Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline inflammatory bowel disease signs and treatment options
By Willard, M D·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·1999·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Feline inflammatory bowel disease: a review.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in cats is often diagnosed, but it might not be as common as many think. It's important for veterinarians to rule out other conditions that can look like IBD, such as food allergies or certain types of cancer. Taking intestinal biopsies can help with diagnosis, but they need to be done carefully and analyzed by someone skilled in this area. Instead of jumping straight into multiple medications, vets should consider the diagnosis carefully, as a well-planned diet can help with both food sensitivities and IBD. Overall, the review suggests that careful diagnosis and dietary management can be very helpful for cats suspected of having IBD.
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), while a popular diagnosis, may not occur as commonly as it is diagnosed. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that it is important to eliminate diseases that mimick it. Dietary intolerance or allergy in particular, can have the same clinical and histologic appearance as IBD. Likewise, well-differentiated alimentary lymphosarcoma can also be confused with it. Intestinal biopsies are useful, but must be taken carefully and then evaluated by someone with interest and expertise in alimentary tract pathology. Therefore, it behoves the clinician to carefully consider the diagnosis instead of starting multiple drug therapy in a cavalier fashion. Well constructed dietary therapy can often be beneficial for both dietary problems and IBD.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11919030/