Healing Cat Diet Also Helps Owner

Dear Dr. Fox:

My cat, Chava, had a difficult first part of her life. She was abandoned on the side of the road as a kitten, raised in a barn and then fostered by an agency. She had health issues from the time we brought her home, frequent and bad-smelling diarrhea.

The first two veterinarians we took her to thought she simply had parasites and wormed her several times. As months went by, her attitude got worse and worse. Her fur started looking dull and ragged, and the diarrhea was constant. We could hear her meow as if in pain, then have a dark-brown bowel movement that smelled like a sewer.

We finally found the right vet, who diagnosed her with irritable bowel syndrome. She had treatment, a new diet and omega-3 supplements added to her food. Within one month, Chava had gained weight, looked and smelled beautiful and seemed quite happy. She has become a purring lap-kitty who comes right away when she is called. We are so thankful.

During the time of her treatment, I realized that I was suffering from the same symptoms. After initially being treated for irritable bowel syndrome, I was found to have celiac disease. I changed my diet to one that is gluten-free, and I am now a new person!

My niece said to me, "I think I know why you got Chava. Without her, you wouldn't have known that you could get better, too." I will always be grateful to the vets who wouldn't give up on Chava and ultimately made my life better.

Y.T.R.

Germantown

Many thanks for your story. Readers, please send in yours. I would also like to hear from readers whose dogs and cats developed the same or similar disease that afflicted one of their human family members and the eventual outcome of both. Pets frequently mirror our human maladies.