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Starring: The Baby *Tiny Johnson * Felix * Rupert * Scouty * CC * Sweet Pea * Maui * May Ling * Salem

and...*Angels Grayce, KonaKitty, and Sylvester* always loved, never forgotten




Sunday, July 6, 2014

Home at Last.



Friends and Kitties!

Sheebie here.

It's Saturday evening, and I'm snuggled up on the sofa with The Baby, which is both good and bad;  good, because it means she's home, and bad, because she only snuggles when she's not feeling well.  

Not that I blame her, what with a 4" incision on her tummy--I'd be feeling pretty low too.  As soon as she got out of the carrier she had three long drinks at the fountains, pee'd, and produced a truly epic poop--she must've been saving it for days--and settled in next to me, where she's been for the past few hours.  No appetite, but I'm sure the pain patch is responsible for that.  I'll tempt her with tuna water if she doesn't eat by tomorrow morning.

The biopsy reports are in, and it turns out that our Olde Grizz has pretty severe Irritable Bowel Disease, but no sign of cancer, thank goodness.  This means we'll have to do some radical re-thinking of what and how we feed The Horde as apparently the best way to manage this condition is with diet.   Which is where I an crowd-sourcing y'all for ideas--with 13 felines it's not an inexpensive proposition to feed prescription food for IBD, and I'm not sure I really like the choices out there for "specially" formulated foods--they all sound like Frankenfood to me.   Right now we feed Friskies canned and Taste of the Wild kibble.  The kib will be gone as soon as I can get it to the shelter, it's no longer an option, and of course I just got two fresh bags last week...*sigh*  But The Baby's gonna need a better quality wet food, and since we'll be feeding out 12-16 cans a day I'm concerned about cost.  

Any ideas or suggestions?

Also, do any of you have experience with kitty IBD or good reference sites to read?  I am wondering about using steroids--she's 15 so realistically there's not a whole lot of long in long-term side effects to consider, and since she had such a dramatic turn-around after the metronidazole therapy I wonder about the efficacy of continuing that.  I have a call in to her regular vet to speak on Monday (she was off today but came in to read Baby's labs and do her release forms, what a great person) about these two issues but I'd love to get some feedback from the trenches.

You all have been absolute bricks for us this past week--thank you so much for your comments and emails and phone calls--they helped tremendously, and we need to hold on to the main fact that while what The Baby has a pretty awful condition, it's not fatal, and we can manage it...it's just a matter of learning how.  At least we know what's wrong, now...and right this minute she's curled up, healing, in a little white ball next to me, everso gently snerring in her sleep.  Where she belongs.


Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX


65 comments:

  1. We're so glad Baby is home and that it isn't cancer. We eat Wellness, Royal Canin, and Instinct canned food. We're not sure about how to help with IBS, but we're sure you'll get some excellent advice from the CB.

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  2. We are so glad The Baby is home. It will take some time for her to heal, but she will get there. We don't have any suggestions for IBD food, but we are certain someone in the blogosphere will have suggestions.

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  3. Oh, it's so hard when our furbabies are hurting. I'm glad that they were able to rule out cancer anyhow. I feed Friskies canned as well - & have just switched to Spot Stew Kibble - they really liked the Game Bird flavor (& I think they liked the shape - like little bitty Cheerios) - but, it's spendy...Good luck in finding a food that everyone can eat. T.

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  4. I have no advice but am sending lots of ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

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  5. We are happy dancing that The Baby is home with you. We don't have specific advice on IBD, but we do have urinary issues here which has required a special diet for "some" of us...which as you know means all of us. So hard to keep food separate unless the kitties are separate. We will purr that the right food and medication are found to keep The Baby and everyone happy.

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  6. Glad she is home. Stran has IBD and Äiti will email you......

