of what we already know; they’re getting worse every
year.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42920309/ns/health-allergies_and_asthma/. Keep your window sills clean if they’re open, give
your kitty a good wipe down with kitty wipes or even just a soft cloth with water a couple of times a week during high allergy days
to get that pollen off their fur! Give them L-lysine daily in their food. I’ve had to start doing that recently. Poor Finnegan started
developing crusty eye! He’s better now after a week of B12 and l-lysine.

I also wanted to let everyone know the status on one of our Living with IBD kitties. Bumbly has now been diagnosed with traiditis
and probably lymphoma and is on Leukeran, doing well so far. Please check out her page if you’d like to read about it:
http://ibdkitties.net/BumblyA.html.

May 17, 2011
Hello everybody! I wanted to make a clarification from the last newsletter. Vern did not have a spinal cord injury...According to the
neurologist, that diagnosis from their local vet was incorrect. The entire cause for his condition was FIP, and he was probably
already harboring the virus when they adopted him...It was something he contracted in the feral colony, perhaps from birth. Part of
the funds raised for Vern’s vet bills and treatments will be going to FIP research. I believe Nancy is looking to donate through the
Winn Foundation:
www.winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/BriaFund.html.

I also want to convey my condolences to Molly in the passing of her beloved dog Sophie. It happened almost a month ago but I
kept forgetting to mention it, I’m so sorry Molly, my brain is mush! Sophie was a beautiful dog who was with Molly many, many
years and the thing I will always remember is looking at the pictures and videos of her and their 3 beautiful kitties cuddling,
playing, and loving on each other. The kitties adored Sophie and were very upset when she passed. But it was her time, she was
very old, had severe arthritis and couldn’t walk anymore. Still, it’s hard for everyone. Many blessings to Sophie that wonderful &
loving creature.

I also neglected to mention last time (shame on me), my good friend Deb who is in NY with her husband doing wonderful work for
a place called the Cat House. They are in need of volunteers to help raise funds and to get their hands dirty and pitch in repairing
the place. They do wonderful work!
http://becauseofbentley.blogspot.com/2011/04/shining-light-on-debra-and-james.html

Lately there have been quite a few cases where the kitty is diabetic and/or they aren’t tolerating pred or it’s not helping their
condition. Some of the vets have been extremely reluctant to even look at the use of Entocort (budesonide) as another option.
The research is out there that clearly shows it’s being used and while like every drug in that it’s not for everyone, it does work and
it does help many cats with inflammatory GI conditions. So I’ve done some searching and found some links from veterinary sites
that clearly talk about Entocort being used for cats with IBD and especially for ones with diabetes. I’ve listed those links on the
Medications page. So next time someone asks their vet about it and they state it’s not being used or it’s not a good drug, follow
the links and print out all of that info and hand it to them since they don’t want to research it themselves. They can also look at my
case studies in the Living with IBD section but apparently some of them are even too stubborn for that so at least the research
from vets might help. It’s a shame to me that so many of them are behaving like this. Many people live in rural areas and don’t
have access to more than one vet so they have to deal with it and watch their babies suffer. It’s not right. I will also say I’ve seen
the opposite end of that scale recently too. Many vets who are very open minded and love any new information on how to treat
these diseases! Kudos to them and thank goodness there are some that are willing to listen and just do the research, that’s all
we ask. To look at all possibilities and see if it can apply to that patient.

Shadow’s mom Tina gave me this great link on “
how to talk to others about feline nutrition.” People can get very touchy on
this subject as we’ve found out lately, even with the best of intentions. So this article might help shed some light on any better
ways to do it.
http://feline-nutrition.org/membership/messaging-how-to-talk-about-feline-nutrition

The Humane Society has a program to end dog fighting by working with at risk youths and teaching them respect for animals and
the consequences of dog fighting.
http://allday.today.com/_news/2011/05/10/6578593-humane-society-campaigns-to-end-dogfighting-for-good

Many people, including myself, have been looking into safer ways to clean around your home without using harsh chemicals that
could hurt or poison your pets. This is a great site! 1001 uses for vinegar! Shows you all about how to clean your floors and just
about everything else and it’s safe.
www.vinegartips.com/scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7

The B12 book we always recommend came out with a 2nd edition (thank you Diane for this info):
http://b12awareness.org/2011/05/10/could-it-be-b12-2nd-edition-to-be-released-march-2011/
This one even covers pediatrics and many more things it didn’t cover in the first edition. I’d love it if they’d come out with a pet
version! This one’s at the top of my reading list.

Here are a couple of links on how to administer sub q fluids at home. They’re also very good CRF sites and I’ve seen so many
kitties lately developing CRF, there’s some great info here!
http://www.felinecrf.com/managb.htm
This is a youtube instructional video! www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4Ta537YEOU

I can’t remember for the life of me if I’ve given this info out yet or not so I’ll repeat myself. Tasha’s mom Julie gave me this
wonderful link with a step by step video instructional on brushing your cat’s teeth. One I am trying to follow now with mine! HA!
Wish me luck.
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/pet/fhc/brushing_teeth

I’ve also seen a big increase in feline allergies of all kinds lately and many of the symptoms of IBD and its associated conditions
being almost untreatable. I want to give out this link again so some of our new members know there are other options. This dr.
has helped many kitties, some on my website. You do a phone consult with her and they tell you exactly what you need to send in
for testing, such as a lock of fur. They test it vigorously to find out as many allergens as possible and work with you from there.
This doctor is world renowned but there are others. Just make sure they are REAL doctors and not some fake trying to make a
buck:
www.doctordeva.com/

