How to Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Cats With Diet

IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease in cats is equivalent to IBS in humans. Caused by an overactive immune response in some cases, the immune system attacks the healthy cells of the digestive tract and presents with vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy, weight loss and anemia. In other cases, the cause is bacterial. Harmful bacteria colonizes the intestine or colon of the animal and the immune system responds, causing the same symptoms. Diet plays an important role in managing IBD, as it is key in reducing inflammation of the digestive tract.

Things You'll Need

  • Chicken/duck
  • Rice/potato
  • High-quality pet food
  • Bottled water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove all food and food sources from your cat. This includes treats. Bring the cat indoors if it is an outdoor pet. You cannot control what your cat is consuming if it has access to the outdoors.

    • 2

      Create a feeding routine and stick with it. Feed at the same time every day, in appropriate amounts for the life stage of your cat. Young cats of a healthy weight will eat more than a largely inactive or older cat. If the cat is over- or underweight, adjust feeding accordingly to bring it back to a healthy weight.

    • 3

      Feed a protein and a carbohydrate. After removing the cat's normal diet, start it on some cooked chicken or duck combined with a simple white carbohydrate such as cooked rice or potato. Feed the same mix in the same amount each day. According to Pet Education, your cat's system takes at least two weeks to respond to the new diet.

    • 4

      Reduce fat in the cat's diet. According to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, fat naturally causes inflammatory responses in the bowel by digesting slowly. It also slows the digestion of foods consumed with it. Keep your cat's digestion moving smoothly by feeding it white meat from the chicken/duck with the fat and skin removed.

    • 5

      Add in some yogurt cultures, according to Precious Pets. Lactobacillus acidophilus can restore the natural bacterial balance in the colon in cats as in humans and reduce the symptoms and discomfort of IBD.

    • 6

      Add more variety in the form of high-quality pet foods, different carbohydrates and even some fiber after the initial two weeks on the chicken/duck and rice/potato. With each addition, wait two weeks before adding anything else. If the cat's symptoms return or worsen with an addition, immediately remove that food and try something else.