I just lost my 8 yr old kitty, Otie to the GI Lymphoma. First vet in October didn't see it, although I said he has lost considerable weight and now starting to develop diarrhea. After a few more weeks and intense hunger hit, I called the vets as Otie was still losing weight, but eating 24/7. Second vet found the thickening, my heart sank. Fast forward after Prednisone, Vit. B-12 injections, food changes and some other meds, I had to say goodbye to Otie Jan 10th of this year. My heart is broken, home so quiet even though we have two younger kitties. So, please hold/feel your kitties to see about any weight loss, get them checked and if they do have IBD/IBS it can turn into cancer as that can be a prelude to the lymphoma. Watch those subtle signs, although I pushed the first vet for an xray as it shows the thickening, he said it wasn't needed, I know it would not have made a difference in outcome as this is not a cancer you can fix and even with surgery & chemo it is a 6-9 month gain of life, but at what cost to their quality. Otie, you are sorely missed sweet man, love you.
I am so very sorry about your loss of Otie. Your advice is spot-on; my vet has warned me that one of the reasons it is crucial to manage IBD to the best of your ability is they suspect it can later turn in to cancer. It's a scary, sad disease and it really makes you appreciate the importance of enjoying every day with our precious fur babies. Thank you for sharing your story. Katniss and I greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing, one of my cats has IBS flare ups but she'll still eat.. however my other cat deteriorated overnight.. like Katniss she was throwing up constantly and stopped eating, drinking and pooping all together.. she was COMPLETELY FINE THE DAY BEFORE! This happened overnight. Today we were told her intestines and her lymphnodes are enlarged SO the vet said he's already suspecting several illnesses but I'm 100% sure it'll either be lymphoma or IBD.. she's still NOT eating on her own but at least the puke has ceased. She's currently at the emergency vet and my anxiety won't even let me sleep.. It feels like a nightmare waiting for the vet to see us again and just praying is IBD
I am so sorry to hear this! It's great news she is at the emergency vet because that means she is in good hands. And the fact the puking has stopped is also positive. I hope they are able to diagnose and treat her quickly! Please keep us posted and sending good vibes your way!
My Siamese girl, CeeCee is on the exact same road as your Katniss. (I hope your girl is doing well!) CeeCee started with diarrhea (no vomiting) and weight loss. Vet gave Depo medrol (corticosteroid injection) and metronidazole and she improved. He did this to her about every 40-45 days for 5 months. She had the ultrasound which showed no masses. Some thickening of the intestinal wall, and mild to moderate enlarged lymph nodes. Bloodwork was good. She still would have bouts of inappetence and diarrhea. My vet said: presumptive IBD and wasn't concerned. I asked him for aggressive treatment from the beginning because she is my Heart and he is just treating the symptoms. I asked to see a specialist. The specialist did a fine needle aspiration on the lymphs which, Thank God, showed no lymphoma. I learned that that did not mean she doesn't have lymphoma in the intestines. I am struggling to keep her going. She is on Visbiome (probiotic), Elura (appetite stimulant, but am now changing her over to Mirtazipine transdermal), and Cerenia. Due to the fact that she recently (within the last 4 weeks) had steroids and B12, we cannot proceed with the biopsy surgery until it clears her system. I was under the impression that IBD and LGAL (small cell lymphoma) are NOT treated the same. Chemo is recommended for lymphoma but not for IBD. I was told of three paths for doing the biopsy necessary to confirm or rule out lymphoma: endoscopic (which can miss cancer), laparoscopic (which can get full-thickness biopsy) and open surgery which has a high recovery period. I am at the stage where I don't know what road to take. I really want to know for sure it is not cancer. I see that cat's with small-cell lymphoma can live a couple-few years, but not many, many years. CeeCee is only 7.5 years old! She sleeps with me and spoons me all night. She is my only family. Literally, I have no relatives. I have pet insurance, but I bet they will find a way not to cover this illness. I have spent $3600 ish on her (the surgery will be $6-8K additionally). I have lost three cats to cancer. But I can find no better way to spend money than on a living being that loves you. Everything else is just stuff. Bless you, Katniss. May you have many happy, happy years.
@@coinholio6863 thank you so much for sharing your story! Katniss and I are sending the best vibes to sweet CeeCee! It sounds like she is in great hands and being cared for extremely well, although I certainly understand the frustration of not having specific answers and not always being sure of the right path to take. After nearly a year of doing well, Katniss recently had her first flare-up, which ended us up back at the specialist and taught me a lot more. IBD is a tricky disease to treat and it really makes you appreciate the good days! My personal feeling about the biopsy is I would try and avoid the one that might miss cancer and also the super-invasive one that has a prolonged recovery. The reasons are if a biopsy could miss cancer I would worry about false readings, and the trauma of the other biopsy I would worry could lead to other issues. The best option imho is the minimally invasive laparoscopic biopsy that gets the full thickness. For what it is worth the specialist told me that because Katniss has done so well for going on a year with minimal intervention this leads her to believe cancer is less likely. She wasn’t concerned about a brief flare-up and said we don’t need to return unless they start happening monthly or go for many days at a time. I think you are right in that chemo is given for small-celled cancer and not IBD, however I do not think chemo is always required. My vet told me they could also treat cancer with steroids, just as they sometimes do with IBD. Perhaps this is simply a matter of different vets advocating for different strategies? I have recently joined a few Facebook groups specifically for people who have IBD kitties and it is helpful to read their posts and bounce ideas off the group. If you’re interested I can give you the group names
We go to a board certified cat specialist and my cat started with pancreatitis. After blood work and blood work sent to Texas A&M vet school and an ultrasound they are pretty sure it is IBD but it could also be lymphoma. My cat is on an anti nausea\ chemotherapy, steroid and appetite stimulant protocol! He also gets a B12 shot every 2 weeks. My vet is a cat only vet he is a board certified cat specialist. He also thinks he can eat anything he wants, the important thing is to keep his weight up!
I too love the Helpful Vancouver Vet. My Pewter was diagnosed in January 2023. I have pet insurance but we had gone to a vet a few times over the past couple years once for vomiting (diagnosis hairballs) and once for drooling (diagnosis unknown/probable nausea). None of her IBD tests or treatments are covered because they say it was preexisting. Not preexisting enough to have helped her a year or two earlier…😢
Ohhh sorry to hear that. That doesn’t seem right that they would try to connect those two unrelated visits. I hate when insurance companies play games 😾 Sending my best to Pewter!
I had to fight with my pet insurance over a new diagnosis they said was a preexisting condition too. If you haven’t already, I recommend appealing the decision with your insurance company and also telling your vet’s office about it and seeing if there’s anything they can do to help. Hopefully it’s something that can be successfully appealed with your vet’s help. I wish you luck 🤞🏻
Thank you ..went through the same thing . My boy nearly died and he’s at the IBD/SMALL LYMPHOMA non biopsy stage. He’s on a low steroid every 2nd day and I have removed all dry food from his diet..he’s picky eater too and I’m comfortable with the smalls fresh food diet by subscription..sometimes I feed him other wet non pate foods because I worry about hydration but I always make sure there is no carrageenan gums or preservatives gluten or fillers. TIP****I would suggest for Cat who won’t eat or drink is to wrap them in a towel and get some gerber baby food ..that has limited ingredients chicken only etc ( keep in mind Chicken is usually the problem protein for cat with IBD but for a critical cat it serves the purpose). Use a syringe for cats and feed them through the side of there mouth ..squirt a little on the tongue not back of the throat..do the same with water..1 to 2 jars a day then start mixing pate for water instead. Cats can die with 2 or three days of no water.
@@klmartini906 thank you so much for the tips! Those are very great ideas! Glad to hear that your boy is doing better! This is such a rollercoaster of a disease to figure out!
It’s funny, RUclips recommended your video because I watched the Helpful Vancouver Vet’s video about IBD. I have one senior cat diagnosed with IBD and another with lymphoma, and they can both be picky eaters like beautiful Katniss. I know what you mean about the balancing act of making sure they eat enough while having a limited range of options. The struggle is real. It’s taken a year since my one cat’s IBD diagnosis to finally get her symptoms under control. Best of luck with Katniss!
Thank you so much! That is really interesting that RUclips recommended my video based on my talking about the Helpful Vancouver Vet! I definitely don’t know him but I do think he has a great channel and several of his videos have educated and comforted me! It is great that you have gotten your IBD kitty’s symptoms under control! You are so right that the struggle is real - Katniss and I are sending both of your kitties the very best wishes and continued healing purrs!
I rehomed my cat Tinkerbell (sphynx) last year, and she recently started having these symptoms. The diarrhoea is really bad, and then occasional vomiting to top it off. She lost 1.2kg, was originally 3.8kg, and is now like skin and bones. I've had to change vets, and the new vet has done all the treatment and arrived at IBD as a conclusion. She's pretty unwell and recently has started her steroids, but finding food she doesn't just bring straight back up has been really difficult. I'm super worried about her, but we're seeing the vets on friday for a checkup and hopefully some more answers. Poor baby has become partially incontinent due to the severity of her diarrhoea, which is also a huge concern. She's the sweetest little bug and sleeps under the cover with me every night, but with her pooping issues, it's been impossible to get those snuggles in as she kinda just explodes. Seeing her like this is really breaking my heart, just hoping she'll be back to herself really soon!
I am so sorry to hear about sweet Tinkerbell's struggles! Is she taking B12 injections? A probiotic? Those are two things I would definitely try no matter what, as they can only help and definitely will not harm the situation. She sounds like a very sweet cat who is in great hands! Please keep us updated on her progress. Katniss and I are sending love and healing purrs!
@MeowmyandMe So she's on a no IBD diet, but it's specifically designed to boost nutritional intake, so at least that helps, but I'm waiting for the vets suggestions on food. And no injections, but she has B12 supplements every other day as well as her steroids daily. The poop has started to harden, which is fab. I will be looking into the best long term solutions that don't include steroids as I know it's not the favourable option but honestly she was too unwell to waste time as she was just going downhill so fast. I've noticed she seems to be more herself by the day. Thanks for the love you've sent my way and for making these videos. I see so many vet centred videos, and it's really hard to follow! And sending a bunch of love to Katniss!
@@Ari.Grandmari it makes my heart happy to hear she is doing better! While I have heard steroids aren't ideal due to their long-term side effects, I completely agree with you that based on her condition described here it was the right move to start them pronto. There are a lot of benefits to using them as well...and ultimately her improving is a huge one!
@@Ari.Grandmari I am so incredibly sorry! My heart breaks to hear this news. Katniss and I are sending love & comfort. You took such amazing care of Tinkerbell andI am certain she knew how much she was loved
I am not going to go into my experience with a possible IBD diagnosis (I can’t without ending up 😭😭😭), just love her as much as you can. She reminds me of my sweet girl, Boogers🥲
Awww I am so sorry you have been through this! It is definitely a rollercoaster and I have spent the better part of 2023 worrying about Katniss, so I can totally relate to how upsetting the situation is to discuss. Thank you so much for the advice about loving her every day - I definitely try to, even when she is pawing me in the face at 6am because she wants to play! Katniss and I send our best - she is flattered to know she reminds you of Boogers
Let me share what we learned with our cat being diagnosed with IBD 4 years ago. The vet would give him a shot of steroids and he'd be better for about a month. You can only do that 3 times in 12 months. So, I did my own research and came up with 2 things to do... and it worked: 1) discontinue ALL dry kibble since it is made with carbs, which a cats body has no way to process. We switched to all canned pate since it should be easier to digest. 2) Feeding twice a day was too much food for his stomach to process at once. We switched to feeding smaller amounts every 8 hours. Problem solved... except for an occasional flare-up. Hope this helps if you try it.