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  7. It's so good to hear that The Baby is home! The head peep says: I don't know anything about IBD, but I have my thinking cap on about the diferent diets thing. Managing 13 is a lot harder than managing 3-5 with different diets! My initial thought was wondering whether your crew is microchipped. (I know it's a long shot with Scouty but...) There are at least one company that makes cat doors that admit cats based on their chip. If the solution scaled, you could create a non-IBD feeding area that is access-controlled. Too Buck Rogers an idea?

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  8. Wish I could help with something useful... Glad that the baby is back home and cancer free... Good luck...

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  9. I am sorry I can't offer any advice as I've never had a kitty with IBS but I am happy she is back home with you

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  10. One of the guesses (I can't really call them diagnoses) that some of the vets have about me is some sort of irritable bowel deal, and until recently, I was on and off pred for quite a while, with no ill effects. We all eat canned food only here, with the occasional crunchy treat. I am picky so I am given whatever I will eat, even if it isn't quite as high quality as what Binga and Boodie willingly wolf down. Can The Baby get her own stash of food if there are any good suggestions? That way you can still feed the rest of the crew less expensive food (The Baby does not look like she overeats or steals food). My human says thumbs down to most of these "prescription" diets, but you might check with the vet to see if there are any meds that might be helpful as a digestive aid, and whether probiotics will help, or if they are contraindicated (sometimes they are). Also maybe ask about B12 shots - I got those for a while and they made me feel great. I keep telling my human to ask for more, but she forgets.

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  11. Yay! We are happy to hear her diagnosis. A lot of kittehz out there manage IBD and you will get tons of great advice. Good luck and we'll keep sending purrs for a quick recovery.

    XOXO

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  12. So much love and purrs for The Baby and her Mommy. We think Mommy and Daddy are extra-smart peeps and they will figure out how to manage the foods situation--since the Human has never had more than three at a time, we don't have any brilliant ideas for the horde. We wish we did, but (shhhhhhhhn now) we is not all that bright.

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  13. DiscoNoFurNo has IBD and his Mommy works at the VET clinic. Our Mommy really enjoyed meeting her at BlogPaws. She is on FB and at furrydancecats.com

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  14. we are so glad that the baby is at home.

    emma and buster

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  15. Welcome home The Baby. We're glad it's something that is treatable. We're sorry we have no advice for IBD though.

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  16. So glad that The Baby is home again.

    One thing that our Mom knows about kitties and IBS is that kitties wif bad tummies do better eating food without corn or wheat and foods that gots probiotics or prebiotics to help their tummies. I hads the runnies all the time until Mom gave me Iams with prebiotics.

    Maxwell Tigger eats corn-free foods cause him gets rashes from corn. Corn am not goods for most IBS kitties. Max am eating a food called Goodlife. It am at goodlifepet.com. We hopes what Maxie and I has to eats help with your research for The Baby. Purrz and leg rubs, -Doobie Davey.

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  17. We don't know much since none of us have ever had that problem, but a pal of ours from Catster ran a site called http://www.ibdkitties.net. Ya might be interested in checkin it out.

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  18. We've never dealt with it, but we are sending lots of purrs and prayers for continued recovery and solutions! Question, can you give the other kitties the bags of kibble without The Baby having access to it?

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  19. We had to switch to all wet food this year due to Toby's constipation issues, and that is expensive enough for two cats, let alone your horde! The two bags of food... the store will probably take them back for store credit. We're glad the Baby is home, too.

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  20. We're very glad to hear that The Baby is safely home where she belongs. We have no experience of IBD and the wet food is (mostly) different over here so we can't be of any real help. But we did think that Sparkle's comment was very good.

    Healing Purrs,
    The Chans

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  21. Firstly I am so glad that it's not cancer and that it can be managed. I can't offer much help on the diet facto as I found that it was a taste that Jasper didn't like. It must be so difficult for you as well because it would be so hard to just feed The Baby on her own. I hope the other friends nearer can help with advise. Just so glad it's much better news than you were dreading.

