Companion Animals

Cat Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Dietary Management and Welfare

Feline IBD causes chronic nausea, weight loss, and diarrhoea, with dietary management being a cornerstone of treatment.

Key Facts

IBD is the most common cause of chronic vomiting and weight loss in middle-aged cats
Novel protein or hydrolysed protein diets achieve remission in many dietary-responsive cases
Cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency is common and requires supplementation
Differentiating IBD from intestinal lymphoma requires biopsy but affects treatment choice

Welfare Considerations

Chronic GI disease causes daily nausea and discomfort. Appropriate dietary investigation before defaulting to immunosuppressive drugs reduces medication side effects and identifies dietary causes. Cobalamin supplementation dramatically improves energy and nausea in deficient cats.

What You Can Do

Trial a strict novel protein diet for 8-12 weeks before concluding dietary management fails
Request cobalamin testing for cats with IBD - many benefit from supplementation
Pursue biopsy to differentiate IBD from lymphoma if response to treatment is poor