| Living With IBD - Ozzy M. |
| Ozzy McElwee - Rochester, New York Male, Domestic short hair Born Approximately May, 1, 2005 Diagnosed with IBD in March of 2009 |
First Entry: May 1, 2009
March 2006: When Ozzy was almost one year old, he began vomiting after he ate his meals. It did not matter whether it was soft or
hard food. He would vomit about once a day. We went to the vet and had blood and urine tests, x-rays, and an ultrasound. All came back
normal, but the ultrasound showed that his pancreas might have been slightly swollen. The vet recommended a diet change from Fancy
Feast soft and hard food (all flavors) to Royal Canin soft Duck or Lamb, and hard Royal Canin Duck or Lamb. For a period of time after,
he also had Hill’s T/D Dental Diet as a treat. This change to Royal Canin eliminated any vomiting due to food allergies.
2006, 2007, 2008: Ozzy was well, vomiting only occasionally (2 times a month) during this time period. Ozzy loves food and has a
tendency to eat quickly; inhaling his food, so the vomiting we thought might be attributed to his devouring his food. Ozzy would eat
Royal Canin soft food for breakfast and dinner. He ate Royal Canin hard food for lunch and snacks. What worked well was feeding Ozzy
smaller, more frequent meals. We purchased an automatic, pop up feeder in which we put his hard food and set the timer. We could
never leave hard food out for Ozzy as he would devour all the food in one sitting and vomit afterward. The smaller, timed meals worked
much better. In September 2008, Ozzy was weighed at the vet and he was 10 lbs and 3 oz.
January 2009: Ozzy started to vomit very soon after he ate and it did not seem to matter whether he ate soft or hard food. We took
Ozzy to the vet due to the vomiting, increased thirst, and possible weight loss. He weighed 9 lbs and 8 oz when weighed at the vet. Blood
tests, urine tests, and x-rays were normal. When we asked the vet about a diet change, the vet did not want to change the diet at this
point in time. The vet told us to see how he does and that we could do further testing.
February 2009: Ozzy only vomited a few times the entire month and was doing well.
March 2009: On March 17th, Ozzy began vomiting every time he ate (soft and hard food). We immediately went to the vet and in 3
days had numerous tests run. Blood tests, urine tests, and x-rays were normal. Another specialized blood test was sent away to Texas
to check for pancreatitis, low B12, and liver enzymes. That test came back normal. An ultrasound was given and the results showed 2
enlarged lymph nodes in the stomach. Ozzy weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces.
The vet thought Ozzy might have IBD or a motility problem with his stomach not emptying in a proper fashion. We were told to try
Natural Balance venison soft food and stop feeding him the Royal Canin soft and hard food. Ozzy ate this food for 2 days and then
refused to eat it. Even though Ozzy couldn’t keep food down, he was constantly sitting by his food bowl wanting food, as he was still
hungry. He continued to vomit each meal and became dehydrated and needed an enema. Ozzy began taking metoclopramide to help
with the vomiting. (It did help with the vomiting, but he was very restless on the medicine.) Our vet suggested we receive a second
opinion from an internal medicine specialist. At the March 25th specialist appointment Ozzy weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces.
The specialist recommended a change to Hills prescription Z/D soft food. No hard food now. Both the vet and the specialist believe Ozzy
could have IBD (especially due to food allergies when he was so young) and that any motility problem is being caused by IBD. Further
testing could be conducted (endoscopic to get biopsies or more invasive surgery), but since Ozzy was losing so much weight and
vomiting each meal any surgeries were put on hold, and medicine was prescribed. Ozzy weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces.
Ozzy began 5mg of prednisolone tab each day and 2.5 mg tab of Pepcid AC each day. He began suffering from constipation, having bowel
movements only every other day. He began Kristalose (a powder to put in his food for constipation). With the diet change to Z/D soft
food, with the prednisolone, Pepcid, and Kristalose, Ozzy is doing better. He has not vomited and likes the food. He has only gained 4
ounces back, so we are concerned about him gaining more weight. He just finished 30 days of the prednisolone and will be tapering to
every other day. If he doesn’t do well with the tapering of the prednisolone, I am not sure what will be the next step.
