This should be my last update on Snickers in a while, I hope. (I'll bet you hope so, too.)

She had a barium GI series done, and the vet decided she has either irritable bowel disease or cancer. She thinks it's the former, but there's no way to know for sure without a biopsy, which we're not willing to do (it's very invasive).

So we've decided to believe it's irritable bowel disease, and Snickers is forevermore on canned food -- poultry only, no fish or beef. There are steriods that treat irritable bowel disease, but the vet doesn't recommend them due to her heart condition. She's going to look into other options.

In the meantime, we're trying to get Snickers to eat wet food, which she detests, and put on some weight. It's an uphill battle. We also tried powdering her teeny pills into her food, and she immediately tasted them and quit eating. So this will be interesting.

In any case, she's feeling much better and we're feeling much poorer, but at least I'm sleeping nights again. Thanks, everyone, for the great support you've given.

Our Wally was diagnosed with Inflammatory bowel disease by process of elimination. We had him on prednisone (he was on that during allergy season anyway). It worked great.

It boggles my mind how some cats will beg, borrow or steal to get canned food and others can't abide by it.

Here's a thought to get your baby to eat "wet' food....Gerber stage 2 chicken.
All my cats, sick or healthy will sell their souls to get it!! It's expensive, so only the sick get it.
THey have beef, ham, turkey and veal as well.

I know humans need the fiber for irritable bowel, but not during an acute phase, so maybe this will help. You could also try the vitamins in a tube that are tuna flavored. Most cats beg for it. Our vets couldn't believe he was sick because his coat looked so great (except for the bitter end).

Once Snickers determines she likes the baby food, you can start mixing half and half with other flavors she would enjoy.
It's funny how fussy each cat can be about various brands.

YAY for Snickers' tests being over for now.
Please post....I enjoy reading her progress!

Editing to add...DH takes a pill, crushes it and adds a few drops of water and a drop or so of maple syrup...puts it in a syringe and places pointy end at the SIDE of their mouth. One squirt and they never know what hit them...the maple syrup masks any yucky taste so they run less often when they see him coming ;-)

Good to read your cat's feeling better Twitchly, glad you let us know.

Oh, what a great idea. Thanks!

Inflammatory bowel disease. That's what I meant. Unfortunately, she can't take the prednisone due to the heart condition. So it's just poultry canned food for her. So far she hates baby food too, but ya never know. I think the main problem is she doesn't know how to eat soft food. She just licks it. Our other cat can inhale a can of food in no time, but this one takes forever. She's only eaten dry food and is having a tough time figuring out what to do with the wet. Hey, nobody said she was a genius.

What about Kentucky Fried Chicken, ground up in a mini processor?? My Cassie Anne, LOVED that. Not so 'wet,' if you know what I mean . . . Remove all the skin. Grind, only breast meat. My best, to little Snickers!!

Thanks so much for the update. I can second the recommendation of baby food. My parents numerous felines and several of mine just LOVE the turkey and will eat the baby food meats when all else fails.
I recently adopted a two year old female tortie from a shelter and she was quite ill and traumatized. She wouldn't eat her usual food but would lick baby meats from my fingers. It was enough to carry her through until the medications kicked in and started making her feel better.

Ahhh, yes, IBD - my cat has had it, and now my sister's might as well - she's also debating the usefulness of having the biopsy...her vet said the exact same thing "either cancer or IBD" yikes! Quite honestly, if it were my baby at that point, I'd probably treat for IBD, and pray for the best. If it *is* cancer of the bowel/stomach, it would probably be extrememly difficult/expensive to combat...sigh. Hard choices sometimes, no?

As far as the food finickiness? I'm going through the same challenge - my one 12 y.o. was recently diagnosed w/Diabetes, so I'm trying to modify the diet with limited success - he only wants the 'bad food' = hi carb dry food. I've had to intrigue him with such things as tuna juice and *tiny* bits of tuna over the wet food - pretty good success w/that one. I've also put some of the kitty gravy they sell in pet stores - it's designed to add vitamins to the diet, as well as make the food more appealing - some success there, but not as much as tuna.

Glad to hear Snickers is on the mend...supportive headbutts from my boyz. Good luck!

Perdue makes ground chicken...maybe you could cook that up for her.
My baby-girl liked it, but prefered the baby-food...maybe a good compromise.

I love that syringe idea. We battled for YEARS with Wally ..hiding food, praying all the food was gone and pill with it...I finally began to suspect his dislike for various foods was on the days he discovered the medicines!!
Maybe the syringe idea will help Snickers not distrust the foods she is being served.

I have also gotten chicken breasts on sale and diced them, sauted them and given them to my baby-girl. Sadly, she QUICKLY got used to it and expected nothing less!!! She did tolerate the Swanson's chicken in a can (like tuna but chicken)...expensive, but may get your baby through the ordeal.

A final thought (sorry for the rambling; my heart just goes out to anyone dealing with kitty issues)...did the vet say that maybe you could moisten the dry food for her? If she likes the flavor/smell of her dry, maybe just adding water will help.

Best to you both! --and to all those dealing with cat issues. SOOOO emotionally (and pocket-book) painful!

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'Hi Snickers . . . it's Cassie Anne. Glad you're feeling better. Take your medicine. And be happy that you don't have an 'owner' like Armanis, to put up with. I bit him until he bled, but still he wouldn't stop cuddling me . . . '