Chaz's Critical Condition: IBD In Cats | Purrrfectly Holistic Purrrfectly Holistic

April 9, 2017 | by Pam Roussell

Chaz’s Critical Condition

Has your cat been diagnosed with feline IBD?

Chaz

Meet Chaz ! He Struggled With Feline Food Sensitivities and Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Disease with Cats

Chaz is about 11 years old and was rescued by his mom, Pam. He is a beautiful, super chill, laid back cat, known to be a picky eater. He’s had a really tough couple of weeks!

The story begins

About two weeks ago Chaz became extremely fussy about his food and didn’t want to eat. After trying just about every trick in the book and worried that he may develop hepatic lipidosis (a potentially fatal condition when cats stop eating), Pam took him to a clinic that was open on Sundays. The vet who saw him determined Chaz had a couple of loose teeth, and diagnosed him with dental disease. He was given a shot for the pain along with a liquid steroid medication, and she recommended some dental work asap.

A Second Opinion

The next day she took him to a different vet to get a second opinion and to inquire about the cost of getting this dental work done. The vet took blood work and sent it off to Texas A&M vet school. Chaz was given an appetite stimulant to help him start eating. The next day she went back because he still wasn’t eating. The test results had come back suggesting feline IBD and they recommended an ultrasound in order to confirm results. His folate levels and cobalamin (B12) levels were low, which pointed to intestinal irregularities, but apart from the weight loss of 2.35 lbs over several months he had no other symptoms of IBD. They also told Pam that Chaz had an enlarged spleen and something was wrong with his heart. Her world started to crumble around her, and after all the poking and prodding Chaz had had enough, too. Overwhelmed, they left. A couple of days later his feline herpes had flared up so badly that he developed a bacterial infection, bloody, runny nose, and horrible congestion. Back to the vet they went! According to the doctor, the steroid medicine for the tooth pain weakened his immune system and allowed the virus to flare up. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire! The doctor put him on an antibiotic, probiotics, nose drops, and some anti-viral medicine. All this time Pam was force-feeding liquid formula, trying baby food, and freeze-dried treats–anything to get some food into him!

A cry for help

Dietary changes can eliminate food sensitivities.

Chaz and mom, Pam

On Sunday I received an email from my friend Mary that her friend Pam had a cat that was desperately ill, and she needed help fast. Pam sent me an email with an overview and details of Chaz’s condition, and he became my project. She also mentioned that it had been suggested by her dog’s groomer awhile back that Chaz may be allergic to chicken due to the yeasty ear infections he would get. The first thing we had to address was getting his respiratory symptoms cleared up so that he could smell the food and start eating. I recommended she keep trying the baby food but to take him off chicken altogether.

Diving in

I began to muscle test Chaz remotely by using his photo and list of meds and was able to determine several things:

The antibiotic he was on wasn’t working
He had a sensitivity to chicken and needed to stop eating it immediately
He needed immune support
His weight loss may be related to his dental disease
He didn’t test well for having IBD, or irritable bowel disease.

Knowing Chaz needed results quickly, I immediately went to a homeopathy guide for cats and found a couple of things that he tested very well for. I also suggested putting Chaz in the bathroom with a humidifier to help break up his congestion and help him to breathe. Other recommendations included:

Cinchona 30C for the respiratory issues
Colloidal silver for immune support
Sulphur 6C for the yeasty ears
Remove chicken from his diet completely
Add a high-quality probiotic to his diet
Get his dental issues addressed

The homeopathic remedies had to be given at separate times. Pam started the homeopathy and colloidal silver, stopped the antibiotic, continued the probiotics, and bought the humidifier. The next day I got a report: Chaz was feeling better! The humidifier really helped break up his congestion, and he started showing an interest in food! The bloody sneezes were gone, and he seemed to be feeling a little better. Slowly, signs of hope and progress. 😸I would check in with Pam everyday to see how Chaz was doing, and on Thursday morning I got this text:

Chaz came up to my room this morning and meowed and was hungry without an appetite pill! He’s eating his food with the probiotic and he’s doing really well! I’m so happy!! 😍😘

I was so excited! I made plans to go meet them in person on Friday, which couldn’t come soon enough. That morning I checked in and got another great report. He was no longer sneezing or showing any signs of the herpes virus, and he was starting to eat more and act like himself! My visit was amazing as I got to hold and cuddle this adorable, precious boy. He walked over to me when I arrived and let me pet him, and then proceeded to roll over on his back, purring and happy. While there I re-tested the homeopathy, probiotics, and his meds from the vet. Sure enough, it just confirmed what was working and what wasn’t, what he needed and what he didn’t. We also double checked some of the new food she was trying out on him. We found chicken on the label of one of the foods labeled salmon, which just goes to show you have to read labels! The proteins Chaz tested best for included duck, turkey, pork, mackerel, salmon, sardines, quail, pheasant, rabbit. He also needed to remain on the homeopathy for just a few more days to let his body heal and be supported.

Connecting the dots

After further digging into causes of feline IBD I found information connecting low folate and cobalamin (B12) levels to food allergies. Food sensitivities and food allergies left untreated can ultimately wreak havoc on the body and contribute and/or result in serious disease. Therefore, no matter what diagnosis the vet may hand you regarding your cat’s health, it’s so important to find the underlying cause and treat it. Chaz has an appointment with a new vet next week who practices integrative medicine (a combination of conventional and holistic) to address his dental issues. Pam is also trying to switch him over to a raw diet which may take some time knowing how picky his palette is. In the meantime she’s trying to introduce him to the protein choices he tested best for in high quality canned, frozen and freeze-dried formulas. While we don’t know for sure if Chaz has IBD, Pam and I will continue to monitor his weight and health. Based on the muscle testing outcomes we do expect to see improvement once his diet and and teeth have been dealt with!

There’s always hope!

Is your cat struggling with a condition that’s left you scratching your head? Are you tired of giving your cat medicine that doesn’t seem to be helping? It may just be masking the real cause. Leave a comment below and share your story.

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