Update: July 24, 2009
May 2009 - We went to the vet after Ozzy tapered to 5 mg of prednisolone every other day for a month. The vet said he was not doing
well at all! He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces, which was the lowest weight he had been since he had been ill. He was also diagnosed for the
first time with thickening of the intestines. The vet explained that she didn’t think the dosage of the prednisolone had been aggressive
enough at 5 mg. I was stressed about this because 2 vets and 1 specialist had determined that 5 mg was the right dosage at the time.
So in June 2009 Ozzy immediately started 10 mg of prednisolone daily. We gave him a 5 mg pill in the morning and a 5 mg pill in the
evening. He was also given his 2.5 mg tab of Pepcid AC each day. The vet changed his food from prescription soft Hills Z/D food to Royal
Canin soft venison. We also began Royal Canin hard rabbit food that we crush and put on top of his venison like sprinkles. After talking
to Lisa (Alex's mom), I told the vet that I wanted to give Ozzy vitamin B-12 injections. The vet thought this was a great idea on Lisa's
part, even though Ozzy’s previous test results showed he was fine for B-12. Oz received B-12 shots once a week for one month and now
we are going to try monthly shots. After 4 weeks on the 10 mg of prednisolone with the Pepcid AC daily, Ozzy’s intestines did not feel
thickened any longer and he had gained weight to 8 pounds 15 ounces. (13 ounces in 4 weeks was the weight gain). He looked so much
better. The vet kept him on the 10 mg dosage for 4 weeks. I did notice with the 10 mg amount that he urinated more and sometimes
seemed to breathe faster.
In July 2009 Ozzy’s prednisolone was tapered to 7.5 mg daily for 2 weeks. We gave him a 5 mg pill in the morning and 2.5 mg in the
evening. He still takes the Pepcid AC. The tapering is now at 5 mg daily for 2 weeks. At this point in time, he has maintained his weight
and not vomited at all.
Update: September 28, 2009
Oz tapered the prednisolone to every other day at 5 mg. He vomited a few times at the start of the every other day tapering and our
vet wanted him to go back on prednisolone every day at 5 mg.
At the beginning of August 2009, at times when Oz went into the litter box he began vocalizing as if in distress/pain. Initially, we were
not sure if his vocalization related to inability to urinate or defecate. After vocalizing, he would then urinate so we surmised the distress
was related to an inability to urinate. A urine sample, urine culture, and x-ray showed appeared negative.
We were also concerned because Ozzy was breathing rapidly. When checked at the vet his heart rate was 130 when he was nervous,
which is not fast. The rapid breathing is a serious concern. Our vet suggested an upper chest x-ray be taken. The x-ray was done and
our vet noted that Ozzy’s heart looked normal (not enlarged), an x-ray would not show any thickening of the artery walls. She also did
not note any issues in the lungs from what she could see in the x-ray.
Separately from the issues above Oz began taking Entocort (budesonide) at 1.5 mg daily and stopped taking prednisolone. This is a
steroid that has fewer long-term side effects than prednisolone. The capsules were the 3mg size (too big for him to swallow), so we
bought number 4 gel caps and took the beads from the 3 mg capsule and put 1.5 mg in each gel cap. Please note he does not take the
budensonide that has the powder in the capsules, but takes Entocort, which is beaded. Oz began to have bowel movements a few times a
day with some diarrhea. He has never had diarrhea with IBD, but battled with constipation in the past. My vet did not know what
dosage Oz should take and was not aware of the difference between the powder and the beaded Entocort.
I contacted Dr. Louis J. Camuti Memorial Feline Consultation Service at Cornell University, to speak to a Cornell Feline Health Center’s
consulting veterinarian. The number is 1-800-548-8937. After discussing Oz’s specific history, we changed the dosage to 3 mg of
Entocort for 2 weeks to assess whether that would work. The diarrhea went away and Oz was eating well. Our vet did not feel any
thickening of the intestines at his visit and he has had no vomiting issues.
The consultation service was contacted again after Oz had been on the Entocort for 2 weeks. Based on the consultation with Cornell, we
are reducing his dosage to 2 mg daily. The desire with this approach is to determine the lowest dose for him that will control his disease.
I also asked about the rapid breathing and straining/pain when urinating or defecating. Since he has had constipation problems in the
past, I was advised to try Kristalose for the constipation, which we have used in the past. This way we can try to tell if the
straining/pain is due to urinating or defecating.
In regard to the rapid breathing, Cornell also recommended visiting a cardiologist to check his heart due to the rapid breathing. We are
in the process of scheduling this appointment.
