Katniss was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease! Her story + what all cat owners need to know
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- In Feb/March 2023, my cat Katniss got extremely sick. After eight vet visits and a slew of tests, she received a tentative diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Disease or IBD. Her diagnosis was tentative because, while the ultrasound showed definite thickening of Katniss's intestinal track, it's impossible to tell for sure if IBD or small-celled lymphoma is the cause without doing a surgical biopsy. This is a step we haven't taken yet, due to the highly invasive nature of the procedure, Katniss's history of poor reaction to anesthesia and high cost. As well, our vet advised that a surgical biopsy probably isn't necessary at this stage because, regardless of the answer, both conditions are treated the same. She also told us that while small-celled lymphoma sounds scary, it's generally non-aggressive. In fact, cats with small-celled lymphoma can live many years!
While IBD/Lymphoma is a fairly common diagnosis in cats, navigating this world is brand-new to us! This video tells the story of Katniss's illness and diagnosis, as well as shares seven tips for things that have helped us get through this struggle successfully.
If your cat has IBD/lymphoma, I hope our story brings comfort. This is a totally manageable condition!
00:00 Introduction
00:39 Katniss's story
16:38 Helpful tips
16:47 Semi-modification of diet
17:23 Taking a daily probiotic
18:23 Get a water fountain!
20:28 Rearrange your room
21:06 Two MUSTS to keep on hand
21:52 Learn all you can
22:44 Accept trial and error
24:24 Cost of everything, thoughts on pet insurance
#cats #catowners #cathealth
Connect with Katniss on Instagram: / misskatniss. .
One of the most helpful videos I've seen on IBD/Lymphoma
• Signs your cat may hav...
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Let me share what we learned with our cat being diagnosed with IBD 4 years ago. The vet would give him a shot of steroids and he'd be better for about a month. You can only do that 3 times in 12 months. So, I did my own research and came up with 2 things to do... and it worked: 1) discontinue ALL dry kibble since it is made with carbs, which a cats body has no way to process. We switched to all canned pate since it should be easier to digest. 2) Feeding twice a day was too much food for his stomach to process at once. We switched to feeding smaller amounts every 8 hours. Problem solved... except for an occasional flare-up. Hope this helps if you try it.
These are great suggestions! In terms of kibble Katniss now only eats prescription by Royal Canin specific to gastrointestinal issues and it seems to be working (in conjunction with canned food and a probiotic). The smaller meals thing we do too - it used to freak me out that she wouldn’t eat much at once but watching her is comforting - she goes back for nibbles throughout the day!
Hi... I reviewed the ingredients of the probiotic you're giving your cat.I think it is better if you avoid titanium dioxide (it is banned in Europe). I recommend you to check Fortiflora Cats or FidoSpore by Microbiome Labs. Thank you for sharing your story!! Hope your Cat heals because they can heal! ❤❤
Interesting! Thanks for the info. Will definitely do some research. Appreciate that! 🙏🏻
Wow, I have gone through the same exact situation with my cat! We’ve been on the IBD roller coaster for about 10 months now. He is also very picky and will not eat any of the rx diets we’ve tried. The only thing that’s helped is Prednisolone and he occasionally needs Mirtazapine. I’m not giving up on a diet change, but his vet doesn’t want me to try too many things and rock the boat since we have him under control for the most part. Dealing with his IBD has been one of the most challenging situations of my life!
I totally understand the challenges! It’s awesome news that you have him under control now for the most part…I definitely understand the hesitation to rock the boat in that situation. Katniss received three cases of really high-quality food from a very generous company and I won’t give her any of it because I am afraid to mess up what is working now
@@MeowmyandMe Yeah, it's just not worth it. Feeding it to her even one time could cause a flare up.
@@Kitcatmom 💯 if you’ve found something that works, stick with it until/if it doesn’t - sending all the good vibes!!!
One of our Siamese has IBD and we went through a similar experience to you in terms of symptoms and eventually diagnosis in 2021. Her main food source is royal canin hypoallergenic kibble with hydrolysed protein. We also supplement this with Katkin wet food (steamed single source protein / meat). Poultry is a no go but lamb, pork and beef are all ok for her. Shes a very healthy girl now... :)
So glad to hear she is doing well and you have found a diet that works for her! Continued good wishes being sent your way from Katniss and I!!!
@@MeowmyandMe Thanks. Likewise, all the best.