These are great suggestions! In terms of kibble Katniss now only eats prescription by Royal Canin specific to gastrointestinal issues and it seems to be working (in conjunction with canned food and a probiotic). The smaller meals thing we do too - it used to freak me out that she wouldn’t eat much at once but watching her is comforting - she goes back for nibbles throughout the day!
@@catherinekang3657 that’s awesome! I need to learn more about feeding raw. It does seem like a lot of these IBD issues could be caused or amplified by all the ingredients added to cat food
@@MeowmyandMe yes! The ingredients are the problem. Just like when some people have auto-immune responses. The food or maybe the over vaccinations become a problem. But, in my cats case, I think it was straight up the food. She is not over vaxxed. She's only been vaxxed twice in her life. The chemicals and the highly processed ingredients are are not gut friendly. The Rx foods that the vets recommend are complete garbage too. Just read the ingredients. Corn, wheat, gluten, soy. Cats are straight up carnivores and eating grain and processed food is not something their digestive system has evolutionary evolved. I went through the same ordeal with vet. Nothing was working. Not even steroids. Finally, after looking into raw food, I tried that. It worked! Her poops are now solid. No more blood in her poop. Her poops are smaller now too and less stinky. Less waste the body has to poop out because it's usable food and not garbage. It's no more expensive to invest in raw food( not freeze dried raw) then it is too buy that expensive Rx food that is garbage. You have to slowly integrate the raw in with the food they are eating so they can get use to eating it. Some cats are addicted to kibble dry food. My cat eats Viva Raw cat food. Buy online and they ship. There's other brands too you can try.
Searching for answers myself, when you say raw food, what brands are you using or are you preparing yourself? Thank you for any information you can provide.
Thank you so much for the tips about Mirataz ointment for appetite stimulation. I just started the Cernia enclosed in a treat I split with an Xacto/Excel fine point utility knife + pressed shut. Give her a treat before + after the one with a (partial) pill in it, ensures swallowing. I can't thank you enough for the hope this is manageable. Finally, a fellow pet parent who has been on this roller coaster of ups and downs. Brewers or nutritional yeast works as an appetite stimulant, sprinkle a tiny amount on food(if not allergic to it. It is in lots of pet foods for flavor + probiotic+ B vitamins). I have mostly been able to manage it with Homeopet feline digestive upset drops-mix in/put on food per dose.You can put extra drops in water, but they will never drink it all=wasted. They can't taste it, no side effects, but I try to taper off from 3-4 doses per day to 2. If she gets Cernia, stop the drops for 48 hours to keep its effectiveness. Best wishes! This really was ENCOURAGING
So glad the video was helpful and encouraging! That is definitely the main point I was hoping to get across - this condition is totally manageable! Yes there are ups and downs and those are stressful but altogether cats with IBD can live long, happy and fulfilling lives! And I really appreciate your tips about the Homeopet feline digestive upset drops too! I am definitely going to look into those and learn more. Thank you! And best wishes to your sweet cat - hopefully things continue getting better and better!
I can't believe you can give her Cerenia in a treat. If they chew it they taste it, how does she not spit it out?! I literally have been affixing Zofran sublingual to the outside of a Temptation treat with pill wrap. SL Zofran doesn't even taste bad, it's sweet, not bitter, and he still smarted up to that in 2 doses. Giving these cats meds is a nightmare! I was having to crush and dilute the Cerenia and give it. He was still foaming at the mouth after, it was so sad! Right now, after being deathly ill all of a sudden and for two weeks! he is stable with zofran and Mirataz. Need to get steroids today.
@@janicethrasher4003 Katniss devours the squeeze treats quickly and in big enough mouthfuls that she never even realizes the pill is in there. The first time I tried giving it to her last year I crushed it up (not recommended due to bitter taste and the fact it apparently diludes the effectiveness) and I experienced this exact same foaming at the mouth. We have gotten very lucky that the squeeze treats work. I learned to angle them slightly downward when feeding them to her, which just increases the odds she will swallow the mouthful quickly without ever detecting a pill. I think the trick is knowing your cat. Some people swear by the Greenies pill pockets. We tried those and Katniss will have nothing to do with them. Other people I know have a pill "injector" - it kind of looks like a big syringe - and have to force feed it this way. Very sorry to hear your cat was seriously ill recently - that is so stressful, but stable is good news! Praying it continues!
Thank you for this video! I’m dealing with a very sick kitty right now and we are waiting for the ultrasound results. Some of these symptoms sound very similar and this gives me hope!
You are so welcome! Sending good vibes for positive results. Katniss is doing great nearly a year after diagnosis. Please keep me posted on your kitty - sincerely hope everything turns out well ❤️❤️❤️
@@MeowmyandMe We just got the results today and it was the same thing! Not a clear answer, but there is no way I am getting my sweet girl a biopsy. We are trying a diet change, and she’s on an antibiotic. The day after her ultrasound she gobbled up her dry food. I have more of a positive outlook right now. Time to do more research. Thanks again!
@@janicemiller5449 so glad to hear the results were good! IBD is totally manageable and while it will likely take some trial and error to figure out what she responds best to, the good news is there is so much info out there to help guide you. Also gobbling up the hard food is a great sign! I have learned a lot more about it recently so if you ever have any questions please feel free to ask. Continued good wishes for your sweet kitty!
Thank you! It is definitely a journey trying to navigate through it. But the good news is overall Katniss is doing well and my concern is *somewhat* lessened
Thank you for this video! I've been working with my cat's tentative IBD for about a year now and it's been a frustrating, but eye-opening journey. It feels comforting others have been on a similar path. For your viewers: I could not stress enough to get pet insurance. Even if you get the lowest cost basic accident and illness coverage, please get it. I had two cats with 10 year age gaps. The eldest was a family cat that I took on and had no coverage. Between the two of them their bills became more and more expensive. Between emergency vet visits, diet changes, and medications it was costing me easily over 1-2k USD a year. I got the younger one insured because he was slowly coming up in age and I'm so glad I did. He was diagnosed with IBD and FLUTD within the past year. Just one emergency visit would have been 3,500 if I wasn't insured, but it went down significantly because he was.
@@101AngelLuv thank you so much for the feedback! I am sorry you are also going through this frustrating journey! Your advice on pet insurance is spot-on. I had no idea how much vet bills had risen or how expensive this ongoing condition could be. It is super sad to hear owners who can’t afford the treatments discuss options. I wish I could go back in time and get insurance. I am thankful I was able to get the treatments but wow was their cost a wake-up call!!!
Thank you for sharing! We are going through the testing stages with our 10 year old car Freddie. We noticed last Nov that he looked thinner and was having a fair amount of Diarrhoea. We watched him for a couple of weeks and decided to take him to the vet(thought at this time it might have been hyperthyroidism). My husband took him to the vet just before Christmas and the vet felt something on his intestines. The next day we got a call from a specialist vet that he was referred to to get a an ultrasound and biopsy (no anaesthesia needed fit the CT scan and the biopsy, not sure how they did it but they must have poked through the skin to the intestines). After Christmas (they were expecting it to be lymphoma) not cancer was detected, but they still weren't ruling out out. His protein levels were elevated. They said instead of doing the surgical biopsy they will try to take a couple more biopsies to get several samples too test for cancer again and also more blood work to test the globulins(I think that's correct) to see if they were the same(cancer) or different. Again not sign of cancer, infectious diseases, and various other things they tested for. We can't do the endoscopy because the inflammation is on the outcome of the intestines. They also decided to put Freddie on a month of antibiotics. There wasn't any changes and he is still dropping weight. The more I look up IBD the more I think it is that, I didn't realise how difficult it was to diagnose.. I'm taking him back next Monday for blood work and an ultrasound to see where he's at now. The next step is the surgical biopsy (which makes me very nervous). I'm going to ask if they can just start treating him for IBD... I imagine that a lot of people can't afford the surgery so you would think they must start treating for something regardless. Thank you for your video, it's nice to hear from someone going through the same thing.
Thank you for sharing Freddie’s story! I am sorry he is going through all of that but also glad to hear he is receiving the best treatment/testing from the vet, who sounds very on top of things. Hopefully they will allow him to start being treated for IBD. It has worked wonders for Katniss, and she has made big improvements! Please keep me posted on what they say! Sending the best vibes Freddie’s way! 🙏🏻
My girl who is now 17 years, initially started with getting regular infections, high temp with normal bloods except for low white cell count. After antibiotic injection, blood work went back to normal. However this was reoccurring every 2 months, some sort of bacterial infection. Regular antibiotic injections every two months for two years, she had multiple ultrasounds with no outcome. Another vet recommended a big coarse of specialist antibiotics (very strong for bacteria infections). This seemed to have worked and lasted 6 months, however it happened again, then intermittent vomiting, started to happen with no infection. Multiple vet visits and blood tests and she has been diagnosed with IBS. Food change didn’t happen as she is super fussy eater. So I’m on the steroid route, because she won’t budge with the food, tried the probiotics route in her food, she won’t eat it. I’m stretching the long term steroid to every 3 months ideally 4 if we can. It lasts 4 weeks normally. Also tried a water fountain, she doesn’t like that either, I end up putting teaspoon of water in her wet food. Have had stool checked and all normal, she has no diarrhoea. I have now sent off her hair sample for sensitivity testing with test my pets.com.. it’s a legit lab in the UK and they cover international shipping. I’ll see what results I get from that.
So glad you finally got an answer! That is a lot to go through and you are clearly a very caring and diligent cat owner! Fingers & paws crossed the steroids work well. I totally get how difficult it can be when cats are picky eaters. It is such a delicate balance. You are doing an awesome job caring for her - I’m definitely curious to know what the sensitivity test shows!
Not really a diagnosis, my vet believes it’s the best guess for her age as she responds well with steroid injection. I’m not going down a surgical route too invasive especially for her age. But I would consider an endoscopic biopsy of her stomach, as she has no diarrhea I don’t see the point.
I totally get it on the surgical biopsy. I won't do it either due to Katniss's bad reactions to anesthesia and the fact that the answer wouldn't even really change the treatment. I used the word "tentative diagnosis" in my video because my vet told me the same thing: it's a best guess based on what they do know, but a biopsy would be required to know 100% @@christinarainbow3115
Sounds like we are in the same boat. In the USA, you have better food options that I have found. There are great RUclips videos about cat food and what’s in them. A lot are just rubbish. They do make recommendations. But fussy cats are tricky to buy for.
@@christinarainbow3115 yes they are! Katniss has done really well with Royal Canin gastrointestinal hard and wet food. She seems to like it, although it was much easier to transition her to the dry food than the wet. You need a prescription from a vet to buy it but well worth trying (if available where you live)
Thank you for sharing your experience! Your video definitely keeps me some hope for my cat who recently got diagnosed with IBD. The cat clinic that I have been taking her to has been very helpful, and I will bring up some ideas you share on the video to the vet :)
Wow, I have gone through the same exact situation with my cat! We’ve been on the IBD roller coaster for about 10 months now. He is also very picky and will not eat any of the rx diets we’ve tried. The only thing that’s helped is Prednisolone and he occasionally needs Mirtazapine. I’m not giving up on a diet change, but his vet doesn’t want me to try too many things and rock the boat since we have him under control for the most part. Dealing with his IBD has been one of the most challenging situations of my life!
I totally understand the challenges! It’s awesome news that you have him under control now for the most part…I definitely understand the hesitation to rock the boat in that situation. Katniss received three cases of really high-quality food from a very generous company and I won’t give her any of it because I am afraid to mess up what is working now
Thank you so much for sharing. My cat and I are going through this. I used to have healthy paws insurance but left it bc they wouldn’t even cover the visits because of the vomiting. According to them if you go to the vet more than once for vomiting, it becomes a “preexisting condition” notwithstanding that it is an unknown undeclared and undiagnosed condition. So we are confronting this without insurance, they wouldn’t have helped
You’re so welcome and I am glad it was helpful! That is disappointing about your insurance - vomiting could be related to so many things that it doesn’t seem right to use this as a basis to deny claims. Sending all the good vibes to your kitty!!!!
