I'm writing this blog in the hope of alleviating the suffering of cats with chronic diarrhea, and to provide hope to cat owners.
In October, 2012, my 13-year old male tabby named Puck was treated with the antibiotic Clavamox for an upper respiratory infection. He recovered nicely from the infection, but the diarrhea that can often be associated with antibiotic use persisted for months. My veterinarian did bloodwork and an ultrasound. Parasites were ruled out. My vet eventually diagnosed Puck with ideopathic irritable bowel syndrome (IBD). Idiopathic means "of unknown origin." My vet tried various treatments:
You can read more about IBD here:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/IBD.cfm
My vet and I agreed that an endoscopy/biopsy would be too traumatic to high-strung Puck. His diarrhea continued until May 2013, and started to contain bright-red blood. Puck became lethargic and was losing weight. My vet said that I should begin to prepare myself for the end times.
Then I remembered reading an October 2012 article in The New Yorker magazine about the success of fecal transplants in treating chronic conditions in human patients. I was excited because the cost was low, the treatment is relatively non-invasive, and the results were extremely promising.
Here is the article:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/22/121022fa_fact_specter
But my vet said his clinic didn't do fecal transplants. Nobody does, he said. I switched to a veterinary clinic that specialized in oncology and other serious conditions, SAGE Centers for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care in San Mateo, CA. They said that Dr. Kris Bruskiewicz in their Concord office had recently begun doing fecal transplants. Puck had his fecal transplant there in May 2013. The procedure cost $450. Within a week, his diarrhea was completely cured. He has regained his weight, and although he has developed congestive heart failure (probably from a congenital heart defect and/or from steroid use) that restricts his vitality, I am relieved that he no longer suffers from chronic diarrhea and extremely grateful to Dr. Bruskiewicz for developing a methodology for fecal transplants. I highly recommend SAGE Centers.
In October, 2012, my 13-year old male tabby named Puck was treated with the antibiotic Clavamox for an upper respiratory infection. He recovered nicely from the infection, but the diarrhea that can often be associated with antibiotic use persisted for months. My veterinarian did bloodwork and an ultrasound. Parasites were ruled out. My vet eventually diagnosed Puck with ideopathic irritable bowel syndrome (IBD). Idiopathic means "of unknown origin." My vet tried various treatments:
- The antibiotic metronidazole (Flagyl), which Puck resoundingly rejected (tastes terrible)
- Corticosteroid injections
- A foul-tasting white powder antibiotic called Tylosin, which was impossible to administer and which Puck also refused
- Probiotic powder in his food
You can read more about IBD here:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/IBD.cfm
My vet and I agreed that an endoscopy/biopsy would be too traumatic to high-strung Puck. His diarrhea continued until May 2013, and started to contain bright-red blood. Puck became lethargic and was losing weight. My vet said that I should begin to prepare myself for the end times.
Then I remembered reading an October 2012 article in The New Yorker magazine about the success of fecal transplants in treating chronic conditions in human patients. I was excited because the cost was low, the treatment is relatively non-invasive, and the results were extremely promising.
Here is the article:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/22/121022fa_fact_specter
But my vet said his clinic didn't do fecal transplants. Nobody does, he said. I switched to a veterinary clinic that specialized in oncology and other serious conditions, SAGE Centers for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care in San Mateo, CA. They said that Dr. Kris Bruskiewicz in their Concord office had recently begun doing fecal transplants. Puck had his fecal transplant there in May 2013. The procedure cost $450. Within a week, his diarrhea was completely cured. He has regained his weight, and although he has developed congestive heart failure (probably from a congenital heart defect and/or from steroid use) that restricts his vitality, I am relieved that he no longer suffers from chronic diarrhea and extremely grateful to Dr. Bruskiewicz for developing a methodology for fecal transplants. I highly recommend SAGE Centers.
