Hi everyone,
I'm seeking information and advice for a probable IBD diagnosis. I have a 13-1/2 year old spayed female, Sapphire. She has been healthy for the majority of her life - we have really been lucky with her - save for intermittent blood in her stool when she was a kitten and the occasional UTI.
Earlier this week, Sapphire stopped eating. She was on a grain-free diet - primarily, Blue Wilderness, with some Solid Gold rotated in when she got bored. She refused to eat, no matter what we put in front of her, including morsels of red meat or tuna, which she usually goes wild for. She became lethargic and dehydrated quickly. We took her to the vet on Wednesday - blood work, physical exam, stool sample unremarkable. She was given an anti-emetic for nausea - she had no vomiting or diarrhea - and subcutaneous fluids for rehydration. The doctor told us to give her whatever we could - deli meats, baby food, etc - just to get food in her stomach. If she ate little over the next 24 hours, she would have to undergo an ultrasound on Friday (the vet's office is closed on Thursday).
Sapphire ate little to nothing the next day. She was even more lethargic than before, her weight reduced drastically, and her breathing appeared labored. We didn't think she would make it through the night and took her to the Emergency Department, where she was admitted for supportive care and additional testing (ultrasound, x-rays, redux of the blood work, T4, etc). She was administered IV fluids and valium as an appetite stimulant the first day; she ate the GI prescription diet food (canned) that was given to her. The next day (her day of discharge), she was given mirtapazine, another appetite stimulant, which she will take over the next 8 days.
Ultrasound revealed gastroenteritis, which the doctors presumed is due to IBD. We are not certain yet whether the IBD is autoimmune or due to allergies. Other tests were unremarkable, with the exception of a low heart rate, enlarged pancreas, and slightly elevated white cell count, all of which the doctors said are secondary to the suspected IBD.
Sapphire is now home, thankfully, but not doing much better. She will not touch the prescription canned food samples we were given - Hills i/d gastrointestinal health and Purina ProPlan EN gastroenteric. She nibbles at the Hills i/d dry food; she's not eating nearly enough of it to sustain her, and I would honestly rather not put her back on dry food. I've been giving her poached chicken thighs. She eats a few small pieces, then walks away...then walks around meowing because she's very obviously hungry, and I give her more. Even with the appetite stimulant, she's barely eating.
The next step would be endoscopy to confirm or rule out IBD, followed by treatment with steroids. The idea of treating with steroids scares me, and I am willing to try anything to avoid that outcome. I have read that bengals are susceptible to IBD or, at the very least, GI issues. These articles invariably lead to accounts and testimonials of a raw diet controlling IBD symptoms. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced what I've described with your own bengal(s) - and what type of diet helped. We have tried every high-end, grain-free, commercial food on the market, including ones dubbed "holistic." Sapphire will eat the food for a few weeks, then stop. I'm nervous that we're running out of options since she won't eat anything at this point.
For the last several weeks, she was on a canned seafood kick, the stinkier the better. We have since eliminated all seafood assuming it might have caused an acute allergic reaction. Two years ago, she was prescribed Royal Canin urinary SO after a particularly searing UTI. The high gluten content in the RC food did a number on her, and that's what led us down a grain-free path.
It's tortuous to watch her wasting away. We thought we would have to put her down last week, and our hearts are breaking in a million and one pieces at the prospect. We feel like we're chasing our tails - no pun. We mentioned to the doctors the potential for a raw diet and admitted to giving Sapphire small amounts of raw steak as a treat every now and again, and we were essentially shamed and made to feel irresponsible. We really don't know where to turn at this point. We're happy to comply with the endoscopy for an accurate diagnosis - we want to do anything to keep Sapphire healthy. But it's very clear to us that the team of doctors is not enlightened with respect to raw feeding. We don't want to go through all of this to get a diagnosis but no treatment plan, other than steroids.
I hope some of you can help. We really don't know where to turn anymore.
Thank you, Danielle
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