Hi... I reviewed the ingredients of the probiotic you're giving your cat.I think it is better if you avoid titanium dioxide (it is banned in Europe). I recommend you to check Fortiflora Cats or FidoSpore by Microbiome Labs. Thank you for sharing your story!! Hope your Cat heals because they can heal! ❤❤
Thanks for your video. My ceecee is 17 we lost her sister to a large tumer in her stomach, and she sady miss her terribly and me. Ever since ceecee has cryed everyday its so sad to see . She only does this at night. she gets furballs often . She started to have diarrhoea voniting. The vet said no masses in her tummy, no food in there, and she gave her a shot for inflammation. Now she constipated so giving her katalax coconut oil butter probiotic she passed a long furball with white bits in it who knowhat that was now diarrhoea but straining to go then just little drops shes eating drinking peeing no proper poop though. She is starting to feel better and looking better, but still no propper poop shes gone off moist food, and iv put her back on Hills' sensitive stomach and skin dry food . Im still monitoring her . I did buy some vitamins and glucosamine, and it has 15 different goodness for cats. Also, the yoghurt treats she loves, so i put all her things in it, and it's gone in a minute. I hate it when they are ill because they can't say it, so observation and knowing your cat is key Just to say one vet put her out to do an ultrasound. i was so upset that he charged me for things they didn't do. Another vet said hold her but leave her back legs on the table and used a mobile ultrasound to look for anything but nothing to see, so it proves it's about the money. You can buy an ultrasound machine for a few hundred but you need their professional advice to read it. I just put this whole thing down to gastroenteritis, which they say will get better on its own .Let's hope so. Good luck, everyone ❤
thank you so much for sharing your story! You are an awesome cat mom & clearly take great care of your babies. And it can be so frustrating when vets come across like it's just about the money. Like any profession there are some great ones out there, and ones who are in it for (in my opinion) the wrong reasons. So glad to hear ceecee is doing better!
Thank you! I have a kitty that had symptoms flare up last March. He was diagnosed with IBD after an ultrasound. I had been subscribed to Helpful Vancouver Vet as well. His video is an awesome education! Thank you for your guidance. I've learned from your experience.
Thank you for letting me know! I am glad my video was helpful, and yes, the Helpful Vancouver Vet is awesome! Sending my best to your kitty. I hope his symptoms have calmed down and he is doing well!
Were Katniss' symptoms pretty constant, or would she go completely back to normal for a while before getting sick again? I have an almost 3 year old cat that started having GI symptoms in October 2024. He would lose his appetite, vomit food and then frothy bile/liquid sometimes with blood, have abdominal pain, lethargy, be less social with me and the other cats, and have diarrhea sometimes with blood in it. He would be sick for maybe 5 days total. The first time it happened, we went to the vet for x-rays, but nothing significant showed up. No obstruction and everything appeared normal. We would do fluids and cerenia, hold food, and slowly reintroduce food. Once he gets over it, he's completely back to normal. He doesn't vomit. He has normal "tootsie roll" poops. He's playful and energetic. He only vomits and has diarrhea during these episodes. He gets sick every 2-6 weeks or so. We do the same process every time. We went back to the vet a few weeks ago. My vet never actually said she thinks he has IBD. We're kinda thinking he has GERD that leads into these gastroenteritis episodes. The Vet said we could do bloodwork, but she really didn't think anything would show up. We're currently doing famotidine and omeprazole. She did send home a prescription diet, which i've mixed in with his regular food. Im hoping mixing will be enough as you know how expensive the food is, but i will switch completely if necessary. The fact that he isn't constantly sick makes me think it's not IBD, but im not sure. I know it also more commonly affects middle-aged to older cats, where mine is just about to turn 3. He's mostly maintained his weight as well. So i was just wondering if your cat (or anybody reading this) was dealing with symptoms pretty constantly, or would they go back to being completely fine for a while. Thank you!
@@CrystalMalo-94 thank you for sharing your story! To answer your question Katniss definitely goes in stages - she is completely fine, and then will slip into a flare-up where the symptoms come back temporarily. They seem to happen out of the blue. So far (and thankfully) these flare ups have been mild and spread pretty far apart. I attribute this to her diet changes and the probiotic, which I am convinced is super helpful. I switched her dry food to 100% prescription, and alternate her wet food between prescription and normal (only one brand and type however). This seems to work for her. Whenever I notice nausea coming on I give her a Cerenia tablet right away. Katniss was only 5 when she was diagnosed, which is definitely on the younger side for IBD. Sometimes I wonder if her being born to a feral colony and malnourished as a kitten contributed to her issues, but I don’t know.
Thank you!!! We are going through the same thing since Dec 2023. We had the minimal invasive biopsy- serious IBS. The change in diet, probiotics, are being done & he is still not 100%.
@@LKawai-e7e you are very welcome and I am sorry to hear about your cat. It’s great you were able to get a minimally invasive biopsy. I know every cat is different but if it makes you feel any better it took Katniss seven months (February 2023 to October 2023) to slowly return to normal. The progress was slow and included a few hiccups. I almost picture it like a tennis-ball being dropped. The first bounce is highest and then gradually the bounces get less and less dramatic until they eventually stop altogether
Love the video, planning on going to the Cat Fest. I have 3 rescued cats one who happens to be a Ragdol, the othe one is a Japanese Bob Tail mix and my last cat is a Ginger Cat. They are all females and are my babies. You have a beautiful cat, I love her eyes. Have a wonderful life with your baby. Take care.
My little runt when I adopted her five years ago in Feb. 2018 also presented with diarrhea and also leaking protein in the urine, and very skinny. It was suspected that it might be due to food allergy. I experimented with different cat foods with single species protein eg. Rabbit or venison or seafood. Seems like she was allergic to chicken because putting her on a single source turkey diet fixed both the diarrhea and kidney problem. She has been on turkey and seafood (no chicken) for five years with no recurrence.
@@robertrodman-hf1kk so glad to hear you found a solution that worked! When I was child our family cat's name was Runt. I loved that sweet girl so much. Sending the very best to you and your fur baby!
Thank you so much for all your information on IBD and also sharing katniss's experience with IBD and your experience as her meowm and how you've learned to manage her condition and also how you used the water fountain to keep her hydrated as I've also been looking into cat fountains to encourage Nala to drink more water 💜
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching! As an update on the fountain: we have used it for about a year now and Katniss loves it! You know how cats sometimes lose interest in toys or items? That hasn’t happened here - I catch her drinking out of it every couple of days! And the sight always warms my heart ❤️
Thank you so much for this! My 15 yo orange male has had digestive problems his whole life. 5 visits when he was young and no diagnosis that worked. He had a bad flare last Friday and ended up in intensive care 2 days and 1 day in hospital. He is on steroids now and Hill's Cannes and dry. He won't touch the dry. He does pretty good on the canned but I can tell he's getting bored with it. It's so good to see your vid and know this really is something not terminal and it is treatable. Thank you what a blessing!!
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful and comforting! Hopefully the diet change and steroids work well for your cat. It is quite amazing to me how much of a difference these little changes can make! Cats systems are so sensitive - keeping our fingers and paws crossed for a great outcome for you!
You are sooooooo lucky with the tube treats. No way would my cat do this. I have not found any 100% way yet to get the pills in him. He smells it out! It's so stressful.
It definitely is and I am so sorry you are experiencing this stress. It was trial and error to find what worked for Katniss with pills. I tried and failed with crushing them up, giving her pill pockets, hiding them in bits of deli meat and trying to force feed her. In the end, I leaned into what she loved best and it worked. My vet had told me that worst case I could come in for injections of cerenia, which I had been willing to do if needed. Knowing that was a backup in the worst case did provide some comfort
That's a great outcome, you did a great job. I am going through this with 2 cats right now. Both of them have always been the picky, skinny boys. My vet prescribed probiotics as well, and they get them on their food. I have a waterer that tells me how much they are each drinking. It's been helpful too to let me know who is drinking how much. (Battery powered.) That is a good fountain too, I had that before I switched to the measuring one.
@@SwearMY thank you so much! Sorry you and your cats are going through this as well but it sounds like they are on the right track! I didn’t know there was such thing as a fountain that measured water consumption! How cool! What brand is it?
I am going through the same thing. Months and months of horrible diarrhea all over the house and so thin. Many many vet visits, treatments for parasites, steroids. I have an appointment with a specialist….. but I have always said “no heroic measures” for my pets. i have several cats and a dog and the vet visits have already cost me over 3000$. I don’t know what to do.
So very sorry you and your sweet kitty are going through this. Has the vet brought up the possibility of IBD? Have you tried a prescription food, probiotic and/or B12 injections? None of those things are super expensive and may make a big difference right away. Has your kitty had an ultrasound?
I can guarantee you the vets didn’t misread your ultrasound. My cat has IBD / small cell Lymphoma and same exact symptoms as katniss. My cat only responded well to medicine though. Katniss got lucky for sure!
I am sure they didn't. At the time I didn't know and had been wondering if perhaps she caught a bug that temporarily caused her intestines to thicken (or if it were misread)- but I can't find evidence that either is actually a thing so it was just my uneducated hope/thought. Sorry to hear your cat is going through this too. I remember the vet telling me IBD was unfortunately quite common. Wishing the very best for you!
Also a follow-up ultrasound can show if it’s improved. Great video, we have the same issue, not quite as successful with change to Rx diet. Interested to hear about the probiotic. Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome! Glad it was helpful! Katniss is still taking the probiotic and it is doing awesome stuff for her - would highly recommend trying one!
Thank you for the information. I hope she is feeling better. We have similar issues with my 14 yo... except she was also diagnosed with hyperthyroid (medicating for a month now) and the sono showed enlarged pancreas (possibly the result of the Hyperthyroid. I hope). For IBD there is another less harmful steroid, Budesonide, according to the Helpful Vancouver Vet. Will be talking to my vet about that one on Thursday and discussing switching her food. Thank you! I ordered the fountain, since most of the prescription foods are dry. She is a wet food kitty. Be well.
You are so welcome and glad it was helpful! Katniss is doing well in general. This spring we will have a follow-up ultrasound to assess if the inflammation has gone down, increased or stayed the same over the past 12 months. On the surface it appears she is doing well but you never know what is going on inside their tiny bodies! Praying for good results! Thank you so much for the info about the less harmful steroid - will definitely research this! And sending the absolute best wishes to your sweet kitty. I hope the medication and diet changes make her feel much better! And I hope she loves the water fountain! It is such a relief as a cat mom to walk into the room and see them drinking out of it! ❤️❤️❤️
One of our Siamese has IBD and we went through a similar experience to you in terms of symptoms and eventually diagnosis in 2021. Her main food source is royal canin hypoallergenic kibble with hydrolysed protein. We also supplement this with Katkin wet food (steamed single source protein / meat). Poultry is a no go but lamb, pork and beef are all ok for her. Shes a very healthy girl now... :)
@@Krypt000n thank you! Katniss will have a follow-up ultrasound soon and we will know if what we have been doing is working as well as it appears to be! 🙏🏻
Just came across your vid in doing ongoing research and education. I'm about 2 months in so far with my girl having IBD/lymphoma. She's 14 so doing a biopsy is not even on the table for further diagnoses. Listening to you I could almost predict word for word what you were going to say next. Right now we're just in the phase of trying to get to the next day and celebrating the small victories. (did she not loose weight, did she eat more than 2 bites, did she have a solid poop...lol and so on) I'll be sure to check your IG and follow along.
Thank you for following along and telling me about your girl! Those small victories are big deals, because really "remission" for IBD is just a series of small victories strung together. Honestly, I totally understand about not doing the biopsy. It's so invasive and doesn't really impact the treatment much at all. Katniss and I send our continued best to your sweet cat!!!