@@Krypt000n thank you! Katniss will have a follow-up ultrasound soon and we will know if what we have been doing is working as well as it appears to be! 🙏🏻
I am going through the same thing. Months and months of horrible diarrhea all over the house and so thin. Many many vet visits, treatments for parasites, steroids.
I have an appointment with a specialist….. but I have always said “no heroic measures” for my pets. i have several cats and a dog and the vet visits have already cost me over 3000$. I don’t know what to do.
So very sorry you and your sweet kitty are going through this. Has the vet brought up the possibility of IBD? Have you tried a prescription food, probiotic and/or B12 injections? None of those things are super expensive and may make a big difference right away. Has your kitty had an ultrasound?
Thank you so much for this! My 15 yo orange male has had digestive problems his whole life. 5 visits when he was young and no diagnosis that worked. He had a bad flare last Friday and ended up in intensive care 2 days and 1 day in hospital. He is on steroids now and Hill's Cannes and dry. He won't touch the dry. He does pretty good on the canned but I can tell he's getting bored with it. It's so good to see your vid and know this really is something not terminal and it is treatable. Thank you what a blessing!!
Hill's canned
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful and comforting! Hopefully the diet change and steroids work well for your cat. It is quite amazing to me how much of a difference these little changes can make! Cats systems are so sensitive - keeping our fingers and paws crossed for a great outcome for you!
Thank you for sharing! We are going through the testing stages with our 10 year old car Freddie. We noticed last Nov that he looked thinner and was having a fair amount of Diarrhoea. We watched him for a couple of weeks and decided to take him to the vet(thought at this time it might have been hyperthyroidism). My husband took him to the vet just before Christmas and the vet felt something on his intestines. The next day we got a call from a specialist vet that he was referred to to get a an ultrasound and biopsy (no anaesthesia needed fit the CT scan and the biopsy, not sure how they did it but they must have poked through the skin to the intestines). After Christmas (they were expecting it to be lymphoma) not cancer was detected, but they still weren't ruling out out. His protein levels were elevated. They said instead of doing the surgical biopsy they will try to take a couple more biopsies to get several samples too test for cancer again and also more blood work to test the globulins(I think that's correct) to see if they were the same(cancer) or different. Again not sign of cancer, infectious diseases, and various other things they tested for. We can't do the endoscopy because the inflammation is on the outcome of the intestines. They also decided to put Freddie on a month of antibiotics. There wasn't any changes and he is still dropping weight. The more I look up IBD the more I think it is that, I didn't realise how difficult it was to diagnose.. I'm taking him back next Monday for blood work and an ultrasound to see where he's at now. The next step is the surgical biopsy (which makes me very nervous). I'm going to ask if they can just start treating him for IBD... I imagine that a lot of people can't afford the surgery so you would think they must start treating for something regardless. Thank you for your video, it's nice to hear from someone going through the same thing.
Thank you for sharing Freddie’s story! I am sorry he is going through all of that but also glad to hear he is receiving the best treatment/testing from the vet, who sounds very on top of things. Hopefully they will allow him to start being treated for IBD. It has worked wonders for Katniss, and she has made big improvements! Please keep me posted on what they say! Sending the best vibes Freddie’s way! 🙏🏻
I too love the Helpful Vancouver Vet. My Pewter was diagnosed in January 2023. I have pet insurance but we had gone to a vet a few times over the past couple years once for vomiting (diagnosis hairballs) and once for drooling (diagnosis unknown/probable nausea). None of her IBD tests or treatments are covered because they say it was preexisting. Not preexisting enough to have helped her a year or two earlier…😢
Ohhh sorry to hear that. That doesn’t seem right that they would try to connect those two unrelated visits. I hate when insurance companies play games 😾 Sending my best to Pewter!
I had to fight with my pet insurance over a new diagnosis they said was a preexisting condition too. If you haven’t already, I recommend appealing the decision with your insurance company and also telling your vet’s office about it and seeing if there’s anything they can do to help. Hopefully it’s something that can be successfully appealed with your vet’s help. I wish you luck 🤞🏻
It’s funny, UA-cam recommended your video because I watched the Helpful Vancouver Vet’s video about IBD. I have one senior cat diagnosed with IBD and another with lymphoma, and they can both be picky eaters like beautiful Katniss. I know what you mean about the balancing act of making sure they eat enough while having a limited range of options. The struggle is real. It’s taken a year since my one cat’s IBD diagnosis to finally get her symptoms under control. Best of luck with Katniss!
