Has anyone tried ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET® Feline Gastrointestinal Fiber Response dry cat food ?

...just a bit, mixed in canned food, for hard stools?  my vet recommended I try it.

Have you already tried going the Miralax route?  I found that worked wonders for hard stools. 

Yes, neither cat responded all that great to Miralax.  Psyllium works pretty good but 1/4 tsp is not enough and 1/2 tsp makes Obi uncomfortable...they both ger pumpkin, too...

That's really quite surprising about the Miralax.  I've used it on ALL my cats when they appeared constipated, two with chronic constipation, and it worked like a charm for them all.  I wonder if perhaps you either didn't give it enough time (it takes a few days initially to start working), or didn't give a high enough dose.  Miralax takes a little finagling  to get it right to know how much to give.  I gave it twice a day, morning and night, for it to be effective for the two with chronic constipation, AFTER I figured out how much they needed. 

Well, onthe Psyllium, how about 3/8 tsp?  Would that work maybe?  Otherwise, is there some reason you don't want to go with what the Vet is suggesting, just for a test run? 

I found psyllium made my boy really crampy. Restoralax worked wonders---same ingredient as miralax---PEG--polyethyl glycol. I used a 1/2 tsp daily for my boy for megacolon and it was a saving grace. I did find the hard food helped, but it's hard to really know as he was ill the last six months and I can't say it was the food or whatever ailed him that had his stool change.

Best of luck with your kitty

Hi, Friends, thanks so much for the suggestions!  I was told to give 1/8 tsp miralax.  So I did.  And the stools were still hard.  The pumpkin is more for hairball prevention... I thought.  I was giving both cats 1/4 tsp each of phyllium (mixed with water, in their food)..and Obi would eat, and go under t he bed and stay there.  When my vet mentioned it can cause gas, a light went on, and I discontinued it.. and overnight he stopped going under the bed.  

Its possible the dosing of Miralax was too little.  I thought 1/8 tsp was the standard dose and that I should not give more...for some reason.

Anyway, I did 2 things.  I got two new, larger litter boxes - AND I tried the dried food.  They both LOVE the dried food - a small amount mixed in with the canned - and the litter box bad behavior seems to have stopped.  I am crossing my fingers..and I will ask the vet if she thinks I should continue with the food or start the miralax at a higher dose. 

Most vets start cats on miralax slowly. Can you get Restoralax? I found that to be much easier on my boy that mirilax---made him very comfortable. Heck, I have some here I could send you!! (please check with your vet prior, but it's the same as miralax).

I would call your vet and see if you can increase to 1/2 tsp daily of miralax--that worked great for my boy. Also, I would not use psyllium at the same time unless your vet feels it won't harm him. I'm just worried about cramping. Also, did they not prescribe you ciscipraide? That's a propulsate. Helps with moving the fecal matter through the bowel.

Wishing you all the best! If your vet says you can try restoralax, I can send you some in a ziplock baggie---though I'd better include the packaging information because it's basically a white powder---that could be rather amusing if customs stops it

Hi, darkhorse.  How sweet of you!  I just googled - you must be in Canada;  Miralax and Resoralax are the same.  So I do have a large bottle - its the same stuff they make you take in Gatorade before you have a colonoscopy...LOL!

My cats are on a long list of supplements.  I emailed my vet yesterday and asked her if we could reevaluate some of them.   However, since the day before yesterday, I got two new, larger litter boxes - and I have added in the Royal Canine GI diet...they LOVE that dry food!  oh my , its a real treat for them, I am surprised.

Neither cat has had what I would say is chronic constipation.  When Obi started poo'ing out sid the box, I did notice both cats' stools seemed to be a bit hard.  I am find with adding in some of the Royal Canine - as long as it is OK for Obi's (tentative diagnosis of ) IBD.   

Hahaha--yeppers. I"m in Canada! Home of the weirdest weather ever.

My two LOVE that dry food---and while Bandit was not up to eating as much in his final days, Skye has been loving it and it's helping her regularity far more!

Best wishes to your kitties!!

my two love it also...I am just wondering if it is a high quality food.  I have not fed my cats a dry food, or a food with grain in it, for many years.   Obi has a tentative dx of IBD and  has had a bout with pancreatitis.  Periodically he throws up a lot of hairballs, but average for him these days is about once every 2 weeks or so.  After the pancreatitis, I went on a auest for the best quality canned food I could find - I did not want to try raw.  I settled on Nature's Variety, but there is not much in that food to provide bulk.

My husband is Canadian, hey?  where in Canada are you?  

It's a good quality food. Since it's prescription, it's made with a cat's needs in mind.

I'm in good old Ontario. Home of all 4 seasons, which you can experience in 12 hrs (Currently watching the snow melt that fell overnight )