Living this life right now! How is your kitty now? Do you know where the thickening was in your kitty? I always request the reports and my kitty had stomach and duodenum thickening, normal is 28 and his was 32. Not sure what that means yet because I've yet to see internal med. His presentation was not diarrhea but vomiting. Like you, seemingly suddenly at 20+ times one night and horribly acutely ill from there for 2 weeks (although we do think he had been having intermittent vomiting at night for around 1 year or so). He's just now perking up a bit. I thought he was going to die! Who would have known a food allergy or whatever could cause this! Wild. Just now going into the food trial with probably same products. My cat is used to every flavor Fancy Feast possible and a gazillion Temptations treats so this is going to be interesting. I so appreciate your story on the food transition, helps a lot, thank you!
Thank you for sharing your story! Katniss is about a year past diagnosis and things have been (overall) going well. By far, the few weeks at the beginning of the process were the most stressful, where she clearly felt the worst. It was stressful and awful to watch but the good news is that the second you start getting meds in them and changing even little bits of diet improvement happens fairly quickly! We will be going for a follow-up ultrasound this spring, where I will learn more about the thickening. I remember, like you mentioned about your cat, thinking she was going to die during the early part of this. B12 injections and fluids were our go-to during the earliest stages and they always seemed to perk her up. Our vet was wiling to do them when Katniss needed a boost, so this is something you might want to ask your vet about. I know B12 is water soluble so even if your cat's body doesn't need it at the moment it just gets peed out. But these can help with hydration and nutrient absorption and just making the cat feel better overall. Please keep me posted - especially about the food trial. That was definitely a huge challenge for us and we eventually settled on a middle ground, which (thank God!) appears to be working. The ultrasound will confirm that for sure!
I have a cat that is 14 1\2 and has had an ultra sound and has either IBD or lymphoma probably IBD! We live in Houston and go to a cat hospital that has cat specialist vets. He is on compound prescriptions of chlorambucil\mirtazapine and maropitant\prednisonolone . My vet believes in letting him eat whatever he will. Try Gerber ham baby food, every cat I have ever had loves it. My cat has to have a laxative every day and he will eat it in the baby food.
@@errea2323 this is really good to know! Thank you! It’s also reassuring to hear your vet believes in letting them eat whatever they will. I was never able to fully transition Katniss into a prescription diet but what she is doing is for the most part working! My best to your kitty!
My vet is Dr. William Folger at Memorial Cat Hospital! The meds are recommended from Texas A & M, they will treat Lymphoma or IBD. They are appetite stimulants, anti nausea, chemotherapy and steroids. You might check with your vet about the chemo drug.
I wish I had watched your video before I went through the exact experience with my Nora Belle. We also did the learn as you go approach. She is 14, so I opted not to go for the ultra sound. I give her vitamin b12 shots for two weeks and then once a month. I have just recently learned of her diagnosis, so your hints are most helpful and appreciated. Now my real struggle is food. I also transitioned her to a healthy dry food, which she readily eats. I’ve yet to find a wet food that she will eat. She’s always been ultra picky and now even more so. She doesn’t like the push up treats so m not sure how I’m going to give her meds. I have used the appetite stimulant quite a few times, which is extremely helpful. I’m hoping she will work with me on this journey. I am so relieved to know it’s not a death sentence🥰. Thank you for your video!
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful and I am sending my best to Nora Belle! That is good news that she has taken to the dry food. That was the easiest switch for Katniss too, whereas the wet food has been more of a challenge. In fact, it is just now that Katniss is beginning to eat the prescription wet food with the same enthusiasm she had for the other. One thing I tried, which definitely wasn't recommended by a vet but rather an idea I got from a cat rescuer friend, was giving Katniss kitten soft food occasionally. I know it is higher in calories and I was hoping it would offset some of the times she doesn't eat as much. She loved it! And surprisingly there were no stomach or litter box issues with it. I tried not to do it too often, but I noticed when she ate the kitten food she would often show more enthusiasm for other food too. As I weaned her off kitten food she started taking to the prescription soft food much easier. No idea if these things are related, but this is just what I have noticed. Katniss will be having a follow-up ultrasound this spring and I cannot wait to see if the vet notices progress!
@@MeowmyandMe thank you for that! Some people recommend baby food to get them interested in food. I’ve never had a cat. They are so challenging when it comes to food🥲
@@gailsharker5725 yes they are! I ended up asking my vet about the kitten food after having given it to Katniss for a couple of months. She told me it wasn’t something you want to do long term, but short term it was ok. I know the rescuer uses it to put weight on malnourished cats who need it. It is such a delicate balance with cats and their diets between the “ideal” and what the cat will actually eat. Wishing you the best of luck as you make these changes!
There is no such thing as "healthy" dry food. Please get your cat off the dry food -- it is the worst food for any cat, especially one with IBD. Also, avoid any canned with soy, wheat gluten, gums (such as xantham, guar), fruits, veggies, tapioca -- and stay away from re-vaccinating. Transition to Feline Natural canned -- but not the variety with fish -- which does not have the garbage ingredients and additives that USA brands contain. Also try Viva Raw.
@@SThompson953 I don’t know exactly, but what I was told about prednisolone is this: my vet wanted to try other things before steroids because she said that while they are effective they can also cause other health issues. If needed, they are typically given in the lowest dose possible and sometimes stopped after a few months to see if the cat still needs them. If symptoms come back, they are continued. I think in some cases they are a permanent treatment, although I believe they are taken every other day because it remains in their system for longer than 24 hours
Have you ever done the holistic approach of food exclusion trial on your own? I’ve done this with cats in the past without stepping foot in a clinic and it’s the best cure! Just curious also if you have ever tried a holistic vet? I highly recommend the standard process supplements for felines they have a great one for GI along with animal essentials supplements Loved your video it was very heart warming to see you obviously love your baby!! Years ago I decided to completely net my backyard enclosure and create an outdoor environment it’s been 10 years and my cat’s literally never get sick anymore. No urinary infections no diseases. But I Also feed a mostly raw and species appropriate diet I do feed some cooked food at night but it’s home made with supplements. All the vaccines disrupt their body’s flora and GI along with the “ pet food “ which contains toxins released from the cans and pouches . Staying away from kibble is also best. For crunch factor you can get raw freeze dried treats my cats like rabbit and duck! I haven’t vaccinated since they’re kitten vaccines since they are living in enclosure. My vet doesn’t push vaccines on me since she sees how healthy they are.
@@minarose3193 I have not tried this approach or a holistic vet but I would definitely be interested in learning more! It’s absolutely a topic worth exploring! Thank you for opening my eyes to another possibility!!!!
I believe you are correct that a couple of companies offer this. Pretty sure it only applies if the animal has had no issues with said condition for a defined period of time
Realizing i financially cant take care of my cats and their the only friends I have right now. Im not ready to give them away but I cant afford their treatments😔
@@zachriley1390 I am so sorry to hear this. Have they been diagnosed with IBD? What treatments are your vet recommending? I have seen groups on Facebook dedicated to helping people cover treatment costs, which might be worth checking out
@@Meowvalous1 A few Facebook groups I definitely know of are called “Ask a Veternarian, Emergency Vet Help”, “Helping pets and owners pay big vet bill to save them from being euthanized”, “GoFundMe Animal Emergency Campaigns” There are others - I would do a search for Facebook groups using a keyword phrase like “help with vet bills” and join as many as seem relevant and active. I have also seen people post GoFundMe in general cat groups (some allow it and some do not)
@@Meowvalous1 also I am so sorry about your girl! I have learned a ton more since I made this video so if you have specific questions I am more than happy to help!
@@MeowmyandMe Thank you so much for the recommendations and for being so kind. She took antibiotics, we changed her diet, and now we're giving her steroids for the itchy skin. She's on and off the antinausea meds. It's been difficult and sad to see her in such distress. Praying these changes help but we're still taking it day by day
Your experience with Katniss echoes my last 9 months with my OSH cat Si. Rollercoaster it has been. The Mirataz, Cerenia, the struggle to try successfully, to switch diets-all of it. He’s currently relatively stable, although there has been muscle waisting and he is underweight. On vet’s advice we are not doing the biopsy route-too risky and are treating as though it’s a combo of severe pancreatitis along with IBD, due to the scarring on the pancreas and the thickening of the intestines as shown on the ultrasound. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story-It’s a rough go at times. Sometimes just knowing others are out there and “get it” is enough to give you a boost of hope. I will definitely try him with the probiotics too. Thanks again.
@@kelliestanley8225 you are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful on some level, and I am sending good vibes that the probiotics and other treatments work to make your cat feel much better. I totally agree that relating to others who are going through it is helpful! Katniss goes in for a follow-up ultrasound this spring where we will see if what we have been doing has helped her intestinal track visibly. Fingers and paws crossed!
man this was really helpfully honestly, my 2yr old (ik its rlly young its super sad honestly) has been battling this since the start of this year, vomitting in january which after a vet visit that helped moved onto diarrhea all over the house. second times ultrasound made it seem like pancreatisis but further bloodwork made it clear it was IBD. She stayed for a few nights, got put on fluids, anti sickness medicine, and after being put on steroids which have acc helped this all until literally two days ago, diarrhea, lethargy, not eating as much have all returned and man at this point i just dk what to even do considering its my first time as a pet woner as well. Im doing all I can but at the same time idek if im doing all I can but I have her booked into a vet visit two days from now, insurance screwed too since its literally drained my entire £3000 insurance claims
So sorry you are going through this! It can be super stressful and I can definitely relate to the back-and-forth cycle, as Katniss went through that for many months. Hang in there - things will eventually settle down and the flare-ups will definitely lessen. You are an awesome pet owner to be so on top of this! I would highly recommend trying a probiotic as this has worked wonders in our case. Sending the best healing vibes to your sweet kitty!
Hard dry food is not good for any cat no matter their health. There are many options for home cooked or different type of meats. Everybody does the best they can though. But research does show that hard dry food is not what nature intended for cats.
That makes sense, because some less-than-natural ingredients are mixed into a lot of hard foods. The prescription hard food we have is used as a supplement to Katniss’s wet food diet. It’s GI specific so hopefully it is better for her than most. I am relieved she likes soft food as well (we go with the shreds, not the pate. Not sure if that matters)
I just lost my 8 yr old kitty, Otie to the GI Lymphoma. First vet in October didn't see it, although I said he has lost considerable weight and now starting to develop diarrhea. After a few more weeks and intense hunger hit, I called the vets as Otie was still losing weight, but eating 24/7. Second vet found the thickening, my heart sank. Fast forward after Prednisone, Vit. B-12 injections, food changes and some other meds, I had to say goodbye to Otie Jan 10th of this year. My heart is broken, home so quiet even though we have two younger kitties. So, please hold/feel your kitties to see about any weight loss, get them checked and if they do have IBD/IBS it can turn into cancer as that can be a prelude to the lymphoma. Watch those subtle signs, although I pushed the first vet for an xray as it shows the thickening, he said it wasn't needed, I know it would not have made a difference in outcome as this is not a cancer you can fix and even with surgery & chemo it is a 6-9 month gain of life, but at what cost to their quality. Otie, you are sorely missed sweet man, love you.
I am so very sorry about your loss of Otie. Your advice is spot-on; my vet has warned me that one of the reasons it is crucial to manage IBD to the best of your ability is they suspect it can later turn in to cancer. It's a scary, sad disease and it really makes you appreciate the importance of enjoying every day with our precious fur babies. Thank you for sharing your story. Katniss and I greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing, one of my cats has IBS flare ups but she'll still eat.. however my other cat deteriorated
overnight.. like Katniss she was throwing up constantly and stopped eating, drinking and pooping all together..
she was COMPLETELY FINE THE DAY BEFORE! This happened overnight.
Today we were told her intestines and her lymphnodes are enlarged SO the vet said he's already suspecting
several illnesses but I'm 100% sure it'll either be lymphoma or IBD.. she's still NOT eating on her own but
at least the puke has ceased. She's currently at the emergency vet and my anxiety won't even let me sleep..
It feels like a nightmare waiting for the vet to see us again and just praying is IBD
I am so sorry to hear this! It's great news she is at the emergency vet because that means she is in good hands. And the fact the puking has stopped is also positive. I hope they are able to diagnose and treat her quickly! Please keep us posted and sending good vibes your way!
My Siamese girl, CeeCee is on the exact same road as your Katniss. (I hope your girl is doing well!) CeeCee started with diarrhea (no vomiting) and weight loss. Vet gave Depo medrol (corticosteroid injection) and metronidazole and she improved. He did this to her about every 40-45 days for 5 months. She had the ultrasound which showed no masses. Some thickening of the intestinal wall, and mild to moderate enlarged lymph nodes. Bloodwork was good. She still would have bouts of inappetence and diarrhea. My vet said: presumptive IBD and wasn't concerned. I asked him for aggressive treatment from the beginning because she is my Heart and he is just treating the symptoms. I asked to see a specialist. The specialist did a fine needle aspiration on the lymphs which, Thank God, showed no lymphoma. I learned that that did not mean she doesn't have lymphoma in the intestines. I am struggling to keep her going. She is on Visbiome (probiotic), Elura (appetite stimulant, but am now changing her over to Mirtazipine transdermal), and Cerenia. Due to the fact that she recently (within the last 4 weeks) had steroids and B12, we cannot proceed with the biopsy surgery until it clears her system. I was under the impression that IBD and LGAL (small cell lymphoma) are NOT treated the same. Chemo is recommended for lymphoma but not for IBD. I was told of three paths for doing the biopsy necessary to confirm or rule out lymphoma: endoscopic (which can miss cancer), laparoscopic (which can get full-thickness biopsy) and open surgery which has a high recovery period. I am at the stage where I don't know what road to take. I really want to know for sure it is not cancer. I see that cat's with small-cell lymphoma can live a couple-few years, but not many, many years. CeeCee is only 7.5 years old! She sleeps with me and spoons me all night. She is my only family. Literally, I have no relatives. I have pet insurance, but I bet they will find a way not to cover this illness. I have spent $3600 ish on her (the surgery will be $6-8K additionally). I have lost three cats to cancer. But I can find no better way to spend money than on a living being that loves you. Everything else is just stuff. Bless you, Katniss. May you have many happy, happy years.
@@coinholio6863 thank you so much for sharing your story! Katniss and I are sending the best vibes to sweet CeeCee! It sounds like she is in great hands and being cared for extremely well, although I certainly understand the frustration of not having specific answers and not always being sure of the right path to take. After nearly a year of doing well, Katniss recently had her first flare-up, which ended us up back at the specialist and taught me a lot more. IBD is a tricky disease to treat and it really makes you appreciate the good days! My personal feeling about the biopsy is I would try and avoid the one that might miss cancer and also the super-invasive one that has a prolonged recovery. The reasons are if a biopsy could miss cancer I would worry about false readings, and the trauma of the other biopsy I would worry could lead to other issues. The best option imho is the minimally invasive laparoscopic biopsy that gets the full thickness. For what it is worth the specialist told me that because Katniss has done so well for going on a year with minimal intervention this leads her to believe cancer is less likely. She wasn’t concerned about a brief flare-up and said we don’t need to return unless they start happening monthly or go for many days at a time. I think you are right in that chemo is given for small-celled cancer and not IBD, however I do not think chemo is always required. My vet told me they could also treat cancer with steroids, just as they sometimes do with IBD. Perhaps this is simply a matter of different vets advocating for different strategies? I have recently joined a few Facebook groups specifically for people who have IBD kitties and it is helpful to read their posts and bounce ideas off the group. If you’re interested I can give you the group names
We go to a board certified cat specialist and my cat started with pancreatitis. After blood work and blood work sent to Texas A&M vet school and an ultrasound they are pretty sure it is IBD but it could also be lymphoma. My cat is on an anti nausea\ chemotherapy, steroid and appetite stimulant protocol! He also gets a B12 shot every 2 weeks. My vet is a cat only vet he is a board certified cat specialist. He also thinks he can eat anything he wants, the important thing is to keep his weight up!
So sorry for your fur baby. I hope she’s in a healthier path right now. ❤
@@gracehall9199 thank you so much from Katniss and I! She is doing better - I am grateful for each and every day!
Happy for Katniss!
I too love the Helpful Vancouver Vet. My Pewter was diagnosed in January 2023. I have pet insurance but we had gone to a vet a few times over the past couple years once for vomiting (diagnosis hairballs) and once for drooling (diagnosis unknown/probable nausea). None of her IBD tests or treatments are covered because they say it was preexisting. Not preexisting enough to have helped her a year or two earlier…😢
Ohhh sorry to hear that. That doesn’t seem right that they would try to connect those two unrelated visits. I hate when insurance companies play games 😾 Sending my best to Pewter!
I had to fight with my pet insurance over a new diagnosis they said was a preexisting condition too. If you haven’t already, I recommend appealing the decision with your insurance company and also telling your vet’s office about it and seeing if there’s anything they can do to help. Hopefully it’s something that can be successfully appealed with your vet’s help. I wish you luck 🤞🏻
Thank you ..went through the same thing .
My boy nearly died and he’s at the IBD/SMALL LYMPHOMA non biopsy stage.
He’s on a low steroid every 2nd day and I have removed all dry food from his diet..he’s picky eater too and I’m comfortable with the smalls fresh food diet by subscription..sometimes I feed him other wet non pate foods because I worry about hydration but I always make sure there is no carrageenan gums or preservatives gluten or fillers.
TIP****I would suggest for Cat who won’t eat or drink is to wrap them in a towel and get some gerber baby food ..that has limited ingredients chicken only etc ( keep in mind Chicken is usually the problem protein for cat with IBD but for a critical cat it serves the purpose).
Use a syringe for cats and feed them through the side of there mouth ..squirt a little on the tongue not back of the throat..do the same with water..1 to 2 jars a day then start mixing pate for water instead.
Cats can die with 2 or three days of no water.
@@klmartini906 thank you so much for the tips! Those are very great ideas! Glad to hear that your boy is doing better! This is such a rollercoaster of a disease to figure out!
It’s funny, RUclips recommended your video because I watched the Helpful Vancouver Vet’s video about IBD. I have one senior cat diagnosed with IBD and another with lymphoma, and they can both be picky eaters like beautiful Katniss. I know what you mean about the balancing act of making sure they eat enough while having a limited range of options. The struggle is real. It’s taken a year since my one cat’s IBD diagnosis to finally get her symptoms under control. Best of luck with Katniss!
Thank you so much! That is really interesting that RUclips recommended my video based on my talking about the Helpful Vancouver Vet! I definitely don’t know him but I do think he has a great channel and several of his videos have educated and comforted me! It is great that you have gotten your IBD kitty’s symptoms under control! You are so right that the struggle is real - Katniss and I are sending both of your kitties the very best wishes and continued healing purrs!
Me too. Started with Helpful Vancouver Vet. He is very soothing.
I rehomed my cat Tinkerbell (sphynx) last year, and she recently started having these symptoms. The diarrhoea is really bad, and then occasional vomiting to top it off. She lost 1.2kg, was originally 3.8kg, and is now like skin and bones. I've had to change vets, and the new vet has done all the treatment and arrived at IBD as a conclusion. She's pretty unwell and recently has started her steroids, but finding food she doesn't just bring straight back up has been really difficult. I'm super worried about her, but we're seeing the vets on friday for a checkup and hopefully some more answers. Poor baby has become partially incontinent due to the severity of her diarrhoea, which is also a huge concern. She's the sweetest little bug and sleeps under the cover with me every night, but with her pooping issues, it's been impossible to get those snuggles in as she kinda just explodes. Seeing her like this is really breaking my heart, just hoping she'll be back to herself really soon!
I am so sorry to hear about sweet Tinkerbell's struggles! Is she taking B12 injections? A probiotic? Those are two things I would definitely try no matter what, as they can only help and definitely will not harm the situation. She sounds like a very sweet cat who is in great hands! Please keep us updated on her progress. Katniss and I are sending love and healing purrs!
@MeowmyandMe So she's on a no IBD diet, but it's specifically designed to boost nutritional intake, so at least that helps, but I'm waiting for the vets suggestions on food. And no injections, but she has B12 supplements every other day as well as her steroids daily. The poop has started to harden, which is fab. I will be looking into the best long term solutions that don't include steroids as I know it's not the favourable option but honestly she was too unwell to waste time as she was just going downhill so fast. I've noticed she seems to be more herself by the day. Thanks for the love you've sent my way and for making these videos. I see so many vet centred videos, and it's really hard to follow! And sending a bunch of love to Katniss!
@@Ari.Grandmari it makes my heart happy to hear she is doing better! While I have heard steroids aren't ideal due to their long-term side effects, I completely agree with you that based on her condition described here it was the right move to start them pronto. There are a lot of benefits to using them as well...and ultimately her improving is a huge one!
@MeowmyandMe Bad news, she didn't make it. She got really sick, and they think it was cancer, not IBD. I lost her yesterday
@@Ari.Grandmari I am so incredibly sorry! My heart breaks to hear this news. Katniss and I are sending love & comfort. You took such amazing care of Tinkerbell andI am certain she knew how much she was loved
I am not going to go into my experience with a possible IBD diagnosis (I can’t without ending up 😭😭😭), just love her as much as you can. She reminds me of my sweet girl, Boogers🥲
Awww I am so sorry you have been through this! It is definitely a rollercoaster and I have spent the better part of 2023 worrying about Katniss, so I can totally relate to how upsetting the situation is to discuss. Thank you so much for the advice about loving her every day - I definitely try to, even when she is pawing me in the face at 6am because she wants to play! Katniss and I send our best - she is flattered to know she reminds you of Boogers
Let me share what we learned with our cat being diagnosed with IBD 4 years ago. The vet would give him a shot of steroids and he'd be better for about a month. You can only do that 3 times in 12 months. So, I did my own research and came up with 2 things to do... and it worked: 1) discontinue ALL dry kibble since it is made with carbs, which a cats body has no way to process. We switched to all canned pate since it should be easier to digest. 2) Feeding twice a day was too much food for his stomach to process at once. We switched to feeding smaller amounts every 8 hours. Problem solved... except for an occasional flare-up. Hope this helps if you try it.
These are great suggestions! In terms of kibble Katniss now only eats prescription by Royal Canin specific to gastrointestinal issues and it seems to be working (in conjunction with canned food and a probiotic). The smaller meals thing we do too - it used to freak me out that she wouldn’t eat much at once but watching her is comforting - she goes back for nibbles throughout the day!
Solution: Raw food diet. It turned my 17 yr old IBD cat around and within a week or 2. Boom! No diarrhea!!! She's much happier now.
@@catherinekang3657 that’s awesome! I need to learn more about feeding raw. It does seem like a lot of these IBD issues could be caused or amplified by all the ingredients added to cat food
@@MeowmyandMe yes! The ingredients are the problem. Just like when some people have auto-immune responses. The food or maybe the over vaccinations become a problem. But, in my cats case, I think it was straight up the food. She is not over vaxxed. She's only been vaxxed twice in her life. The chemicals and the highly processed ingredients are are not gut friendly. The Rx foods that the vets recommend are complete garbage too. Just read the ingredients. Corn, wheat, gluten, soy. Cats are straight up carnivores and eating grain and processed food is not something their digestive system has evolutionary evolved. I went through the same ordeal with vet. Nothing was working. Not even steroids. Finally, after looking into raw food, I tried that. It worked! Her poops are now solid. No more blood in her poop. Her poops are smaller now too and less stinky. Less waste the body has to poop out because it's usable food and not garbage. It's no more expensive to invest in raw food( not freeze dried raw) then it is too buy that expensive Rx food that is garbage. You have to slowly integrate the raw in with the food they are eating so they can get use to eating it. Some cats are addicted to kibble dry food. My cat eats Viva Raw cat food. Buy online and they ship. There's other brands too you can try.
