I just ordered your Gastiplex product because I am desperate. I have a 15 y/o neutered kitty that has has IBD for several years. This diagnosis is informal but a shared opinion among three vets (2 western and 1 holistic). He is currently taking 10 mg daily prednislone. He has a primary raw diet (chicken or turkey mixed with powdered Feline Instincts) with some premium canned (chicken, turkey, lamb). No grains. This diet has been stable for the past several years. He weighs about 8 – 9 pounds, very thin. Past month he has started sneezing a lot so I’m wondering if the pred is to blame for that.
Up to this past January, we got by with 2.5 mg pred about every 2nd or 3rd day. But then he flared up and I have not been able to get the diarrhea under control. I chart daily and have eliminated raw turkey, canned rabbit, canned fish because of big diarrhea. He won’t eat other proteins (venison, duck, etc.). He still gets diarrhea with some canned chicken. I am running out of food to feed him without significantly increasing the pred. While you wrote that chicken is highly allergenic, this seems to upset him less than other proteins so I thought I would start with that first for a rotation diet. My holistic vet says to keep the diet as simple as possible. Other than daily (1 X) diarrhea and a weight drop, he seems almost fine. But I know animals can hide their illnesses well.
Questions: Does IBD get worse with age and there is not much you can do about it? Like I said, I don’t know what else I can feed him and if he responds negatively to the chicken then I won’t know what to do.
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. First, to start with the diet, have you tried raw prepared diets such as the Honest Kitchen, Wild Kitty or Wysong? They may be easier than having to prepare a raw diet and may give you several formulations to choose from when she gets finicky. Also pumpkin and fiber supplements may also help firm up the diarrhea. Slowing the GI tract down with fiber can give the colon a chance to absorb more water thereby firming-up the stool.
IBS doesn’t necessarily get worse with age but worse because the inciting cause has not been revealed. The prednisolone is suppressing the immune system reaction, but does not give an answer as to why the GI is inflamed and reactive in the first place.
Gastriplex may well help because it contains probiotics and licorice, which helps with GI inflammation. You may also want to speak with an acupuncture vet to try Chinese herbs; there are some excellent herbs that contain Atractylodes and rehmannia that work very well for IBD signs.
As for the sneezing, I have found many of my older animals begin acute sneezing episodes due to a tooth root abscess that has connected to the nasal passage. It chronically drains into the nasal passage creating irritation and persistent sneezing. It may be something you can check out with dental x-rays. I’m assuming your cat has also been treated (even if tested negative) for intestinal worms and/or coccidia, both of which can cause continual diarrhea. I hope some of these ideas help, best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA