Aa
To Everybody Out There.
After spending his entire life bleeding through the rectum and me not knowing what to do or what could be causing it, my cat has been finally diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and it is chronic. (I have posted about his bleeding issues a thousand times) He is being properly treated and is looking better. However, the vet said if he bleeds through the rectum one more time I need to take him back ASAP. Possible referrals to the specialist and endoscopies etc are still pending. Vet said my cat doesn't have colon cancer but his condition can lead to it any time. If anyone out there has ever had a cat with IBD I'd be more than glad to read all about it. Also, if anyone has had a cat with colon cancer, please, advice me on what to do in case the bad news arrives one day.
Thanks You!
PK
Thanks You!
PK
Only in the sense that we have had, over the years, an instance or two of a cat that got sick and wouldn't eat and therefore had to be force fed.
But otherwise, no, We've been very careful and very fortunate.
We have had brief run-ins with diarrhea, but in each case it was caused by a parasite or an illness.
It sounds like you have a good vet, which is very fortunate. I've had good ones and not so good ones over the years and it is very distressing when you don't have a vet to go to that you know you can trust.
But otherwise, no, We've been very careful and very fortunate.
We have had brief run-ins with diarrhea, but in each case it was caused by a parasite or an illness.
It sounds like you have a good vet, which is very fortunate. I've had good ones and not so good ones over the years and it is very distressing when you don't have a vet to go to that you know you can trust.
That is exactly what the vet says he does. He feeds them raw meat, fish or chicken, and then he adds nutrients which cats would normally encounter in other parts of the "victim's" body. He does dedicate time and energy to the nutrition of his cats. I have never met a vet like this. I’m sure there are other vets who introduce their pets to a better nutrition. I just never heard of one. I really want to switch my kitty to a much better nutrition. I think he deserves it.
Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. You have sooo many cats. You’ve never had one with food problems?
Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. You have sooo many cats. You’ve never had one with food problems?
OK, well, I thought I'd add one thing. I would have told Savas to do it, but he just walked away.
Your vet is correct about the raw meat, fish or poultry diet. However, it's a bit of a complex issue. Felines are technically obligated carnivores, which means they kill and eat meat and get all other required nutrients from the animal they kill. They don't just eat chicken breast, for example, or chicken thigh, they eat the entire animal including organs which contain partially digested vegtable matter and grains, etc.
The best meat, to begin with, would be free range/organic that is fed a good quality diet. However, you won't get the whole animal, so those "other nutrients" your vet mentioned come into play. The best ratio is 80% raw meat and 20% pureed vegatables and grains. Then you will want to add a multi vitamin/ dietary supplement.
This regiment takes some expense and time (and research) but is very healthy - really ideal.
Short of this, like Savas mentioned, focus on nutrition and, especially, hydration and I'm sure it will help tremendously with this issue. He knows a lot about really good packaged feline diets, so his advice should be quite valuable in this regard.
Your vet is correct about the raw meat, fish or poultry diet. However, it's a bit of a complex issue. Felines are technically obligated carnivores, which means they kill and eat meat and get all other required nutrients from the animal they kill. They don't just eat chicken breast, for example, or chicken thigh, they eat the entire animal including organs which contain partially digested vegtable matter and grains, etc.
The best meat, to begin with, would be free range/organic that is fed a good quality diet. However, you won't get the whole animal, so those "other nutrients" your vet mentioned come into play. The best ratio is 80% raw meat and 20% pureed vegatables and grains. Then you will want to add a multi vitamin/ dietary supplement.
This regiment takes some expense and time (and research) but is very healthy - really ideal.
Short of this, like Savas mentioned, focus on nutrition and, especially, hydration and I'm sure it will help tremendously with this issue. He knows a lot about really good packaged feline diets, so his advice should be quite valuable in this regard.
Well, a cat has a very low instinctive threshold for drinking water.
They get about 90% of their water intake from their food. It may look like your cat is drinking enough, but likely he isn't.
Cat's have to get about a 75% hydration rate but studies have found that a dry food and water bowl diet tends to max out at only 65% (best case scenario, not usually the case).
This means your cat will be dehydrated to some degree all the time.
And we all know what happens to dehydrated cats;
Hard stool leading to intestinal problems; including hard stools which can cause rectal bleeding.
UTI infections prompted by crystals. Additional stress on the kidneys and liver causing issues later in life to crop up.
Not to mention a gradual scarring of the intestinal tracts which can leave kitty open to opportunistic infections and tumours.
They get about 90% of their water intake from their food. It may look like your cat is drinking enough, but likely he isn't.
Cat's have to get about a 75% hydration rate but studies have found that a dry food and water bowl diet tends to max out at only 65% (best case scenario, not usually the case).
This means your cat will be dehydrated to some degree all the time.
And we all know what happens to dehydrated cats;
Hard stool leading to intestinal problems; including hard stools which can cause rectal bleeding.
UTI infections prompted by crystals. Additional stress on the kidneys and liver causing issues later in life to crop up.
Not to mention a gradual scarring of the intestinal tracts which can leave kitty open to opportunistic infections and tumours.
I did not know Hill's wasn't a very good diet. The things that you learn everyday...
I will definitely consider switching him to a better nutrition. His diet is dry, but he drinks plenty of water and the best part is I have not seen blood at all. He seems to be doing well. I just hope we don't go through another crisis again. The vet does not agree with dry foods either. He says a cat's natural diet is raw meat, not processed commercial foods which can potentially ruin our pets’ lives. He told me his cats ate raw meat, fish or chicken with other nutrients that he buys especially for felines and mixes them with the protein.
I will definitely consider switching him to a better nutrition. His diet is dry, but he drinks plenty of water and the best part is I have not seen blood at all. He seems to be doing well. I just hope we don't go through another crisis again. The vet does not agree with dry foods either. He says a cat's natural diet is raw meat, not processed commercial foods which can potentially ruin our pets’ lives. He told me his cats ate raw meat, fish or chicken with other nutrients that he buys especially for felines and mixes them with the protein.
No worries. To be honest, Hills is okay but not great. I'm going to get around to doing a faq for the health pages on proper nutrition and feeding as well as choices of foods, but these 11 hour shifts at work are just killing me right now.
I'd consider switching to one of the holistic foods like By Nature's or Holistic if the Hills doesn't work out. I'd also cut back on the dry significantly as the low water content could be a bit difficult for a cat in your position.
I'd consider switching to one of the holistic foods like By Nature's or Holistic if the Hills doesn't work out. I'd also cut back on the dry significantly as the low water content could be a bit difficult for a cat in your position.
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