Cats suffering for irritable bowel disease are often prescribed a special diet by their veterinarian. Because the new diet is a change from their normal eating habits, many cats resist eating for a period of time. Here at Dr Carol’s Pets, we recommend a healthy diet that is also appetizing for cats with IBD.
We use a home-made diet that consists of equal parts of lean protein, long-acting carbohydrates, and vegetables. Foods such as chicken breast, lamb, salmon, veal, turkey, and duck are all great sources of proteins that cats typically love. Long acting carbohydrate choices for cats with irritable bowel disease include potatoes (such as sweet potatoes), rice, pasta, and oatmeal. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, and carrots are great vegetable choices, but any vegetable that your cat enjoys can be included.
After cooking the chosen ingredients, mix together and add about ½ teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. The oil serves to enhance the smell and taste of the meal while also being a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Next, flavor the food according to your pet’s palate! If your finicky feline adores barbecue sauce, pasta sauce, or tamari sauce, by all means, indulge him! Flavor the food so that your cat will enjoy his new diet!
With irritable bowel disease, feeding smaller portions more often seems to work best in our practice. Smaller meals are easier for the body to digest. Also, if you wait to season each portion with sauce before feeding, you will know right away if your finicky eater prefers one sauce over another and there will be less chance that he will refuse his meal.
Barbecue sauce would be ok for a cat with ibd? wouldn’t it irritate the ibd? I am looking for online instructions for giving pastina to my senior cat with ibd but am just very confused by this.