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  22. Yahoo used to have a feline IBD group, Trish, and they still might. A good resource. Most suggest grain-free, actually preferably raw, is the way to go. My coworker makes her own raw for her cats and it's cheap, cheap, cheap compared to buying grain-free canned, but of course you have to do it correctly--and the cat has to eat it.

    Slippery elm helps for tummy upsets, I've previously posted the "recipe" for boiling it up and keeping the syrup on hand for a few days at time, but if you want or need it, I can send it to you.

    Frankly, at 15 I would be focusing on her quality of life, not quantity, as you seem to be doing, so if continued steroid use helps, you might consider as low a dose as possible. I cringe at the thought of Nicki being on Pred long term, because I've read enough about the side effects, but in his case, not breathing will kill him too, so in my situation, I'm d*mned if I do and d*mned if I don't. But if Nicki were 15 and not 7, I probably wouldn't fuss about it, to be honest.

    Continued purrs and purrayers for The Baby...and you too, as you make the best decisions you can. I don't think it ever gets easier, we just educate ourselves as much as possible and hope we're doing the right thing.

    (((Hugs)))

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  23. So glad The Baby is home and is happy to be there. I have to agree with Sparkle on the Prescription diets. I think the main thing is to discover which kind of food bothers Baby's tummy. I guess there isn't any way that you can feed Baby on her own. I have to do that with some of mine. I just fix all the dishes and put them down all at once and the ones that need special food get it. The hardest thing is what will Baby eat. Wish I knew what kind of food to try. Anyway, good luck to you and we are thrilled there isn't any cancer.

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  24. I'm so behind on my blogging and blog-reading. Sending good thoughts for Baby. We raw feed four of our six, which seems more economical (to us) than the canned we feed the other two. But not everyone takes to raw and there is a time factor there. We make their food once every two weeks and have a good system now.

    I hope you can figure out something that works for you and especially poor Baby! So glad it's not cancer.

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  25. I'm so glad The Baby is home but we're sorry she has IBD. I can only imagine how difficult it will be trying to manage the diets of your crew. I personally don't know a lot about treating IBD but I know there is a Yahoo group for people with cats with IBD. I bet there's lots of good info there and people who can share their experiences. And I bet there's a Facebook group too. I know there is a CRF group on FB, so I'm sure there's an IBD group.

    Purrs and good thoughts continue for The Baby that she's feeling good real soon.

    Island Mom Sue

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  26. Glad she is home and you know what's wrong. Sending hugs.

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  27. It's lovely to know, The Baby is home. Nothing like home..where the love is. Mom got no clue about IBD. But she , and me keep pawsitive thought and send lots of purrs to The Baby.
    Please take care
    ((( Hug))))

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  28. Sorry, we haven't had to deal with that either but we sure are glad The Baby is home and that it isn't the Evil C.

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  29. I am also very glad The Baby is home and that she doesn't have cancer and that you know what you're dealing with. I couldn't feed a special diet with three so I definitely sympathize. As some of the others mentioned, there is an IBD Yahoo Group. Do you think the suggestion from Sometimes, Cats Herd You is an option? I wish I had something brilliant to impart. I just hope that you can continue to feed The Horde the same more inexpensive (relatively speaking) food and just feed The Baby her special diet, but I see how hard that would be.

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  30. I meant to mention that I've met several cat owners who give their cats on an ongoing, long-term basis with no ill effects. I hope The Baby feels better soon!

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  31. Glad it is not cancer. we have switched to all wet food for urinary tract reasons - we feed wellness grain free. Minnie has had IBD since she was small - she fluctuates between diarrhea and constipation and then other times strains so hard to poop she vomits. She goes in cycles - some weeks are great and then others she has a few bad days. Overly rich foods will cause her to vomit right back up so I avoid those. I give probiotics, immune support supplements and did give slippery elm during her bad days and give chia seeds for the constipation. Minnie is now 15. Here is a link to an article for natural ways to treat IBD - http://blog.onlynaturalpet.com/2010/09/10/988/

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  32. Thoughts: Since feeding everyone Rx food would be prohibitive, you might need to keep all dry food picked up during the day so they don't have access to graze at will. Then at feeding time put The Baby in a separate room to eat the Rx stuff. You might also look into making your own wet food for everybody. Your vet might have a recipe or you might find something online. I'm caring for cats for a friend - one cat has 'mega bowel'. She mixes ground turkey with sweet peas or sweet potato plus supplements. They're all doing well on that diet - no dry food.