Searching for answers myself, when you say raw food, what brands are you using or are you preparing yourself? Thank you for any information you can provide.
hope katniss feels better soon !
i know ppl that have that.. greetings
from sunny sasha saffire and i
🐈 🐾 🐈⬛
Thank you! It’s a rollercoaster but thankfully she has been doing well lately! Appreciate the good vibes!
Thank you so much for the tips about Mirataz ointment for appetite stimulation. I just started the Cernia enclosed in a treat I split with an Xacto/Excel fine point utility knife + pressed shut. Give her a treat before + after the one with a (partial) pill in it, ensures swallowing.
I can't thank you enough for the hope this is manageable. Finally, a fellow pet parent who has been on this roller coaster of ups and downs. Brewers or nutritional yeast works as an appetite stimulant, sprinkle a tiny amount on food(if not allergic to it. It is in lots of pet foods for flavor + probiotic+ B vitamins). I have mostly been able to manage it with Homeopet feline digestive upset drops-mix in/put on food per dose.You can put extra drops in water, but they will never drink it all=wasted. They can't taste it, no side effects, but I try to taper off from 3-4 doses per day to 2. If she gets Cernia, stop the drops for 48 hours to keep its effectiveness.
Best wishes! This really was ENCOURAGING
So glad the video was helpful and encouraging! That is definitely the main point I was hoping to get across - this condition is totally manageable! Yes there are ups and downs and those are stressful but altogether cats with IBD can live long, happy and fulfilling lives! And I really appreciate your tips about the Homeopet feline digestive upset drops too! I am definitely going to look into those and learn more. Thank you! And best wishes to your sweet cat - hopefully things continue getting better and better!
I can't believe you can give her Cerenia in a treat. If they chew it they taste it, how does she not spit it out?! I literally have been affixing Zofran sublingual to the outside of a Temptation treat with pill wrap. SL Zofran doesn't even taste bad, it's sweet, not bitter, and he still smarted up to that in 2 doses. Giving these cats meds is a nightmare! I was having to crush and dilute the Cerenia and give it. He was still foaming at the mouth after, it was so sad! Right now, after being deathly ill all of a sudden and for two weeks! he is stable with zofran and Mirataz. Need to get steroids today.
@@janicethrasher4003 Katniss devours the squeeze treats quickly and in big enough mouthfuls that she never even realizes the pill is in there. The first time I tried giving it to her last year I crushed it up (not recommended due to bitter taste and the fact it apparently diludes the effectiveness) and I experienced this exact same foaming at the mouth. We have gotten very lucky that the squeeze treats work. I learned to angle them slightly downward when feeding them to her, which just increases the odds she will swallow the mouthful quickly without ever detecting a pill. I think the trick is knowing your cat. Some people swear by the Greenies pill pockets. We tried those and Katniss will have nothing to do with them. Other people I know have a pill "injector" - it kind of looks like a big syringe - and have to force feed it this way. Very sorry to hear your cat was seriously ill recently - that is so stressful, but stable is good news! Praying it continues!
Thank you for this video! I’m dealing with a very sick kitty right now and we are waiting for the ultrasound results. Some of these symptoms sound very similar and this gives me hope!
You are so welcome! Sending good vibes for positive results. Katniss is doing great nearly a year after diagnosis. Please keep me posted on your kitty - sincerely hope everything turns out well ❤️❤️❤️
@@MeowmyandMe We just got the results today and it was the same thing! Not a clear answer, but there is no way I am getting my sweet girl a biopsy. We are trying a diet change, and she’s on an antibiotic. The day after her ultrasound she gobbled up her dry food. I have more of a positive outlook right now. Time to do more research. Thanks again!
@@janicemiller5449 so glad to hear the results were good! IBD is totally manageable and while it will likely take some trial and error to figure out what she responds best to, the good news is there is so much info out there to help guide you. Also gobbling up the hard food is a great sign! I have learned a lot more about it recently so if you ever have any questions please feel free to ask. Continued good wishes for your sweet kitty!
My cats have thankfully never had IBD but I was interested to watch your video and find out more. X
Thank you! It is definitely a journey trying to navigate through it. But the good news is overall Katniss is doing well and my concern is *somewhat* lessened
Thank you for this video! I've been working with my cat's tentative IBD for about a year now and it's been a frustrating, but eye-opening journey. It feels comforting others have been on a similar path.
For your viewers: I could not stress enough to get pet insurance. Even if you get the lowest cost basic accident and illness coverage, please get it. I had two cats with 10 year age gaps. The eldest was a family cat that I took on and had no coverage. Between the two of them their bills became more and more expensive. Between emergency vet visits, diet changes, and medications it was costing me easily over 1-2k USD a year. I got the younger one insured because he was slowly coming up in age and I'm so glad I did. He was diagnosed with IBD and FLUTD within the past year. Just one emergency visit would have been 3,500 if I wasn't insured, but it went down significantly because he was.
@@101AngelLuv thank you so much for the feedback! I am sorry you are also going through this frustrating journey! Your advice on pet insurance is spot-on. I had no idea how much vet bills had risen or how expensive this ongoing condition could be. It is super sad to hear owners who can’t afford the treatments discuss options. I wish I could go back in time and get insurance. I am thankful I was able to get the treatments but wow was their cost a wake-up call!!!
Thank you for sharing! We are going through the testing stages with our 10 year old car Freddie. We noticed last Nov that he looked thinner and was having a fair amount of Diarrhoea. We watched him for a couple of weeks and decided to take him to the vet(thought at this time it might have been hyperthyroidism). My husband took him to the vet just before Christmas and the vet felt something on his intestines. The next day we got a call from a specialist vet that he was referred to to get a an ultrasound and biopsy (no anaesthesia needed fit the CT scan and the biopsy, not sure how they did it but they must have poked through the skin to the intestines). After Christmas (they were expecting it to be lymphoma) not cancer was detected, but they still weren't ruling out out. His protein levels were elevated. They said instead of doing the surgical biopsy they will try to take a couple more biopsies to get several samples too test for cancer again and also more blood work to test the globulins(I think that's correct) to see if they were the same(cancer) or different. Again not sign of cancer, infectious diseases, and various other things they tested for. We can't do the endoscopy because the inflammation is on the outcome of the intestines. They also decided to put Freddie on a month of antibiotics. There wasn't any changes and he is still dropping weight. The more I look up IBD the more I think it is that, I didn't realise how difficult it was to diagnose.. I'm taking him back next Monday for blood work and an ultrasound to see where he's at now. The next step is the surgical biopsy (which makes me very nervous). I'm going to ask if they can just start treating him for IBD... I imagine that a lot of people can't afford the surgery so you would think they must start treating for something regardless. Thank you for your video, it's nice to hear from someone going through the same thing.
Thank you for sharing Freddie’s story! I am sorry he is going through all of that but also glad to hear he is receiving the best treatment/testing from the vet, who sounds very on top of things. Hopefully they will allow him to start being treated for IBD. It has worked wonders for Katniss, and she has made big improvements! Please keep me posted on what they say! Sending the best vibes Freddie’s way! 🙏🏻
My girl who is now 17 years, initially started with getting regular infections, high temp with normal bloods except for low white cell count. After antibiotic injection, blood work went back to normal. However this was reoccurring every 2 months, some sort of bacterial infection. Regular antibiotic injections every two months for two years, she had multiple ultrasounds with no outcome. Another vet recommended a big coarse of specialist antibiotics (very strong for bacteria infections). This seemed to have worked and lasted 6 months, however it happened again, then intermittent vomiting, started to happen with no infection. Multiple vet visits and blood tests and she has been diagnosed with IBS. Food change didn’t happen as she is super fussy eater. So I’m on the steroid route, because she won’t budge with the food, tried the probiotics route in her food, she won’t eat it. I’m stretching the long term steroid to every 3 months ideally 4 if we can. It lasts 4 weeks normally. Also tried a water fountain, she doesn’t like that either, I end up putting teaspoon of water in her wet food. Have had stool checked and all normal, she has no diarrhoea. I have now sent off her hair sample for sensitivity testing with test my pets.com.. it’s a legit lab in the UK and they cover international shipping. I’ll see what results I get from that.
So glad you finally got an answer! That is a lot to go through and you are clearly a very caring and diligent cat owner! Fingers & paws crossed the steroids work well. I totally get how difficult it can be when cats are picky eaters. It is such a delicate balance. You are doing an awesome job caring for her - I’m definitely curious to know what the sensitivity test shows!
Not really a diagnosis, my vet believes it’s the best guess for her age as she responds well with steroid injection. I’m not going down a surgical route too invasive especially for her age. But I would consider an endoscopic biopsy of her stomach, as she has no diarrhea I don’t see the point.
I totally get it on the surgical biopsy. I won't do it either due to Katniss's bad reactions to anesthesia and the fact that the answer wouldn't even really change the treatment. I used the word "tentative diagnosis" in my video because my vet told me the same thing: it's a best guess based on what they do know, but a biopsy would be required to know 100% @@christinarainbow3115
Sounds like we are in the same boat. In the USA, you have better food options that I have found. There are great RUclips videos about cat food and what’s in them. A lot are just rubbish. They do make recommendations. But fussy cats are tricky to buy for.
@@christinarainbow3115 yes they are! Katniss has done really well with Royal Canin gastrointestinal hard and wet food. She seems to like it, although it was much easier to transition her to the dry food than the wet. You need a prescription from a vet to buy it but well worth trying (if available where you live)
Thank you for sharing your experience! Your video definitely keeps me some hope for my cat who recently got diagnosed with IBD. The cat clinic that I have been taking her to has been very helpful, and I will bring up some ideas you share on the video to the vet :)
You are so welcome and I am glad it was helpful! Katniss and I are sending our best wishes to your cat! Please keep us posted on how things turn out!
Wow, I have gone through the same exact situation with my cat! We’ve been on the IBD roller coaster for about 10 months now. He is also very picky and will not eat any of the rx diets we’ve tried. The only thing that’s helped is Prednisolone and he occasionally needs Mirtazapine. I’m not giving up on a diet change, but his vet doesn’t want me to try too many things and rock the boat since we have him under control for the most part. Dealing with his IBD has been one of the most challenging situations of my life!
I totally understand the challenges! It’s awesome news that you have him under control now for the most part…I definitely understand the hesitation to rock the boat in that situation. Katniss received three cases of really high-quality food from a very generous company and I won’t give her any of it because I am afraid to mess up what is working now
@@MeowmyandMe Yeah, it's just not worth it. Feeding it to her even one time could cause a flare up.
@@Kitcatmom 💯 if you’ve found something that works, stick with it until/if it doesn’t - sending all the good vibes!!!
Thank you so much for sharing. My cat and I are going through this. I used to have healthy paws insurance but left it bc they wouldn’t even cover the visits because of the vomiting. According to them if you go to the vet more than once for vomiting, it becomes a “preexisting condition” notwithstanding that it is an unknown undeclared and undiagnosed condition. So we are confronting this without insurance, they wouldn’t have helped
You’re so welcome and I am glad it was helpful! That is disappointing about your insurance - vomiting could be related to so many things that it doesn’t seem right to use this as a basis to deny claims. Sending all the good vibes to your kitty!!!!
@@MeowmyandMeexactly what I told them!
Hi... I reviewed the ingredients of the probiotic you're giving your cat.I think it is better if you avoid titanium dioxide (it is banned in Europe). I recommend you to check Fortiflora Cats or FidoSpore by Microbiome Labs. Thank you for sharing your story!! Hope your Cat heals because they can heal! ❤❤
Interesting! Thanks for the info. Will definitely do some research. Appreciate that! 🙏🏻
Thanks for your video.
