Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Feline inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of disorders that cause inflammation of the stomach lining or
intestinal tracts, causing changes in the normal bodily functions that these organs perform. It's an uncontrolled
inflammatory response, resulting in the influx of inflammatory cells into various parts of the gastrointestinal
tract.
IBD is not curable and there is no definitive cause. But it can be successfully managed through diet change,
medications, therapeutic, and holistic treatments. The possible causes being researched are parasites that cause
the cat to produce antibodies which attacks it's own digestive tract, food allergies or intolerance, an inappropriate
immune response to the natural flora in the intestines, or the result of a certain bacteria.
IBD is not the same thing as IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS is occasional GI and intestinal inflammation or
distress, whereas IBD is chronic and in some cases severe inflammation that spreads to other areas of the GI
tract, intestines and many other organs. If the inflammation isn't brought under control, it can cause such
problems as malabsorption of nutrients, poor digestion and scar-like fibrous tissue.
Symptoms can range from vomiting, bad breath (halitosis), diarrhea, constipation, increased thirst from
dehydration, gas, rumbling and gurgling in the stomach, abdominal pain, anorexia, moderate to severe weight
loss, litter box refusal, dark/tarry stools, lethargy and depression, weakness and fatigue, vitamin deficiencies
and anemia. Upon researching feline IBD extensively I’ve found it to have a lot of similarities with celiac disease,
an allergic response and intolerance to gluten. That makes sense since out of the many triggers for IBD food
issues seem to be at the top of the list for both humans and pets.
IBD never stays just IBD. Once inflammation sets into the body, whether you're a cat or a human, it usually
means complications of some kind either from the disease or medications that can cause side effects.
Unfortunately, sometimes there's no way around that and the only choice is to treat the IBD or risk the disease
progressing quickly, complicating recovery further. Most veterinarians don't tell you that and I'm sure it's so as
not to scare you. But in hindsight, I wish I had been forewarned.
Expect frequent food changes. A diet change is inevitable to find the source of what's damaging the already
irritated GI tract. Your vet will probably recommend a prescription diet, although they usually contain the very
ingredients that help aggravate the inflammation. But if that's all the cat will eat then it's very important to give
it to them. It's extremely dangerous to let your cat stop eating completely longer than 48 hours, that's all it takes
for other health problems to begin. Be sure to check the Food page on this site as it lists grain free foods that
have been proven to help and/or work to curb an allergic reaction.
The best thing to do is keep a good stock of at least three to four different kinds of foods around at all times. A lot
of people think at first, as did I, that when your cat eats something one day and then refuses it the next, that it's
just being finicky. If your cat weren’t sick with IBD I would say that's probably true. But Feline IBD creates a lot
of nausea and what I usually tell people is this: When you're sick with the flu or a cold and you vomit something
you just ate, do you want to eat that very thing soon after? No, you can't stand the site, smell or taste of it. It's
the same thing with your cat. Just move on to another one of the foods for a couple of days to a week and then
maybe after your cat has had a chance to forget the experience, go back to the other food again. Nausea is a very
big problem in IBD cats and one that affects their ability to stabilize the disease. Your cat may need to be on an
anti-nausea medication in order to eat without vomiting.
There can be considerable costs between the testing, diagnostics, food, treatments, medications and sometimes
hospitalizations. But without some or all of these interventions your cat cannot start to improve until it may be
too late to stop the progression of the disease. Your cat is a valued family member and these treatments would
be expensive even for a human. There are some of us who have literally gone without food ourselves just so our
cats could get the medical attention they need. My goal is not to scare you into not getting treatment for them,
but to make you aware of what could possibly be ahead with treatments.
Here's why it's so complicated. Your GI tract acts as a second brain with a rich network of nerves and ganglia,
communicating directly with the brain and the heart. Your digestive system also affects your moods through the
hundreds of chemicals and hormones it produces, which is why some cats suffer depression with this disease.
There are literally trillions of microbes inside of all of us, human and animal. Altering these healthy bacteria that
inhabit the GI tract can affect conditions ranging from IBD to asthma and allergies. Hence, the food allergies and
other complications reacting to disturbances in the GI tract.