Thank you so much! That is really interesting that UA-cam recommended my video based on my talking about the Helpful Vancouver Vet! I definitely don’t know him but I do think he has a great channel and several of his videos have educated and comforted me! It is great that you have gotten your IBD kitty’s symptoms under control! You are so right that the struggle is real - Katniss and I are sending both of your kitties the very best wishes and continued healing purrs!
Thank you! I have a kitty that had symptoms flare up last March. He was diagnosed with IBD after an ultrasound. I had been subscribed to Helpful Vancouver Vet as well. His video is an awesome education! Thank you for your guidance. I've learned from your experience.
Thank you for letting me know! I am glad my video was helpful, and yes, the Helpful Vancouver Vet is awesome! Sending my best to your kitty. I hope his symptoms have calmed down and he is doing well!
Thank you so much for all your information on IBD and also sharing katniss's experience with IBD and your experience as her meowm and how you've learned to manage her condition and also how you used the water fountain to keep her hydrated as I've also been looking into cat fountains to encourage Nala to drink more water 💜
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching! As an update on the fountain: we have used it for about a year now and Katniss loves it! You know how cats sometimes lose interest in toys or items? That hasn’t happened here - I catch her drinking out of it every couple of days! And the sight always warms my heart ❤️
Thank you for this video! I’m dealing with a very sick kitty right now and we are waiting for the ultrasound results. Some of these symptoms sound very similar and this gives me hope!
You are so welcome! Sending good vibes for positive results. Katniss is doing great nearly a year after diagnosis. Please keep me posted on your kitty - sincerely hope everything turns out well ❤️❤️❤️
@@MeowmyandMe We just got the results today and it was the same thing! Not a clear answer, but there is no way I am getting my sweet girl a biopsy. We are trying a diet change, and she’s on an antibiotic. The day after her ultrasound she gobbled up her dry food. I have more of a positive outlook right now. Time to do more research. Thanks again!
@@janicemiller5449 so glad to hear the results were good! IBD is totally manageable and while it will likely take some trial and error to figure out what she responds best to, the good news is there is so much info out there to help guide you. Also gobbling up the hard food is a great sign! I have learned a lot more about it recently so if you ever have any questions please feel free to ask. Continued good wishes for your sweet kitty!
Thank you for sharing your experience! Your video definitely keeps me some hope for my cat who recently got diagnosed with IBD. The cat clinic that I have been taking her to has been very helpful, and I will bring up some ideas you share on the video to the vet :)
You are so welcome and I am glad it was helpful! Katniss and I are sending our best wishes to your cat! Please keep us posted on how things turn out!
My cats have thankfully never had IBD but I was interested to watch your video and find out more. X
Thank you! It is definitely a journey trying to navigate through it. But the good news is overall Katniss is doing well and my concern is *somewhat* lessened
hope katniss feels better soon !
i know ppl that have that.. greetings
from sunny sasha saffire and i
🐈 🐾 🐈⬛
Thank you! It’s a rollercoaster but thankfully she has been doing well lately! Appreciate the good vibes!
Thank you so much for the tips about Mirataz ointment for appetite stimulation. I just started the Cernia enclosed in a treat I split with an Xacto/Excel fine point utility knife + pressed shut. Give her a treat before + after the one with a (partial) pill in it, ensures swallowing.
I can't thank you enough for the hope this is manageable. Finally, a fellow pet parent who has been on this roller coaster of ups and downs. Brewers or nutritional yeast works as an appetite stimulant, sprinkle a tiny amount on food(if not allergic to it. It is in lots of pet foods for flavor + probiotic+ B vitamins). I have mostly been able to manage it with Homeopet feline digestive upset drops-mix in/put on food per dose.You can put extra drops in water, but they will never drink it all=wasted. They can't taste it, no side effects, but I try to taper off from 3-4 doses per day to 2. If she gets Cernia, stop the drops for 48 hours to keep its effectiveness.
Best wishes! This really was ENCOURAGING
So glad the video was helpful and encouraging! That is definitely the main point I was hoping to get across - this condition is totally manageable! Yes there are ups and downs and those are stressful but altogether cats with IBD can live long, happy and fulfilling lives! And I really appreciate your tips about the Homeopet feline digestive upset drops too! I am definitely going to look into those and learn more. Thank you! And best wishes to your sweet cat - hopefully things continue getting better and better!
I can't believe you can give her Cerenia in a treat. If they chew it they taste it, how does she not spit it out?! I literally have been affixing Zofran sublingual to the outside of a Temptation treat with pill wrap. SL Zofran doesn't even taste bad, it's sweet, not bitter, and he still smarted up to that in 2 doses. Giving these cats meds is a nightmare! I was having to crush and dilute the Cerenia and give it. He was still foaming at the mouth after, it was so sad! Right now, after being deathly ill all of a sudden and for two weeks! he is stable with zofran and Mirataz. Need to get steroids today.
