Signs your cat may have IBD/Lymphoma

IBD and Lymphoma form the third of the three common age related conditions that older cats experience. This is my series of videos on common old cat diseases that features the IBD/Lymphoma complex. In it I review the common presenting signs, diagnostic steps and management strategies for this common disorder. You can find the other two videos on common old age cat diseases here:
Kidney disease: • Kidney Disease and Cat...
Hyperthyroidism: • Hyperthyroidism and cats
Since so many of you have asked the alternative to pred is spelled BUDESONIDE.
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In Vancouver, BC? You can meet Dr. Uri and his team at:
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Arbutus West Animal Clinic - www.awac.ca
Vancouver East Veterinary Clinic - www.vancouvereast.vet
Acadia Veterinary Clinic - www.acadiavetclinic.ca/

[@susank3986]

I lost three of my kitties to lymphoma. Could not afford chemo. Vet medical care is way too expensive! I now have insurance for my cats but many of these procedures will still put me in the red for sure. I wish this situation could change. Its very unfair to lower middle class and low income people.

[@DukeRevolution]

Dr. Burstyn: [educational and helpful information] Mr. Pirate: "Your hand is delicious."

[@loriw]

I sincerely wish this video had been available to me last year, when my girl was having these issues. We rely on our veterinarians to know all the signs and symptoms, and different medications and treatments available, but sadly, if we don't educate ourselves, things get missed. And that's exactly what happened with my baby girl.

[@lulu_9000]

Same. We lost our girl at the start of this year after at least a couple years of her displaying these symptoms. We kept bringing her to the vet -at least two different ones - but her blood tests and everything came back looking fine. It wasn't until she had something like a seizure-like episode on New Years that finally an ultrasound was done and they found thickened intestinal lining. But by that time it was too late. She declined quickly after that and we had to say goodbye just over a week later. Wish I had known this sooner. Probably would have pushed for an ultrasound earlier and then maybe we could have done more for her. But now I know for the next cat, and at least that's something. Sorry about your kitty. ❤️

[@loriw]

@@lulu_9000 I'm so sorry. It's heartbreaking when we discover that something was totally preventable. That's happened to me, as well, in the past. My sweet girl that passed this year was diagnosed with IBD/lymphoma. But because I wasn't given all the treatment options, I made decisions that I probably would not have, had I been well informed. The first one being the prednisolone she was taking for quite some time. It caused diabetes, and I suspect heart problems, as well. All this was going on right in the middle of covid, and my veterinarians office was being very stingy with their appointments, so I was doing everything by phone. You would have thought that based on all the problems I was relaying to the vet, the light bulb would have gone on, and he would have told me to get her in there and test her for diabetes. But instead, he just kept telling me it was because she was an older cat. So she went months with her blood sugar sky high. I was furious when I found out. Despite starting insulin treatment, she went downhill from there, and she passed in March of this year. It was heartbreaking to watch her suffer for almost a year. As you said, anytime this happens, we are that much more educated if it comes up again. But that doesn't help my poor girl that isn't here anymore.

[@brocklanders6969]

@@loriw Our cat was just diagnosed with small cell small intestine lymphoma. Initial probable diagnoses IBD vs. small cell lymphoma via ultrasound. Next via VDI Labs Feline GA Lymphoma Panel came back 7.7 High Positive. Confirmed via surgical biopsy, but fortunately in the superficial stage. We just started 1mg/5mg Chlorambucil/Prednisolone daily. Our vet is a feline only specialist with 25+ years experience.

[@pennyqi6306]

Same. I lost my boy in January. Spent more than 20k but couldn’t get a certain diagnose. I don’t really care about the money but just want my boy to get proper treatments. I was devastated…

[@loriw]

@@pennyqi6306 I'm so sorry. They take a piece of our soul with them when they go on ahead of us.

[@orangesweetness]

My sweet little Squish just passed 2 days ago. I'm heartbroken. He was only 4.5 years old. I don't understand what happened. We came home and he was gone. I searched my home to find some kind of evidence of him choking or something; nothing... No chemicals are ever left out. He was a Scottish Fold. I know vats are good at hiding symptoms, but we can't think of anything different regarding behaviors, sleep, eating. I just don't understand. His tongue was pressed up on the roof of his mouth. No discoloration and no obstruction. I would think he would have slobbered if he was choking. I know knowing won't bring him back, but I'm devastated and hope it wasn't painful for him. He was my buddy and side kick. He was like a cat/dog/toddler to the end. He slept on me every day. He played fetch and tug of war. He never once scratched or bit anyone. He was bursting with love and personality. I'm shocked and in agony over my sweet, young boy being gone.

[@myhomeCEO]

I am so sorry to hear this, it's heartbreaking. Sending you good vibes to help you cope with your lost

[@orangesweetness]

Thank you all for the kind comments! When I took him to get cremated, the lady asked about adoption again. I can't even think of that right now, but I do love cats, so maybe I can cross that bridge down the road. I have another cat that we rescued, and I feel so bad for him too. He's been very off. He seems depressed and won't leave my side. He's usually kinda a beat to me, but I think he senses I need him, or maybe he needs me. I'm not entirely sure. But he's been different and aside from loving on him and distracting him, idk what else to do to help him. I hate when people underestimate animals having feelings. He's grieving as well

[@ellie698]

I am so sorry Xxx

[@lauriegentry7764]

One of the greatest loss is losing our "pets". To me, they are our babies. Period. I'm truly sad that your baby is suddenly gone. I'm hoping that the love and understanding we send will help you through this pain. We love them so, and the pure love they give us is the best there is in this life.

[@allthumbs3792]

I’m so very sorry to hear your dear little guy died so suddenly! Your mind must be swirling with grief and questions. It’s heartbreaking to lose our dear pets. My deepest sympathies.