May 18, 2011
I wanted to mention something that happened with Kristin’s kitty Indiana. He’d been acting out recently, pretty bad actually. Going
after his sister Kitty Pryde and even his mom and in a pretty aggressive way. He’d also been having horrible smelling poop for a
long time. Kristin and I talked and questioned whether he’d been over vaccinated and if this could have this kind of effect on him.
There really isn’t a way to tell with a feral or shelter cat if they’ve been vaccinated before coming to you and honestly to take them
into your home and not vaccinate, is not an option for many reasons. But in this case, our assumptions paid off. Kristin took him
to a holistic vet that does Chinese herbal medicine and deemed that this was indeed playing a large part in his behavior and
being so uncomfortable. His body was trying to rid himself of the toxins. She did some sort of testing with him and made up a
tincture that his mom has been giving him and it’s worked very, very well. He’s a different kitty, more loving with everyone now,
more comfortable, purring, playing and even his stools have improved greatly. I don’t know how long he has to be on it, I’m
assuming not too long but I thought this was an important case to share since Dr. Pierson put out that page on her site about over
vaccinating. If you adopted your cat from an unknown source, you’ve exhausted all tests and treatments at your regular traditional
vet and a problem like this is still there, consider going to a holistic vet to see if there could be any link to this. It’s worth a try and
if it works and your kitty doesn’t need to be put through taking any medications like Prozac, than what can it hurt? It’s another
great option I never thought about in dealing with behavioral issues.

This is a really great article!
Spin-off Company Translates Human Medicine to Veterinary Markets.
A Colorado State University spin-off company has been formed to transition underused devices, tests, and treatments from
human medicine into companion animal veterinary markets. This will lead to a greater ability for veterinarians to give their
patients proper testing, diagnosis, medications and treatments. Please read this, it’s fascinating and very encouraging.
www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/ns/pubs/einsight/2011/april/vetdc.aspx

I have also created an IBD Kitty logo for anyone to use on their website, blog, etc. If you’d like to have a copy of it, please email
me and I’ll be glad to send it to you. You can use that logo specifically to link to the IBDkitties site. All I ask is that you tell me
specifically where it would be going so I can check it out first. Thanks so much! You all already do an amazing job of helping
others and spreading our message of safety, health and quality of life. Just think about how many people and animals you’ve
helped already by being involved, speaking individually with people, referring them to the site, etc. It’s important work and I know
that you all feel very good about doing it. That’s the important thing to me. That we all have a worthwhile cause and mission.
Keep it up!

May 31, 2011
Sincere condolences to Indiana’s mom Kristin. Indy was the kitty I spoke of in my last newsletter who was having reactions since
his vaccines last year. He went downhill very quickly last week and unfortunately in the ER went into cardiac arrest and passed
away. Absolutely heart wrenching! A necropsy is being performed in order to get to the bottom of what exactly was going on with
him and why he passed. I also want to send out support to Marcie who lost Cative last week as well. Cative was the kitty I also
spoke about that his vets did not want to do any research on giving Entocort to him instead of prednisone. Ever since he began
taking pred he went downhill and only got worse. It’s incredibly maddening to both myself and Marcie that this kitty had to suffer
like this and now his poor mom was left to make the only decision she could for him, to stop the suffering. It’s not right and it’s not
fair. A good doctor of any kind will put their ego aside and at least research an alternative or another option and do what’s best
for the patient. Thank goodness that there are many more good ones out there now willing to do this. It’s unfortunate that not
everyone can have a vet like that.

I thought this was a fascinating article and really supports why so many of our animals get depressed with these GI diseases!
Gut a feeling? Bacteria in the body may affect mood Lab study suggests gastrointestinal bugs produce chemicals
that influence the brain
.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43110394/ns/health-mental_health/

Thanks to Tina for this really cool website:
USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. Search the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/index.html. Plug in something in the search like let’s say, beef. Watch all the things that
come up as products that contain beef and you can click on one of them and press submit to get the nutrient information on it.

Dr. Barb gave me this link and when I read this paragraph, Lord I wanted to do cartwheels! “Nutritionists have investigated the
diet and regulation of consumption in many species, including cats. In this study, investigators examined various dietary factors
in cats fed different commercial cat foods with differing nutrient composition. Cats appear to be limited in the amount of
carbohydrate they can digest. High carbohydrate intake may in fact cause gastrointestinal problems in cats, and leads to
reduced protein and fat intake. It is not clear how cats regulate their intake normally, whether through consumption or their
metabolism. Further research is needed to determine which dietary factors contribute to the nutrient regulation in cats.”
http://winnfelinehealth.blogspot.com/2011/05/feline-nutrition.html

I know a lot of you ask sometimes about using walking jackets and leashes to start bringing your kitties outside. I came across
this site via another one for Bengal kitties. The lady who makes all of these jackets custom for each cat had recommended IBD
kitties for raw feeding instructions. I’ve emailed her and we’ve been talking, these jackets are not expensive and she does really
good work! She’s in the UK, here is her site:
www.happyhousecats.co.uk/cat-walking-jackets-uk/
Newsletter Archive
May 2011
Copyright © IBD Kitties 2008-2012, all rights reserved