Update: February 15, 2010
In October of 2009, Ozzy went to Cornell to have his heart checked out due to rapid breathing. Everything was fine with his heart. We
then went back to our regular vet and checked his blood and his white blood cell count was extremely, extremely low. Our vet had us
immediately change his Entocort dose of 3 mg to every other day at 3mg with the plan to test his blood again in one month. The white
blood cell count did improve some after one month. Also, his breathing was less rapid with the Entocort change to every other day.
Therefore, it appears that the rapid breathing was due to steroids. Ozzy receives vitamin B-12 shots every 2 weeks and they really help
him.
Oz started to lose weight in the middle of December 2009 (I weighed him on the baby scale daily and he had lost about 5 ounces) and
was vomiting some, so we took him to the vet, because we recognize the signs of IBD problems. The vet recommended that we do
nothing and continue to watch him, since he appeared healthy. Please note that I know my cat and I should have pushed for a medicine
change.
Within three days of going to the vet, we had to rush Ozzy to an emergency animal hospital in the middle of the night for severe
vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. They had to stabilize him and he was the most ill he has ever been. Blood work indicated that his
liver numbers were a touch high, but they attributed that to his vomiting. We changed our regular vet. His weight at the hospital was 7
pounds 14 ounces, which is the lowest he has ever weighed. The emergency animal hospital was excellent. They gave us anti-vomiting
medication (metoclopramide), anti-diarrhea medication (metronidazole) and a change from Entocort to prednisolone. The dosage we
are trying for the prednosolone is 5 mg in the morning and 2.5 mg at night. He stopped vomiting and the diarrhea stopped within 2 days
of changing to prednisolone.
He has had one bad episode within the last three weeks so we gave Oz a dose of the metoclopramide and the metronidazole and he
improved. The use of these two medicines is only on an as needed basis when he is having a bad bout. We visit our vet again in a few
weeks. An ultrasound was done at the emergency hospital and an enlarged spleen was found. We have not had any further tests done on
the spleen at this point in time. We are also giving him L-lysine every other day for his immune system and B12 injections weekly
instead of every two weeks because of malabsorption.
Update: June 22, 2010
Ozzy started taking metronidazole (Flagyl) daily (1/4 of a 250 mg tablet) about a month ago due to some diarrhea issues. He has had no
diarrhea problems since taking it daily. He is still taking Prednisolone daily, but we are in the process of tapering the dosage. Ozzy
continues to get weekly B12 injections which really help him. Also, at Lisa's suggestion we transitioned his food from soft Royal Canin
venison to soft Royal Canin rabbit. Ozzy loves the rabbit as he was getting tired of the venison and Lisa explained that it is important to
change foods over time. Ozzy has Eagle Pack probiotics sprinkled in his soft food once a day.
Ozzy has been doing well with the combination of meds, probiotics, food, and B12 injections in the above paragraph. He has gained
weight in the past 2 months from 8 pounds to 8 pounds 10 ounces! That is wonderful, since 8 pounds was so thin and scary! I am hoping
he can continue to gain weight even as we taper the prednisolone. He will probably have to keep taking Prednisolone, but we need to
determine what the lowest dose will be that works for him. It is a constant battle every day to balance all of the items Ozzy needs to
fight the IBD.
Update: November 20, 2010
Ozzy has had his ups and downs the past months. He was doing well, so the prednilosone was reduced and the Flagyl was stopped.
About a month ago, he started hunching in pain and discomfort when he would be eating. Also, he would jump/run away from the bowl
during the time he was eating in pain and lift up his back right leg. The vet recommended Flagyl for 2 weeks and we did see some
improvement, but not totally. Since Ozzy has also been troubled at times with constipation, we started Miralax 2 times a day in case the
pain was related to constipation. Then the vet started Ozzy on a higher dose of prednisolone of 10 mg a day (5mg pill in morning and 5
mg pill at night). He has been on this dose for a week now and I rarely see the hunching and running away in pain from the food bowl.
The vet wants to continue this dosage for a short while to ensure we have treated the flare up of IBD. The vet did not see any problems
with Ozzy's gums or teeth or anything to note from a physical exam.