[@chris3117]

I was like 10 in my moms car on a rainy day and I see this handsome kitty on the street and say mom stop the car, I open the door and my sweet boy jumps right in. Years later, we got my boy to 22lbs (his breed are big boys). Out of no where he started rapidly losing weight he’s now 10lbs. Actually it happened around the time we had to put my other rescued cat down, I think he misses him. The vet thinks he has ibd, he’s on prednisone, we got his special hydrolyzed wet food which he hates so I spoil him with a little baby food so he eats it, we got the same kind of dry food, probiotics, and he’s still throwing up. The hydrolyzed dry food probably isn’t helping him. He’s jumping on the counter trying to eat my salmon, pizza, French fries. He eats his food, I feed him 3 times a day but seems like he’s still starving and throws up maybe 3 times a week, today he threw up 3 times. I’m gonna make the 4th vet appointment tomorrow. I’m going to push for a food allergy test. But I’m worried. I learned more from this video about the condition than 3 vet visits. My parents don’t live together anymore so I took kitty duty. My mom has ocd and the throwing up on the carpet drives her nuts. I was debating on putting him down tomorrow because eating and throwing it up isn’t a good quality of life..this video gave me hope. I just can’t see my boy suffer though. The way he runs around looking at everything I have like it’s food kills me. I just can’t tell, I don’t know if it’s too premature or he’s ready to go. He jumps so high, purrs the whole time he’s with me, sometimes shares my pillow, he’ll wake me up pawing my face to give him more food. I’m gonna try to give my boy more time for his sake. I just hope he’s not suffering. I’m gonna see what the vet says tomorrow. He’s only 11 we think.

[@Spills51]

My cat was diagnosed with either small cell lymphoma or extremely severe IBD. (Sadly I couldnt afford a biopsy after already having an ultrasound and specialist app) He has diabeties, Small cell lymphoma, and recently goes in and out of heart failure. Ill say this....If I could change only one thing from the past with him it would be an absolute no brainer....He would never ever of had dry food at all....its an absolute health killer and as a comparison it is like a candy bar for people....and just as bad (even the best dry food is worse then some of they worst wet food health wise). Im not saying all his issues are exclusively from that (Diabeties is 100% because of it though and I would heavily lean on heart failure also because of it). Either way keeping your cat at a healthy weight is key...unless as they age you like guilt and astronomical expense if your going to try and help him. I made lots of mistakes but even with basically living paycheck to paycheck....I have done absolutely everything to help him fight these issues and as long as he has a fair quality of life then I will never turn my back on him....I owe him that from being an ignorant owner. Thankfully it has been 4 years since his initial diabeties diagnoses and about two and half since his cancer/Ibd diagnosis....he takes chemo, insulin and about 5 other meds everyday. He still seems pretty normal despite everything and Im really happy with his day to day considering all his ailments....But so much revolves around him....finances and time being a massive priority if you are in such a situation.... BUT HE IS MY BUDDY (his name is Bibble) AND AS LONG AS HE IS FIGHTING....ILL BE THERE RIGHT NEXT TO HIM TO THE VERY END.

[@TwiPrime]

I'm glad Bibble has you! I'm here looking for info for my friend whose kitty is trying to recover from an infection and we-don't-know-for-sure-yet-what-larger-health-problem. The thing that is for sure is that, even as his infection seems better and he seems stronger, his weight is super low, possibly still decreasing, though he is eating. Did your kitty ever lose a lot of weight in spite of eating?

[@_RayOfLight_]

You are an amazing cat parent ❤

[@MK-ih6wp]

​@@TwiPrime my cat had ravenous, insatiable appetite but was losing weight. I thought he had parasites but it was actually hyperthyroidism.

[@TwiPrime]

@@MK-ih6wp thanks for letting me know this. My friend's cat improved a good bit, with treatment for anemia, steroids and prescription diet. Imaging suggested he had either IBD or Lymphoma, then after an ultrasound, doctors said there weren't obvious signs of cancer (lymphoma), so IBD was the likelier problem, hence the Rx diet. He gained back some weight and continues to be pretty happy and comfortable, per his mom.

[@ninabeach1]

Thanks for sharing your story. Best wishes to you and Bibble ❤

[@reginabraidotti8128]

Dr. Burstyn, I can't thank you enough for this video. I had switched my cat's food a month ago and thought his persistent loss of appetite was due to him being finicky, but when you described being able to feel all the cat's bones in the spine and pelvis around the 3:45 mark, I realized that this described what I now could feel when I pet my cat. So I took him to the vet on Tuesday, and now he's going for an ultrasound this afternoon. You very well may have saved his life.

[@thefadingmoonlight]

My cat just got an ultrasound for this. She has either small cell lymphoma or IBD. This video was super helpful in helping me understand what the next steps will be.

[@EvokeASMR]

I lost my cat to Alimentary Lymphoma. First signs were increased vomiting. At first it was happening in the morning, and yellow/green frothy, but then it was happening all day. Immediately had bloods checked and ultrasound. Scan showed the cancer. Loss of appetite, weight loss, withdrawing followed. So very sad, and I lost her in a matter of weeks, despite the wonderful vet trying everything possible. Thank you for your wonderful videos, and for all that you do. I love to see your beautiful cats too! 😻

[@wab_]

I'm sorry for your loss 😢

[@mulliganstew72]

I am so sorry. That is heartbreaking. Sending love and prayers

[@eileenharding6880]

Me too, my girl had the symptoms, had exploratory surgery, no hope, cancer in her stomach, liver etc, she was ill for just 2 weeks it was devestating

[@EvokeASMR]

@@eileenharding6880 so sorry for your loss 😕💜

[@michellecrockettms.uniteds9101]

My heart breaks for you and your sweet kitty! 💔

[@ranzheng3856]

Doctor, thank you so much for giving me confidence to treat my IBD cat. I was feeling devastated for days when told that cat IBD is “incurable”.

