Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

I know it's probably rare.

My 8 year old male cat had been losing weight like crazy and ravenously hungry all the time.
We thought over active thyroid but of course it couldn't be that simple.
He tested fine for thyroid, fine for diabetes, fine for EVERYTHING else. (liver, kidney, you name it) The only thing was a high white count.

They did an xray- inconclusive.

They did a sonogram- they found enlarged lymph nodes- they did a needle biopsy- turns out it was not showing positive for lymphoma. Which is good.

But they are stumped.

They prescribed a steroid (predinose) to help with the inflamation, but it doesn't seem to be helping .

He is begging for food constantly. When he eats it is like a cat who hasn't eaten in a week- he goes through it in 5 minutes. He vomits a lot- but the vet isn't sure if that is because he is eating so damn fast and so much (which cat's stomachs are not designed to handle) or because of the inflammation in his bowel
He is VERY gassy. If you squeeze his belly you can feel gas moving around. He is farting like mad.
He is so damn skinny it's scary. He went from 12 to 8 pounds in about a year. he looks like a cat who has been abandoned in the street for months.

The vet even recommmended bulking up his meals with white bread slices cut up and mixed in for calories.

We just upped the dose of the steorids to see if it helps and he has to go back to the vet in 10 days to see if it's working.

I'm just so lost. He acts fine. He's playful, doesn't seem to be in any pain, not sleepy , not lethargic, eats an INSANE amount but he is ALWAYS hungry and always trolling for food. If we don't cover all food, he will snatch it. I'm talking chips, pizza crusts, ANYTHING we might leave out.

The other day was the last straw. He vomited and I didn't see it in time (it was in the other room). I walk in and he is EATING HIS OWN VOMIT


I feel awful. We have spent well over $1000 for these tests and my vets are amazing with calling me and working with me and trying to find a diagnosis but short of exploratory surgery - which they don't recommend and would cost a fortune- they can't seem to figure him out.

Just curious if anyone has dealt with this... though I know it's a long shot!

My house is destroyed from the vomiting. He only seems to vomit on carpeting- never tile or hardwood floor areas. We are constantly cleaning up puke.
It's just sad to see him like this, and as much as we try, we can't seem to fix it.

Message edited 5/9/2017 4:20:50 PM.

Re: Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

Obligatory I don't have a cat, but my dog had all sorts of weird stomach issues.
After many surgeries, biopsies, testing etc., the thing that worked was prescription food.
First it was the dry versions which were better for him but the wet version is what made everything better.
This wet food smells and looks so disgusting but he's been doing well for years now.
Just to join in your misery, I'll tell you that my dog doesn't eat his own poop, but he eats his brother's, I like to believe it's because they eat different food but I definitely could be lying to myself.
Hope you find an answer soon.

Re: Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

Re: Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

Is he dehydrated in any way ?

My girl is hyperthyroid, and since putting her on meds and a special low iodine diet, she has stopped vomiting and has gained back some of her weight.
she only eats dry food though, will not eat the special diet wet food. Vet is ok with that, she drinks a lot of water on her own.

You said he testing negative for hyperthyroid, but what do the vets think about trying a low iodine diet and some iv hydration ?

Re: Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

Re: Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

Yes, I had a cat that had IBS. He lived until he was 13. I believe he eventually died from lymphoma.

He never got too thin though, for some strange reason.

But he would have vomiting spells and really bad sometimes. As he got older, he would get it bad and they would put him on steroids.

However, I think stress is what set these bad spells off. I was away for a year and he had a bad spell, but he pushed through. Then he got sick right before I got home and died 2 days later.

It's such a hard disease to diagnose in cats and it gets expensive if you start running a lot of tests. Luckily, we had practically free vet care for them (sister was vet tech).

Can you try food for a sensitive stomach? Can you get some a/d (Hill's prescription diet a/d)? It's a high calorie food, so that might help with the weight.

It's good that he's eating, though. It can get dangerous for their liver if they stop eating.

Have you had a full blood panel done? What about the teeth? Sometimes the teeth can have something to do with it.

Re: Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

Long shot but... anyone ever have a cat with inflammatory bowel disease?

AWW, poor guy. No experience, but Dr Saver located in New Hyde park is a cat vet only. If you need a second opinion I recommend her highly

HUGS to your little man