My ceecee is 17 we lost her sister to a large tumer in her stomach, and she sady miss her terribly and me.
Ever since ceecee has cryed everyday its so sad to see .
She only does this at night.
she gets furballs often .
She started to have diarrhoea voniting. The vet said no masses in her tummy, no food in there, and she gave her a shot for inflammation.
Now she constipated so giving her katalax coconut oil butter probiotic she passed a long furball with white bits in it who knowhat that was now diarrhoea but straining to go then just little drops shes eating drinking peeing no proper poop though.
She is starting to feel better and looking better, but still no propper poop shes gone off moist food, and iv put her back on Hills' sensitive stomach and skin dry food .
Im still monitoring her .
I did buy some vitamins and glucosamine, and it has 15 different goodness for cats. Also, the yoghurt treats she loves, so i put all her things in it, and it's gone in a minute.
I hate it when they are ill because they can't say it, so observation and knowing your cat is key
Just to say one vet put her out to do an ultrasound. i was so upset that he charged me for things they didn't do.
Another vet said hold her but leave her back legs on the table and used a mobile ultrasound to look for anything but nothing to see, so it proves it's about the money.
You can buy an ultrasound machine for a few hundred but you need their professional advice to read it.
I just put this whole thing down to gastroenteritis, which they say will get better on its own .Let's hope so.
Good luck, everyone ❤
thank you so much for sharing your story! You are an awesome cat mom & clearly take great care of your babies. And it can be so frustrating when vets come across like it's just about the money. Like any profession there are some great ones out there, and ones who are in it for (in my opinion) the wrong reasons. So glad to hear ceecee is doing better!
Thank you! I have a kitty that had symptoms flare up last March. He was diagnosed with IBD after an ultrasound. I had been subscribed to Helpful Vancouver Vet as well. His video is an awesome education! Thank you for your guidance. I've learned from your experience.
Thank you for letting me know! I am glad my video was helpful, and yes, the Helpful Vancouver Vet is awesome! Sending my best to your kitty. I hope his symptoms have calmed down and he is doing well!
Were Katniss' symptoms pretty constant, or would she go completely back to normal for a while before getting sick again?
I have an almost 3 year old cat that started having GI symptoms in October 2024. He would lose his appetite, vomit food and then frothy bile/liquid sometimes with blood, have abdominal pain, lethargy, be less social with me and the other cats, and have diarrhea sometimes with blood in it. He would be sick for maybe 5 days total. The first time it happened, we went to the vet for x-rays, but nothing significant showed up. No obstruction and everything appeared normal. We would do fluids and cerenia, hold food, and slowly reintroduce food. Once he gets over it, he's completely back to normal. He doesn't vomit. He has normal "tootsie roll" poops. He's playful and energetic. He only vomits and has diarrhea during these episodes. He gets sick every 2-6 weeks or so. We do the same process every time. We went back to the vet a few weeks ago. My vet never actually said she thinks he has IBD. We're kinda thinking he has GERD that leads into these gastroenteritis episodes. The Vet said we could do bloodwork, but she really didn't think anything would show up. We're currently doing famotidine and omeprazole. She did send home a prescription diet, which i've mixed in with his regular food. Im hoping mixing will be enough as you know how expensive the food is, but i will switch completely if necessary. The fact that he isn't constantly sick makes me think it's not IBD, but im not sure. I know it also more commonly affects middle-aged to older cats, where mine is just about to turn 3. He's mostly maintained his weight as well.
So i was just wondering if your cat (or anybody reading this) was dealing with symptoms pretty constantly, or would they go back to being completely fine for a while.
Thank you!
@@CrystalMalo-94 thank you for sharing your story! To answer your question Katniss definitely goes in stages - she is completely fine, and then will slip into a flare-up where the symptoms come back temporarily. They seem to happen out of the blue. So far (and thankfully) these flare ups have been mild and spread pretty far apart. I attribute this to her diet changes and the probiotic, which I am convinced is super helpful. I switched her dry food to 100% prescription, and alternate her wet food between prescription and normal (only one brand and type however). This seems to work for her. Whenever I notice nausea coming on I give her a Cerenia tablet right away. Katniss was only 5 when she was diagnosed, which is definitely on the younger side for IBD. Sometimes I wonder if her being born to a feral colony and malnourished as a kitten contributed to her issues, but I don’t know.
Thank you!!! We are going through the same thing since Dec 2023. We had the minimal invasive biopsy- serious IBS. The change in diet, probiotics, are being done & he is still not 100%.
@@LKawai-e7e you are very welcome and I am sorry to hear about your cat. It’s great you were able to get a minimally invasive biopsy. I know every cat is different but if it makes you feel any better it took Katniss seven months (February 2023 to October 2023) to slowly return to normal. The progress was slow and included a few hiccups. I almost picture it like a tennis-ball being dropped. The first bounce is highest and then gradually the bounces get less and less dramatic until they eventually stop altogether
Love the video, planning on going to the Cat Fest. I have 3 rescued cats one who happens to be a Ragdol, the othe one is a Japanese Bob Tail mix and my last cat is a Ginger Cat. They are all females and are my babies. You have a beautiful cat, I love her eyes. Have a wonderful life with your baby. Take care.
Katniss says thank you so much for the compliment on her eyes! You are blessed to have three cats and all the love and fun that goes along with that!
My little runt when I adopted her five years ago in Feb. 2018 also presented with diarrhea and also leaking protein in the urine, and very skinny. It was suspected that it might be due to food allergy. I experimented with different cat foods with single species protein eg. Rabbit or venison or seafood. Seems like she was allergic to chicken because putting her on a single source turkey diet fixed both the diarrhea and kidney problem. She has been on turkey and seafood (no chicken) for five years with no recurrence.
@@robertrodman-hf1kk so glad to hear you found a solution that worked! When I was child our family cat's name was Runt. I loved that sweet girl so much. Sending the very best to you and your fur baby!
Thank you so much for all your information on IBD and also sharing katniss's experience with IBD and your experience as her meowm and how you've learned to manage her condition and also how you used the water fountain to keep her hydrated as I've also been looking into cat fountains to encourage Nala to drink more water 💜
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching! As an update on the fountain: we have used it for about a year now and Katniss loves it! You know how cats sometimes lose interest in toys or items? That hasn’t happened here - I catch her drinking out of it every couple of days! And the sight always warms my heart ❤️
Thank you so much for this! My 15 yo orange male has had digestive problems his whole life. 5 visits when he was young and no diagnosis that worked. He had a bad flare last Friday and ended up in intensive care 2 days and 1 day in hospital. He is on steroids now and Hill's Cannes and dry. He won't touch the dry. He does pretty good on the canned but I can tell he's getting bored with it. It's so good to see your vid and know this really is something not terminal and it is treatable. Thank you what a blessing!!
Hill's canned
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful and comforting! Hopefully the diet change and steroids work well for your cat. It is quite amazing to me how much of a difference these little changes can make! Cats systems are so sensitive - keeping our fingers and paws crossed for a great outcome for you!
I have a 15 year old cat with IBD and both my kitties will eat Gerber ham baby food! Try it if he won't eat, he will also eat beef Tethers baby food!
@@errea2323 thank you so much I will def try that!!
You are sooooooo lucky with the tube treats. No way would my cat do this. I have not found any 100% way yet to get the pills in him. He smells it out! It's so stressful.
It definitely is and I am so sorry you are experiencing this stress. It was trial and error to find what worked for Katniss with pills. I tried and failed with crushing them up, giving her pill pockets, hiding them in bits of deli meat and trying to force feed her. In the end, I leaned into what she loved best and it worked. My vet had told me that worst case I could come in for injections of cerenia, which I had been willing to do if needed. Knowing that was a backup in the worst case did provide some comfort
That's a great outcome, you did a great job. I am going through this with 2 cats right now. Both of them have always been the picky, skinny boys. My vet prescribed probiotics as well, and they get them on their food. I have a waterer that tells me how much they are each drinking. It's been helpful too to let me know who is drinking how much. (Battery powered.) That is a good fountain too, I had that before I switched to the measuring one.
@@SwearMY thank you so much! Sorry you and your cats are going through this as well but it sounds like they are on the right track! I didn’t know there was such thing as a fountain that measured water consumption! How cool! What brand is it?
I am going through the same thing. Months and months of horrible diarrhea all over the house and so thin. Many many vet visits, treatments for parasites, steroids.
I have an appointment with a specialist….. but I have always said “no heroic measures” for my pets. i have several cats and a dog and the vet visits have already cost me over 3000$. I don’t know what to do.
So very sorry you and your sweet kitty are going through this. Has the vet brought up the possibility of IBD? Have you tried a prescription food, probiotic and/or B12 injections? None of those things are super expensive and may make a big difference right away. Has your kitty had an ultrasound?
I can guarantee you the vets didn’t misread your ultrasound. My cat has IBD / small cell Lymphoma and same exact symptoms as katniss. My cat only responded well to medicine though. Katniss got lucky for sure!
I am sure they didn't. At the time I didn't know and had been wondering if perhaps she caught a bug that temporarily caused her intestines to thicken (or if it were misread)- but I can't find evidence that either is actually a thing so it was just my uneducated hope/thought. Sorry to hear your cat is going through this too. I remember the vet telling me IBD was unfortunately quite common. Wishing the very best for you!
Also a follow-up ultrasound can show if it’s improved. Great video, we have the same issue, not quite as successful with change to Rx diet. Interested to hear about the probiotic. Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome! Glad it was helpful! Katniss is still taking the probiotic and it is doing awesome stuff for her - would highly recommend trying one!
Thank you for the information. I hope she is feeling better. We have similar issues with my 14 yo... except she was also diagnosed with hyperthyroid (medicating for a month now) and the sono showed enlarged pancreas (possibly the result of the Hyperthyroid. I hope). For IBD there is another less harmful steroid, Budesonide, according to the Helpful Vancouver Vet. Will be talking to my vet about that one on Thursday and discussing switching her food. Thank you! I ordered the fountain, since most of the prescription foods are dry. She is a wet food kitty. Be well.
You are so welcome and glad it was helpful! Katniss is doing well in general. This spring we will have a follow-up ultrasound to assess if the inflammation has gone down, increased or stayed the same over the past 12 months. On the surface it appears she is doing well but you never know what is going on inside their tiny bodies! Praying for good results! Thank you so much for the info about the less harmful steroid - will definitely research this! And sending the absolute best wishes to your sweet kitty. I hope the medication and diet changes make her feel much better! And I hope she loves the water fountain! It is such a relief as a cat mom to walk into the room and see them drinking out of it! ❤️❤️❤️
Best of luck! I'll be praying for you guys. Thank you again.@@MeowmyandMe
@@oxanac9715 thank you so much! And you as well 🙏🏻
biopsy is 10k in my area
@@ivan2340 wow! That is definitely an expense that not everyone could swing, especially without insurance
One of our Siamese has IBD and we went through a similar experience to you in terms of symptoms and eventually diagnosis in 2021. Her main food source is royal canin hypoallergenic kibble with hydrolysed protein. We also supplement this with Katkin wet food (steamed single source protein / meat). Poultry is a no go but lamb, pork and beef are all ok for her. Shes a very healthy girl now... :)
So glad to hear she is doing well and you have found a diet that works for her! Continued good wishes being sent your way from Katniss and I!!!
@@MeowmyandMe Thanks. Likewise, all the best.
@@Krypt000n thank you! Katniss will have a follow-up ultrasound soon and we will know if what we have been doing is working as well as it appears to be! 🙏🏻
Just came across your vid in doing ongoing research and education. I'm about 2 months in so far with my girl having IBD/lymphoma. She's 14 so doing a biopsy is not even on the table for further diagnoses. Listening to you I could almost predict word for word what you were going to say next. Right now we're just in the phase of trying to get to the next day and celebrating the small victories. (did she not loose weight, did she eat more than 2 bites, did she have a solid poop...lol and so on) I'll be sure to check your IG and follow along.