[@Teeny733]

I lost my soulmate kitty to lymphoma. I wish I would have known what to look for... at the time, it seemed like it just came out of nowhere so suddenly. I wish I would have known so I could have helped her... But I'm glad I'm seeing this now so I can be aware of the signs to look for in my kitties now. Thank you for posting this. 💜

[@kdog350]

I lost my kitty to lymphoma as well February of last year. I believe it was definitely small cell lymphoma as it wasn't caught until he was very weak and frail. I still had 12 very good years with the little guy and I miss him dearly. Definitely glad to see this video as well so I know what to do in the future.

[@Harpeia]

Same here, word to word... I'm sorry to hear you too went through it. But, as the good vet said, it's a fact of life, as difficult as it is to live with. At least we have some more knowledge about it now.

[@irhonda31]

Same here. I'm still mad at myself 4-1/2 years later for missing the signs!

[@brocklanders6969]

We have been lucky so far. We recently decided to take out 13 y.o. senior cat to a local feline only specialist with 25+ years experience. She had been vomiting more than usual. Our cat was just diagnosed with small cell small intestine lymphoma. Initial probable diagnoses IBD vs. small cell lymphoma via ultrasound. Next via VDI Labs Feline GA Lymphoma Panel came back 7.7 High Positive. Confirmed via surgical biopsy, but fortunately in the superficial stage. We just started 1mg/5mg Chlorambucil/Prednisolone daily. She has some cats that have been on this protocol for 8 years.

[@lavender_haze]

My soulmate cat has ckd, diagnosed when she was only 8. Almost two years later she’s improved a lot but I feel like we’re on borrowed time. She’s nowhere near the end of her life but it gives me so much anxiety to know she could have a month left or 3 years left. How do you cope with the loss of your soulmate? I cry about it often and I hate seeing her on her bad days. I cherish however much time I have left with her but I don’t know if I’ll survive after she dies. It seems impossible

[@ivonanadj5310]

Your video changed my cat's life. I knew something was wrong, everything suggested that it is one of the things you talk about in this video. For 10 months I was trying to convince my vets to do a biopsy and endoscopy check, they were not taking it into consideration. It is funny because I am watching this video again and I stopped at the part where you are explaining how owners do not like the idea of doing biopsy, and for us it was the opposite. Now I am watching again to make a note and remember which medicine you recommended for IBD to have less side effects. These kind of videos are priceless to owners. We can be educated and advocate for our fur babies. It would be wonderful to have those 30 minutes videos about each disease group, I am sure you will have plenty of audience for those topics. Small number of vets know valid information regarding these questions, so educating ourselves as owners is crucial to preventing and knowing which steps you need to ask and take and insist on when you notice these sympthoms. Thank you again so much.

[@auditoryeden]

It's crazy how identical all this information is between cats and people. Even the meds (pred, budesonide, azathioprine) are the same! Mr Pirate and I have been med buddies :D

[@spiralflash6169]

I watched this video last year because I became a fan of Dr. B., Mr. P. & Ms. C. when I adopted my senior cat 2 years ago. Now my Ms. P. has been diagnosed with IBD, and I’m back to learn more. You make me feel so much better about it. Thank you! ❤

[@matthewcrome5835]

My baby Puff got food-responsive IBD at a relatively young age (9). She was losing weight (she's always been a glutton so she started out fat) rapidly and was starving hungry all of the time. She was also constantly vomiting and having foul-smelling diarrhea. She eventually started losing her formerly pristine coat. My family took her to the vet and they thought she had hyperthyroidism. When her blood tests came back normal, the vets said she was OK and sent her back home. She continued with the same symptoms, got tested again, same response. It wasn't until she was 7 pounds (down from 14) that we really realized something was wrong. Poor baby was skeletal and we thought she was going to die. The vet finally gave her a stomach scan and she was diagnosed with severe IBD. She also had pancreatitis from extreme dehydration and malnutrition. She was given antibiotics and steroids, the latter of which made her even more hungry. Luckily she gained back all of her weight (but not her fur) and is doing the best she can considering her condition. She is still hungry all of the time and it's really frustrating. So moral of the story, if your cat is losing weight rapidly no matter the age, you should get it checked out, our baby almost died. UPDATE (since apparently people are still reading this): We had to put down Puff (she was 12) about 18 months ago. She had developed lymphoma, which is very common with IBD in pets and humans. Treating her cancer would have only given her a few months at most and would have likely put her through more suffering than it was worth. In addition, she was already shutting down - not moving or eating (like I said, she was a glutton, so very abnormal for her). It was heartbreaking and putting her down was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make. I still miss her. IBD is no joke.

[@HelpfulVancouverVet]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[@betsyoneill6004]

Im in the same boat. Several blood tests across 3 months (all fine), urinalysis (fine) and he will have an abdominal ultrasound next week. Ravenous eating, some vomiting, nasty poops, and losing weight. 23 lbs (yes he was FAT), now down to 18. While he needs to lose weight this is not the way I was hoping.

[@LyranSoul]

​@@betsyoneill6004Sometimes vets are no help. Sounds like ibs. My cat has it, vomiting and bloody stool. I put him on wet food only and with an uncommon protein like rabbit, venison etc. Good quality wet food with limited ingredients will help. Some say that raw diets are good too. I just started him on stella and chewys raw dehydrated rabbit morsels. You can buy liquid slippery elm for cats that helps ease inflammation too. I also give him a probiotic. Dry food will be a problem. I also self diagnosed another cat with pancreatic insufficiency. He was losing weight, always starving. Vet couldn't figure it out. I ended up buying pancreatic enzymes, had to put in every meal and he lived a few years more. Some say a raw food diet is also better.