@@janicethrasher4003 Katniss devours the squeeze treats quickly and in big enough mouthfuls that she never even realizes the pill is in there. The first time I tried giving it to her last year I crushed it up (not recommended due to bitter taste and the fact it apparently diludes the effectiveness) and I experienced this exact same foaming at the mouth. We have gotten very lucky that the squeeze treats work. I learned to angle them slightly downward when feeding them to her, which just increases the odds she will swallow the mouthful quickly without ever detecting a pill. I think the trick is knowing your cat. Some people swear by the Greenies pill pockets. We tried those and Katniss will have nothing to do with them. Other people I know have a pill "injector" - it kind of looks like a big syringe - and have to force feed it this way. Very sorry to hear your cat was seriously ill recently - that is so stressful, but stable is good news! Praying it continues!
I am not going to go into my experience with a possible IBD diagnosis (I can’t without ending up 😭😭😭), just love her as much as you can. She reminds me of my sweet girl, Boogers🥲
Awww I am so sorry you have been through this! It is definitely a rollercoaster and I have spent the better part of 2023 worrying about Katniss, so I can totally relate to how upsetting the situation is to discuss. Thank you so much for the advice about loving her every day - I definitely try to, even when she is pawing me in the face at 6am because she wants to play! Katniss and I send our best - she is flattered to know she reminds you of Boogers
You are sooooooo lucky with the tube treats. No way would my cat do this. I have not found any 100% way yet to get the pills in him. He smells it out! It's so stressful.
It definitely is and I am so sorry you are experiencing this stress. It was trial and error to find what worked for Katniss with pills. I tried and failed with crushing them up, giving her pill pockets, hiding them in bits of deli meat and trying to force feed her. In the end, I leaned into what she loved best and it worked. My vet had told me that worst case I could come in for injections of cerenia, which I had been willing to do if needed. Knowing that was a backup in the worst case did provide some comfort
Also a follow-up ultrasound can show if it’s improved. Great video, we have the same issue, not quite as successful with change to Rx diet. Interested to hear about the probiotic. Thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome! Glad it was helpful! Katniss is still taking the probiotic and it is doing awesome stuff for her - would highly recommend trying one!
Awesome and informative video! How often do you give your baby the treat with the probiotic in it?
Thank you so much! I feed her the treat with the probiotic in it once a day, typically right before bedtime. It is a ritual she knows and loves now!
Hard dry food is not good for any cat no matter their health. There are many options for home cooked or different type of meats. Everybody does the best they can though. But research does show that hard dry food is not what nature intended for cats.
That makes sense, because some less-than-natural ingredients are mixed into a lot of hard foods. The prescription hard food we have is used as a supplement to Katniss’s wet food diet. It’s GI specific so hopefully it is better for her than most. I am relieved she likes soft food as well (we go with the shreds, not the pate. Not sure if that matters)
Nature doesn’t intend anything. And if your cat has a food allergy sometimes the specially engineered kibble for that allergy is the best choice.
My girl who is now 17 years, initially started with getting regular infections, high temp with normal bloods except for low white cell count. After antibiotic injection, blood work went back to normal. However this was reoccurring every 2 months, some sort of bacterial infection. Regular antibiotic injections every two months for two years, she had multiple ultrasounds with no outcome. Another vet recommended a big coarse of specialist antibiotics (very strong for bacteria infections). This seemed to have worked and lasted 6 months, however it happened again, then intermittent vomiting, started to happen with no infection. Multiple vet visits and blood tests and she has been diagnosed with IBS. Food change didn’t happen as she is super fussy eater. So I’m on the steroid route, because she won’t budge with the food, tried the probiotics route in her food, she won’t eat it. I’m stretching the long term steroid to every 3 months ideally 4 if we can. It lasts 4 weeks normally. Also tried a water fountain, she doesn’t like that either, I end up putting teaspoon of water in her wet food. Have had stool checked and all normal, she has no diarrhoea. I have now sent off her hair sample for sensitivity testing with test my pets.com.. it’s a legit lab in the UK and they cover international shipping. I’ll see what results I get from that.