He has a Pepcid pill at night and continues to receive .35 ml of vitamin B12 shots weekly. At times, Ozzy is given probiotics and
Symbiotics Colostrum Plus Powder for his immune system. I alternate what I give Ozzy since I can't give him a ton of meds and
supplements at one time. He is currently eating a new food for him called Natural Balance venison and pea soft canned food and he loves
it. It is huge news that Ozzy has gained weight and is now at 9 pounds 3 ounces. The additional prednisolone is helping with weight gain
the past week, but Ozzy had been steadily gaining weight prior to this even though he was in pain. Since our vet did not detect anything
negative during the physical exam and since Ozzy had a good appetite/weight gain during the time the hunching/pain started, she is
figuring it is a flare up of the IBD. This is the most Ozzy has weighed in probably a year! We are taking Ozzy for a blood test to check
things out, since we need to be sure it a flare up of the IBD and not anything else. Ozzy does his best to fight this terrible IBD that he has
had from such a young age and he is only 5 years old now.
Update: June 8, 2011
Ozzy had a blood test at the end of 2010 and everything was fine. He continues to take prednisolone daily for his IBD. His dose is 5 mg
one day and 7.5 mg the next day and back to 5 mg the next day. We have not been able to reduce his dosage any further and at times he
has battled diarrhea. When he has bouts of diarrhea, we give him a quarter of a 250 mg Flagyl pill daily. Flagyl has worked well for him.
Ozzy receives Pepcid each night. We stopped the Pepcid to see if he really needs it and Ozzy sits under the dining room table looking
uncomfortable and does not eat as much and one time vomited without it. The Pepcid helps with the acid.
Ozzy continues to eat soft canned venison or rabbit. He receives B-12 injections weekly of .35 and I don't know what he would do
without them. They really help with his energy, digestion, weight, and IBD. I am happy to note that he just weighed in at 10 pounds 2
ounces. He has gained approximately 1 pound in the past 6 months! This is so important, since a bad IBD bout reduces his weight so
quickly! The most Ozzy has ever weighed (prior to this IBD nightmare) was 10 pounds 3 ounces, so his current weight is great for him.
I have not been giving Ozzy any probiotics or colostrum powder or L-Lysine for the past 3 months. I need to start giving him some of
these things again as I know they help him. Ozzy has been doing well as long as he takes his meds, B-12 shots, and eats the proper food.
He just turned 6 years old and I love him so very much!
Update: February 6, 2012
Ozzy had his checkup and blood testing in October and everything was fine. His medications continue to be prednisolone, Flagyl for
diarrhea when needed, vitamin B-12 shots, and Pepcid. He is eating Natural Balance venison and pea. I tried to transition his food to
lamb in November, but he had terrible diarrhea, so went back to venison.
At the start of December, Ozzy started licking and cleaning more than normal. My husband and I were extremely stressed with working
long hours and preparing for Christmas. I noticed the fur on Ozzy's left side was thinning slightly from the over grooming. Relatives
visited for Christmas. The day after Christmas, Ozzy's fur was gone on a large area on his left side. It seemed to happen overnight! Our
vet tested for mites, fleas, and fungal infections by taking hair and skin scrapings and all came out negative. The vet believes the over
grooming is due to stress and can lead to self mutilation.
We focused on spending quality time with Ozzy including playing with him, distracting him when he would lick obsessively, and
purchased a calming collar for him to wear at times. The licking decreased some. However, the vet said when a cat gets in this mode of
over grooming, it is hard to stop even if the stress improves. Ozzy's appetite was fine and his weight steady. We noticed that he needed
Flagyl daily, since when the Flagyl was stopped, he would have diarrhea. Usually, we give Flagyl for a week or two and it takes care of
the diarrhea. The vet thinks the over grooming is due to stress and with IBD any stress can result in flare ups and diarrhea.
Ozzy's fur started to thin on his right side from cleaning so much, so we started Prozac a week ago. After a few days he was constipated.
We stopped the Flagyl and increased the Probiotics. The dose of Prozac is 1/8 to 1/4 of a 10 mg pill (vet said to reduce the dose to 1/8 if
constipation) daily. The Prozac makes him dopey, but I already noticed the obsessive licking is better. The next steps are to see if the
over grooming will stop, so we can taper him off the Prozac and hopefully have no diarrhea to keep him off the Flagyl.
It has been frustrating and scary to watch my kitty obsessively lick fearing that it will lead to self mutilation. If you notice that your
kitty is licking and cleaning more, please get to the vet as soon as possible to address any problem. Please remember that when we are
stressed, our kitties absolutely sense this.
