Probiotic that a cat will want to eat

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bugmankeith

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One of my cats finished medication and I want to give a probiotic to restore good bacteria. I have Proviable dc but he will not eat it and pilling almost got me bit. He is very picky eater, only dry food and dry treats, I can't hide the powder in that. He loves catnip so I tried hiding it in that but he smelt it and refused to eat it. I've been adding it to his water, but he usually avoids drinking water if its in it and I don't want to dehydrate him from water refusal. Is there a tastier probiotic he might want to eat, he kinda likes cheese or tuna but only takes a taste once in a while not all the time. Nothing special just to replace good bacteria. How long is maintainence doses, I usually gave one pill once a day for 2-3 weeks.
 
furmonster mom

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Have you tried mixing it with a tablespoon of yogurt (plain, not flavored or sweetened)?

I've done this, and even added a sprinkle of parmesan for extra enticement.
 
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bugmankeith

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Furmonster Mom said:
Have you tried mixing it with a tablespoon of yogurt (plain, not flavored or sweetened)?
I've done this, and even added a sprinkle of parmesan for extra enticement.
Click to expand...
He hates Parmesan and gags smelling yogurt.
 
oneandahalfcats

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bugmankeith said:
One of my cats finished medication and I want to give a probiotic to restore good bacteria. I have Proviable dc but he will not eat it and pilling almost got me bit. He is very picky eater, only dry food and dry treats, I can't hide the powder in that. He loves catnip so I tried hiding it in that but he smelt it and refused to eat it. I've been adding it to his water, but he usually avoids drinking water if its in it and I don't want to dehydrate him from water refusal. Is there a tastier probiotic he might want to eat, he kinda likes cheese or tuna but only takes a taste once in a while not all the time. Nothing special just to replace good bacteria. How long is maintainence doses, I usually gave one pill once a day for 2-3 weeks.
Click to expand...
The probiotic that I use on my cats is Natural Factors Double Strength Acidophilus Bifidus. They all get this everyday and tolerate it well, even my fussy little female. This probiotic costs me roughly $12.00 for 90 tabs, which is a bit pricer than other probiotics. You may be able to do a little better depending on where you are. This is what you would be looking for : http://www.naturalfactors.com/caen/products/detail/2879/acidophilus-and38-bifidus-

EDIT: As you are currently just feeding dry food, you may want to spring for some cans of wet meat and hide the probiotic in this.
 
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bugmankeith

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oneandahalfcats said:
The probiotic that I use on my cats is Natural Factors Double Strength Acidophilus Bifidus. They all get this everyday and tolerate it well, even my fussy little female. This probiotic costs me roughly $12.00 for 90 tabs, which is a bit pricer than other probiotics. You may be able to do a little better depending on where you are. This is what you would be looking for : http://www.naturalfactors.com/caen/products/detail/2879/acidophilus-and38-bifidus-
Click to expand...
Wait, isn't milk bad because cats are allergic? Besides that price isn't an issue, its taste. My cat doesn't like milk, cheese powder yes but only a lick he won't eat it all the time.
 
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bugmankeith

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What about fortiflora, my vet sells this. Is this ok to give or only for ill cats? Does it taste good, any negative side effects?
 
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Cats are not allergic to milk per se, some 'cats' just don't tolerate it well. There's goat's milk in the Natural Factors which is different from cow's milk. It is a dehydrated form and is used in this product as a filler, not a main component.

As for Fortiflora, I don't consider this to be a true probiotic capable of restoring gut flora as effectively as a human grade probiotic. You can try this product and your kitty may even like it. The choice is yours.
 
 
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beckbjj

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The couple of times my kitten has needed probiotics (soft stool caused by too much rich Wellness Core Kitten food...she loves it, just can't have too much at a time), I have given her plain, unsweetened goat milk yogurt, about two measured teaspoons (i.e. a teaspoon for measuring ingredients, not the kind for eating food) once a day until the issue is resolved.  She loves it, it is very effective, and I get to enjoy the leftovers!
 
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Purina FortiFlora, available from a vet. Mostly Enterococcus faecium, digestive aid and minerals. Its usually used to sprinkle on cat's new food to entice it to eat, and for cats with diarrea to restore normal function. Try to mix it with food, if just sprinkle over, my cat licks it and leaves food uneaten.
 
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Not really a suggestion, but: my old cat used to go crazy over yogurt starter, and he would steal the little packets to lick off its contents when they were half empty. Does anyone know if those are safe for cats? He never seemed to have any issues with them, except that he was annoyed when he finished them off. :)
 
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