Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats - Symptoms and Treatment

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 4 August 2021
Update Date: 6 November 2024
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Gastrointestinal Diseases in Cats - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
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Content

Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD in cats it consists of the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa. This accumulation can be lymphocytes, plasma cells or eosinophils. In cats, it is sometimes accompanied by inflammation of the pancreas and/or liver, so it is called the feline triad. Clinical signs are the general symptoms of a digestive problem, although vomiting and weight loss occur frequently, unlike the chronic diarrhea that usually occurs in dogs.

A good differential diagnosis must be made between other diseases that produce the same symptoms, and the definitive diagnosis is obtained through histopathology. O treatment it will be through a specific diet combined with the use of medications.


Keep reading this PeritoAnimal article, in which we'll explain what you need to know about Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats - Symptoms and Treatment.

What is and what causes inflammatory bowel disease in cats?

Inflammatory bowel disease in cats or IBD is a Small bowel chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin. Occasionally, it can also involve the large intestine or stomach and be associated with pancreatitis and/or cholangitis, being called the feline triad.

In feline inflammatory bowel disease, there is an infiltration of inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, plasma cells or eosinophils) in the lamina propria of the mucosal layer of the intestine, which may reach deeper layers. Although the origin is unknown, there are three hypotheses about the causes of inflammatory bowel disease in cats:


  • Autoimmune alteration against the intestinal epithelium itself.
  • Response to bacterial, parasitic, or dietary antigens from the gut lumen.
  • Failure in the permeability of the intestinal mucosa, which causes greater exposure to these antigens.

Is there a racial or age predisposition in the development of feline IBD?

There is no specific age. Although it is mostly seen in middle-aged cats, younger and older cats can also be affected. On the other hand, there is a certain racial predisposition in Siamese, Persian and Himalayan cats.

Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats

As the inflammation occurs in the intestine, the clinical signs are very similar to those of intestinal lymphoma, given that, although it tends to be more frequent in older cats, it is not exclusive. Thus, the clinical signs that a cat with inflammatory bowel disease presents are:


  • Anorexia or normal appetite.
  • Weight loss.
  • Mucous or bilious vomiting.
  • Small bowel diarrhea.
  • Large bowel diarrhea if this is also affected, usually with blood in the stool.

When performing an abdominal palpation, we may notice an increase in the consistency of the intestinal loops or enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes.

Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats

The definitive diagnosis of feline IBD is obtained through the integration of a good history, physical examination, laboratory analysis, imaging diagnosis and histopathology of the biopsies. It is necessary to perform a blood test and biochemistry, T4 detection, urinalysis, and abdominal radiography to rule out systemic diseases such as hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, or liver failure.

Sometimes a CBC of chronic inflammation with an increase in neutrophils, monocytes, and globulins may be seen. If there is a vitamin B12 deficiency, this could indicate that the problem is in the final part of the small intestine (ileum). In turn, the abdominal radiography can detect foreign bodies, gases or paralytic ileus. However, the abdominal ultrasound it is the most useful imaging exam, being able to detect a thickening of the intestinal wall, specifically the mucosa, and even measure it.

It is not common in inflammatory bowel disease in cats that the architecture of the intestinal layers is lost, as can occur with an intestinal tumor (lymphoma). It is also possible to notice a increase in mesenteric lymph nodes and, depending on their size and shape, whether they are inflamed or tumoral.

The definitive and differential diagnosis with lymphoma will be obtained with a histopathological analysis of samples obtained by endoscopic biopsy or laparotomy. In more than 70% of cases, the infiltrate is lymphocytic/plasmocytic, although it can also be eosinophilic with a lower response to treatment. Other infiltrates that are much less possible are neutrophilic (neutrophils) or granulomatous (macrophages).

Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in cats in cats is based on a combination of diet and immunomodulators and, if present, treatment of comorbidities.

dietary treatment

Many cats with IBD get better in a few days with a hypoallergenic diet. This is because the diet reduces the substrate for bacterial growth, increases intestinal absorption and reduces the osmotic potential. Although changing these diets can normalize the gut flora, it is difficult to reduce the pathogenic species that overpopulate the gut. Also, if there is concurrent pancreatitis, antibiotics should be given to prevent infections in the bile duct or intestine due to the cat's anatomical features (feline triad).

If the large intestine is also affected, the use of high fiber diets can be indicated. In any case, it will be the veterinarian who will indicate the best food for cats with IBD based on your particular case.

Medical treatment

If you have a low amount of b12 vitamin, the cat should be supplemented with a dose of 250 micrograms subcutaneously once a week for 6 weeks. Thereafter, every 2 weeks for another 6 weeks and then monthly.

O metronidazole it is effective because it is antimicrobial and immunomodulatory, but it must be used correctly to avoid adverse effects on intestinal cells and neurotoxicity. On the other hand, they use corticosteroids such as prednisolone in immunosuppressive doses. This therapy should be done, even if the diet has not been altered to check for food hypersensitivity, in cats that have marked weight loss and digestive signs.

Therapy with prednisolone can be started with 2 mg/kg/24h orally. The dose, if there is improvement, is maintained for another 2 to 4 weeks. If clinical signs are decreasing, the dose is reduced to 1 mg/kg/24h. the dose must be reduced until reaching the minimum effective dose that allows control of symptoms.

If corticosteroids are not enough, they should be introduced other immunosuppressants, like:

  • Chlorambucil at a dose of 2 mg/cat orally every 48 hours (for cats weighing more than 4 kg) or every 72 hours (for cats weighing less than 4 kg). Complete blood counts should be performed every 2-4 weeks for bone marrow aplasia.
  • Cyclosporine at a dose of 5 mg/kg/24 hours.

O treatment of mild inflammatory bowel disease in cats includes:

  • Hypoallergenic diet for 7 days and evaluation of response.
  • Metronidazole for 10 days at a dose of 15mg/kg/24 hours orally. Reduce dose by 25% every 2 weeks until withdrawal.
  • If there is no response with the above treatment, prednisolone 2 mg/kg/24h should be started alone or in combination with metronidazole, reducing the dose by 25% every 2 weeks until the minimum effective dose is reached.

And now that you have the different types of treatment of inflammatory bowel disease cats in cats, you might be interested in knowing what are the most common diseases in cats. Don't miss out on the following video:

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats - Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Intestinal Problems section.