Comments on: The roll of additional fiber as a supplement for a four year old cat on a raw diet? http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/ Mon, 21 May 2012 15:03:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: old cat lady http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-5341 old cat lady Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:46:22 +0000 http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/#comment-5341 The supplement powder I use has psyllium in it for fiber. I don't understand why that is objectionable in your cat's food. Raw diets do include some fiber source as in nature a cat would ingest skin and hair or feathers from prey even in very small amounts. The amount of psyllium in the supplement powder only amounts to 2 teaspoons per two pounds of ground meat. That's a very small amount. Grated sweet potato might do the trick. You will just have to work at tweeking the diet. Hard stools can result from too much calcium in the diet. Are you using the uncooked bone? Maybe too much in the chicken neck department as they are mostly bone. I would suspect the mucous results from difiiculty in passing the hard stool. The supplement powder I use has psyllium in it for fiber. I don’t understand why that is objectionable in your cat’s food.

Raw diets do include some fiber source as in nature a cat would ingest skin and hair or feathers from prey even in very small amounts. The amount of psyllium in the supplement powder only amounts to 2 teaspoons per two pounds of ground meat. That’s a very small amount.

Grated sweet potato might do the trick. You will just have to work at tweeking the diet. Hard stools can result from too much calcium in the diet. Are you using the uncooked bone? Maybe too much in the chicken neck department as they are mostly bone.
I would suspect the mucous results from difiiculty in passing the hard stool.

]]> By: Natalie Taylor, RVT http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-5340 Natalie Taylor, RVT Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:30:18 +0000 http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/#comment-5340 Fiber has lots of benefits. It prevents constipation by increasing bulk and drawing water into the colon. Increased bulk seems like a bad thing with constipation but it can help move stool along, especially when the added water softens it up. Fiber can also benefit animals with diarrhea because the increased bulk will absorb the extra water, thereby slowing down the movement of the stool through the body. You can think of fiber as a binder that holds the stool together. The inconsistent stool your cat is having is an indication that the diet you are using is not working out. Increased mucus in the stool can be a sign of intestinal inflammation. This inflammation can be caused by bacterial overgrowth, sensitivity, or allergies. Raw food may contain parasites and without a doubt contains bacteria that can cause stomach and intestinal upset. Homemade diets also increase the risk of deficiencies and toxicities. This quote is from the link listed below regarding Benefiber: Little is known about hydrolyzed guar gum, as found in Benefiber. The ingredient has not been approved by the FDA as a nonprescription ingredient but is being marketed as a dietary supplement. The National Academy of Sciences, in its Dietary Reference Intakes for Fiber, states that guar gum has "little effect on fecal bulk or laxation." -Medscape Fiber has lots of benefits. It prevents constipation by increasing bulk and drawing water into the colon. Increased bulk seems like a bad thing with constipation but it can help move stool along, especially when the added water softens it up. Fiber can also benefit animals with diarrhea because the increased bulk will absorb the extra water, thereby slowing down the movement of the stool through the body. You can think of fiber as a binder that holds the stool together.

The inconsistent stool your cat is having is an indication that the diet you are using is not working out. Increased mucus in the stool can be a sign of intestinal inflammation. This inflammation can be caused by bacterial overgrowth, sensitivity, or allergies. Raw food may contain parasites and without a doubt contains bacteria that can cause stomach and intestinal upset. Homemade diets also increase the risk of deficiencies and toxicities.

This quote is from the link listed below regarding Benefiber:
Little is known about hydrolyzed guar gum, as found in Benefiber. The ingredient has not been approved by the FDA as a nonprescription ingredient but is being marketed as a dietary supplement. The National Academy of Sciences, in its Dietary Reference Intakes for Fiber, states that guar gum has “little effect on fecal bulk or laxation.”
-Medscape

]]> By: J C http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-5339 J C Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:19:03 +0000 http://www.healthstorebargains.com/blog/the-roll-of-additional-fiber-as-a-supplement-for-a-four-year-old-cat-on-a-raw-diet/#comment-5339 In the wild cats don't eat fiber or grains. They *might* eat the stomach of their prey and it's contents (this is debated) but that's it - no grains and no fiber, just meat. I'm not a raw diet feeder (can't - I foster for rescue or I would) but it may be that one of the meat sources you are feeding him just isn't agreeing with him? The diet I do feed is all-meat (canned cat food, no by-products) and I know that some of the meat sources can cause loose stool in some of the cats. Hopefully some of the raw diet experts will chime in, but I don't think fiber is the answer. In the wild cats don’t eat fiber or grains. They *might* eat the stomach of their prey and it’s contents (this is debated) but that’s it - no grains and no fiber, just meat. I’m not a raw diet feeder (can’t - I foster for rescue or I would) but it may be that one of the meat sources you are feeding him just isn’t agreeing with him? The diet I do feed is all-meat (canned cat food, no by-products) and I know that some of the meat sources can cause loose stool in some of the cats. Hopefully some of the raw diet experts will chime in, but I don’t think fiber is the answer.

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