March 2006: When Ozzy was almost one year old, he began vomiting after he ate his meals. It did not matter whether it was soft or
hard food. He would vomit about once a day. We went to the vet and had blood and urine tests, x-rays, and an ultrasound. All came back
normal, but the ultrasound showed that his pancreas might have been slightly swollen. The vet recommended a diet change from Fancy
Feast soft and hard food (all flavors) to Royal Canin soft Duck or Lamb, and hard Royal Canin Duck or Lamb. For a period of time after,
he also had Hill’s T/D Dental Diet as a treat. This change to Royal Canin eliminated any vomiting due to food allergies.
2006, 2007, 2008: Ozzy was well, vomiting only occasionally (2 times a month) during this time period. Ozzy loves food and has a
tendency to eat quickly; inhaling his food, so the vomiting we thought might be attributed to his devouring his food. Ozzy would eat
Royal Canin soft food for breakfast and dinner. He ate Royal Canin hard food for lunch and snacks. What worked well was feeding Ozzy
smaller, more frequent meals. We purchased an automatic, pop up feeder in which we put his hard food and set the timer. We could
never leave hard food out for Ozzy as he would devour all the food in one sitting and vomit afterward. The smaller, timed meals worked
much better. In September 2008, Ozzy was weighed at the vet and he was 10 lbs and 3 oz.
January 2009: Ozzy started to vomit very soon after he ate and it did not seem to matter whether he ate soft or hard food. We took
Ozzy to the vet due to the vomiting, increased thirst, and possible weight loss. He weighed 9 lbs and 8 oz when weighed at the vet. Blood
tests, urine tests, and x-rays were normal. When we asked the vet about a diet change, the vet did not want to change the diet at this
point in time. The vet told us to see how he does and that we could do further testing.
February 2009: Ozzy only vomited a few times the entire month and was doing well.
March 2009: On March 17th, Ozzy began vomiting every time he ate (soft and hard food). We immediately went to the vet and in 3
days had numerous tests run. Blood tests, urine tests, and x-rays were normal. Another specialized blood test was sent away to Texas
to check for pancreatitis, low B12, and liver enzymes. That test came back normal. An ultrasound was given and the results showed 2
enlarged lymph nodes in the stomach. Ozzy weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces.
The vet thought Ozzy might have IBD or a motility problem with his stomach not emptying in a proper fashion. We were told to try
Natural Balance venison soft food and stop feeding him the Royal Canin soft and hard food. Ozzy ate this food for 2 days and then
refused to eat it. Even though Ozzy couldn’t keep food down, he was constantly sitting by his food bowl wanting food, as he was still
hungry. He continued to vomit each meal and became dehydrated and needed an enema. Ozzy began taking metoclopramide to help
with the vomiting. (It did help with the vomiting, but he was very restless on the medicine.) Our vet suggested we receive a second
opinion from an internal medicine specialist. At the March 25th specialist appointment Ozzy weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces.
The specialist recommended a change to Hills prescription Z/D soft food. No hard food now. Both the vet and the specialist believe Ozzy
could have IBD (especially due to food allergies when he was so young) and that any motility problem is being caused by IBD. Further
testing could be conducted (endoscopic to get biopsies or more invasive surgery), but since Ozzy was losing so much weight and
vomiting each meal any surgeries were put on hold, and medicine was prescribed. Ozzy weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces.
Ozzy began 5mg of prednisolone tab each day and 2.5 mg tab of Pepcid AC each day. He began suffering from constipation, having bowel
movements only every other day. He began Kristalose (a powder to put in his food for constipation). With the diet change to Z/D soft
food, with the prednisolone, Pepcid, and Kristalose, Ozzy is doing better. He has not vomited and likes the food. He has only gained 4
ounces back, so we are concerned about him gaining more weight. He just finished 30 days of the prednisolone and will be tapering to
every other day. If he doesn’t do well with the tapering of the prednisolone, I am not sure what will be the next step.
Update: July 24, 2009
May 2009 - We went to the vet after Ozzy tapered to 5 mg of prednisolone every other day for a month. The vet said he was not doing
well at all! He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces, which was the lowest weight he had been since he had been ill. He was also diagnosed for the
first time with thickening of the intestines. The vet explained that she didn’t think the dosage of the prednisolone had been aggressive
enough at 5 mg. I was stressed about this because 2 vets and 1 specialist had determined that 5 mg was the right dosage at the time.