Thank you for following along and telling me about your girl! Those small victories are big deals, because really "remission" for IBD is just a series of small victories strung together. Honestly, I totally understand about not doing the biopsy. It's so invasive and doesn't really impact the treatment much at all. Katniss and I send our continued best to your sweet cat!!!
Living this life right now! How is your kitty now? Do you know where the thickening was in your kitty? I always request the reports and my kitty had stomach and duodenum thickening, normal is 28 and his was 32. Not sure what that means yet because I've yet to see internal med. His presentation was not diarrhea but vomiting. Like you, seemingly suddenly at 20+ times one night and horribly acutely ill from there for 2 weeks (although we do think he had been having intermittent vomiting at night for around 1 year or so). He's just now perking up a bit. I thought he was going to die! Who would have known a food allergy or whatever could cause this! Wild. Just now going into the food trial with probably same products. My cat is used to every flavor Fancy Feast possible and a gazillion Temptations treats so this is going to be interesting. I so appreciate your story on the food transition, helps a lot, thank you!
Thank you for sharing your story! Katniss is about a year past diagnosis and things have been (overall) going well. By far, the few weeks at the beginning of the process were the most stressful, where she clearly felt the worst. It was stressful and awful to watch but the good news is that the second you start getting meds in them and changing even little bits of diet improvement happens fairly quickly! We will be going for a follow-up ultrasound this spring, where I will learn more about the thickening. I remember, like you mentioned about your cat, thinking she was going to die during the early part of this. B12 injections and fluids were our go-to during the earliest stages and they always seemed to perk her up. Our vet was wiling to do them when Katniss needed a boost, so this is something you might want to ask your vet about. I know B12 is water soluble so even if your cat's body doesn't need it at the moment it just gets peed out. But these can help with hydration and nutrient absorption and just making the cat feel better overall. Please keep me posted - especially about the food trial. That was definitely a huge challenge for us and we eventually settled on a middle ground, which (thank God!) appears to be working. The ultrasound will confirm that for sure!
I have a cat that is 14 1\2 and has had an ultra sound and has either IBD or lymphoma probably IBD! We live in Houston and go to a cat hospital that has cat specialist vets. He is on compound prescriptions of chlorambucil\mirtazapine and maropitant\prednisonolone . My vet believes in letting him eat whatever he will. Try Gerber ham baby food, every cat I have ever had loves it. My cat has to have a laxative every day and he will eat it in the baby food.
@@errea2323 this is really good to know! Thank you! It’s also reassuring to hear your vet believes in letting them eat whatever they will. I was never able to fully transition Katniss into a prescription diet but what she is doing is for the most part working! My best to your kitty!
My vet is Dr. William Folger at Memorial Cat Hospital! The meds are recommended from Texas A & M, they will treat Lymphoma or IBD. They are appetite stimulants, anti nausea, chemotherapy and steroids. You might check with your vet about the chemo drug.
@@errea2323 thank you! Will do!
I wish I had watched your video before I went through the exact experience with my Nora Belle. We also did the learn as you go approach. She is 14, so I opted not to go for the ultra sound. I give her vitamin b12 shots for two weeks and then once a month. I have just recently learned of her diagnosis, so your hints are most helpful and appreciated. Now my real struggle is food. I also transitioned her to a healthy dry food, which she readily eats. I’ve yet to find a wet food that she will eat. She’s always been ultra picky and now even more so. She doesn’t like the push up treats so m not sure how I’m going to give her meds. I have used the appetite stimulant quite a few times, which is extremely helpful. I’m hoping she will work with me on this journey. I am so relieved to know it’s not a death sentence🥰. Thank you for your video!
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful and I am sending my best to Nora Belle! That is good news that she has taken to the dry food. That was the easiest switch for Katniss too, whereas the wet food has been more of a challenge. In fact, it is just now that Katniss is beginning to eat the prescription wet food with the same enthusiasm she had for the other. One thing I tried, which definitely wasn't recommended by a vet but rather an idea I got from a cat rescuer friend, was giving Katniss kitten soft food occasionally. I know it is higher in calories and I was hoping it would offset some of the times she doesn't eat as much. She loved it! And surprisingly there were no stomach or litter box issues with it. I tried not to do it too often, but I noticed when she ate the kitten food she would often show more enthusiasm for other food too. As I weaned her off kitten food she started taking to the prescription soft food much easier. No idea if these things are related, but this is just what I have noticed. Katniss will be having a follow-up ultrasound this spring and I cannot wait to see if the vet notices progress!
@@MeowmyandMe thank you for that! Some people recommend baby food to get them interested in food. I’ve never had a cat. They are so challenging when it comes to food🥲
@@gailsharker5725 yes they are! I ended up asking my vet about the kitten food after having given it to Katniss for a couple of months. She told me it wasn’t something you want to do long term, but short term it was ok. I know the rescuer uses it to put weight on malnourished cats who need it. It is such a delicate balance with cats and their diets between the “ideal” and what the cat will actually eat. Wishing you the best of luck as you make these changes!
There is no such thing as "healthy" dry food. Please get your cat off the dry food -- it is the worst food for any cat, especially one with IBD. Also, avoid any canned with soy, wheat gluten, gums (such as xantham, guar), fruits, veggies, tapioca -- and stay away from re-vaccinating. Transition to Feline Natural canned -- but not the variety with fish -- which does not have the garbage ingredients and additives that USA brands contain. Also try Viva Raw.
Awesome and informative video! How often do you give your baby the treat with the probiotic in it?
Thank you so much! I feed her the treat with the probiotic in it once a day, typically right before bedtime. It is a ritual she knows and loves now!
Do you happen to know how long a cat can safely stay on prednisolone for IBD?
@@SThompson953 I don’t know exactly, but what I was told about prednisolone is this: my vet wanted to try other things before steroids because she said that while they are effective they can also cause other health issues. If needed, they are typically given in the lowest dose possible and sometimes stopped after a few months to see if the cat still needs them. If symptoms come back, they are continued. I think in some cases they are a permanent treatment, although I believe they are taken every other day because it remains in their system for longer than 24 hours
Have you ever done the holistic approach of food exclusion trial on your own? I’ve done this with cats in the past without stepping foot in a clinic and it’s the best cure! Just curious also if you have ever tried a holistic vet? I highly recommend the standard process supplements for felines they have a great one for GI along with animal essentials supplements
Loved your video it was very heart warming to see you obviously love your baby!! Years ago I decided to completely net my backyard enclosure and create an outdoor environment it’s been 10 years and my cat’s literally never get sick anymore. No urinary infections no diseases. But I Also feed a mostly raw and species appropriate diet I do feed some cooked food at night but it’s home made with supplements. All the vaccines disrupt their body’s flora and GI along with the “ pet food “ which contains toxins released from the cans and pouches . Staying away from kibble is also best. For crunch factor you can get raw freeze dried treats my cats like rabbit and duck! I haven’t vaccinated since they’re kitten vaccines since they are living in enclosure. My vet doesn’t push vaccines on me since she sees how healthy they are.
@@minarose3193 I have not tried this approach or a holistic vet but I would definitely be interested in learning more! It’s absolutely a topic worth exploring! Thank you for opening my eyes to another possibility!!!!
@@MeowmyandMe I love the animal essentials colon rescue an tinkle tonic look into them they help prevent .. along with natural diet
@@minarose3193 I definitely will! Thank you so much!!!
isnt there a pet insurance that supports pre-existing conditions too? Ive seen one or two in the market but I don't know the specifics unfortunately.
I believe you are correct that a couple of companies offer this. Pretty sure it only applies if the animal has had no issues with said condition for a defined period of time
Realizing i financially cant take care of my cats and their the only friends I have right now. Im not ready to give them away but I cant afford their treatments😔
@@zachriley1390 I am so sorry to hear this. Have they been diagnosed with IBD? What treatments are your vet recommending? I have seen groups on Facebook dedicated to helping people cover treatment costs, which might be worth checking out
@@MeowmyandMeI would love to know what those groups are called. My girl is going through this and I don't know how I'm going to afford it.
@@Meowvalous1 A few Facebook groups I definitely know of are called “Ask a Veternarian, Emergency Vet Help”, “Helping pets and owners pay big vet bill to save them from being euthanized”, “GoFundMe Animal Emergency Campaigns” There are others - I would do a search for Facebook groups using a keyword phrase like “help with vet bills” and join as many as seem relevant and active. I have also seen people post GoFundMe in general cat groups (some allow it and some do not)
@@Meowvalous1 also I am so sorry about your girl! I have learned a ton more since I made this video so if you have specific questions I am more than happy to help!
@@MeowmyandMe Thank you so much for the recommendations and for being so kind. She took antibiotics, we changed her diet, and now we're giving her steroids for the itchy skin. She's on and off the antinausea meds. It's been difficult and sad to see her in such distress. Praying these changes help but we're still taking it day by day
What has been your cat's experience with IBD?
Your experience with Katniss echoes my last 9 months with my OSH cat Si. Rollercoaster it has been. The Mirataz, Cerenia, the struggle to try successfully, to switch diets-all of it. He’s currently relatively stable, although there has been muscle waisting and he is underweight. On vet’s advice we are not doing the biopsy route-too risky and are treating as though it’s a combo of severe pancreatitis along with IBD, due to the scarring on the pancreas and the thickening of the intestines as shown on the ultrasound. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story-It’s a rough go at times. Sometimes just knowing others are out there and “get it” is enough to give you a boost of hope. I will definitely try him with the probiotics too. Thanks again.
@@kelliestanley8225 you are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful on some level, and I am sending good vibes that the probiotics and other treatments work to make your cat feel much better. I totally agree that relating to others who are going through it is helpful! Katniss goes in for a follow-up ultrasound this spring where we will see if what we have been doing has helped her intestinal track visibly. Fingers and paws crossed!
man this was really helpfully honestly, my 2yr old (ik its rlly young its super sad honestly) has been battling this since the start of this year, vomitting in january which after a vet visit that helped moved onto diarrhea all over the house. second times ultrasound made it seem like pancreatisis but further bloodwork made it clear it was IBD. She stayed for a few nights, got put on fluids, anti sickness medicine, and after being put on steroids which have acc helped this all until literally two days ago, diarrhea, lethargy, not eating as much have all returned and man at this point i just dk what to even do considering its my first time as a pet woner as well. Im doing all I can but at the same time idek if im doing all I can but I have her booked into a vet visit two days from now, insurance screwed too since its literally drained my entire £3000 insurance claims
shes also completely on a hydrolysed diet no treats and probiotic within food to promote gut bacteria
So sorry you are going through this! It can be super stressful and I can definitely relate to the back-and-forth cycle, as Katniss went through that for many months. Hang in there - things will eventually settle down and the flare-ups will definitely lessen. You are an awesome pet owner to be so on top of this! I would highly recommend trying a probiotic as this has worked wonders in our case. Sending the best healing vibes to your sweet kitty!
Hard dry food is not good for any cat no matter their health. There are many options for home cooked or different type of meats. Everybody does the best they can though. But research does show that hard dry food is not what nature intended for cats.
That makes sense, because some less-than-natural ingredients are mixed into a lot of hard foods. The prescription hard food we have is used as a supplement to Katniss’s wet food diet. It’s GI specific so hopefully it is better for her than most. I am relieved she likes soft food as well (we go with the shreds, not the pate. Not sure if that matters)
Nature doesn’t intend anything. And if your cat has a food allergy sometimes the specially engineered kibble for that allergy is the best choice.
Kibble is terrible for cats. I understand the struggle but this is so bad for kidneys. Why not make your own food using novel protein?
@@alexandrac9536 this is not something I know much about but will definitely look into it. Thank you for the suggestion!!!