[@LyranSoul]

​@@betsyoneill6004Might be food responsive ibd. Switch to wet food only. Dry food is bad. Use an uncommon protein source like rabbit, venison, lamb etc. You can use slippery elm liquid for cats to help with inflammation. I also use probiotics and digestive enzymes for my cat

[@gbbarn]

My 6 yo cat has been recently diagnosed with metastatic lymphoma and I'm devastated, started about three weeks ago as a respiratory infection, took him to the vet right away, she gave him antibiotics for a week and a half and he got a little better but after a couple of days of his last dose of antibiotics he got worse, one of his eyes got bigger than the other which scared me so I took him to a more expensive vet and they did an x-ray on him and found two tumors, one in his shoulder and one behind his head and also fluid in his lungs, he also tested positive for leukemia virus. Be careful guys, choose you vet wisely and please vaccinate your kitten, mine was already too old when I got him to be vaccinated. This fucking sucks and I'm just counting the last days I get to be with him, at least he's under palliative care which he greatly appreciates as it helps him sleep more calmly. I'm choosing to share this so anyone reading can know the symptoms of a disease which I didn't have knowledge of and also don't blindly trust your vet, if you feel something's wrong; trust your gut. For anyone going through the same, I send you and your furry friend my best wishes. God bless u guys.

[@EdiP67]

❤❤❤

[@Eowynnofrohan]

When my cat was 7 in 2019 I found a lump on his throat. I took him in and they said it was a swollen lymph node. They took a biopsy and it was large cell lymphoma. He didn't have any other symptoms. I took him to chemo and now he's on prednisolonr every other day and he's doing really well. The vet said the prognosis was like 6 months to a year but it's been 3 years!

[@keerthanan7236]

Prognosis like?!

[@bratsmom6749]

My Bratty lived for years with IBD, pancreatitis, and hyperthyroidism. She was borderline kidney problems and did quite well on diet and meds. I noticed urinary difficulties, and found out she had transitional cell carcinoma. I had her put down at 17-1/2 years old. Her doc said it is rare in cats. She survived 4 years after surgery for hemangiosarcoma, also rare in cats.

[@starlingwatermelon24]

She seemed like a bit of a fighter! 💪

[@bratsmom6749]

@@starlingwatermelon24 She sure was! Tough as nails up to the end! 💪

[@keerthanan7236]

Hi what did you give for IBD And pancreatitis, please help 😭🙏🏻

[@bratsmom6749]

@keerthanan7236 She was on prednisone (steroid) to control inflammation and medication to control vomiting. Her diet was very strict, but she ate it without any problems. Sure do miss that tough little cat!

[@keerthanan7236]

@@bratsmom6749 thanks for the reply, everyday predni would cause kidney inflammation right?

[@annaphallactic]

I'm so grateful to KZbin's algorithm for recommending this video. My cat was recently diagnosed with small cell intestinal lymphoma, and while my own vet has done a fantastic job with educating me in a sensitive way, your video was unexpectedly comforting. Thank you so much, Dr. Burstyn.

[@maryandersondearing3053]

Best wishes to your cat on her health journey.

[@strawberrytart3540]

I wish this had been published three years ago. My Chaucer had lymphoma. I would have had more questions for my vet on treatment for him. My vet didn't talk to me about any of this. I wish I had had a vet like you then 😭. Thank you for the information. Definitely will remember for the future for my current fur babies

[@EveBolt]

The bit about the "atomic poos" brought some interesting perspective to the fact that one of our cats used to have those all the time, but it has lessened a lot in the last year so I think we maybe found a better food for her. She also gets a bit of pure pumpkin purée daily, so maybe that helped..? :3

[@michellejames1462]

I love this guy he is always looks happy and he Loves cats my type of man 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

[@Kazak29]

I don't even own a cat for 5 years now, but I can't stop watching these. So informative!

[@ilovegoodsax]

Thank you for this video Dr. Burstyn! About six months ago, my 13/14 year old torbie started having occasional bouts of diarrhea, and then weeks later, vomiting. I took her to the vet who ordered an ultrasound of her stomach as intestinal lymphoma was suspected. Things didn't look good with my cat's gut after the ultrasound so I decided to go ahead with the invasive route of surgical biopsy of her intestines as I wanted to know what I was dealing with to treat properly. Turns out it wasn't lymphoma, but severe IBD, the worst case of IBD my vet had seen in her 20 year career! My cat is now on a "novel" single source diet of lamb for the rest of her life, as well as a high-quality probiotic and monthly vitamin B12 injections (she was deficient because of malabsorption which of course is common with IBD). It's been three months since she's been fully transitioned to this new diet/supplement regimen and is now doing great!

[@MothGirl007]

I'm so happy for you and your cat that she doesn't have cancer and is doing well now.

[@rz202]

Hi, what probiotic you are using and how is its effect so far? Thanks

[@vandatomasa]

Thank you for explaining about this! Our dear senior kitten had some trouble eating and we went to the vet to do all possible tests.. the ultrasound showed either alimentary lymphoma or IBD 😔 Sadly due to his age ( might be around 16 years, but we are not sure since he is a former stray that's been with us for 5 years) the vets are sceptical about biopsy under anesthesia / chemo treatment 😔 I wish it was possible to help him with quality of life/extra time soo much 💔

[@Starburstnova]

My 9 year old kitty is getting a biopsy on Tuesday after getting an ultrasound showing a thickened duodenum. I've had her since she was 1 and for as long as I've had her, she's thrown up more than she should. I always wondered if she had some food allergy, and discussed it with the vet many times. Back then, it wasn't so frequent, so the vet wasn't too concerned and we were just keeping an eye on it. But then a few years ago she started having coughing fits and throwing up more often. She was eventually diagnosed with asthma, but we still didn't know what was causing the vomiting after multiple x-rays and a GI panel. Then last week she was vomiting on and off all day which was unusual even for her (previously it was once or twice every week or so) and the vet recommended the ultrasound. She's back to herself now and been such a trooper through all of this. I'm hopeful that it's food-responsive IBD and we just need to find the right diet for her. Despite it all being scary, after running so many tests, I'm relieved to have one come back as abnormal as it's leading us closer to an answer, and helping her feel better. Your video outlining all the potential possibilities has me feeling more at ease.