So in June 2009 Ozzy immediately started 10 mg of prednisolone daily. We gave him a 5 mg pill in the morning and a 5 mg pill in the
evening. He was also given his 2.5 mg tab of Pepcid AC each day. The vet changed his food from prescription soft Hills Z/D food to Royal
Canin soft venison. We also began Royal Canin hard rabbit food that we crush and put on top of his venison like sprinkles. After talking
to Lisa (Alex's mom), I told the vet that I wanted to give Ozzy vitamin B-12 injections. The vet thought this was a great idea on Lisa's
part, even though Ozzy’s previous test results showed he was fine for B-12. Oz received B-12 shots once a week for one month and now
we are going to try monthly shots. After 4 weeks on the 10 mg of prednisolone with the Pepcid AC daily, Ozzy’s intestines did not feel
thickened any longer and he had gained weight to 8 pounds 15 ounces. (13 ounces in 4 weeks was the weight gain). He looked so much
better. The vet kept him on the 10 mg dosage for 4 weeks. I did notice with the 10 mg amount that he urinated more and sometimes
seemed to breathe faster.
In July 2009 Ozzy’s prednisolone was tapered to 7.5 mg daily for 2 weeks. We gave him a 5 mg pill in the morning and 2.5 mg in the
evening. He still takes the Pepcid AC. The tapering is now at 5 mg daily for 2 weeks. At this point in time, he has maintained his weight
and not vomited at all.
Update: September 28, 2009
Oz tapered the prednisolone to every other day at 5 mg. He vomited a few times at the start of the every other day tapering and our
vet wanted him to go back on prednisolone every day at 5 mg.
At the beginning of August 2009, at times when Oz went into the litter box he began vocalizing as if in distress/pain. Initially, we were
not sure if his vocalization related to inability to urinate or defecate. After vocalizing, he would then urinate so we surmised the distress
was related to an inability to urinate. A urine sample, urine culture, and x-ray showed appeared negative.
We were also concerned because Ozzy was breathing rapidly. When checked at the vet his heart rate was 130 when he was nervous,
which is not fast. The rapid breathing is a serious concern. Our vet suggested an upper chest x-ray be taken. The x-ray was done and
our vet noted that Ozzy’s heart looked normal (not enlarged), an x-ray would not show any thickening of the artery walls. She also did
not note any issues in the lungs from what she could see in the x-ray.
Separately from the issues above Oz began taking Entocort (budesonide) at 1.5 mg daily and stopped taking prednisolone. This is a
steroid that has fewer long-term side effects than prednisolone. The capsules were the 3mg size (too big for him to swallow), so we
bought number 4 gel caps and took the beads from the 3 mg capsule and put 1.5 mg in each gel cap. Please note he does not take the
budensonide that has the powder in the capsules, but takes Entocort, which is beaded. Oz began to have bowel movements a few times a
day with some diarrhea. He has never had diarrhea with IBD, but battled with constipation in the past. My vet did not know what
dosage Oz should take and was not aware of the difference between the powder and the beaded Entocort.
I contacted Dr. Louis J. Camuti Memorial Feline Consultation Service at Cornell University, to speak to a Cornell Feline Health Center’s
consulting veterinarian. The number is 1-800-548-8937. After discussing Oz’s specific history, we changed the dosage to 3 mg of
Entocort for 2 weeks to assess whether that would work. The diarrhea went away and Oz was eating well. Our vet did not feel any
thickening of the intestines at his visit and he has had no vomiting issues.
The consultation service was contacted again after Oz had been on the Entocort for 2 weeks. Based on the consultation with Cornell, we
are reducing his dosage to 2 mg daily. The desire with this approach is to determine the lowest dose for him that will control his disease.
I also asked about the rapid breathing and straining/pain when urinating or defecating. Since he has had constipation problems in the
past, I was advised to try Kristalose for the constipation, which we have used in the past. This way we can try to tell if the
straining/pain is due to urinating or defecating.
In regard to the rapid breathing, Cornell also recommended visiting a cardiologist to check his heart due to the rapid breathing. We are
in the process of scheduling this appointment.
