Well, I went to visit the vet. I am very healthy for a cat.
I thought it was funny, but I am usually one of the only people who think I am.
I talked to another vet about Joey's problems, and she was very nice. I also just got a good 'feeling' from her. She acted more interested in helping me with Joey then just running more test.
I gave her the rundown on what was happeing to Joey and let her look over her records from the hospital and vet visits.
To sum it all up:
Yes, Joey could have IBD. However, when a cat starts getting sick like this and alot of other possibilites are ruled out then the natural inclination is to say IBD. She told me, and I also read this, IBD can be caused by alot of things and saying that a cat has it, does not mean that they know the cause. Which means that trying to treat it is still only a good guess.
She also said that it can be a gastrointestinal lymphosarcoma (cancer). She said that was highly unlikely in Joeys case however, as none of the other test had any indication of it. However the only way to tell would be, yes you guessed it, an endoscopy. She said she only mentioned it just to make sure that I was aware of everything that it could be.
She let me know that the cause of the IDB could also be a food sensitivity. Which would be diagnossed by switching food and then watching her.
She also said that while she doesn't recomend it, she would be willing to give Joey an anti-inflamitory, without doing the endoscopy. However, she did not recomend this as medication without some solid evidence to warrant it is never a good idea. She let me know that she understands that the cost to do an endoscopy is high and it would only tell us what may be wrong and not how to cure it. So if I really did not want or can't spend the money that is a way to go if food sensitivity is ruled out.
She basically said that while she would not be against doing on endoscopy that at this point I could go on with the different food. She said that there are also lots of other foods that she can recomend, but that most of them are not what cats like to eat. So if I can find one that Joey likes that will help prove a food sensitivity to do try those first.
She said that the chioce is mine, but what I was doing at this point is good.
She also said that if I do end up doing an endoscopy to have a colonoscopy done too. She said that it would be a little more stress on Joey. However, it is alot less then having to go through all of the prep two times and then two vet visits. She said that the reason to do both is that the endoscopy will only cover half of the GI(?) tract and if the IBD was lower then they could miss it. So, better to cover it all the first time and be sure, then to do just one and then posibly another.
I think that is about it.
We talked for about 45 minutes and I like I said I got a really good feeling from her. I may actually consider swtiching vets.
So I am comfortable with my course of action at the moment. I will continue on with the food and see how it goes. At this point it is a wait and see game. I am not good at wait and see, but I think it is best for Joey.
If you have any questions, let me know.
Thanks for all of your good thoughts and prayers. We both really apprecite them.
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12/02
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