So glad you finally got an answer! That is a lot to go through and you are clearly a very caring and diligent cat owner! Fingers & paws crossed the steroids work well. I totally get how difficult it can be when cats are picky eaters. It is such a delicate balance. You are doing an awesome job caring for her - I’m definitely curious to know what the sensitivity test shows!
Not really a diagnosis, my vet believes it’s the best guess for her age as she responds well with steroid injection. I’m not going down a surgical route too invasive especially for her age. But I would consider an endoscopic biopsy of her stomach, as she has no diarrhea I don’t see the point.
I totally get it on the surgical biopsy. I won't do it either due to Katniss's bad reactions to anesthesia and the fact that the answer wouldn't even really change the treatment. I used the word "tentative diagnosis" in my video because my vet told me the same thing: it's a best guess based on what they do know, but a biopsy would be required to know 100% @@christinarainbow3115
Sounds like we are in the same boat. In the USA, you have better food options that I have found. There are great UA-cam videos about cat food and what’s in them. A lot are just rubbish. They do make recommendations. But fussy cats are tricky to buy for.
@@christinarainbow3115 yes they are! Katniss has done really well with Royal Canin gastrointestinal hard and wet food. She seems to like it, although it was much easier to transition her to the dry food than the wet. You need a prescription from a vet to buy it but well worth trying (if available where you live)
Thank you for the information. I hope she is feeling better. We have similar issues with my 14 yo... except she was also diagnosed with hyperthyroid (medicating for a month now) and the sono showed enlarged pancreas (possibly the result of the Hyperthyroid. I hope). For IBD there is another less harmful steroid, Budesonide, according to the Helpful Vancouver Vet. Will be talking to my vet about that one on Thursday and discussing switching her food. Thank you! I ordered the fountain, since most of the prescription foods are dry. She is a wet food kitty. Be well.
You are so welcome and glad it was helpful! Katniss is doing well in general. This spring we will have a follow-up ultrasound to assess if the inflammation has gone down, increased or stayed the same over the past 12 months. On the surface it appears she is doing well but you never know what is going on inside their tiny bodies! Praying for good results! Thank you so much for the info about the less harmful steroid - will definitely research this! And sending the absolute best wishes to your sweet kitty. I hope the medication and diet changes make her feel much better! And I hope she loves the water fountain! It is such a relief as a cat mom to walk into the room and see them drinking out of it! ❤️❤️❤️
Best of luck! I'll be praying for you guys. Thank you again.@@MeowmyandMe
@@oxanac9715 thank you so much! And you as well 🙏🏻
Living this life right now! How is your kitty now? Do you know where the thickening was in your kitty? I always request the reports and my kitty had stomach and duodenum thickening, normal is 28 and his was 32. Not sure what that means yet because I've yet to see internal med. His presentation was not diarrhea but vomiting. Like you, seemingly suddenly at 20+ times one night and horribly acutely ill from there for 2 weeks (although we do think he had been having intermittent vomiting at night for around 1 year or so). He's just now perking up a bit. I thought he was going to die! Who would have known a food allergy or whatever could cause this! Wild. Just now going into the food trial with probably same products. My cat is used to every flavor Fancy Feast possible and a gazillion Temptations treats so this is going to be interesting. I so appreciate your story on the food transition, helps a lot, thank you!
Thank you for sharing your story! Katniss is about a year past diagnosis and things have been (overall) going well. By far, the few weeks at the beginning of the process were the most stressful, where she clearly felt the worst. It was stressful and awful to watch but the good news is that the second you start getting meds in them and changing even little bits of diet improvement happens fairly quickly! We will be going for a follow-up ultrasound this spring, where I will learn more about the thickening. I remember, like you mentioned about your cat, thinking she was going to die during the early part of this. B12 injections and fluids were our go-to during the earliest stages and they always seemed to perk her up. Our vet was wiling to do them when Katniss needed a boost, so this is something you might want to ask your vet about. I know B12 is water soluble so even if your cat's body doesn't need it at the moment it just gets peed out. But these can help with hydration and nutrient absorption and just making the cat feel better overall. Please keep me posted - especially about the food trial. That was definitely a huge challenge for us and we eventually settled on a middle ground, which (thank God!) appears to be working. The ultrasound will confirm that for sure!
isnt there a pet insurance that supports pre-existing conditions too? Ive seen one or two in the market but I don't know the specifics unfortunately.