Update: February 15, 2010
In October of 2009, Ozzy went to Cornell to have his heart checked out due to rapid breathing. Everything was fine with his heart. We
then went back to our regular vet and checked his blood and his white blood cell count was extremely, extremely low. Our vet had us
immediately change his Entocort dose of 3 mg to every other day at 3mg with the plan to test his blood again in one month. The white
blood cell count did improve some after one month. Also, his breathing was less rapid with the Entocort change to every other day.
Therefore, it appears that the rapid breathing was due to steroids. Ozzy receives vitamin B-12 shots every 2 weeks and they really help
him.
Oz started to lose weight in the middle of December 2009 (I weighed him on the baby scale daily and he had lost about 5 ounces) and
was vomiting some, so we took him to the vet, because we recognize the signs of IBD problems. The vet recommended that we do
nothing and continue to watch him, since he appeared healthy. Please note that I know my cat and I should have pushed for a medicine
change.
Within three days of going to the vet, we had to rush Ozzy to an emergency animal hospital in the middle of the night for severe
vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. They had to stabilize him and he was the most ill he has ever been. Blood work indicated that his
liver numbers were a touch high, but they attributed that to his vomiting. We changed our regular vet. His weight at the hospital was 7
pounds 14 ounces, which is the lowest he has ever weighed. The emergency animal hospital was excellent. They gave us anti-vomiting
medication (metoclopramide), anti-diarrhea medication (metronidazole) and a change from Entocort to prednisolone. The dosage we
are trying for the prednosolone is 5 mg in the morning and 2.5 mg at night. He stopped vomiting and the diarrhea stopped within 2 days
of changing to prednisolone.
He has had one bad episode within the last three weeks so we gave Oz a dose of the metoclopramide and the metronidazole and he
improved. The use of these two medicines is only on an as needed basis when he is having a bad bout. We visit our vet again in a few
weeks. An ultrasound was done at the emergency hospital and an enlarged spleen was found. We have not had any further tests done on
the spleen at this point in time. We are also giving him L-lysine every other day for his immune system and B12 injections weekly
instead of every two weeks because of malabsorption.
Update: June 22, 2010
Ozzy started taking metronidazole (Flagyl) daily (1/4 of a 250 mg tablet) about a month ago due to some diarrhea issues. He has had no
diarrhea problems since taking it daily. He is still taking Prednisolone daily, but we are in the process of tapering the dosage. Ozzy
continues to get weekly B12 injections which really help him. Also, at Lisa's suggestion we transitioned his food from soft Royal Canin
venison to soft Royal Canin rabbit. Ozzy loves the rabbit as he was getting tired of the venison and Lisa explained that it is important to
change foods over time. Ozzy has Eagle Pack probiotics sprinkled in his soft food once a day.
Ozzy has been doing well with the combination of meds, probiotics, food, and B12 injections in the above paragraph. He has gained
weight in the past 2 months from 8 pounds to 8 pounds 10 ounces! That is wonderful, since 8 pounds was so thin and scary! I am hoping
he can continue to gain weight even as we taper the prednisolone. He will probably have to keep taking Prednisolone, but we need to
determine what the lowest dose will be that works for him. It is a constant battle every day to balance all of the items Ozzy needs to
fight the IBD.
Update: November 20, 2010
Ozzy has had his ups and downs the past months. He was doing well, so the prednilosone was reduced and the Flagyl was stopped.
About a month ago, he started hunching in pain and discomfort when he would be eating. Also, he would jump/run away from the bowl
during the time he was eating in pain and lift up his back right leg. The vet recommended Flagyl for 2 weeks and we did see some
improvement, but not totally. Since Ozzy has also been troubled at times with constipation, we started Miralax 2 times a day in case the
pain was related to constipation. Then the vet started Ozzy on a higher dose of prednisolone of 10 mg a day (5mg pill in morning and 5
mg pill at night). He has been on this dose for a week now and I rarely see the hunching and running away in pain from the food bowl.
The vet wants to continue this dosage for a short while to ensure we have treated the flare up of IBD. The vet did not see any problems
with Ozzy's gums or teeth or anything to note from a physical exam.