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  33. Glad The Baby is home and it isn't the evil "c".

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  34. changing from free feeding and available kibble to meal time is going to be a tough transition for your cats.. it was for mine. But stay strong, they will get used to it. I've heard of many people who go to four meals a day (mostly because they can) and it helps.. so if you feed frequently it might help them adjust.

    I had to do a dramatic rethink of what I feed my cats when I had one cat with diabetes and two with urinary crystals. To feed a 'good quality canned food' was not only near impossible - because finding said food was difficult not to mention the few brands I found acceptable were financially frightening.

    with the recipe at catinfo.org I started making my own. I did it with out the cooking step, and found that even with the investment in the grinder it was dramatically cheaper and far better quality food than I could get anywhere. But grinding for 8 cats got to me so I started buying premade (bravo) and I buy 5lb frozen chubs, and my local pet store offers me a slight discount if I buy a case at a time, so while it is more expensive to buy it, I don't have to invest the time in grinding.

    you'll find you feed less with raw, because they end up better nourished, and you'll find you use less litter because stools will be smaller and drier and won't stink.. :)

    if you want to feed separately, there are people who have invented feeding boxes that have microchip cat doors that only allow one cat in at a time. I put a magnetic cat door on my bathroom door so I could feed Em extra food while she was dying from cancer.

    good luck with this.. you can do it.

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  35. My only input is on the steroid use--I'd avoid it if possible. While they are on it, it's great. But coming down, they crash and crash hard.

    Grace was given a steroid shot last year and it nearly killed her when it wore off. I had no idea of the "crash" you experience until my boss told me of how own human experiences on the stuff. Even she said it is horrible to come off of.

    I'd try to avoid the steroids if possible.

    There are food dishes that work for the cat who wears the little microchip. I've thought about getting that for Grace because Hobbes snarfs down her food all the time.

    Thinking of you and sending positive vibes that you make this work. You will, but not without a lot of figuring it out. But...you will. :)

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  36. Hi Sheebie and welcome home Baby.

    Oh dear sweet girl we know about IBD...both of my sis's Cornish Rexes have been cursed with some type of bowel issues. Cali actually had mega colon. Her colon stayed one size too large cause many many bouts with being impacted. Harley has IBD...which presented as diarrhea and throwing up. He lost a considerable amount of weight before being 100% diagnosed at age 4. He also has diabetes. Thankfully he is doing well. His is best managed with kibble made only of duck by Royal Cains (spelling). This food works for the IBD and the diabetes issues. It took several months to find a food that worked for both. During IBD flare ups he takes a tiny bit of Prednisone for inflammation. He will be 10 later this month and is down up to 13 lbs...his quality of life is good.
    Of course the Duck food is very expensive ($40. a bag) not something you can feed 13.
    Hugs madi and Mom

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  37. We are happy that Baby is home and we purr she does well with IBD.
    There seem to be some good ideas here:)
    Purrs Georgia and Julie,
    Treasure, JJ

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  38. We're so glad The Baby is home. We're sending lots of healing purrs for her to feel better soon.

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  39. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_resources/brochure_ibd.cfm

    I'd try grain free to start then try a novel protein diet if that doesn't help. It could take a month for obvious improvement.

    I can recommend Nature's Variety Instinct, but it isn't cheap. Rabbit is supposedly the easiest protein to digest.

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  40. SO glad she's back and home and recovering. Wish I had suggestions for you.

    Side note - Is it Blue Wilderness you have? Cause maybe we could buy the bags off you if it's what the boys eat...

