Diet for Advanced IBD in Cats

Cats throw up occasionally--this is how they eliminate hairballs. They also get bouts of diarrhea here and there. Chronic vomiting and diarrhea, however, are extremely uncommon in cats and signify a serious illness; such as inflammatory bowel disease. IBD is a painfully uncomfortable condition that primarily afflicts middle-aged or older cats. It is a serious condition that can leave the feline severely malnourished and dehydrated, in advanced cases, and warrants immediate medical attention. (All References)

  1. Cause

    • IBD occurs when inflammatory cells infiltrate the lining of your cat's small or large intestine or stomach. There are four different classifications of IBD, with the classification indicated by the types of cells inflamed, as explained by Cornell University. The most common IBD is lymphocytic-plasmacytic enterocolitis, meaning the cat has inflamed lymphocytes (white) and plasma cells in its intestinal lining. While genetics, infection and a poor immune system are all possible contributors to IBD, the cat's diet could be the problem, if the inflammation is in response to a food allergy. (References 1 and 2)

    Symptoms

    • Frequent vomiting is a sign that the IBD is attacking the stomach or upper lining of your cat's small intestine. Diarrhea is more indicative of IBD in the colon. Other symptoms include weight loss, depression and fever. Oftentimes, your cat's stool will be covered in mucous or have blood in it. Your cat may also stop using its litter box. These symptoms are very traumatic to your cat, and it will probably lose its appetite and refuse to eat. As IBD progresses into a more advanced stage, dietary changes might help entice your feline to eat something it normally would not. (References 1 and 2)

    Diagnosis

    • Your cat will be subjected to a series of tests and treatments, in order to pinpoint the exact cause of IBD's inflamed cells. Tests include a blood panel, urinalysis and intestinal biopsies taken either endoscopically or surgically. Your cat may also be given antibiotics and anti-nausea medication; or deworming treatments if infection or parasitic invasion is a suspected underlying cause of the vomiting and diarrhea. (References 3) Finally, food allergies are a common cause of IBD. Your cat will be placed on trial diets in an effort to rule out the irritating allergens, and to prevent the disease from advancing. (References 1)

    Diet

    • To determine if a food allergy is the cause of IBD, your cat must be fed a different source of protein and carbohydrate than what it normally eats. For example, if you feed your cat a food that is made of chicken and corn or rice meal, PetEducation.com suggests trying duck and potato instead. Because your feline is already suffering from cell inflammation in its intestinal lining, finding a food that does not aggravate or advance IBD is critical. Thus, ensuring that your cat is able to absorb the nutrition it needs from its food. (References 2)

    Considerations

    • Finding the proper diet for your cat's advanced IBD is a time-consuming process. It takes two weeks to see if any food changes are helping. Your cat cannot eat anything else, not even treats. If switching protein and carbohydrate sources does not improve the advanced IBD, try a diet of hydrolyzed proteins or a low carbohydrate diet; your cat's IBD may be the result of a gluten allergy. PetEducation.com recommends avoiding cat foods that contain barley, oats, rye and wheat. You might even need to make your cat's food from scratch (under the vet's guidance), depending on what it's allergic to. (References 2)