Dear Dr Smith,
I have a 3 year old, 11 lb. male tabby (big boy!) who has been dealing with the symptoms of IBD for over a year now. I went through this with his sister a year before. Both came on after several treatments of Frontline Plus. The sister came out of it after months of using Purina Fortiflora. The boy is not. I’ve had him to the vet several times and she suggested Hills prescription diet and the Fortiflora. This has not worked. She now wants to to all kinds of tests to the tune of $$$. I have switched them (I have 3 babies) to Natural Balance LID and their treat for the day is to split a small can of BG (Before Grain) natural meats. This is helping but the problem is not resolved. I was told, and after study, to give him slippery elm. I do not know how much to give him. I saw in several products the amount of 200mg. once a day. Would this be an appropriate amount? I do not have a holistic vet in my area but, I am willing to try this for my buddy. Can you help?
Thanks,
Alice
Response
Hello Alice,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. I recommend offering an even more whole food diet, possibly a commercially prepared raw or home cooked diet. Often the protein or carbohydrate in the diet is the culprit so you may elect to change the formulation to see if he responds better to alternative foods (rabbit, salmon, venison etc.)
Slippery Elm is very good for inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. You may want to consider Gastriplex by Thorne, which does contain slippery elm 200mg (up to 400mg is fine for a cat) probiotics and licorice, which helps reduce inflammation. Also, true IBD is very sensitive to stress so play therapy and calming botanicals can often decrease the incidence of flare-ups. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA