Feline inflammatory bowel disease causes chronic gastrointestinal suffering. Modern management can achieve excellent control and restore quality of life in most affected cats.
Feline IBD causes chronic gastrointestinal discomfort that significantly impairs quality of life when unmanaged. Cats with IBD experience nausea, abdominal cramping, and the discomfort of recurrent vomiting or diarrhea alongside progressive weight loss and nutritional deficiency. The welfare impact of chronic gastrointestinal disease is often underestimated because affected cats may continue to function outwardly while experiencing significant internal suffering. Modern management has transformed the prognosis: accurate diagnosis distinguishing dietary IBD from immune-mediated IBD from lymphoma guides targeted therapy that achieves good control in most cases. Cobalamin supplementation, often overlooked, provides meaningful welfare benefit by correcting a deficiency that itself impairs gastrointestinal function and wellbeing.