Tests usually consist of a blood panel, a biochemical profile, a complete T4 to check for hyperthyroidism, a
urinalysis and fecal exam. X-Rays and an ultrasound don't help diagnose IBD but are useful to rule out other
medical conditions such as cancer. The only definitive way to diagnose IBD is through a biopsy of the intestinal
tract where increased numbers of plasma cells called lymphocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophils are seen in the
intestinal wall. The types of cells present will provide a complete diagnosis of which type of IBD the cat has. It
should be noted that a biopsy doesn’t always provide a definitive answer, as IBD is an ever-changing condition.
It should first be discussed with your vet as to whether your pet’s condition warrants an immediate biopsy or if
there could be complications from the operation. Sometimes there are underlying conditions that can affect your
pet’s ability to undergo surgery.
The best and most proactive thing you could ever do is take your cat to the vet and insist on running some of
these tests if your cat is vomiting more than once or twice a week. That's usually an indicator that something
isn't right. Of course cats get hairballs. But if the vomit consists of white foam or bile with mucus, call your vet
immediately and tell them you're concerned. Bile should not be regurgitated on a normal basis and should always
be checked. Also have your cat checked when there is any type of hard or dark, tarry stool that may sometimes
contain blood, or if there’s urine containing blood.
Unfortunately as stated earlier there can be a lot of complications with IBD if not checked and treated in a timely
manner. Some of these include hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism, chronic renal
failure or cancer. This doesn't mean your cat will automatically get these complications, these are just things to
keep in mind when putting off that initial trip to the vet. But the sooner the better as to catch the disease in it’s
earliest stages, before it can cause too much damage.
Once you have a diagnosis from the vet it's important to keep on top of the disease with constant monitoring.
Keeping a diary at home of your cat's day to day progress or decline helps you when speaking to the vet or going
for a follow-up visit. Also, making a chart to keep on the refrigerator of medications and times to give them is
key to reducing the stress that becoming a caregiver will have on you and your family.
Always ask your vet for a copy of all of your cat's records. That way if you do any research at home and want to
know what something means, you'll have your cat's exam results in hand. It'll help you to know where you stand
with his/her treatment and progress. So each time you bring your cat in for a checkup or more blood work, ask
them for a copy of what was done and the results when you go to pay your bill.
Try to find a vet that you can have a good relationship with. That's a tall order as one of the biggest complaints I
hear from people is the appalling treatment their pets are getting from their vets. It's very unfortunate because
we as humans can always look for another doctor, there are plenty around to choose from. But a good vet is very
hard to find and animals can't make those decisions for themselves.
Look for a vet that's open to knowledge and understands that experience from other pet owners is detrimental
to treating these conditions, as there are no set protocols to use with cats. We have a good handle on IBD and
similar diseases with people but there is currently not enough research on cats with this disease. Most research
concentrates on cats and dogs together and answers probably won’t be found that way since a cat’s body is so
different from a dog’s. If you have a cats-only veterinarian in your area, it’s best to take your cat there. Their
main focus in vet medicine is on cats and the diseases that affect them differently than other animals. Even
though dogs also get IBD, a cat’s bile duct is much closer to the pancreas because of their size. A vet that's an
internist may also offer better treatment options if there's one available in your area.
Just remember in any case, to be as proactive as you can and learn as much about Feline IBD as possible. It
could help to save your cat’s life. Please go to the Valuable Info page for more information on food issues.
These sites are for human IBD but are extremely informative and educational:
www.drhoffman.com
allergy-book.blogspot.com/2008/09/inflammatory-bowel-disease-self-help
www.icim.ie/articles/inflammatoryboweldisease
These links are for Feline IBD:
www.manhattancats.com/Articles/IBD
www.marvistavet.com/html/inflammatory_bowel_disease
www.peteducation.com/article
www.familyvet.com/Cats/Digest
www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm
www.cathealth.com/IBD
www.ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdincatsdogs/a/ibdcatsdogs
www.maxshouse.com/inflammatory_bowel_disease.htm
www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-in-Cats.html
www.fnes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5:carnivore-digestion-and-inflamatory-bowel-
disease&catid=2:diet-and-disease&Itemid=4
intestinal tracts, causing changes in the normal bodily functions that these organs perform. It's an uncontrolled
inflammatory response, resulting in the influx of inflammatory cells into various parts of the gastrointestinal
tract.
