What dry and wet food is best for my senior cat with IBS/IBD?

This food is not necessarily considered to be a senior diet, however it is appropriate for adult cats and in this case I would not recommend switching to another diet. Senior diets tend to have fewer calories and sometimes have different nutrients and supplements than adult foods. If Trixie is overweight you can try cutting back on the amount of food offered during the day. Royal Canin select protein foods already have increased levels of fatty acids, and you could ask your vet if Trixie might benefit from a dietary supplement for joint health or a probiotic that would be okay with her IBD.

Many times cats will respond to a prescription diet using hydrolyzed protein. Both Hill's and Royal Canin carry these types, which you can discuss with your vet. If you are looking for a cat food that isn't a prescription food, you will have to do a food trial to attempt to find a diet that Junior's colon will respond to: "Another approach is the use of the novel protein diets. The idea here is that the patient cannot have an immunological reaction to a protein source it has never experienced. (It takes long-term exposure to a protein before the immune system will respond against it, so a new protein should be safe.) This means using an unusual protein such as rabbit, venison, fish (for dogs) or duck, so long as the patient has not been fed these foods before. Again, it takes about a month to see a good response." There are many great brands of cat food that you can find with these types of ingredients at the pet store. A homecooked diet is also an option, but it needs to be formulated by a veterinary nutritionist to make sure it is completely balanced with everything that Junior needs. Also, don't forget to talk to your vet about supplementing B12, if needed in Junior's case. Here is info on IBD: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=598 And here is information on a food trial (it says dogs but the same concept applies for cats!): http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

IBS is called IBD in animals and it must be diagnosed by a vet, not by your before treatment is started. there are several prescription diets for this condition but you will need to discuss that with your vet.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bitty. If his hyperthyroidism is well controlled and he has not developed any kidney disease, then he can eat a high quality over-the-counter diet. I typically recommend Purina ProPlan or Royal Canin. If he has other underlying diseases such as kidney problems, then a prescription diet would be necessary. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With IBD, I would also recommend using B12 supplementation such as Cobalequin. Cobalequin is available online and is easy to get. This is basically a B12 supplement and is extremely bioavailable even in the presence of GI disease such as IBD. A different diet such as a hydrolyzed protein diet (a prescription diet) may also be helpful. You will need a prescription for a hydrolyzed diet and your veterinarian can provide this for you. I would try these things and see if they help at all with the soft stool / diarrhea / poor appetite. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further.

Veterinarians should carry therapeutic diets with extra fiber- Hills makes W/D and Royal Canin makes Fiber Response. If you just want an over the counter food, like for a senior or mature formula, they tend to have a higher fiber content. Kisses to George!

Hello, and thank you for your question. The most important thing to look for in a pet food is an AAFCO label, which tells you that the diet went through either a clinical trial or met a certain minimum standard when formulating the diet. This will ensure that the diet is complete and balanced. As far as specific brands, I like Royal Canin and Science Diet as reliable, high quality pet store brands. They do have specific wet diets for senior cats. I hope this helps, and that Lilly is happy and healthy!