Inflammatory bowel disease is a common cause of chronic weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhoea in cats. Early diagnosis and management improves quality of life significantly.
Feline IBD causes chronic gastrointestinal discomfort that progressively reduces quality of life. Cats with IBD may vomit multiple times weekly, lose weight despite adequate appetite, and experience abdominal discomfort. The chronic nature of the disease means extended periods of untreated suffering in cats whose owners may attribute symptoms to 'sensitive stomach' or 'eating too fast'. Diagnosis through biopsy requires general anaesthesia, but once diagnosed, most cats respond well to dietary management and prednisolone. Some cats remain on long-term treatment with good quality of life.