Caturday Saturday...Disco Edition

Since we just got an email from Jen at Young Again, saying that she hadn't read a post about Disco in a while about how he was doing with his IBD... and she was a little afraid to ask. 

It's like that when a friend has a sick kitty, isn't it? One would like to think that no news is good news, but then you wonder if they've gone to the Bridge...

We are happurry to say that Disco is doing great! He just had the Pancreatic panel repeated and everything is within normal limits! It was very out of whack when he was sick! He feels good, plays more and likes his Rx diet and is easy to medicate, so he doesn't hide when it's time to get his meds...that would be tough for Teri.

Disco was diagnosed back in August 2012 with lymphoplasmacytic enteritis and colitis, and as often happens, had pancreatitis, too. IBD is likely due to a variety of diseases that result in an accumulation of inflammatory cells in digestive tract.

He has done well with his meds, which are slowly being reduced, just enough to keep his symptoms at bay but to control the inflammation. Each change in dose and food has been done in 2 to 4 week intervals--slowly so to know what the response is. 

Right now, he gets 1 mg budesonide, a steroid, once a day and is about to go to every other day. He started out on prednisolone (not prednisone as many cats can't metabolize it as well). But Disco became diabetic, so we switched to budesonide and he's doing great on that. Budesonide is utilized by the intestines with minimal absorption by the rest of the body, but doesn't work well in all cats. 

Disco also gets Vitamin B12 injections once a month--they are easy to give! He gets that because IBD cats also have poor absorption of B12.  

And he is also on Leukeran, because the biopsies showed some 'round cells' which can be a precursor to cancer. He gets the Leukeran in a cycle of 3 days on and 18 days off. So he has his own calendar with his meds on it, so Teri knows she gives it on time!

He started out on Hill's z/d food, and  Teri added Royal Canin Rabbit about a month ago and will wean him off the z/d this month. Just to make it easy, Coco and Brighton are eating the same thing...

She eventually would like to have them on Nature's Variety Rabbit Raw diet (as the gut vets say rabbit is the least protein reactive to cats) but we don't really know if that is part of Disco's issue.  

The supplements he takes are organic psyllium powder (Konsyl) 1/4 teaspoon twice a day, and he was on Fortiflora but a holistic vet I know didn't care for the animal digest in it, so on his recommendation she switched to the brand Rx Vitamins for Pets Nutrigest. He gets 1/4 teaspoon twice a day of that, too. 

All us cats are eating the same food with the supplements mixed in, so she's not really sure how much Disco is actually getting, but heck, they are good for any tummies, hahameow!

Anyway, that's our Caturday update on Disco...who is just happy to know that he doesn't have to put on a Santa Suit again for a while, hahameow!

Oh, and don't forget to Hop today...we will visit some new blogs and make time to visit our old friends today, too!