[@JLilliquist]

Oh! Mr Pirate is clearly a reward for being a good person.

[@karens9157]

I've been so looking forward to this video, thank you SO MUCH!!! These deep dives into what's going on with our aging cats are incredibly helpful for laymen like me! I have a really good vet, but there's never enough time to sit and discuss beyond what treatments to try. Understanding things on this level, explained in an informative but digestible way, is really amazing and helps make sense of what are scary and progressive symptoms. Me and my Lucy and Splat are very grateful. Thank you!

[@Alseide4]

you are fantastic. your gentleness and reassurance and commitment to educate fellow pet owners made my eyes actually tear up a bit from gratefulness. thanks to you and pirate for this amazing video:) me and my cat feel less apprehensive about her upcoming ultrasound tomorrow :))

[@barbarawarren9443]

I wish most American (human) physicians were as well-educated, skilled at differential diagnosis, disease prevention, and able to teach human health this well. Pirate is so lucky to have adopted this rare vet as his "dad." Vancouver pets are so lucky too!

[@shannonransom5996]

Dr. Burstyn, I can't tell you how grateful I am for this video coming out when it did! My cat had poor appetite and hadn't had a bowel movement in days, so I took her in. I knew she was showing classic IBD/lymphoma symptoms and is 9 years old, but was even more validated by her having a known sensitivity to chicken protein. Went in, doctor immediately said intestines were thickened and it was likely IBD. She just started oral steroids. I was so so scared this morning, and I can't imagine how much worse it would have been if I didn't have this video! Me and Halibut thank you sincerely.

[@keerthanan7236]

What was the oral steroid, please help

[@zzzzyyyyxxx]

Pirate is so cute!

[@gaildoughty6799]

Mr. Pirate is so very handsome. And sweet. 💕

[@evamussio7533]

Mr Pirate is adorable 😍 💕

[@dorrisbeseril1636]

My cat is 17 years old and has had trouble with constipation. She has had to have an enema twice. I have started giving her Miralax once or twice a day (1/4 tsp). She has been having bowel movements, not diarrhea just reg stool. She eats only Fancy Feast pate. No dry no temptations. Just can food. She seems to be doing well. Thanks for your videos! 💜💜

[@DamianSheesh]

You're an amazing veterinarian. I wish mine had your beside manner. My kitty is going through something unknown right now which includes some kind of gi inflammation and the word lymphoma gets thrown around like it's nothing and that terrifies me. This video gives me some hope and also just info to use to ask questions. Wish you were in LA

[@MURZBO]

Great info Doc!

[@Arejen03]

Great video doc!

[@erinaceus]

Thank you Dr. Uri for your thorough explanation of these conditions. We want our furry friends to be happy and healthy as long as possible, and sometimes we just don't know the right questions to ask or what medication might work better than another. I really appreciate you being an advocate for pet owners and their charges.

[@MsWinterlife]

Our dear boy Reggie departed suddenly in July this year, it was so unexpected that we didn’t even get to find out what the issue was. He had been losing weight for about 3 months before hand, but we thought it might be a good thing because Reggie had always been on the heavy / chubby side, being a British shorthair and loving his food. Now we take our kitties for vet checks every 6 mths instead of yearly, and we ask for blood checks each time just so that we pick up anything abnormal as early as possible.

[@evelynharber6077]

Just happened upon your videos again, you seem to have disappeared for a while, and this videos subject was very relevant to me at this time. My little female, 7 year old, is attending her vet later this week because of unusual but quite often vomiting. Hoping to finally be able to help her and her tummy concerns. Thank you for the timing and give Mr. P. an extra big cuddle from all your fans, he is very admired and loved not only by you!😸❤💞

[@Christian_Girl120]

Mr. Pirate is absolutely adorable! What a sweet old guy he is! Wonderful video. This is good to know. If I have a cat someday I want to give it a wonderful life and give it wonderful vet care.

[@starinajar13]

I’m don’t have a cat but I’m glad that you can give helpful info for people who do :) also Mr Pirate’s dangling feet when you were holding him was so cute 🥰

[@4cornersgalsst415]

Thank you for this video. My elderly cat was just diagnosed with IBD. I was relieved because I lost his housemate to GI lymphoma about 5 years ago. Really appreciate the info.

[@PennySue]

Thank you so much for this video! We love you Mr. Pirate and Clawdia too❣🐾❤

[@evarain1]

My cat is recently lethargic and not eating. My dear 18 year old Smokey has lost 1.5 lbs. :( As of last year, Smokey was diagnosed with very beginning signs of kidney disease. he’s been fine for almost a whole year on the k/d diet. But, this new behavior is perplexing and concerning. Just yesterday, The vet took blood samples, so we’re waiting to see what the blood tests reveal. I am so happy I found ‘The Vancouver Vet’ KZbin site, to educate myself further. Thank you so very much!

[@ashleyromero5302]

Would love to hear more on food exclusion trials! We are trying this now, the food is so expensive and it was hard to believe cats would be allergic to certain proteins, it’s interesting. Thank you for these videos!