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  41. I am glad The Baby is back home with you and it isn't the evil c. No suggestions on IBD but I hope you can find the diet that suits her best, and that she will eat.

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  42. Many hugs and purrs and purrayers to The Baby. We are glad that she is home now. Bow had IBD for many years. We started him on prednisolone when he was about 5 years old, and he was on it until he passed away at 18 from renal kidney failure. He was on it every 3rd day, then every 2nd day. We tried to put him on premium diets, duck and potato, venison and potato from the vet. He didn't like it. So we just kept the crew on the foods that they were on for years. Prednisolone really helped. And I wouldn't be worried about its impact on The Baby because she is 15, and as long as you keep the IBD under control, she can still live many years with it and the medications.

    Luf, Us and Maw

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  43. We're so glad it's something treatable. We have no experience with IBD but some of our friends sure do that will hopefully work for you and your horde. :)

    So so happy The Baby is home!

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  44. I'd also recommend Tanya's CRF site. It's not just CRF she talks about so many other problems and IBD is one of them I do believe. Abby had problems with digestion and I did the slippery elm like Kim suggested. THIS does no harm whatsoever and I just made the "syrup" and mixed it down in her food. IT was a tremendous help. It coats the GI tract and aids in the inflammation.

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  45. Glad baby is home and no cancer. Good luck on the dinner menu!

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  46. I'm thrilled to hear Baby is home where she belongs, snuggling with you! I'm no help with the IBD.

    When Silas was still alive, I tried feeding him separately from the rest and only putting down the other food when he was isolated. I have photos of him on the cupboard opening the door to get at their food. Where there's a will there's a way.

    Good luck, I hope you find something for all that will keep Baby around for a very long time.

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  47. We've fed our cats Trader Joe's canned cat food for years, and have seen it included in several Best Cat Foods lists. It's from the same company that makes Whole Foods' brand, but is more affordable. I think we pay 69 cents per can.

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  48. So glad to hear that The Baby is back at home and that the results were clear for cancer, sending huge healing purrs to her for her to feel better soon.

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  49. Sooo happy The Baby is home!!!! Great news! I am going to let those with more experience with IBS answer that question, but...have you thought about contacting Lorie Huston? You know she is a vet and super knowledgeable, maybe she would have food recommendations?

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  50. I'm so glad to hear that your Baby is home and that it's something that can be managed (though not inexpensive) I don't have any suggestions for food to feed her. My kitty brats get food from the vet-Hill's prescription diet foods.
    In the past, my vet gave me a website for cat health care. I will try and locate it and perhaps that can give you some ideas. I know some public libraries have databases that are accessible with a library card. Even if not, librarians are quite good at getting credible websites for info. Again, so glad your girl is at home with you. It is such a great feeling when they curl up beside you. Take good care.

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  51. O.K. it's me again. I think this is the site.
    http://www.veterinarypartner.com/
    Give gentle hugs to the Baby for me.

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  52. Although Chucky was never given the IBD diagnosis, he was suffering from constipation constantly. When we switched to a novel protein diet (Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea) plus added a spoonful of canned pumpkin and a 1/4 teaspoon of stool softener, he's been much better. We'd fed them Science Diet prior to that, so I had to find a food with a completely different kind of meat...not turkey, salmon, chicken, etc. Natural Balance is not cheap, but I've found a place that I can buy in cases and they cut the price per can, and I buy TONS when it's on sale anywhere. You can do it!

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  53. Have you tried feeding oven cooked chicken (not roasted but just with a covering of water in the bottom of a casserole dish). This is plain and Hannah had it when she first came here as she tended towards soft stools that has passed but I still give her some every day - I don't buy the best chicken but get chicken breasts from the supermarket when they're on offer and keep in the freezer until required.

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  54. Oh, we are releived it's nothing fatal but God bless you, it's going to be tough with 13 kitties. We don't really have any suggestions but we are pirring for you all.

