| Parents Speak IBD & Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Is it Allergies or Something Else? By Lisa Provost, Alex's mom |
It’s important to keep an eye on this for obvious reasons. If it gets worse or even uncontrollable, it’s time to get some help. You need to find the source
of the OCD to eliminate the possibility of actual allergies and/or pain from their other conditions. Once that’s eliminated or taken care of, you and your
vet can speak about whether it’s warranted to put your cat on an antidepressant or some other medication to help control their OCD.
Bumbly, who is in the Living With IBD section, was put on Prozac because of constant spraying and urinating all over the house. When Bumbly was 5,
her parents moved to another house and began fostering kittens. Bumbly occasionally urinated outside of the box, often in the kitchen sink early in the
morning. When she began having IBD symptoms, they felt there was a correlation between her flare-ups and the frequency with which she peed in
the sink or elsewhere out of the box. Over the last year or so the sink peeing has progressed to spraying in many locations. Sometimes random,
sometimes set off by a particular stress, such as visitors or travel, despite her IBD symptoms being quite well controlled. She had also worsened with
other repetitive habits to the point where everything became a ritual. And the spraying was getting to be an almost daily event. So, with the approval
of her vet, her parents started her on Prozac at a very low dose with a slow taper up. This has helped greatly with both the spraying and with the
excessive rituals.
Maggie, who is also on this site, has an obsession about cleaning her fur anytime something touches it. For instance, if her parent threw a toy mouse
and it grazed Maggie’s side, she'd immediately stop playing to repeatedly "wipe" off the spot where it hit her. Her response seems very panicked when
something like this happens. It should be noted there’s no way to know for sure if this happened after becoming sick because technically she's had IBD
since she got Maggie. But the IBD may aggravate the OCD making her hypersensitive.
Madison, also in the Living section of this site, has also recently upped his OCD behaviors. He was just diagnosed a few months ago with pancreatitis
and I’m sure experiences a bit of pain here and there, even though he’s on medication. Since his mom is working most of the day, he’s using other
methods to exert that stress. He has always had a habit of sucking on wool and fleece blankets while kneading on them. But that habit has amplified
while she’s gone. He finds blankets, pulls clothes out of the laundry basket, takes stuffed animals and carries them across rooms of the house and up 2
flights of stairs. All while there are plenty of toys, her other cat Talon, and other things available for him to play with and keep him occupied. He’s
experiencing separation anxiety and displaying odd and repetitive behavior to compensate.
A family member of mine has a cat, Moufasa who has IBD. He will purposely defecate right outside of his box only when he has diarrhea. I’m guessing
it’s to make sure we see it (and smell it), so we know he’s having an episode. Otherwise, if he’s going normal, he goes in his box and for the most part
covers it. He’s probably thinking he’d rather tell me something is wrong but since he can’t, this is the next best thing.
The problem is that once this behavior starts, it’s almost impossible to stop or slow it down without some form of intervention. It should be noted that
there is a rare but serious condition that can develop with taking antidepressants called seratonin syndrome. It can happen with humans as well and it’
s rare in animals but it happened with Alex.
Mirtazapine is an antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication used for people but often used in cats as an appetite stimulant. Alex’s very first dose of
mirtazapine sent us to the emergency room. After the vet administered the medication in the afternoon, everything seemed fine for several hours. We
came home and she ate quite a bit of her dinner, much to my relief. But soon afterwards she began crying, pacing erratically, her pupils were dilated
and huge, her breathing was rapid and she was clearly in distress. I called the animal ER and they told me to get her in there right away. Ironically,
the antidote for serotonin syndrome is cyproheptadine, also used as an appetite stimulant for cats with IBD. But unlike mirtazapine, cyproheptadine is
an antihistamine normally used for allergies and has more of a calming affect. In addition to that one dose given by the ER, I had to bring her back into
my vet the next morning and get an additional dose for her as she was still having some ill effects.
It should also be noted that cats in general exhibit OCD behaviors on any given normal day. My healthy cat Finnegan can be quite obsessive when he
gets an idea in his head. He continuously goes for lamp wires, he likes to play with them and chew on them. Sometimes he will drive me nuts to the
point of having to shut him out of the living room while I watch television. I’ve tried squirting him with a little water and instead of getting averted; he
loves it and thinks it’s a game. It only makes him go for that bad behavior even more. My other cat Lacey, loves to play in her water dish. So much so,
that I have to keep it in the bathtub. Otherwise my floor is flooded! They won’t be put on medication anytime soon though. I don’t see this as anything
abnormal as they’re still technically teenagers in cat years. All cats are curious to the point of driving us all a little bit bonkers. Call it part of their
charm if you will but it’s a fact. The danger is when it becomes harmful and erratic.
