Hi, I'm new to this group and haven't seen this topic posted on my
searches so far.  My stictly indoor cat Dimitri is 6 years old and has
been diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) since he was 2.  My
local vet based his diagnosis on his clinical signs rather than biopsy
or endoscopic exploration.  He symtoms have been well controlled using
IVD Veterinary Diet.  However, about three months ago, we noticed a
slow deterioration in his stools to become more diarhea like.  The slow
change did not alarm us.  What has alarmed us was a sudden onset of
what appears to be loss of motor coordination.  Initially (3 weeks
ago), Dimitri had extreme difficulty balancing, though it seemed his
muscle strength was normal.  Initially, the symptoms would appear
sporadic, but it has developed into a chronic occurence.  Our vet was
baffled when we first took him in and showed him video of the worse
episodes.  He ruled our inner-ear issues that might affect his
equilibrium.  In addition, blood work was conducted and ruled out any
type of toxic exposure or metabolic disorders.  He suggested that we go
to the UC Davis VMTH Neurology department.  The earliest appointment is
in over 2 weeks and I am concerned since his condition is rapidly
deteriorating.  He has lost 2 pounds (14 to 12 lbs) since last Fall.
In addition, his diarhea is more persistent.  Most alarmingly, his
motor coordination abilities are worsening where he has extreme
difficulty negotiating the steps of our home.

My question is, can IBD cause the symptoms of apparent loss of motor
coordination, or is the onset of these symptoms indepdent?  If they are
related, we feel that we would like to treat the IBD more aggressively.
Historically, our vet had suggested that the symptoms were under
control, and that more aggressive measures were not necessary.  Does
anyone have any insight into this matter?  Thanks.