[@maryandersondearing3053]

Yes, this.

[@spiralflash6169]

Yes, please! No one else goes into depth about this.

[@MeowmyandMe]

In the same boat! And my cat is so picky she won’t eat a lot of these speciality foods. So they end up going to waste and I worry that she will starve

[@uunikaulus]

Excellent video, I'll definitely share this to my vet!

[@stephanieparker1250]

Make sure the patient is calm and well petted 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@amydebuitleir]

Thank you for a very informative video. As always, Professor Paws was on my lap while I watched.

[@huffadopolis]

I can't thank you enough for this video it is going to help me have a much more informed discussion with my vet after an initial ultrasound led to a diagnosis of IBD in one of my cats. Thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge with everyone.

[@kyuuness]

Thanks Dr. Uri! My baby Boba had something just happen in August of this year, had no clue what started it since she wasn't regularly a scarf and barf cat before that, but it caused her to drop quite a lot of weight (0.5lb from 8.5lb 4 months earlier to 8.0lb) and suffered dehydration. All her bloodwork, x-rays, and stool samples all returned clean (twice!), even when the GI and diahrrea issues persisted. My vet tried to prescribe Hill's GI support prescription food, but she hates Hill's. Surprisingly, probiotics into her wet food and a wet-food only diet worked after the Hill's failed. This info will be super useful in case it happens again... and I'll be more vigilant in the future. IBD is poorly understood in humans, much less cats. She seems to be doing OK, even though her meals are costing me a small fortune. Anything for my princess.

[@donnabaardsen5372]

Mine too! Her special diet costs me a pretty penny. But as you've said, anything for my precious, spoiled girl 😸

[@hl5645]

That's my kitty! 😿 Which probiotics do you use?

[@terrycarretta4714]

@Kyuu which wet food & which probiotics are you using with your precious kitty?

[@mulliganstew72]

Did you guys do an ultrasound?

[@kyuuness]

@@mulliganstew72 We didn't. I think the initial worry was she swallowed something foreign, followed by by a potential bacterial infection or stress-induced response. She was prescribed antibiotics which I think caused some of the persistent GI issues that followed when I took her in the second time. I've tried lowering the frequency of the probiotics but her stool consistency was runny after so I figured I'd just keep her on it since I already bought the probiotics and it was working.

[@kaesmithmusic]

Thank you! We're going through this with one of our cats and I learned so much from this video. Thank you!!

[@findtherightbeat]

Thank you for sharing this info, I hope I can prolong my cats' life using the tips you provided.

[@alisonjetmar7437]

Dr. Uri - You are such a treasure to your profession. An outstanding match - your personality and choice of career. I very much appreciate your knowledge and your cool feline buddies! Thank you

[@nancyfasolino7607]

I usually go for more holistic vet approach! But this vet is by far the best ! Smart knowledge and so caring! I wish I could go to him as a patient but look up more of his videos he had helped me so much! He had another good one on IBD and what meds are best! As far as steroids

[@rohanawolf2089]

Your information is so helpful! We're going to ask our vet this AM about Budesonide. I'll look it up now. Many blessings to you, Dr. Uri!

[@ElessaB]

This is excellent information. My 12 year old orange boy has IBD and has been on pred for a few years.

[@Gurrla]

Thank you. My Rio and I are trying to figure out what is ailing him right now. I feel like I’m seeing him slowly leaving me but you’ve given me hope. I’ll be sure to go better prepared to the vet visit this coming Wednesday.

[@mkallday]

All I can say is advocate advocate advocate for them. I went to 6 different vets. Used first exam coupons read tons of blogs with owner experiences. I googled each of the items on my cats blood work and even if it was in the “normal range” but for example closer to the low or high number I would search “low X” or “high X” and then save any diseases associated with those ranges. It’s really up to us to save them. Wishing y’all the best of luck ❤

[@mkallday]

First exam free coupons (VCA, Vetco, etc)

[@Gurrla]

@@mkalldaythank you ❤

[@smitelf]

Thank you, Dr. Uri! I'm so happy you did a video on IBD. My 8-year-old cat was diagnosed with IBD earlier this year; her main symptom was vomiting several times a week. Nothing showed up on blood work, but ultrasound indicated mild pancreatitis, and our vet figured IBD might also be involved. We were able to do a successful food exclusion trial, and now she's on a combination of duck+rabbit that works well for her. She's down to about once a month vomiting now, a huge improvement, similar to where Mr. Pirate seems to be at. I'm also giving her prescribed B12 injections every two weeks and probiotics mixed in her food; who knows if it helps ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but can't hurt. I really appreciate how you laid out the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. This video is a great framework for making sure my kitty gets the continued monitoring she'll need for her IBD and her general "senior cat" status :)

[@Spookycheeky]

Can I ask what brand food you're using for your fur baby? I am struggling finding my fur baby something that's not upsetting to his tummy. Thank you for your kindness.

[@MichelleSkinnerMusic]

Thank you for this informative video. I watched this video last night, prior to my Ollie cat’s ultrasound today to discover what is wrong with him. I’m so glad I came across this video because my senior cat of 16 years was diagnosed with possible Lymphoma. I’m thankful you outlined the treatment methods, and I definitely was prepared when the doctor told me the news, and treatment plan. Thank you for making the videos so informative, and also enjoyable to watch. You clearly have a love of animals and education. Thanks again!

[@ThereSaSpiderNMySoup]

I have 3 cats and you have described our entire diasgnostic journey up to the ultrasound. Unfortunately our vets aren't very good about ways to approach this. We feel like we're visiting a super expensive self serve place where the vet assistants just ask us what procedure we'd like, do it and just email us the test results leaving us to our own devices.

