18 yr old Cat with IBD

[RGW]

I have a cat that recently turned 18 that has dealt with irritable bowels for around 3 years. She goes on a treatment of antibiotics every few months, and while there are accidents, she tends to do okay.
Lately, however, she seems to have lost even more weight. And her stool has been liquid for several days now. Her diet mainly consists of Fancy Feast Classic with mixed-in pumpkin. She also eats baked chicken, and sometimes chicken and rice mixed together. She was put back on antibiotics a few weeks ago, but her condition hasn't improved. In the past few days, her eyes have had a brown discharge. She also doesn't seem to have as much energy, although today she was a bit perkier.
Are there any other suggestions? The vet has also tried giving her a steroid, but that only seems to make her diarrhea worse.

[marko]

18 means kitty is in her golden years. Old cat bodies like old human bodies are destined to fail eventually. So long as kitty sees the vet regularly, you are doing a great job

as for clearing up the diarrhea - canned pumpkin has helped lots of people. Here's an article - Good luck
http://www.pets.ca/dogs/tips/tip-75-...-constipation/

[Longblades]

I think you need to tell your Vet that the treatments and food are not working. See if your Vet can offer you any other options. Good thoughts for Kitty.

[sugarcatmom]

What flavours of Fancy Feast? Many contain fish products, which can be a problem for cats. Is your kitty willing to try any other canned foods that have better quality ingredients?

I would also recommend mixing a pinch (like less than 1/4 tsp) of slippery elm bark powder into each meal. It helps sooth an inflamed intestinal tract. Considering all the antibiotics she's been on, a high potency, dairy-free probiotic containing multiple organism strains would also be a really good idea. This can also be mixed into her food (but start small and work up to about 2-4 billion CFUs per meal - so for instance, 1/4 to 1/2 capsule of an 8-10 billion CFU potency brand). If you need help choosing a probiotic, let me know. If she's in any way a finicky eater though, make sure to introduce these things in minute quantities first so you don't put her off her food. Probiotics are usually easily tolerated by cats, but at her age you don't want to risk a drop in calories. You can also try mixing the SEB and probiotics into a tasty treat like plain meat baby food.

Good luck!

[RGW]

Thanks for the responses.
Her preference is for chicken flavored food. Right now, she's off Fancy Feast and eating baby food.
Pumpkin has helped a lot in the past, but doesn't seem to be doing much now.
Is there a specific brand of Slippery Elm Bark you recommend?
Also, I don't know anything about cat probiotics, so any recommendations, and info on where to find them, would be a lot of help.

[Longblades]

I know this is your cat but my dog, 6 years old, is recovering from IBD. Traditional western medicine (large doses of Flagyl, then Prednisone among the things tried) did not help one bit and in desperation we turned to a Holistic Vet who has helped others we know of, and with our usual Vet's blessing. His recovery diet is cooked ground turkey and cooked sweet potato with varying assortments of "11 secret herbs and spices" mixed in.

I mention this only for your consideration.

My own 17 year old cat has been eating cooked hamburger (strongly advised against for my dog though, at this time, too fatty). She also dabbled in the dog's turkey till all of a sudden the darn grocery stores started putting rosemary extract in it and now none of the cats will touch it. They must put a lot in, I can smell it myself.

More good thoughts.