While vomiting is the most common clinical sign, diarrhea, weight loss, depression and behavioral changes can also occur.
This problem must be distinguished from other fairly common causes of vomiting, including hyperthyroidism, lymphosarcoma, feline heartworm disease, intestinal parasites, viral illnesses and pancreatic disease. Testing should be done to rule out these conditions, if possible.
IBD can only be diagnosed accurately from intestinal biopsy samples. The most common way to biopsy the intestine is through endoscopy. Flexible endoscopes that can be passed into the intestinal tract are used to visualize and biopsy the intestine. It is important to rule out the other possible problems by labwork, if possible, prior to considering intestinal biopsy. In some cases, it is hard to arrange for biopsy to be done. In this case, therapeutic trials of anti-inflammatory medications may aid in the diagnosis.
Once it is established that inflammatory bowel disease is present, there are several treatment options. Mild cases of IBD tend to respond well to corticosteroid administration. If caught early, this treatment can eliminate the problem as a future concern in some cats. In older cats or where the disease is well established, medication may be necessary lifelong. Other medications used for this include metronidazole and azathioprine. These medications can be used in combination in severe cases of IBD.
Some cats may have IBD due to food allergies. It is always a good idea to consider this possibility and to use a diet free from any ingredients the cat has previously eaten for a period of several months to be sure that food allergies are not present. Your vet can help you design a good diet for this purpose or provide you with commercial foods made to be hypoallergenic.
Curing cats of this condition is not always possible but most will respond to treatment and be able to live fairly normal lives.