[@donnazukowski]

Your vet should give you referrals. Google their reviews and look them up on the web to see their services. I live just outside NYC and I tell people which vets are good and which ones aren’t. Also, are there vet schools in your area?

[@calmcreaturestudio]

Hi Dr. Uri - thank you for this video... our Sparky will be going in for an ultrasounds tomorrow for these issues. We have been feeling really anxious and this video has been really comforting to watch. I wish we lived in BC so you can be our vet. You are doing amazing things with this channel. Please say hello to Pirate and Clawdz for all of us.

[@1961Lara]

I just lost my 17+ year old beautiful boy to lymphoma. His blood tests were normal.... but his weight loss was exactly the way you said. It was so fast. I am devastated...thank you for your videos.

[@Jaxzyn]

Wow this is so helpful! Thank you. I'm sad that one of my older cats probably has one of these conditions but this gives me a clue on how to proceed that my local vet could not. They couldn't find anything from blood & urine tests and they didn't know what to suggest. I can't believe they don't know about these! I hope it's not too late.

[@wandawarren2593]

Thank you for posting this! I just left the Vet today and we will diagnosing my baby girl over the next few weeks. This video will allow me to sleep tonight. You are the Best! Thx

[@ConservativeVoicesUniversity]

Thanks for this great information

[@_RayOfLight_]

Thank you for the very informative video ❤

[@barbaraross5256]

It was very important informative information about cancer in your pets. I'm dealing with that right now my cat has that lymphoma in the breast. She still active playing eating she hasn't vomited. She just stays under me more. She needs mommy's love his mommy gives her all the time 💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@ColeDedhand]

Very helpful information. Thank you.

[@melissawright5716]

Thank you for posting this video. I would like to request even more in depth on this subject. I would love to know more for my cats sake.

[@SucculentSorcerer]

Thank you for this comprehensive explanation!! It is so helpful for those of us with older cats starting down this path. My CH cat has been having issues for a couple of months and is now on prednisolone and b12 shots, as well as metronidazole to manage her diarrhea. As you say, we were seeing some muscle loss, most noticeable by her pelvis and spine, and eventual food avoidance. Bloodwork was fine except for elevated neutrophils. Xrays have shown mild inflammation. We may not do biopsy due to her size (5 lbs, down from 6.5, she is tiny!) and her cerebellar hypoplasia. This video has been an invaluable resource in our attempts to help her, and we are now exploring dietary options, armed with this information that has allowed us to have great discussions with her vet. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!! ❤❤❤❤❤ We love you!!!

[@andrealieber2923]

Thanks. This was great info. Going through this stuff with my kitty

[@nancyfasolino7607]

Would love to know pirates diet!! Maybe you have more videos! You are a vet I trust and this was very helpful!

[@mariarohmer2374]

You are such a sweet man. You cat is so loving too. aww

[@nancyfasolino7607]

This is excellent that you so much very helpful!!

[@asweetieaccount6983]

Thank you for your videos. They are so informative. ❤ I’m waiting on test results for suspected IBD or lymphoma. I’m praying it’s the former. I feel so terrible for him and regardless of the results I want to make sure he feels cared for. Much love to everyone.

[@pamelarose9835]

Thank you so much for this very informative video and for all that you do. You are a Blessing to this community. Love to you and Mr. Pirate and your other kitty's too. I lost my Little Kim a year ago to Kidney disease and she just turned 19. My baby Boo has tummy issues that i believe are related to IBD or Lymphoma. The blood test came out fine. She's a little anemic though. She has an appetite and she eats but doesn't gain weight. In fact she has lost weight! 😟 She is definitely anorexic. She does have other symptoms as well. I will be following up with the vet again real soon! Thank you again. ❤

[@sep2383]

Thank you so much for this video. I just re-watched it because I just now have a 13yo we are trying to diagnose. I have a great ideas about treatments now and diagnostic procedures.

[@SugaryTube]

Mr. Pirate is the best co-host as always !

[@gatekeeper65]

You're awesome sir. I wish I lived near your hospital. Maybe I'll move to your area before I get another little furry companion. Take care and have a great day.

[@cudacznycudak]

Thank you very much for this video! My younger cat (14yo girl) started struggling with IBD earlier this year. We switched to hypoallergenic food and it's much better. Kissa doesn't enjoy her new diet that much, but at least her poops finally look like poops again.

[@karenyao8773]

Mr Pirate is sooo darn adorable ❤❤❤❤❤

[@kristak1102]

I wish I knew about this drug you mentioned. Prednisolone caused my cat to atrophy so badly he was falling. He lost his appetite as well and lost so much weight. He had Crohn’s disease.

[@allisonk8316]

Thank you for this. I'm waiting on ultrasound results for my 14 year old cat. Trying to learn about this cluster of diseases so we can make an educated decision with next steps.

[@solracer66]

This video has been very helpful! Out 11 year old cat is exhibiting most of the symptoms mentioned, major weight loss, lack of appetite, occasional throwing up (usually clear), peeing outside the litter box, etc. The vets have been all over the place with our vet just treating the minor inconsistencies in his blood work to the second-opinion vet saying he should be put down immediately. Thankfully we eventually took him to the ER vet where we are working through the progression mentioned with so far large-cell lymphoma being mostly eliminated but the small-cell/IBD determination yet to be confirmed. Next week is a thorough checkout by their ace internal medicine vet and if recommended an ultrasound. The only issue is that vet prices here in the states have spiked with the ultrasound coming in at a mind-boggling $850 USD! I can't imagine it is that expensive in Canada it has me wondering if the drive from Seattle to Vancouver might be worth it. For now he's getting appetite stimulants and we are hoping soon he will eat enough on his own we can stop syringe feeding him and get on to treating what's causing the issues.

