On 9/2/06, Nina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Their mom has been diagnosed with IBD, so that very well may be it. Is it genetic? I dont' know too much about IBD yet as Ciara was recently diagnosed, maybe 2-3 weeks ago. We are still working on getting her symptoms under control. I have heard about all different sorts of diets working for different people. Some swear by rabbit (I don't think I can feed rabbit. That would be like feeding cat, to me.) Some by venison, etc. I'm guessing it depends on the cat?
Hi Kelley,
I understand what you mean about hating kitten season. I'm so sorry for
all the losses you've had to endure. I love all babies, but after being
in rescue I can't look at any of them without a touch of sadness. I
hate that!
The symptoms you describe sound like IBD, (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
to me. It's a catch-all term used when the vets have done all the tests
and can't figure out what the heck is going on. The symptoms include
uncontrolled diarrhea and/or vomiting, thickened intestine walls and
malnutrition. There is an IBD list that I joined when my Gypsy
developed IBD after an accidental vaccine overdose. Generally the
people and the rules on the list are a royal pain in the a**, but I did
get some valuable information there that helped save Gypsy's life,
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FelineIBD ). I have found that diet is a
key factor. Switching Gypsy to a raw diet was the turning point in her
recovery, (she's now on a cooked turkey diet that keeps her bowels
relatively normal and allows her to maintain her weight. Food allergies
usually play a part, low allergen foods and getting them on a "novel"
protein is usually the first step. If they are on dry food, get them
off of it immediately. Steroids are also commonly used to help control
IBD, Budesonide is sometimes favored over Prednisone. I hate putting
kitties on steroids because it lowers their immune response and has long
term side effects, but when someone is in grave danger... I've had very
good luck with homeopathics, but it was a long time before I found the
right remedies for Gypsy. As I mentioned before, B12 injections seemed
to help too. Get a scale you can use at home so you can monitor Rory's
weight without having to go to the vet. Hugs and best wishes to you my
dear,
Nina
Hi Nina,
Their mom has been diagnosed with IBD, so that very well may be it. Is it genetic? I dont' know too much about IBD yet as Ciara was recently diagnosed, maybe 2-3 weeks ago. We are still working on getting her symptoms under control. I have heard about all different sorts of diets working for different people. Some swear by rabbit (I don't think I can feed rabbit. That would be like feeding cat, to me.) Some by venison, etc. I'm guessing it depends on the cat?
--
Vist the Austin Siamese Rescue store and save a kitty life!
http://www.cafepress.com/austinsiamese
