Hello, my name is Christy, and my Bengal's name is Lacie. She is 8 years old. She was borne out West and purchased/sent to West Virginia where she did not work out well with the breeder, so was kept in some type of a monkey cage for 2-3 years. Long story I ended up with her. She is kind of unsocial, cannot be picked up, but will get up on my lap when she wants to. I have a horrible with her - - she has terrible diarrhea. He food moves through very quickly. She stays hungry, constantly. She has lost weight this summer. I've had her to numerous vets with no conclusion of what to do. She uses the litter box but it goes everywhere. She also goes on the floor and rugs and has went in my bed. Its a nightmare. I just can't deal with it. She has been on numerous meds, probiotics, foods, etc,. I do not know what to do. The vet wants to do exploratory surgery as no parasites, tumors, etc., have been found. I need help!!!!

Thanking anyone in advance,
Christy & Lacie

Poor Kitty

In the tests that have been run, has this been tested for specifically?

https://cvm.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads ... foetus.pdf

TF has been a major bugaboo for many bengal owners over the years here, and there are numerous threads in the forum here on it. Like this one:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3876

If the problem is TF, that would be good news for you, because it is very treatable.

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The little monsters 3

Welcome to our forum and I am very sorry to hear of your issue with your kitty. First of all, I'm sure you understand that none of this is your baby's fault. The life of living in a cage for years is no life for a kitty. You have rescued her. I'm guessing she has never been socialized. The fact that she will get on your lap means she is coming to you for comfort. That is a good thing. Most bengals are very social creatures. Getting her to bond with you and becoming a great family member takes time and patience. If you have that and you are able to work with her -- talking softly to her a lot, trying to give her treats and play time -- those things will help.

As for the diarrhea issue -- I can't believe a vet would be dumbfounded. If they have ruled out parasites, including TF, then I'm guessing it is Inflammatory Bowl Disease which is common in cats. I am dealing with this in my 11 year old bengal. The solution is Prednisolone, Metronidazole, and a bland diet. We went to a specialist as Raiden had gotten down to 9.45 pounds. He is now over 15 pounds (from May 2018).

I would not do any exploratory surgery until you've had an ultrasound done. Our vet wanted to do biopsies and talked about cancer over the IBD, but we opted for the ultrasound which showed a thickening of the small intestine and no lesions. Raiden gets the medication daily. It is liquid and syringed into his mouth. He doesn't like it, but I manage to get it in him.

Please continue to consult with your vet. If you aren't happy, then find another vet. I don't know if your kitty is also vomiting, which Raiden was doing. That has all stopped and his stools are more formed. He also gets a probiotic daily. This medical issue can never be cured. It's just something you try to control.

I am not a medical person, but I'm suggesting you speak with your vet about IBD. Exploratory surgery is an option, but it's not fun for your kitty and certainly not you in caring for her.

Good luck and please keep us informed.

Have you tried her on a different food? I had a cat a long time ago with this problem. Vets and tests for months. It turned out they had changed an ingredient in her food and it upset her stomach. I changed the food and it solved it immediately. I know it most likely is not the food but it is worth looking for the simple explanations.

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal