Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a nondescript diagnosis of exclusion that describes a group of poorly understood intestinal diseases. It is an inflammation of the GI [gastrointestinal] tract with an unknown cause. If a cat has inflammation of the gut that is caused by dietary allergy or intolerance, it is a dietary-responsive disease, not IBD. If the cat has inflammation of the gut that can be cured with antibiotics, it is an antibiotic-responsive intestinal disease, not IBD.

Some cases are due to number of factors. A GI tract that is already inflamed by agents such as bacteria, parasites or stress, is very susceptible to an allergic reaction to proteins that normally would not cause a problem. Some recent research suggests that an aberrant immune response to intestinal bacteria plays a role. Since some cats respond to diet change without drug therapy, while others need medication. For this reason we may try probiotics, a novel-protein diet, a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet, or just change from dry foods to canned food. Some cats with suspected IBD became significantly better if the proper diet is found.

 Recent research shows that inflammatory cells on biopsies didn’t necessarily mean a diagnosis of IBD, it just means the cat’s body is reacting to substances in the GI tract. Some of those substances are those that the gut should be reacting to because the GI tract is supposed to protect the cat from things that it doesn’t recognize as normal.

In some cases IBD may be difficult to differentiate from leukemia of the bowel. Thus, because of the several conditions that mimic IBD we must rule out a variety of diseases with laboratory tests, x-rays, ultrasound examination and occasionally biopsies.