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Worried about steroids for my IBD cat. What about stem cell therapy?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Female | spayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 7.7 lbs

Hi, My BSH cat was diagnosed with IBD last friday. She has been on a raw diet for 4 months and reponded well. Despite this she has lost 250g in 3 weeks. My vet wants to put her on corticosteroids . But I am worried that wont heal her inflammation simple masks it. I been looking into steam cell therapy as an option. Donät know if I shall put her on the strroids or not? She has repsponded very badly in the past on medication, antibiotics. She gets Fortiflora with every meal too.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on April 30th, 2017

You definitely seem to have done plenty of research for Zise. Well, nobody likes putting their pets or themselves on corticosteroids. As you already know, there is a long list of side effects and they can sometimes outweigh the benefits of the drugs. In this case, if IBD has been diagnosed definitively, prednisone is typically the best course of action (in combination with dietary change to a low fat, high quality protein formulation). One of the theories behind using corticosteroids in the treatment of IBD isn't only to reduce inflammation. Many researchers believe there is an autoimmune component to the disease process. Prednisone is an immunosuppressive drug, and will therefore help with this condition. I would suggest following the advise of your vet for now and seeing how things go. You can always take Zise off the drug if you feel the benefits are not outweighing the side effects. Often times, some cats will not experience any sides effect and simply benefit from the drug's effects. In terms of stem cell therapy, I don't know much about this as a treatment option for IBD. Regenerative medicine is fantastic and I have seen it work miracles on many orthopedic patients. I am sure there is definitely a way to make if work for IBD patients as well, but you would have to speak with a person who specializes in this area to find out the details. I wish the best for you and Zise. Let me know if you require any more consultation on IBD and how to manage the disease.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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