Living With IBD
| Merlin Sucech - Plymouth, Michigan Born December 4, 1996 Diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure in 2003 Diagnosed with Moderate to Severe IBD in November 2008 |
First Entry: January 25, 2009
Merlin has been through exploratory surgery, diagnosed with moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease.
His lymph nodes, liver, bile duct and intestines were all inflamed, no sign of cancer. His symptoms were yelping
in pain, bad gas, explosive diarrhea, and green poop. The specialist put him on prednisolone 5mg. twice daily.
Said to try duck and pea, and venison and pea Royal Canin canned diet, single protein source. We tried this and
he would not eat it. We had tried similar diet in the past and it did not work. Had him tested for pancreas
enzyme deficiency, low B12 and all came back negative. Spent a lot of money on surgery, tests, ultrasound,
medicine, and food. Told to put him on leukeran, a cancer drug that is used for other things. We didn't want to do
this unless all else failed. Nothing helped until I tried the raw diet. I wasn't about to stay with the status quo, as
we recently lost his sister to the same disease, and we were given the same course of treatment for Merlin,
which didn't work for her.
We transitioned Merlin from commercial canned to a completely raw diet, which my husband and I make
ourselves. We started transitioning him on Dec. 18th, giving very small amounts of raw, then giving regular
canned, continued to increase raw, and lessen canned. The final transition to complete raw diet was on Jan. 2,
2009. Two days later so very excited to see for the first time in 12 YEARS, A NORMAL STOOL AND NO
DIARRHEA! No more yelping in pain, bad gas, explosive diarrhea and numerous trips to the litter box.
It has been a week now on complete raw, and Merlin's weight has gone from 14 lb. 11 oz. to 15 lb. 2.5 oz. This is
working, he is healing, and he looks like he is feeling much better. We are amazed. He used to weigh 19 lbs. Still
no diarrhea or pain or gas, just normal stools.
I urge anyone with an IBD cat who is not responding to commercial diets, including prescription diets, to
consider raw. I think it just might have saved Merlin's life.
We use InstinctsTC, that is a powder mix and has all the necessary nutrients your cat needs, all you have to do is
add the raw meat to the mixture. We then freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, and put into a large zip lock
baggy. When you need to feed, just take cubes from baggy, thaw and serve. We only leave down for 30 minutes
since this is raw food, and take it up if not eaten, it disappears pretty fast though. Time will tell if this is our
answer, but I have read numerous testimonials of other cat owners that have had similar success with this diet.
Will keep you posted.
It has been one month now on the raw food diet. Merlin is doing great!
Update: March 6th, 2009
It has been 3 months now that Merlin has been on a completely raw food diet. I am happy to report his health is
still very good, and he is maintaining a weight around 15.2 - 15.3 lbs. He recently had his annual exam, and I
think my vet expected to see a very sick cat from his diagnosis after surgery. She was pleasantly surprised to
see a bright, alert and responsive healthy cat. We told her how the transition to a raw diet made all the
difference for him and his IBD symptoms, which have all disappeared. His stools run soft to firm, but no
diarrhea. Merlin is also a CRF cat, and his numbers here were improved, along with normal glucose, liver and
bile readings.
BUN: 48 MG/DL (although high, my vet said this was good, they are elevated because he is on a very high
protein diet and no cause for alarm).
CREATININE: 1.7 MG/DL - NORMAL (It was 2.4 last reading, which is high normal. This is the more sensitive
reading and indicator for kidney function).
PHOSPHORUS: 3.8 MG/DL - NORMAL (It was 4.8 last reading, a range between 2-8 is best, and he is right in
the middle. Phosphorus should be kept in check for cats with kidney problems).
We still maintain him on prednisolone, down from 10 mg/day to 7.5 mg/day. We hope in the near future this can
be further reduced. We never had to put him on the leukeran drug that was suggested, since the raw diet
worked so well for him.
My vet was very interested in reviewing the diet we have Merlin on, as she has other cats with similar
symptoms as Merlin. The web site where anyone else can find this information is www.felinefuture.com. One
note I would like to add regarding feeding raw, it wasn't until after being on a complete raw diet, without any
other foods included, that we had a remission in all his symptoms of IBD, and it was within a matter of days. I
can't stress more to anyone who wants to try this diet, how important it is, if possible, to feed complete raw, no
other foods, including treats, in order for symptoms to disappear. At least that has been our experience. The
best thing to do is read all about it on the feline future website. It's not hard to do and your cat will thank you for
it!
