Contemplating an Ultrasound - and some curious symptoms
Update 8/15
Wow - I am so appreciative of everyone's advice. Thank you for sharing what your and your kitties' experiences have been like dealing with this. I'm going to set up an ultrasound and the GI bloodwork for Merp; the hospital is supposed to call me back next week.
Good to hear about the different experiences with novel protein; I've been curious about that so will explore some different options. I was surprised that the prescription hydrolyzed food was something so common as chicken given the potential food allergy overlap.
Thank you again - wishing you and your kitties lots of snuggles ahead!
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Hi there,
I have a sweet orange and white kitty (12 years old) named Merp who has been vomiting with more frequency over the last months, and just generally seemed more lethargic and unhappy. We’ve been to the made some diet changes over the last several months (more on that below) and also got a second opinion, and both vets say it could be IBD or lymphoma and recommend an ultrasound as the next step. But they both also say the ultrasound won’t definitely show whether it’s IBD or lymphoma because the conditions look the same unless there are large masses or unexpected abnormalities.
I’m on the fence about getting the ultrasound done since it can’t definitively say whether this is IBD or lymphoma. (I don’t think I would put him through a biopsy.)
I’m wondering how others felt after/if they got an ultrasound? Did you think it was worth it and did it help you to better treat your kitty because of what it showed (without a follow-up biopsy)? I am considering the G.I. blood panel that the second that mentioned as an option.
Merp has also had an unsolvable issue with his ears for the last couple of years. The vet has repeatedly, ruled out infection, ear, mites, anatomical issues, or any hygiene issues. But his ears often flick as if something is bothering him. He shakes his head a lot as a result, and at times will gently scratch his ears. They often seem to be sensitive as well, and he’s protective of them at times. This symptom, like his others, seems to be cyclical. He has days or stretches of days where he seems fine, and then he’ll have periods when he is clearly unhappy, and not himself. I’ve read that ear sensitivity can manifest from G.I. issues, so wondering if anyone else has seen this in their kitties, and if anything has helped?
In terms of next steps, my longtime vet says that the treatment for either condition would start the same way, with steroids. Then if he weren’t responding she would recommend treating it as if it were lymphoma. She said that her cat has IBD and she opted not to do a biopsy for definitive diagnosis because it’s invasive and involves anesthesia risk. I don’t think I would want to put sweet Merp through that either.
I should add that we’ve been trying different food adjustments. He had lost about a pound when we took him for a check up in April, and so since then I’ve been better at feeding consistent amounts of food at routine times. I’ve also been tracking how much he eats every day and noting his symptoms. He gained back the pound in about 2.5 months which I hope is a good sign. But he has still had symptoms off and on, and more “on” than before. We switched him to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach under vet’s advice to rule out food sensitivities in June. He was on that for a month (seemed to enjoy eating it) but still had symptoms. So our vet recommended he start prescription Purina Pro Plan HA Hydrolyzed (chicken). I’ve been transitioning him to that since August 2. He didn’t seem to love it at first, but he is eating it. So I plan to stick with this diet for now.
Thank you for any insight or experience that you’d like to share. Wishing you and your kitties health and happiness!