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  55. Wish I could help on a suggestion for feeding, but I have no experience in that area. The crew (8) here get canned Friskies and Fancy Feast and free choice Royal Canin, and all seem to be doing well.

    My old man Meshach (17 this year) is fed two extra 'wet food' meals a day watered down since it's hard for him to eat. He can eat some dry food, but I don't depend on that as he isn't consistent. I have to guard him while he (slowly) eats because there is no honor among cats. He gets picky to so I switch flavors allot. But what I wanted to say was, he has been on Pred for close to 7 years now. He gets one every other day. He had severe gingivitis and other mouth issues but this has kept it under control. In fact his mouth is great right now. Every time he goes to the vet we decide to keep him on it because as I say--we are buying time now! At The Baby's age I would worry less about long term effects than the quality that she has now, as someone mentioned. We sometimes just have to make a decision and pray it's the correct one.

    Take care
    Tammy

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  56. Glad The Baby is home. I would be guided by Connie, who has had a lot of experience. It's hard for you with so many cats, to change everyone's feeding habits. The good news is apparently if you go to raw food, it's actually cheaper.
    Good luck!

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  57. We are SO happy to hear The Baby is back in your arms. I too would look to Connie for advice. I'm certainly no expert when it comes to specialized nutrition. BIG purrs coming your way still!
    xo

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  58. We are so excited that The Baby is home and does not have cancer. We know that the IBD is still a very serious illness. You might want to contact Sherri-Ellen from Nylablue and Sherri-Ellen's Purrfect Pad. Purrfect Pad. She's been dealing with Nylablue's bowel disease for many years. We will be purring for The Baby and Mom will be praying. Good Luck with finding the solution that works best for you, Scott and all the Katnip Lounge kitties. XO, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

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  59. I'm happy to hear Baby is home and she does not have the dreaded C! I've read many of the comments and there are some good suggestions for you to try. Good Lyck and we are sending purrs your way.
    Shawn, Chloe, Cecil and Winston

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  60. So glad The Baby is home and doing alright. We wish her a speedy recovery! So glad it isn't cancer. As for the IBD - my Sophie had some sort of stomach issue. It has never been officially diagnosed, but she used to have terrible diarrhea pretty much anytime she went to the bathroom (sorry to be graphic). It was terrible. At the time, she was eating Friskies canned food. I switched her to Wellness canned food to see if that would help, since it is grain free. It helped a lot, but it was expensive. Then I switched to a raw diet. She still doesn't have any upset stomach problems, AND the raw diet is cheaper than even the Friskies. I still keep the Wellness on hand if I run out of raw (translation: if I'm being lazy). I'm not sure if any of this is helpful, as The Baby's issue might be different than Sophie's. It might be worth a shot though! :)

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  61. So glad The Baby is home and it's not the Big C. IBD is bad enough in humans, so the poor little thing must wonder what's going on and been in so much pain. I think you've had plenty of good advice here, but was also like Kitties Blue, suggest Sherri-Ellen as her Nylablue has IBD too. Sending mega purrs xox

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  62. Oh gosh - so heartbreaking when our furry friends are not feeling well. I hope you find a solution to the situation. I can't add anything but Banjo and I send lots of love and good thoughts!!
    xo Catherine

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  63. Not even gonna comment about the IBD because Connie (Tails Foster Kits) and Terri (furry dance cats) are the best encyclopedias I know!
    ANd they're already said stuff.

    Just SO glad it's not the big C word!!

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  64. Given your readership and reach...I would try to get a pet supply company or make of special food for IBD to donate a year's supply so you can make quarterly reports for 'their' food...just an idea...I have not experience with this thankfully

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  65. So sorry to be behind on blog-reading -- I'm late to know of your ordeal and so sorry for it. I second the B-12 comment. Check out the research I did for my friend's cat and BEST of luck. Research here: http://catself.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/stewie-is-better/

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Oh Boy...this is gonna be GREAT!