Cat with colitis, any suggestions?

[Amanda (mad4moggies)]

It does all sound a bit strange as i would have thought that the vet would give some other suggestions to do with treatment. As others have already said it might be just colitis or it may be that there is some other underlying intestinal problem. Some older cats can have problems digesting certain ingredients in their food so if the foods you have mentioned do not work then you could try Waltham sensitivity which you can get from the vets.

You could also try Protexin Pro Kolin Paste which is the one most vets sell although it is not a prescription medication so you can purchase it online. Here is a link http://www.petvetcare.co.uk/acatalog/Small_Animals_Pets.html .

The only other thing that may help is a low dose of steroids to eep the cat comfortable. It really depends how much the owner wants to do as there are various things that could be done. They could also ask the vet to send a faeces sample away but from the sounds of it this may come back normal.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Useless flaming vet , if you ask me 

[Em]

Just found this: http://www.denes.co.uk/advice/cat_a-z.php#COLITIS, obviously it's biased but Denes are quite good so could be worth a try.

Thought I'd add to this post as that way it'll be a record if anyone else wants to know this stuff!!

[Em]

Wow, thanks for all that - think I'll pass them the link to this thread so they can keep an eye on it themselves, since this area's public... I'd already suggested something like James Wellbeloved Chicken & Rice or Turkey and Rice as I've found them beneficial for dodgy digestive tracts in the past, but the pumpkin sounds like a good idea if she'll eat it.

Edit: Think the vet said to see how she goes, and gave her a vitamin injection, possibly antibiotics (can't remember) too. Other than that they didn't really recommend anything...

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Did the vet not suggest anything that might help?  Did he indicate that it would sort itself out in time?  If they are happy with a see as things go approach I'd just watch her and take her back to the vet if she continues to experience pain pooing.  From what I can gather, colitis has a variety of causes and unless we know what the underlying cause is it's difficult to advise.

There's some information about colitis here.  If it doesn't improve I'd insist on further tests and possibly antibiotics if the vet thinks there may be a bacterial infection

http://www.fabcats.org/colitis.html

I've heard pumpkin recommended often for poo problems (both constipation and diarrhoea) so that might be worth a try.  Just make sure your friend gets plain, natural pumpkin and not the pie filling which will contain sugar.  You can get it canned - I think Libby's do canned pumpkin if that's available where your friend lives (I've seen it in selfridges but don't know anywhere else that sells it). 

Feeding a hypoallergenic diet might also help (mentioned in the above FAB article) - do you know what food the cat is eating at the moment?  Possible something like James Wellbeloved that's hypoallergenic.  The probiotic I mentioned earlier might help too - always useful with any digestive/gut problems.

When Lynn gets back online she might have some suggestions for treatment.

Hope the kitty is feeling better soon.


edit - just found this article which is a bit more in depth and mentions supplements that might help

http://www.gowellbeings.com/2006/02/pet-health-article-colitis-and-bowel.html

[Em]

Have just had a response from the owners, they're 100% happy with the diagnosis (soft mucussy poos with occasional blood), what they're after is anything they can give Snagglepuss to improve her quality of life and make her more comfortable. She's quite happy except when she has to poo so pts isn't an option.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It sounds like a second opinion would be the best thing for this cat - doesn't sound like the first vet is on the ball.

[Em]

Ooh, ya got me there, I'll have to ask... I guess it could be that the vet just diagnosed what they'd suggested...

[Amanda (mad4moggies)]

Hi there,

When you say that cat howls, what are it`s poos like? Are they actually soft and covered in mucus which would suggest possible colitis or is the cat upset because it is constipated?

Also, do you know what enzymes were high on the blood tests?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

A probiotic might help.  I've started Jaffa on Lacto B for general digestive upset - soft poos, rumbling tummy and occasional vomiting - and it's working wonders.

Another vet might help too if yours isn't very helpful.  I don't know much about colitis.

[Em]

Mornin' all!

One of my friends has an old grumpy (but lovely) cat who is in pain when she poos (she howls). So yesterday, they took her to the vet and said "we think she has colitis, can you test for it?". The vet said it didn't sound like colitis, let's just see how it goes. So my friends said, no, she's an old cat and if there's something wrong we want to know sooner rather than later, do the bloods. The bloods came back and the diagnosis is.... colitis. The vet, being an utter wet blanket, didn't have any useful suggestions as to how they could make Snagglepuss' (real name Cat Califa) life a bit more comfortable- food, supplements, that kind of thing...

So, I said I'd ask you lot as you're a knowledgeable bunch and one of you is bound to have come across this before!! Any ideas, my friends? Snagglepuss is mid to late teens (can't remember exactly) and has a few teeth missing but other than that, a mild case of arthritis in her tail and her current problem, she's in fine fettle.