There are many cats that actually do develop allergies either as a result of their immune system being compromised from their IBD, or the allergies
being the onset of the IBD. Mozart who was just added to the Living section was diagnosed with military dermatitis and scratches himself constantly.
They think it’s a chicken allergy but the diagnosis and trial and error are in the early stages. But it will be interesting to watch him as his allergies are
treated to see if he develops any other OCD behaviors in conjunction with his IBD. Maybe he won’t, not all sick cats do. But his parent is now aware of
that possibility and can keep a closer watch on those issues in the future.
On another note, cats can and do develop seasonal allergies just like people. Excessive amounts of pollen can trigger the over productions of histamine
in the body and that can lead to other symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, lack of smell which in turn leads to lack of eating. If you notice any of
these symptoms, especially in the spring, give them some L-Lysine which is great for immune support but also works on their upper respiratory
system. Look on the supplements page for information and links for L-lysine products. Other symptoms of seasonal allergies are changes in their
digestion and bowels. I know it sounds as if they should have nothing to do with each other but it's quite the contrary. Check out this information on
histamine from wikipedia.
Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a
neurotransmitter. Histamine triggers the inflammatory response. As part of an immune response to foreign pathogens, histamine is produced by
basophils and by mast cells found in nearby connective tissues. Histamine increases the permeability of the capillaries to white blood cells and other
proteins, in order to allow them to engage foreign invaders in the affected tissues. It is found in virtually all animal body cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histamine.
For this reason, it shouldn't be too alarming if you see any setbacks in their bowel movements during high allergy seasons. Probiotics, changing the
protein source in their diet and maybe even a call to the vet may be warranted. They may put your kitty on a mild anti-histamine for the season if
their allergies are bad enough. Try not to put them immediately on antibiotics unless their diarrhea gets bad. This will just continue to strip their
intestinal flora which they need to fight off infection. Some will automatically turn to antibiotics before trying anything else first, but there are
definitely occasions where antibiotics are the only way to stop the diarrhea.
If your cat sits on windowsills while the windows are open, keep the sills as clean as possible, wash off all the pollen daily with a wet cloth. Get some
kitty wipes and wipe down their fur at least once or more per week to keep the allergens from being ingested when they clean their fur. Again, the
supplements page has some very good ones listed under grooming. Keep them brushed and maybe even get a Furminator, which is what I use on my
cats. It removes excess hair and dander and really works great to prevent over-shedding and hairballs. Only use it once to maybe twice per month
otherwise you risk bald spots! I also give my cats a sliver of a vitamin B tablet a couple of times a week but may up the dose to every other day during
severe allergy time. An IBD kitty will have a harder time than most pets fighting off the affects of pollen and other harmful allergens. Their immune
systems will probably never be as strong as they should be and it's most likely always going to be a struggle when the seasons change or during certain
times of stress
For more information on mirtazapine and serotonin syndrome go to: www.veterinarypartner.com
For more information on cyproheptadine go to:
www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/monographs/cyproheptadine.asp
For more on Felines and pets with OCD check out this article:
www.petwellbeing.com/articles/2009/09/does-your-cat-have-ocd.cfm
For more information on cats with allergies:
www.petwave.com/Cats/Cat-Health-Center/Multi-Body-System-Disorders/Allergies
www.peteducation.com
of the OCD to eliminate the possibility of actual allergies and/or pain from their other conditions. Once that’s eliminated or taken care of, you and your
vet can speak about whether it’s warranted to put your cat on an antidepressant or some other medication to help control their OCD.
Bumbly, who is in the Living With IBD section, was put on Prozac because of constant spraying and urinating all over the house. When Bumbly was 5,
her parents moved to another house and began fostering kittens. Bumbly occasionally urinated outside of the box, often in the kitchen sink early in the
morning. When she began having IBD symptoms, they felt there was a correlation between her flare-ups and the frequency with which she peed in
the sink or elsewhere out of the box. Over the last year or so the sink peeing has progressed to spraying in many locations. Sometimes random,
sometimes set off by a particular stress, such as visitors or travel, despite her IBD symptoms being quite well controlled. She had also worsened with
other repetitive habits to the point where everything became a ritual. And the spraying was getting to be an almost daily event. So, with the approval
of her vet, her parents started her on Prozac at a very low dose with a slow taper up. This has helped greatly with both the spraying and with the
excessive rituals.
Maggie, who is also on this site, has an obsession about cleaning her fur anytime something touches it. For instance, if her parent threw a toy mouse
and it grazed Maggie’s side, she'd immediately stop playing to repeatedly "wipe" off the spot where it hit her. Her response seems very panicked when
something like this happens. It should be noted there’s no way to know for sure if this happened after becoming sick because technically she's had IBD
since she got Maggie. But the IBD may aggravate the OCD making her hypersensitive.