He has a Pepcid pill at night and continues to receive .35 ml of vitamin B12 shots weekly. At times, Ozzy is given probiotics and
Symbiotics Colostrum Plus Powder for his immune system. I alternate what I give Ozzy since I can't give him a ton of meds and
supplements at one time. He is currently eating a new food for him called Natural Balance venison and pea soft canned food and he loves
it. It is huge news that Ozzy has gained weight and is now at 9 pounds 3 ounces. The additional prednisolone is helping with weight gain
the past week, but Ozzy had been steadily gaining weight prior to this even though he was in pain. Since our vet did not detect anything
negative during the physical exam and since Ozzy had a good appetite/weight gain during the time the hunching/pain started, she is
figuring it is a flare up of the IBD. This is the most Ozzy has weighed in probably a year! We are taking Ozzy for a blood test to check
things out, since we need to be sure it a flare up of the IBD and not anything else. Ozzy does his best to fight this terrible IBD that he has
had from such a young age and he is only 5 years old now.
Update: June 8, 2011
Ozzy had a blood test at the end of 2010 and everything was fine. He continues to take prednisolone daily for his IBD. His dose is 5 mg
one day and 7.5 mg the next day and back to 5 mg the next day. We have not been able to reduce his dosage any further and at times he
has battled diarrhea. When he has bouts of diarrhea, we give him a quarter of a 250 mg Flagyl pill daily. Flagyl has worked well for him.
Ozzy receives Pepcid each night. We stopped the Pepcid to see if he really needs it and Ozzy sits under the dining room table looking
uncomfortable and does not eat as much and one time vomited without it. The Pepcid helps with the acid.
Ozzy continues to eat soft canned venison or rabbit. He receives B-12 injections weekly of .35 and I don't know what he would do
without them. They really help with his energy, digestion, weight, and IBD. I am happy to note that he just weighed in at 10 pounds 2
ounces. He has gained approximately 1 pound in the past 6 months! This is so important, since a bad IBD bout reduces his weight so
quickly! The most Ozzy has ever weighed (prior to this IBD nightmare) was 10 pounds 3 ounces, so his current weight is great for him.
I have not been giving Ozzy any probiotics or colostrum powder or L-Lysine for the past 3 months. I need to start giving him some of
these things again as I know they help him. Ozzy has been doing well as long as he takes his meds, B-12 shots, and eats the proper food.
He just turned 6 years old and I love him so very much!
Update: February 6, 2012
Ozzy had his checkup and blood testing in October and everything was fine. His medications continue to be prednisolone, Flagyl for
diarrhea when needed, vitamin B-12 shots, and Pepcid. He is eating Natural Balance venison and pea. I tried to transition his food to
lamb in November, but he had terrible diarrhea, so went back to venison.
At the start of December, Ozzy started licking and cleaning more than normal. My husband and I were extremely stressed with working
long hours and preparing for Christmas. I noticed the fur on Ozzy's left side was thinning slightly from the over grooming. Relatives
visited for Christmas. The day after Christmas, Ozzy's fur was gone on a large area on his left side. It seemed to happen overnight! Our
vet tested for mites, fleas, and fungal infections by taking hair and skin scrapings and all came out negative. The vet believes the over
grooming is due to stress and can lead to self mutilation.
We focused on spending quality time with Ozzy including playing with him, distracting him when he would lick obsessively, and
purchased a calming collar for him to wear at times. The licking decreased some. However, the vet said when a cat gets in this mode of
over grooming, it is hard to stop even if the stress improves. Ozzy's appetite was fine and his weight steady. We noticed that he needed
Flagyl daily, since when the Flagyl was stopped, he would have diarrhea. Usually, we give Flagyl for a week or two and it takes care of
the diarrhea. The vet thinks the over grooming is due to stress and with IBD any stress can result in flare ups and diarrhea.
Ozzy's fur started to thin on his right side from cleaning so much, so we started Prozac a week ago. After a few days he was constipated.
We stopped the Flagyl and increased the Probiotics. The dose of Prozac is 1/8 to 1/4 of a 10 mg pill (vet said to reduce the dose to 1/8 if
constipation) daily. The Prozac makes him dopey, but I already noticed the obsessive licking is better. The next steps are to see if the
over grooming will stop, so we can taper him off the Prozac and hopefully have no diarrhea to keep him off the Flagyl.
It has been frustrating and scary to watch my kitty obsessively lick fearing that it will lead to self mutilation. If you notice that your
kitty is licking and cleaning more, please get to the vet as soon as possible to address any problem. Please remember that when we are
stressed, our kitties absolutely sense this.
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