IBD is not curable and there is no definitive cause. But it can be successfully managed through diet change,
medications, therapeutic, and holistic treatments. The possible causes being researched are parasites that cause
the cat to produce antibodies which attacks it's own digestive tract, food allergies or intolerance, an inappropriate
immune response to the natural flora in the intestines, or the result of a certain bacteria.
IBD is not the same thing as IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS is occasional GI and intestinal inflammation or
distress, whereas IBD is chronic and in some cases severe inflammation that spreads to other areas of the GI
tract, intestines and many other organs. If the inflammation isn't brought under control, it can cause such
problems as malabsorption of nutrients, poor digestion and scar-like fibrous tissue.
Symptoms can range from vomiting, bad breath (halitosis), diarrhea, constipation, increased thirst from
dehydration, gas, rumbling and gurgling in the stomach, abdominal pain, anorexia, moderate to severe weight
loss, litter box refusal, dark/tarry stools, lethargy and depression, weakness and fatigue, vitamin deficiencies
and anemia. Upon researching feline IBD extensively I’ve found it to have a lot of similarities with celiac disease,
an allergic response and intolerance to gluten. That makes sense since out of the many triggers for IBD food
issues seem to be at the top of the list for both humans and pets.
IBD never stays just IBD. Once inflammation sets into the body, whether you're a cat or a human, it usually
means complications of some kind either from the disease or medications that can cause side effects.
Unfortunately, sometimes there's no way around that and the only choice is to treat the IBD or risk the disease
progressing quickly, complicating recovery further. Most veterinarians don't tell you that and I'm sure it's so as
not to scare you. But in hindsight, I wish I had been forewarned.
Expect frequent food changes. A diet change is inevitable to find the source of what's damaging the already
irritated GI tract. Your vet will probably recommend a prescription diet, although they usually contain the very
ingredients that help aggravate the inflammation. But if that's all the cat will eat then it's very important to give
it to them. It's extremely dangerous to let your cat stop eating completely longer than 48 hours, that's all it takes
for other health problems to begin. Be sure to check the Food page on this site as it lists grain free foods that
have been proven to help and/or work to curb an allergic reaction.
The best thing to do is keep a good stock of at least three to four different kinds of foods around at all times. A lot
of people think at first, as did I, that when your cat eats something one day and then refuses it the next, that it's
just being finicky. If your cat weren’t sick with IBD I would say that's probably true. But Feline IBD creates a lot
of nausea and what I usually tell people is this: When you're sick with the flu or a cold and you vomit something
you just ate, do you want to eat that very thing soon after? No, you can't stand the site, smell or taste of it. It's
the same thing with your cat. Just move on to another one of the foods for a couple of days to a week and then
maybe after your cat has had a chance to forget the experience, go back to the other food again. Nausea is a very
big problem in IBD cats and one that affects their ability to stabilize the disease. Your cat may need to be on an
anti-nausea medication in order to eat without vomiting.
There can be considerable costs between the testing, diagnostics, food, treatments, medications and sometimes
hospitalizations. But without some or all of these interventions your cat cannot start to improve until it may be
too late to stop the progression of the disease. Your cat is a valued family member and these treatments would
be expensive even for a human. There are some of us who have literally gone without food ourselves just so our
cats could get the medical attention they need. My goal is not to scare you into not getting treatment for them,
but to make you aware of what could possibly be ahead with treatments.
Here's why it's so complicated. Your GI tract acts as a second brain with a rich network of nerves and ganglia,
communicating directly with the brain and the heart. Your digestive system also affects your moods through the
hundreds of chemicals and hormones it produces, which is why some cats suffer depression with this disease.
There are literally trillions of microbes inside of all of us, human and animal. Altering these healthy bacteria that
inhabit the GI tract can affect conditions ranging from IBD to asthma and allergies. Hence, the food allergies and
other complications reacting to disturbances in the GI tract.
Tests usually consist of a blood panel, a biochemical profile, a complete T4 to check for hyperthyroidism, a
urinalysis and fecal exam. X-Rays and an ultrasound don't help diagnose IBD but are useful to rule out other
medical conditions such as cancer. The only definitive way to diagnose IBD is through a biopsy of the intestinal
tract where increased numbers of plasma cells called lymphocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophils are seen in the
intestinal wall. The types of cells present will provide a complete diagnosis of which type of IBD the cat has. It
should be noted that a biopsy doesn’t always provide a definitive answer, as IBD is an ever-changing condition.
It should first be discussed with your vet as to whether your pet’s condition warrants an immediate biopsy or if
there could be complications from the operation. Sometimes there are underlying conditions that can affect your
pet’s ability to undergo surgery.
The best and most proactive thing you could ever do is take your cat to the vet and insist on running some of
these tests if your cat is vomiting more than once or twice a week. That's usually an indicator that something
isn't right. Of course cats get hairballs. But if the vomit consists of white foam or bile with mucus, call your vet
immediately and tell them you're concerned. Bile should not be regurgitated on a normal basis and should always
be checked. Also have your cat checked when there is any type of hard or dark, tarry stool that may sometimes
contain blood, or if there’s urine containing blood.
Unfortunately as stated earlier there can be a lot of complications with IBD if not checked and treated in a timely
manner. Some of these include hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease), pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism, chronic renal
failure or cancer. This doesn't mean your cat will automatically get these complications, these are just things to
keep in mind when putting off that initial trip to the vet. But the sooner the better as to catch the disease in it’s
earliest stages, before it can cause too much damage.
Once you have a diagnosis from the vet it's important to keep on top of the disease with constant monitoring.
Keeping a diary at home of your cat's day to day progress or decline helps you when speaking to the vet or going
for a follow-up visit. Also, making a chart to keep on the refrigerator of medications and times to give them is
key to reducing the stress that becoming a caregiver will have on you and your family.
Always ask your vet for a copy of all of your cat's records. That way if you do any research at home and want to
know what something means, you'll have your cat's exam results in hand. It'll help you to know where you stand
with his/her treatment and progress. So each time you bring your cat in for a checkup or more blood work, ask
them for a copy of what was done and the results when you go to pay your bill.
Try to find a vet that you can have a good relationship with. That's a tall order as one of the biggest complaints I
hear from people is the appalling treatment their pets are getting from their vets. It's very unfortunate because
we as humans can always look for another doctor, there are plenty around to choose from. But a good vet is very
hard to find and animals can't make those decisions for themselves.
Look for a vet that's open to knowledge and understands that experience from other pet owners is detrimental
to treating these conditions, as there are no set protocols to use with cats. We have a good handle on IBD and
similar diseases with people but there is currently not enough research on cats with this disease. Most research
concentrates on cats and dogs together and answers probably won’t be found that way since a cat’s body is so
different from a dog’s. If you have a cats-only veterinarian in your area, it’s best to take your cat there. Their
main focus in vet medicine is on cats and the diseases that affect them differently than other animals. Even
though dogs also get IBD, a cat’s bile duct is much closer to the pancreas because of their size. A vet that's an
internist may also offer better treatment options if there's one available in your area.
Just remember in any case, to be as proactive as you can and learn as much about Feline IBD as possible. It
could help to save your cat’s life. Please go to the Valuable Info page for more information on food issues.
These sites are for human IBD but are extremely informative and educational:
www.drhoffman.com
allergy-book.blogspot.com/2008/09/inflammatory-bowel-disease-self-help
www.icim.ie/articles/inflammatoryboweldisease
These links are for Feline IBD:
www.manhattancats.com/Articles/IBD
www.marvistavet.com/html/inflammatory_bowel_disease
www.peteducation.com/article
www.familyvet.com/Cats/Digest
www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm
www.cathealth.com/IBD
www.ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibdincatsdogs/a/ibdcatsdogs
www.maxshouse.com/inflammatory_bowel_disease.htm
www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-in-Cats.html
www.fnes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5:carnivore-digestion-and-inflamatory-bowel-
disease&catid=2:diet-and-disease&Itemid=4
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