Here is Merlin's food recipe:
We use a product called InstinctsTC, a powdered premix for making homemade cat food. This mix contains all
the vitamins and nutrients needed, making it much easier to prepare a homemade raw diet. You can read all
about it at www.felinefuture.com website.
This is how we do it. So far we have only used chicken, but you can use any human grade meat choice.
Recipe (1 batch):
1 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken breast
1 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken thighs
3.5 oz. raw chicken liver
Premix - InstinctsTC (1-1/2 cups water mixed with 1/2 cup mix)
You will need a meat grinder, we bought one from Northern Tools online. After grinding breasts, thighs, and
chicken liver, (we double grind the batch, which gives it the consistency of canned cat food) then add instincts to
the mix, stir until blended. Using a teaspoon, add mix to ice cube trays, cover ice cube tray with saran wrap,
stack trays and freeze. After freezing, empty cubes into freezer bags. Take out a days worth of food, store in
containers and defrost in refrigerator overnight. We usually serve anywhere from 1/2 to 1-1/2 cubes per
feeding, depending on time of day and Merlin's appetite. We leave food down for 30 minutes only, since this is
raw food. Usually it is gone almost immediately, although sometimes it is good to set a timer, as Merlin likes to
graze, and will go back and finish later. If not, we pitch it. Serve fresh next time. I feed Merlin several times
throughout the day, as this seems to work best for him.
A few notes. This process takes a little time a first, but the more you do it the easier it gets. We make a few
batches up on the weekend, it takes us about an hour to do three batches, including clean up. You will have to
determine how many calories your cat needs for his/her size. We calculated a cube of food was approximately 40
calories. We keep a running list of what Merlin eats to make sure he is getting enough to eat. There are days
when his appetite isn't as great as the day before, i.e. he will only consume around 5-7 cubes some days, and
8-10 others.
We also bought a baby scale to monitor his weight, otherwise it was hard for us to tell if he is getting enough
calories to maintain a good weight, plus the convenience of not having to run him to the vets just for a weigh in is
worth it. Making your own food may seem like a lot of work at first, but it does get to be second nature, and the
extra time is worth it to see the health of your cat return. You will be feeding only the finest protein, no
additives, no grains, no vegetables included, which our cats do not require or need. You don't have to add
individual supplements or bones, all the nutrients are included in the premix, in the lean protein meat and added
liver. This is what our cats should be eating, commercial pet food makers just don't get it. They try and sell us
what sounds good to us, not what is good for our cats.
One word about buying pre-ground meats, you can, but the only problem is it is always a little more of a risk as
pre-ground meats tend to carry more bacteria, so we decided to grind our own, and always use human grade
meat. You must use good hygiene practices when handling raw meat, and clean thoroughly after you are done.
We use food handling gloves, and Clorox clean up on counters and sinks, and wash all implements in the
dishwasher. If you follow these rules, there is little or no risk of contamination to your self or your cat.
Update: May 5, 2009
Minor set back. A little weight loss, decreased appetite and some diarrhea, first time since transitioned to raw.
Not sure what the cause. On my vets advise, increased the prednisolone back to 5 mg. 2 x day. Merlin recovered
as quickly as it had come upon him, and only lasted about a week.
Update: June 30, 2009
Merlin is doing great, eating very well and still loving his raw chicken meal we make for him. He has gained
weight, up to 16 pounds 1 ounce! That is up from 14 lbs. 11 oz. prior to his surgery in mid November. His stools
are normal and not a sign of any diarrhea. Seems to be a very happy cat, walks around with his tail up in the air,
and is very vocal. That was gone when he was so sick, tail between his legs, and very quiet. We are so happy, and
hope his good health continues. Feeding Raw has given him a healthy life, which he seems to be thriving on!
Update: March 6, 2010
Merlin is weighing in at 17 lbs. 6.5 ozs. A good weight for him. He looks good, his coat is long and shiny, and he
seems healthy and has a good appetite, eating between 10-12 oz. of raw food a day.
BUN: 52 (14-36 mg/dl) This is high, but again will see this with a high protein diet.
Creatinine: 1.5 (0.6-2.4 mg/dl) important indicator of kidney function
Phosphorus: 4.2 (2.4-8.2 mg/dl) right where it should be
Merlin had some high levels on Cholesterol, Tryglycerides & Amylase
And low levels on Lymphocytes
Triglycerides: elevation most likely due to not being fasted.
Amylase: Not a very specific enzyme for checking the pancreas in cats particularly if no symptoms of vomiting
etc is difficult to make a conclusion. If vomiting and having problems then we would have to check the pancreas a
little more carefully.
Lymphocytes: the low lymph count is most likely a stress induced response. Not because of the steroid use.
