IBD diet - suggestions

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Sharyn & Fiona, Jan 5, 2010.

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  1. Sharyn & Fiona

    Sharyn & Fiona Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2009
    As of yesterday, I'm fostering a kitten w/loose stools. I don't have his medical history but I believe the fecal float yesterday came up negative for worms. The vet told his original foster to feed him Hill's r/d. I figure there's probably a better food out there for him (there usually is). Got any suggestions?
     
  2. Joanna & Bix (GA)

    Joanna & Bix (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I'm not sure how common IBD is in kittens...? With my cats who have had it, it has developed over time from possible vaccine reactions and/or dry or poor quality food (my bad). I associate it more with cats who've had a chance to develop some reactions, though of course I am sure it is possible in a kitten.

    As I understand it, r/d is very low cal. I can't imagine that would be the right thing for a kitten (I know you're not planning to feed it, but I wanted to mention it as I'm surprised a vet recommended it), though it can help with IBD. When one of my cats got IBD, the vet put her on r/d (didn't tell me it was a diet food) and she dropped down to 7 lbs (a 10 lb cat) before I realized something was wrong (her stools were perfect though!!!) and took her back to the vet, whereupon they told me r/d wasn't the right choice for her. So anyhow, I would stick with kitten food for a kitten, but move to higher quality canned, something like Innova or Wellness's canned kitten variety.

    My IBDbies saw immediate improvement when I switched to LC canned. Go figure! Wellness has worked best for them, although they've had some problems now that they've been on it a while. I have seen mentioned Fortiflora and foods w/o wheat gluten (see the health links forum, in one of the topics there is a link for wheat gluten free Fancy Feast varieties). But I'm not sure any of those are right for a kitten....

    Good luck, and good for you for fostering!!!! :D
     
  3. VictorsMom (GA)

    VictorsMom (GA) New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Victor had IBD, and we tried to get him to eat i/d which is generally considered the "bland" diet - but it's very high in carbs, and not agreeable to a diabetic. Besides, he wouldn't touch it. I switched him to raw, and almost overnight the diarrhea abated. He had a lot of other health issues to dance around, but the raw certainly helped with the loose stools.

    Also my dog had severe IBD when we fostered/adopted her, among other problems (all of my animals have special needs...). When she gets a flare up, we mix i/d with her prescription dry food. She thinks it's a delicacy, but the cats wouldn't go near it.

    ETA: we've also used a mixture of rice and boiled hamburger for a less expensive alternative to i/d. I cooked the rice, boiled and drained the burger and ran it all thru the food processor with some plain water for consistency. Again, not ideal for a diabetic, but if diabetes is not an issue, it might help.
     
  4. Sharyn & Fiona

    Sharyn & Fiona Member

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    Dec 31, 2009
    Thanks ladies! He may not have IBD but his tummy is upset for some reason and I figured an IBD diet would at least help. I wondered about the r/d too. I got some Royal Canin sensitive stomach that Barb & Tuffy use for her IBD cat. I'll give him that and the r/d only because he loves the r/d and is eating a lot of it. He also has a URI so I'm happy he's eating. I'll try the rice/beef thing tomorrow. Doesn't help that he's semi-feral. The original foster forget to mention that until this evening. :roll: His brother is worse.

    I'm only fostering while DH is out of town for a couple of weeks. He's a cat hoarder (seriously) and I can't foster while he's home. But him working his butt off lets me help many kitties in other ways, so not bringing kitties home to foster while he's here is a fair trade IMO.
     
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