What do you think of my cat's health problem?

Has your vet tested for internal parasites?
Is Sheba an indoor/outdoor cat and does she hunt small game like rodents/birds?
There is a intestinal parasite called Coccidia that can cause all of these symptoms. Coccidiosis is species specific and there are many strains.

Some effect cats, others birds, etc. Bloody loose stools, weight loss, vomiting are all symptoms. The parasite is very common and not transmittable to humans. Maybe ask your vet about this.

www.cat-world.com.au/coccidiosis-in-cats

Inflammatory bowel disease? Not at all uncommon in cats over 10, but I’d be surprised if a vet wouldn’t look into that if you come in complaining about vomiting and weight loss. I seem to recall that IBD can either develop into cancer or trigger certain cancers in cats if left untreated.

Hey @ANef_is_Enuf good to see you again!

Yes, good possibility for IBS too.

Wow @ANef_is_Enuf I had no idea cats could get IBD. I was thinking as I read the question that it sounds like my IBD symptoms.

If it’s IBD, the probiotic might help, but likely she’d need corticosteroids. They are not great to be on long term, but since she’s a pretty old cat already it might be OK to just keep her on them for the rest of her life.

Ok, here’s my recommendation. Find another veterinarian.

At 16, the rules-outs for your cat are extensive. She needs to be worked up by a competent vet; I’m less concerned about the blood in the stool and more concerned with her weight loss (a 35% loss in one year is somewhat alarming). Your vet should have run a comprehensive blood panel that included a thyroid test and should have taken radiographs to start; certainly at your second visit.

Yes, she could have an issue with hair balls or a food allergy (although, if the vet thought it was a food allergy, the treatments recommended would do nothing to address that). She could also have an inflammatory bowel issue, megacolon, or intestinal lymphoma. Find a vet that practices a higher level of medicine or ask for a referral to an internal medicine specialist.

Even without seeing the blood photos, if it were me, I would definitely be getting an independent second opinion.

If your instinct is telling you that it’s significantly more than allergies or hairballs, then listen to that instinct. Find a better Vet asap.

I have two dogs and no cat but hiding and weightless can be serious. It sounds like this vet you’re now using wants to continue doing testing. He/she sounds too passive to me. Ask friends what vet they use.

@gondwanalon: Are you on FB? I heard there’s some group on FB where they discuss things like this. Not that it takes the place of a vet or of a live examination, just saying it might be helpful to get some ideas in the meantime.

Hi @Coloma!
Just to be clear, IBD & IBS are different ailments, I’m not sure if cats get IBS. They might? I’d guess it’s more likely to be a food allergy or something in that case.
IBD in cats is usually the culprit if you have a cat that is throwing up (including frequent hairballs) regularly. A lot of people think it’s a behavioral issue, but most likely the cat has developed IBD.

@Coloma No parasites observed in Sheba’s stool specimens.

Thanks again for all of your input.

As long a Sheba is eating, drinking, pooping, peeing and not losing anymore weight I figure that I have time to work with here. So I’ll work with my current veterinarian for a couple more weeks. If nothing changes, Sheba’s condition gets worse and or my vet doesn’t do any additional tests I’ll take her to big vet clinic down (I know that they have a lot the latest testing analyzers). Hope that I’m not wasting valuable lifesaving time.