In general the vet stated, "I was very pleased with his blood work and his overall condition." So all good news!
Merlin has been through exploratory surgery, diagnosed with moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease.
His lymph nodes, liver, bile duct and intestines were all inflamed, no sign of cancer. His symptoms were yelping
in pain, bad gas, explosive diarrhea, and green poop. The specialist put him on prednisolone 5mg. twice daily.
Said to try duck and pea, and venison and pea Royal Canin canned diet, single protein source. We tried this and
he would not eat it. We had tried similar diet in the past and it did not work. Had him tested for pancreas
enzyme deficiency, low B12 and all came back negative. Spent a lot of money on surgery, tests, ultrasound,
medicine, and food. Told to put him on leukeran, a cancer drug that is used for other things. We didn't want to do
this unless all else failed. Nothing helped until I tried the raw diet. I wasn't about to stay with the status quo, as
we recently lost his sister to the same disease, and we were given the same course of treatment for Merlin,
which didn't work for her.
We transitioned Merlin from commercial canned to a completely raw diet, which my husband and I make
ourselves. We started transitioning him on Dec. 18th, giving very small amounts of raw, then giving regular
canned, continued to increase raw, and lessen canned. The final transition to complete raw diet was on Jan. 2,
2009. Two days later so very excited to see for the first time in 12 YEARS, A NORMAL STOOL AND NO
DIARRHEA! No more yelping in pain, bad gas, explosive diarrhea and numerous trips to the litter box.
It has been a week now on complete raw, and Merlin's weight has gone from 14 lb. 11 oz. to 15 lb. 2.5 oz. This is
working, he is healing, and he looks like he is feeling much better. We are amazed. He used to weigh 19 lbs. Still
no diarrhea or pain or gas, just normal stools.
I urge anyone with an IBD cat who is not responding to commercial diets, including prescription diets, to
consider raw. I think it just might have saved Merlin's life.
We use InstinctsTC, that is a powder mix and has all the necessary nutrients your cat needs, all you have to do is
add the raw meat to the mixture. We then freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, and put into a large zip lock
baggy. When you need to feed, just take cubes from baggy, thaw and serve. We only leave down for 30 minutes
since this is raw food, and take it up if not eaten, it disappears pretty fast though. Time will tell if this is our
answer, but I have read numerous testimonials of other cat owners that have had similar success with this diet.
Will keep you posted.
It has been one month now on the raw food diet. Merlin is doing great!
Update: March 6th, 2009
It has been 3 months now that Merlin has been on a completely raw food diet. I am happy to report his health is
still very good, and he is maintaining a weight around 15.2 - 15.3 lbs. He recently had his annual exam, and I
think my vet expected to see a very sick cat from his diagnosis after surgery. She was pleasantly surprised to
see a bright, alert and responsive healthy cat. We told her how the transition to a raw diet made all the
difference for him and his IBD symptoms, which have all disappeared. His stools run soft to firm, but no
diarrhea. Merlin is also a CRF cat, and his numbers here were improved, along with normal glucose, liver and
bile readings.
BUN: 48 MG/DL (although high, my vet said this was good, they are elevated because he is on a very high
protein diet and no cause for alarm).
CREATININE: 1.7 MG/DL - NORMAL (It was 2.4 last reading, which is high normal. This is the more sensitive
reading and indicator for kidney function).
PHOSPHORUS: 3.8 MG/DL - NORMAL (It was 4.8 last reading, a range between 2-8 is best, and he is right in
the middle. Phosphorus should be kept in check for cats with kidney problems).
We still maintain him on prednisolone, down from 10 mg/day to 7.5 mg/day. We hope in the near future this can
be further reduced. We never had to put him on the leukeran drug that was suggested, since the raw diet
worked so well for him.
My vet was very interested in reviewing the diet we have Merlin on, as she has other cats with similar
symptoms as Merlin. The web site where anyone else can find this information is www.felinefuture.com. One
note I would like to add regarding feeding raw, it wasn't until after being on a complete raw diet, without any
other foods included, that we had a remission in all his symptoms of IBD, and it was within a matter of days. I
can't stress more to anyone who wants to try this diet, how important it is, if possible, to feed complete raw, no
other foods, including treats, in order for symptoms to disappear. At least that has been our experience. The
best thing to do is read all about it on the feline future website. It's not hard to do and your cat will thank you for
it!
Here is Merlin's food recipe:
We use a product called InstinctsTC, a powdered premix for making homemade cat food. This mix contains all
the vitamins and nutrients needed, making it much easier to prepare a homemade raw diet. You can read all
about it at www.felinefuture.com website.