[@magpismith]

Thank you so much for this video! Boudreaux (almost 5yo now) has always been skinny and an enthusiastic eater, so much so that I started supplementing his diet with an extra daily meal of about 100g poached (unseasoned) chicken breast (oops). Last year, I noticed he was vomiting regularly, and eventually he crashed, about 6 months ago. Thanks to my vet's assistance he has rebounded with a hydrolyzed protein diet. I'm hoping I can transition him to a less-expensive/easily available diet in the next year. I would LOVE to see another video about cat diets and food formulations, especially in the context of bowel disease and metabolism. Maybe you've done that already, but if not, there's so many mysteries to cat food that I think we'd all love to hear your professional insight on. THANK YOU DR. YURI!

[@MM-sg4ny]

Thank you so much, I am 2 days into treatment to help diagnose the reason for my 12 month old ragdolls intermittent vomiting, and now understand what might be going on. We have just started a food exclusion trial with a hydrolysed protein dry food, but concurrently also started on Prednisolone 5mg daily for 5 days- (decreasing over 20 days to nothing). I will speak to my vet about Budenacide(?) but suspect we will have to complete the decreasing prednisolone course now She has had the first two doses unfortunately, as we are not yet very skilled in delivering her pills! ( thanks so much for those tutorials also!!!) I am so glad I found you and will spread the word.

[@andreah6379]

My reg vet thought Tigger had IBD. I tried "food exclusion" path 4 years & it didn't work. Where I live it's hard to find a competent vet. I wasn't happy with another vet when he poo-poo'd my concern over T's frequent vomiting & said, "No big deal! Cats vomit all the time." Only 7 mos later, I had to put 16+ yo Tigger down after a 3rd vet said she felt numerous small tumors in his abdomen. After watching this video, I would want to ask any new vet what they would do with these 4 common problems b4 taking my cat in to them. My reg vet thought T also had heart murmur & actually said I would have to take T 187 miles one-way to UC Davis just to get testing done!! I feel so unequipped to get just the proper care a cat needs because of where I live. Medical care for both humans & cats stink in Reno!

[@adiboena123]

Thenk You for this video. My cat has a great appetite. Some time ago he vomited but it was because of hairballs. Luckily, everything is ok. Your cats are sweet ones. Lots of goodness !

[@inesucrvenom]

Rewatching your videos is definitely wise thing to do! I just realised we never tested for B9, only B12 (and that was even higher than normal). And that I intended to do ultrasound and the vet who is doing it wasn't available and the went through the cracks. I spend a year being so obsessed with trying to handle his not good stool after he had those 25 cm of small intestines removed, that even if we have IBD confirmed I forgot some other things you mention here. I'm glad I viewed this again because we're already planning teeth cleaning and checks, so one more to put into the list should be easy :D

[@galbeeri8360]

My 11yo cat was just diagnosed with ibd after going through endoscopy biopsy. Not lymphoma! Im so happy. asked my vet about budesonide thank you doc

[@christianeraphael9180]

Thank you 👍🏻😻💐

[@matriciasonger4450]

I just had an ultra sound done on my 9 yr old cat waiting for results. After watching your video I feel there’s hope. Thank you for sharing your info hoping it’s not cancer but will take your advice and opinion and do what’s necessary for him. I will ask to change his medication asap and hope they can get the one you recommended. He’s currently on Prednisolone Thank you again for your posts

[@katek2654]

Thanks, that was very informative and useful, as usual. I'd very much like to hear about toxoplasmosis and how to diagnose it with cats?

[@mulliganstew72]

My beloved Ragdoll Passed away from lymphoma. Vomiting was the first sign. Prednisone and Life Gold supplements (cat cancer support) allowed us to enjoy each other for another 7-8 months. The only other option for me was chemo which I would’ve had to take out a second mortgage and put her through hell in the car with discomfort from the procedure, possible side effects etc. Even after all that they only quoted me 30 -60 days more with her.

[@ptek1185]

Wow, you just described my cat. Weight loss, muscle loss, bony spine and pelvis, dull thin coat, soft atomic poo, and occasional vomiting. I just had him at the vet yesterday for an exam. Kidney disease markers slightly elevated, but not enough to explain all these symptoms. They did an ultrasound and I'm waiting for the results. If it comes back as IBD or Lymphoma, I will be better prepared to ask the right questions. Thank you so much for this video!

[@PD-zs5wi]

What was it? Is he okay?

[@ptek1185]

@@PD-zs5wi It ended up being small cell lymphoma. It didn't respond to treatment and he passed last April

[@CancerCleric]

​@P Tek sorry to hear. What was the treatment/drug?

[@ptek1185]

@@CancerCleric When we initially thought it was IBD he was started on prednisolone and tylan powder. After he didn't improve we did another biopsy and found the small cell lymphoma. He was prescribed a chemo drug compounded for his body weight. I don''t remember the drug name.

[@klaymen0]

Great video, thanks! Another disease/deficiency that might be worth mentioning is what I experienced with my (relatively young) cat who suffered diarrhoe (interestingly not smelling at all) since from when I got him from a shelter, and it was always assumed to be a food allergy, but it did not go away, not even with corticoids. Actually it took quite some time until my vet found out he had a low level of pancreatic enzyme, and since then I put a supplement into his food (Lypex), and the problem is gone (but it took more than a month to have an effect).

[@ilcasdy5]

My cat has been on prednisone for awhile now and when I asked my vet about Budesonide he was like yeah it works well and has less side effects we should try it. It seemed strange to me that I had to suggest it though.

[@PiepMiau04]

I asked about it too and my vet said there are new studies out and that it doesn't really have less side effects? Idk what to think, I read so much different stuff about it now.. drives me crazy lol

[@peekaaa9931]

Mr Pirate is so smart 😀