I believe you are correct that a couple of companies offer this. Pretty sure it only applies if the animal has had no issues with said condition for a defined period of time
man this was really helpfully honestly, my 2yr old (ik its rlly young its super sad honestly) has been battling this since the start of this year, vomitting in january which after a vet visit that helped moved onto diarrhea all over the house. second times ultrasound made it seem like pancreatisis but further bloodwork made it clear it was IBD. She stayed for a few nights, got put on fluids, anti sickness medicine, and after being put on steroids which have acc helped this all until literally two days ago, diarrhea, lethargy, not eating as much have all returned and man at this point i just dk what to even do considering its my first time as a pet woner as well. Im doing all I can but at the same time idek if im doing all I can but I have her booked into a vet visit two days from now, insurance screwed too since its literally drained my entire £3000 insurance claims
shes also completely on a hydrolysed diet no treats and probiotic within food to promote gut bacteria
So sorry you are going through this! It can be super stressful and I can definitely relate to the back-and-forth cycle, as Katniss went through that for many months. Hang in there - things will eventually settle down and the flare-ups will definitely lessen. You are an awesome pet owner to be so on top of this! I would highly recommend trying a probiotic as this has worked wonders in our case. Sending the best healing vibes to your sweet kitty!
What has been your cat's experience with IBD?
Your experience with Katniss echoes my last 9 months with my OSH cat Si. Rollercoaster it has been. The Mirataz, Cerenia, the struggle to try successfully, to switch diets-all of it. He’s currently relatively stable, although there has been muscle waisting and he is underweight. On vet’s advice we are not doing the biopsy route-too risky and are treating as though it’s a combo of severe pancreatitis along with IBD, due to the scarring on the pancreas and the thickening of the intestines as shown on the ultrasound. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story-It’s a rough go at times. Sometimes just knowing others are out there and “get it” is enough to give you a boost of hope. I will definitely try him with the probiotics too. Thanks again.
@@kelliestanley8225 you are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful on some level, and I am sending good vibes that the probiotics and other treatments work to make your cat feel much better. I totally agree that relating to others who are going through it is helpful! Katniss goes in for a follow-up ultrasound this spring where we will see if what we have been doing has helped her intestinal track visibly. Fingers and paws crossed!
I wish I had watched your video before I went through the exact experience with my Nora Belle. We also did the learn as you go approach. She is 14, so I opted not to go for the ultra sound. I give her vitamin b12 shots for two weeks and then once a month. I have just recently learned of her diagnosis, so your hints are most helpful and appreciated. Now my real struggle is food. I also transitioned her to a healthy dry food, which she readily eats. I’ve yet to find a wet food that she will eat. She’s always been ultra picky and now even more so. She doesn’t like the push up treats so m not sure how I’m going to give her meds. I have used the appetite stimulant quite a few times, which is extremely helpful. I’m hoping she will work with me on this journey. I am so relieved to know it’s not a death sentence🥰. Thank you for your video!
You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful and I am sending my best to Nora Belle! That is good news that she has taken to the dry food. That was the easiest switch for Katniss too, whereas the wet food has been more of a challenge. In fact, it is just now that Katniss is beginning to eat the prescription wet food with the same enthusiasm she had for the other. One thing I tried, which definitely wasn't recommended by a vet but rather an idea I got from a cat rescuer friend, was giving Katniss kitten soft food occasionally. I know it is higher in calories and I was hoping it would offset some of the times she doesn't eat as much. She loved it! And surprisingly there were no stomach or litter box issues with it. I tried not to do it too often, but I noticed when she ate the kitten food she would often show more enthusiasm for other food too. As I weaned her off kitten food she started taking to the prescription soft food much easier. No idea if these things are related, but this is just what I have noticed. Katniss will be having a follow-up ultrasound this spring and I cannot wait to see if the vet notices progress!
@@MeowmyandMe thank you for that! Some people recommend baby food to get them interested in food. I’ve never had a cat. They are so challenging when it comes to food🥲
@@gailsharker5725 yes they are! I ended up asking my vet about the kitten food after having given it to Katniss for a couple of months. She told me it wasn’t something you want to do long term, but short term it was ok. I know the rescuer uses it to put weight on malnourished cats who need it. It is such a delicate balance with cats and their diets between the “ideal” and what the cat will actually eat. Wishing you the best of luck as you make these changes!
There is no such thing as "healthy" dry food. Please get your cat off the dry food -- it is the worst food for any cat, especially one with IBD. Also, avoid any canned with soy, wheat gluten, gums (such as xantham, guar), fruits, veggies, tapioca -- and stay away from re-vaccinating. Transition to Feline Natural canned -- but not the variety with fish -- which does not have the garbage ingredients and additives that USA brands contain. Also try Viva Raw.