Introduction
The most common symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include gastrointestinal upset and severe pain. These symptoms may be mild at first and then increase over time. Younger cats may experience inflammatory bowel disease, but in the majority of cases middle aged to older cats are affected more severely by the disease.
Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Cats
Vomiting and Diarrhea
Vomiting and diarrhea are the two most common symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The majority of chronic vomiting cases in cats are caused by inflammatory bowel disease, and hyperthyroidism is the second most common cause. The vomit in the case of inflammatory bowel disease is usually a frothy bile-type fluid and rarely includes solid foods.
The diarrhea symptoms often include mucous or blood in the stool, especially as the condition becomes worse. Cats with inflammatory bowel disease may have a day where they have a lot of diarrhea at first, and as the day progresses the movements are reduced to a jelly like mucosal substance mixed with blood. Some cats with inflammatory bowel disease stop using their litter box for bowel movements. The symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting may come and go, and they may often progressively become worse.
Pain
Inflammatory bowel disease is an extremely painful condition, and cats in extreme pain may exhibit a certain type of behavior. Some cats will act depressed, lethargic, they may not want to be held or touched, they may hide all the time, and they may show some difficulty with walking or standing up.
Cats with this type of disease may also have a slight fever, refuse to eat, and lose weight.