Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease
By Lisa Provost
By Lisa Provost
Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of disorders that cause inflammation of the stomach lining or intestinal tracts, causing changes in the normal bodily functions that these organs perform. It's an uncontrolled inflammatory response, resulting in the influx of inflammatory cells into various parts of the gastrointestinal tract.
IBD is not curable and there is no definitive cause. But it can be successfully managed through diet change, medications, therapeutic and holistic treatments. The possible causes being researched are parasites that cause the cat to produce antibodies which attacks it's own digestive tract; food allergies or intolerance; an inappropriate immune response to the natural flora in the intestines; or the result of a certain bacteria.
IBD is not the same thing as IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS is occasional GI and intestinal inflammation or distress, whereas IBD is chronic and in some cases severe inflammation that spreads to other areas of the GI tract, intestines and many other organs. If the inflammation isn't brought under control, it can cause such problems as malabsorption of nutrients, poor digestion and scar-like fibrous tissue.
Symptoms can range from vomiting, bad breath (halitosis), diarrhea, constipation, increased thirst from dehydration, gas, rumbling and gurgling in the stomach, abdominal pain, anorexia, moderate to severe weight loss, litter box refusal, dark/tarry stools, lethargy and depression, weakness and fatigue, vitamin deficiencies and anemia. IBD never stays just IBD. Once inflammation sets into the body, whether you're a cat or a human, it usually means complications of some kind either from the disease or medications that cause side effects. Unfortunately, sometimes there's no way around that and the only choice is to treat the IBD or risk the disease progressing quickly, complicating recovery further.
Nausea is a very big problem in IBD cats and one that affects their ability to stabilize the disease. Your cat may need to be on an anti-nausea medication in order to eat without vomiting. There can also be considerable costs between the testing, diagnostics, food, treatments and medications and sometimes hospitalizations. But without some or all of these interventions your cat cannot start to improve until it may be too late to stop the progression of the disease.
Here's why it's so complicated. Your GI tract acts as a second brain with a rich network of nerves and ganglia, communicating directly with the brain and the heart. Your digestive system also affects your moods through the hundreds of chemicals and hormones it produces, which is why some cats suffer depression with this disease. There are literally trillions of microbes inside of all of us, human and animal. Altering these healthy bacteria that inhabit the GI tract can affect conditions ranging from IBD to asthma and allergies. Hence, the food allergies and other complications reacting to disturbances in the GI tract.
Tests usually consist of a blood panel, a biochemical profile, a complete T4 to check for hyperthyroidism, a urinalysis and fecal exam. X-Rays and an ultrasound don't help diagnose IBD but are useful to rule out other medical conditions such as cancer. The only definitive way to diagnose IBD is through a biopsy of the intestinal tract where increased numbers of plasma cells called lymphocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophils are seen in the intestinal wall. The types of cells present will provide a complete diagnosis of which type of IBD the cat has. It should be noted that a biopsy doesn’t always provide a definitive answer, as IBD is an ever-changing condition. It should first be discussed with your vet as to whether your pet’s condition warrants an immediate biopsy or if there could be complications from the operation. Sometimes there are underlying conditions that can affect your pet’s ability to undergo surgery.
The best and most proactive thing you could ever do is take your cat to the vet and insist on running some of these tests if your cat is vomiting more than once or twice a week. That's usually an indicator that something isn't right. Of course cats get hairballs. But if the vomit consists of white foam or bile with mucus, call your vet immediately and tell them you're concerned. Bile should not be regurgitated on a normal basis and should always be checked. Also have your cat checked when there is any type of hard or dark, tarry stool that may sometimes contain blood, or if there’s urine containing blood.
Unfortunately, there can be a lot of complications with IBD if not checked and treated in a timely manner. Some of these include Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver disease), Pancreatitis, Hyperthyroidism, Chronic Renal Failure or Cancer. This doesn't mean your cat will automatically get these complications, these are just things to keep in mind when putting off that initial trip to the vet. But the sooner the better as to catch the disease in it’s earliest stages, before it can cause too much damage.
We have a good handle on IBD and similar diseases with people but there is currently not enough research on cats with this disease. Most research concentrates on cats and dogs together and answers probably won’t be found that way since a cat’s body is so different from a dog’s. Even though dogs also get IBD, a cat’s bile duct is much closer to the pancreas because of their size.
Look for foods that are free of grains. Cats are natural carnivores and domestication hasn't changed that. Corn is one of the worst things that can be added to cat food, as it's highly indigestible even for humans. I happen to love corn, but I don't eat it every day and neither should your cat. In fact, they shouldn't eat it at all. When an outdoor or feral cat gets hungry, does it run for a corn or wheat field for dinner? Absolutely not! It goes hunting for birds, rodents, frogs…MEAT. Dry food is notorious for the way it's over-processed leaving very little left for nutrients, something your cat will need every last bit of. Even if your cat doesn't currently have any digestive problems, staying away from any and all of the following ingredients, if it can be helped, will benefit you and your cat in the long run.
Wheat, wheat germ, wheat gluten, barley, rye, oats or oatmeal for an IBD kitty, are ingredients that are known to irritate the GI tract. Gluten allergies in humans cause high increases of Celiac Disease every year. Celiac Disease is an extreme allergic autoimmune response to gluten and it can also be life threatening. Gluten is a protein that's commonly found in Rye, Wheat and Barley. Upon researching Feline IBD extensively I’ve found it to have a lot of similarities with Celiac disease. That makes sense since out of the many triggers for IBD food issues seem to be at the top of the list for both humans and pets. People can easily change their diet and lifestyle once diagnosed. Cats are the hardest to feed of most pets as they're already finicky eaters. Diet change with IBD is a must for their survival and is nothing short of a miracle with cats. But it can be done and must be done slowly and methodically.
What does seem to work better than anything else for IBD in both humans and pets, is a raw food diet. The amount of healthy bacteria, microbes and enzymes still present in uncooked foods creates a much more hospitable environment for the cat’s natural defense mechanisms and an “inhospitable” one for the disease. This enables their bodies to begin healing itself almost immediately after changing them to raw foods. Within days a difference can be seen in symptoms, appetite and attitude. Many cats are then able to go off all of their medications, including steroids, which suppress the immune system to the extent of sometimes causing or exacerbating other health conditions.
You want to feed a single, novel protein like rabbit, lamb, duck or venison; something that your cat isn’t usually exposed to in their diet. These are specially processed to break down the structure of the protein into multiple, tiny particles that the immune system will not recognize as an allergen. Food allergies are just one source of inflammation and this is a way of tricking the immune response in your cat’s body. Sometimes it’s a specific allergy they have to chicken, beef, egg, etc. It’s a process of elimination.
Not all cats want to eat a raw diet at first and it has to be added slowly to their meals. Especially if your cat has had appetite problems due to nausea and pain, it may take awhile, so be patient. If you’ve successfully switched your cat and they seem to be progressing well and healing nicely, then think about switching up that protein. Rotating their diet constantly will discourage their bodies from getting used to one set of ingredients and developing an allergy to it. Would you want to eat the same thing for the rest of your life? I highly doubt it, and they shouldn't either. Cases of Feline IBD and the conditions associated with it are on the rise. Even if your cat has never had any intestinal problems, educating yourself about this serious condition could help possibly avoid any future issues. It may even help save your cat’s life.