Madison, also in the Living section of this site, has also recently upped his OCD behaviors. He was just diagnosed a few months ago with pancreatitis
and I’m sure experiences a bit of pain here and there, even though he’s on medication. Since his mom is working most of the day, he’s using other
methods to exert that stress. He has always had a habit of sucking on wool and fleece blankets while kneading on them. But that habit has amplified
while she’s gone. He finds blankets, pulls clothes out of the laundry basket, takes stuffed animals and carries them across rooms of the house and up 2
flights of stairs. All while there are plenty of toys, her other cat Talon, and other things available for him to play with and keep him occupied. He’s
experiencing separation anxiety and displaying odd and repetitive behavior to compensate.
A family member of mine has a cat, Moufasa who has IBD. He will purposely defecate right outside of his box only when he has diarrhea. I’m guessing
it’s to make sure we see it (and smell it), so we know he’s having an episode. Otherwise, if he’s going normal, he goes in his box and for the most part
covers it. He’s probably thinking he’d rather tell me something is wrong but since he can’t, this is the next best thing.
The problem is that once this behavior starts, it’s almost impossible to stop or slow it down without some form of intervention. It should be noted that
there is a rare but serious condition that can develop with taking antidepressants called seratonin syndrome. It can happen with humans as well and it’
s rare in animals but it happened with Alex.
Mirtazapine is an antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication used for people but often used in cats as an appetite stimulant. Alex’s very first dose of
mirtazapine sent us to the emergency room. After the vet administered the medication in the afternoon, everything seemed fine for several hours. We
came home and she ate quite a bit of her dinner, much to my relief. But soon afterwards she began crying, pacing erratically, her pupils were dilated
and huge, her breathing was rapid and she was clearly in distress. I called the animal ER and they told me to get her in there right away. Ironically,
the antidote for serotonin syndrome is cyproheptadine, also used as an appetite stimulant for cats with IBD. But unlike mirtazapine, cyproheptadine is
an antihistamine normally used for allergies and has more of a calming affect. In addition to that one dose given by the ER, I had to bring her back into
my vet the next morning and get an additional dose for her as she was still having some ill effects.
It should also be noted that cats in general exhibit OCD behaviors on any given normal day. My healthy cat Finnegan can be quite obsessive when he
gets an idea in his head. He continuously goes for lamp wires, he likes to play with them and chew on them. Sometimes he will drive me nuts to the
point of having to shut him out of the living room while I watch television. I’ve tried squirting him with a little water and instead of getting averted; he
loves it and thinks it’s a game. It only makes him go for that bad behavior even more. My other cat Lacey, loves to play in her water dish. So much so,
that I have to keep it in the bathtub. Otherwise my floor is flooded! They won’t be put on medication anytime soon though. I don’t see this as anything
abnormal as they’re still technically teenagers in cat years. All cats are curious to the point of driving us all a little bit bonkers. Call it part of their
charm if you will but it’s a fact. The danger is when it becomes harmful and erratic.
There are many cats that actually do develop allergies either as a result of their immune system being compromised from their IBD, or the allergies
being the onset of the IBD. Mozart who was just added to the Living section was diagnosed with military dermatitis and scratches himself constantly.
They think it’s a chicken allergy but the diagnosis and trial and error are in the early stages. But it will be interesting to watch him as his allergies are
treated to see if he develops any other OCD behaviors in conjunction with his IBD. Maybe he won’t, not all sick cats do. But his parent is now aware of
that possibility and can keep a closer watch on those issues in the future.
On another note, cats can and do develop seasonal allergies just like people. Excessive amounts of pollen can trigger the over productions of histamine
in the body and that can lead to other symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, lack of smell which in turn leads to lack of eating. If you notice any of
these symptoms, especially in the spring, give them some L-Lysine which is great for immune support but also works on their upper respiratory
system. Look on the supplements page for information and links for L-lysine products. Other symptoms of seasonal allergies are changes in their
digestion and bowels. I know it sounds as if they should have nothing to do with each other but it's quite the contrary. Check out this information on
histamine from wikipedia.
Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a
neurotransmitter. Histamine triggers the inflammatory response. As part of an immune response to foreign pathogens, histamine is produced by
basophils and by mast cells found in nearby connective tissues. Histamine increases the permeability of the capillaries to white blood cells and other
proteins, in order to allow them to engage foreign invaders in the affected tissues. It is found in virtually all animal body cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histamine.
For this reason, it shouldn't be too alarming if you see any setbacks in their bowel movements during high allergy seasons. Probiotics, changing the
protein source in their diet and maybe even a call to the vet may be warranted. They may put your kitty on a mild anti-histamine for the season if
their allergies are bad enough. Try not to put them immediately on antibiotics unless their diarrhea gets bad. This will just continue to strip their
intestinal flora which they need to fight off infection. Some will automatically turn to antibiotics before trying anything else first, but there are
definitely occasions where antibiotics are the only way to stop the diarrhea.
If your cat sits on windowsills while the windows are open, keep the sills as clean as possible, wash off all the pollen daily with a wet cloth. Get some
kitty wipes and wipe down their fur at least once or more per week to keep the allergens from being ingested when they clean their fur. Again, the
supplements page has some very good ones listed under grooming. Keep them brushed and maybe even get a Furminator, which is what I use on my
cats. It removes excess hair and dander and really works great to prevent over-shedding and hairballs. Only use it once to maybe twice per month
otherwise you risk bald spots! I also give my cats a sliver of a vitamin B tablet a couple of times a week but may up the dose to every other day during
severe allergy time. An IBD kitty will have a harder time than most pets fighting off the affects of pollen and other harmful allergens. Their immune
systems will probably never be as strong as they should be and it's most likely always going to be a struggle when the seasons change or during certain
times of stress
For more information on mirtazapine and serotonin syndrome go to: www.veterinarypartner.com
For more information on cyproheptadine go to:
www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/monographs/cyproheptadine.asp
For more on Felines and pets with OCD check out this article:
www.petwellbeing.com/articles/2009/09/does-your-cat-have-ocd.cfm
For more information on cats with allergies:
www.petwave.com/Cats/Cat-Health-Center/Multi-Body-System-Disorders/Allergies
www.peteducation.com
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| Copyright © IBD Kitties 2008-2012, all rights reserved |
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders may be defined as normal behaviors becoming extreme, repetitive and without
any apparent reason. OCDs will often occur in animals that are stressed, anxious, or even bored. But it can occur
most often in animals that have a chronic illness or are in pain.
By the time Alex developed pancreatitis she had begun yanking her fur out in very large clumps. I was finding
these clumps, cleanly ripped out from the base of her skin, all over the house. I couldn’t get her to stop no matter
what I did. I tried giving her salmon oil, spraying her fur with Humilac spray (a special spray made of oils that
soothe allergic and painful areas of the skin on pets), and I even tried corrective behavior. Nothing worked, it only
got worse.
I had heard about cats developing allergies because of some of the medications they’re taking for GI issues. But
when I mentioned this to my vet, she told me that rarely is it actually allergies. In fact, it alarmed her that Alex had
been doing this and to that extreme. She developed this habit overnight and for no obvious reason, at least that’s
how it seemed to me. But in Alex’s case it was her reaction to being in tremendous pain.
Physical pain can make you do a lot of things you wouldn’t normally do. I should have recognized this immediately
since I’m well versed in this process. I have fibromyalgia and have my own coping mechanisms, such as they are.
They aren’t healthy, they aren’t functional but they are distractions from that pain for a little while. For a cat, it can
be constant licking, biting, scratching (sometimes until they bleed), yanking and pulling their fur out. Pain can cause
this behavior or it may be a reaction to their diet and/or medication.
any apparent reason. OCDs will often occur in animals that are stressed, anxious, or even bored. But it can occur
most often in animals that have a chronic illness or are in pain.
By the time Alex developed pancreatitis she had begun yanking her fur out in very large clumps. I was finding
these clumps, cleanly ripped out from the base of her skin, all over the house. I couldn’t get her to stop no matter
what I did. I tried giving her salmon oil, spraying her fur with Humilac spray (a special spray made of oils that
soothe allergic and painful areas of the skin on pets), and I even tried corrective behavior. Nothing worked, it only
got worse.
I had heard about cats developing allergies because of some of the medications they’re taking for GI issues. But
when I mentioned this to my vet, she told me that rarely is it actually allergies. In fact, it alarmed her that Alex had
been doing this and to that extreme. She developed this habit overnight and for no obvious reason, at least that’s
how it seemed to me. But in Alex’s case it was her reaction to being in tremendous pain.
Physical pain can make you do a lot of things you wouldn’t normally do. I should have recognized this immediately
since I’m well versed in this process. I have fibromyalgia and have my own coping mechanisms, such as they are.
They aren’t healthy, they aren’t functional but they are distractions from that pain for a little while. For a cat, it can
be constant licking, biting, scratching (sometimes until they bleed), yanking and pulling their fur out. Pain can cause
this behavior or it may be a reaction to their diet and/or medication.