Second opinion

On September 4, in my everlasting internet search for answers on Basti's condition, I stumbled upon a petfood site (http://www.prinspetfoods.nl/pages/prinspetfoods-careteam.php) where I could leave a message. Figuring that it couldn't hurt, I left the story of Basti's problems and promptly forget I'd sent it. I did however get an answer the same day, something that is rare in this country.

As it is a pet food company, naturally I received advice on how to change to their own pet food. However, she sent me another suggestion which may turn out to be a lifesaver for my cat. She suggested contacting a vet on the other side of the country who does both regular medicine as well as homeopathic remedies for pets. The clinic is called Klaver4Dieren and the vet's name Atjo Westerhuis. So I emailed him as well with the short version of Basti's problems. Him it took 5 days to respond to my email, the 'normal' response time. He suggested emailing him the pertinent information on Basti's problems and then call the clinic for an telephone appointment.

Cat's in the bag?

 

Conversation with the vet

Yesterday, I talked to Mr. Westerhuis and it went really well. The first time I talked to a vet in a long time where I didn't feel like I had to explain myself. He didn't talk down to me and he took my concerns seriously.
Some of the things I suspected, were confirmed. He too was of the opinion that Basti has IBD, not food allergies (unlike the vet who did the endoscopy one-and-a-half years ago). He mentioned that Basti's problems are most likely located in the lower end of her GI tract (her intestines) which explains why she has diarrhea and doesn't vomit. He also explained that things go upwards; problems with her colon work their way up to her duodenum and stomach which causes her to stop eating. He basically said what I had read in many other articles online; she needs fiber. He explained that hypoallergenic food was, in this case, not going to help and suggested another counterintuitive solution: diet food! His logic was that that type of food is always high in fiber and low in fat which is exactly what she needs. He also said she needs probiotics to get the bacteria in her gut back on track.
In addition, because I had asked if homeopathics could work, he is going to give me hyoscyamus niger 30D for her nervousness. If she eats the new kibble, and I can feed her the probiotics without her ignoring her food, it will be 2 out of 3 and I'll be very happy!