This is how we do it. So far we have only used chicken, but you can use any human grade meat choice.
Recipe (1 batch):
1 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken breast
1 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken thighs
3.5 oz. raw chicken liver
Premix - InstinctsTC (1-1/2 cups water mixed with 1/2 cup mix)
You will need a meat grinder, we bought one from Northern Tools online. After grinding breasts, thighs, and
chicken liver, (we double grind the batch, which gives it the consistency of canned cat food) then add instincts to
the mix, stir until blended. Using a teaspoon, add mix to ice cube trays, cover ice cube tray with saran wrap,
stack trays and freeze. After freezing, empty cubes into freezer bags. Take out a days worth of food, store in
containers and defrost in refrigerator overnight. We usually serve anywhere from 1/2 to 1-1/2 cubes per
feeding, depending on time of day and Merlin's appetite. We leave food down for 30 minutes only, since this is
raw food. Usually it is gone almost immediately, although sometimes it is good to set a timer, as Merlin likes to
graze, and will go back and finish later. If not, we pitch it. Serve fresh next time. I feed Merlin several times
throughout the day, as this seems to work best for him.
A few notes. This process takes a little time a first, but the more you do it the easier it gets. We make a few
batches up on the weekend, it takes us about an hour to do three batches, including clean up. You will have to
determine how many calories your cat needs for his/her size. We calculated a cube of food was approximately 40
calories. We keep a running list of what Merlin eats to make sure he is getting enough to eat. There are days
when his appetite isn't as great as the day before, i.e. he will only consume around 5-7 cubes some days, and
8-10 others.
We also bought a baby scale to monitor his weight, otherwise it was hard for us to tell if he is getting enough
calories to maintain a good weight, plus the convenience of not having to run him to the vets just for a weigh in is
worth it. Making your own food may seem like a lot of work at first, but it does get to be second nature, and the
extra time is worth it to see the health of your cat return. You will be feeding only the finest protein, no
additives, no grains, no vegetables included, which our cats do not require or need. You don't have to add
individual supplements or bones, all the nutrients are included in the premix, in the lean protein meat and added
liver. This is what our cats should be eating, commercial pet food makers just don't get it. They try and sell us
what sounds good to us, not what is good for our cats.
One word about buying pre-ground meats, you can, but the only problem is it is always a little more of a risk as
pre-ground meats tend to carry more bacteria, so we decided to grind our own, and always use human grade
meat. You must use good hygiene practices when handling raw meat, and clean thoroughly after you are done.
We use food handling gloves, and Clorox clean up on counters and sinks, and wash all implements in the
dishwasher. If you follow these rules, there is little or no risk of contamination to your self or your cat.
Update: May 5, 2009
Minor set back. A little weight loss, decreased appetite and some diarrhea, first time since transitioned to raw.
Not sure what the cause. On my vets advise, increased the prednisolone back to 5 mg. 2 x day. Merlin recovered
as quickly as it had come upon him, and only lasted about a week.
Update: June 30, 2009
Merlin is doing great, eating very well and still loving his raw chicken meal we make for him. He has gained
weight, up to 16 pounds 1 ounce! That is up from 14 lbs. 11 oz. prior to his surgery in mid November. His stools
are normal and not a sign of any diarrhea. Seems to be a very happy cat, walks around with his tail up in the air,
and is very vocal. That was gone when he was so sick, tail between his legs, and very quiet. We are so happy, and
hope his good health continues. Feeding Raw has given him a healthy life, which he seems to be thriving on!
Update: March 6, 2010
Merlin is weighing in at 17 lbs. 6.5 ozs. A good weight for him. He looks good, his coat is long and shiny, and he
seems healthy and has a good appetite, eating between 10-12 oz. of raw food a day.
BUN: 52 (14-36 mg/dl) This is high, but again will see this with a high protein diet.
Creatinine: 1.5 (0.6-2.4 mg/dl) important indicator of kidney function
Phosphorus: 4.2 (2.4-8.2 mg/dl) right where it should be
Merlin had some high levels on Cholesterol, Tryglycerides & Amylase
And low levels on Lymphocytes
Triglycerides: elevation most likely due to not being fasted.
Amylase: Not a very specific enzyme for checking the pancreas in cats particularly if no symptoms of vomiting
etc is difficult to make a conclusion. If vomiting and having problems then we would have to check the pancreas a
little more carefully.
Lymphocytes: the low lymph count is most likely a stress induced response. Not because of the steroid use.
In general the vet stated, "I was very pleased with his blood work and his overall condition." So all good news!
| My Boy - Merlin the Magnificent Brown Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon – 12 years old |
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Merlin S.
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