All about probiotics

[otto]

Mazy cat and Queen Eva each take a ProViable DC daily, Queen Eva gets hers with her first meal of the day, Mazy gets hers with her last meal of the day.

Jennie does not take a probiotic daily. But the other week she had something weird going on with some very smelly poop, and pooping more than once a day. I started her on the probiotic daily for a week, and whatever the trouble was, it cleared up.

Things have changed since I last wrote in this thread.

Mazy and Queen Eva still take ProviableDC daily. Queen Eva takes hers with her first meal of the day, Mazy takes hers with her last meal of the day.

The update is Jennie, since she now also eats raw, takes a probiotic also. She takes the Natural Factors double strength brand. She takes hers every other day, at her supper meal.

 

[ldg]

That's great to know Laurie! Is it possible for a cat to get overdosed on probiotics though? I am currently looking into getting this http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Factors-Acidophilus-Bifidus-Goat/dp/B004X8LXIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1356441215&sr=1-1&keywords=acidophilus+bifidus+goat+milk

from a UK seller (admittedly more expensive though), but they sell the 5 million version more commonly than than the 10 million one, would the 5 million suffice?

 

Sorry, I didn't see the post earlier! That's the supplement I use, only a smaller CFU. As pet supplements typically have fewer CFU, I expect it's fine. I use the 10 billion because it's what my vet recommended.

And yes, there is such a thing as "too many," though I expect it's rather individual for each cat, and I have no idea what the "too many" number is. :dk:

 

[nocturnal-catz]

http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origin...tm_medium=cse&utm_source=shoppingcom&ppnshpng

Can this be given to a 8lb, 6 month old kitten or should give her only half a day? At what age can she have the full dose, if not yet?

Also can my 8lb, 5 yr. old cat get the full does? Sorry for all the questions.

 

[nocturnal-catz]

So I decided to get Mercola Complete Probiotics for my kitties ( 5yrs. and 6 months) as well as the Mercola Digestive Enzymes and Ascenta Health Feline Omega 3. Stella, my older kitty will still need to get L-lysine like she has been getting. These are all available at my local Vitamin Shoppe. Is this combo ok for the both of them? I want to transfer then both back to Evo all stages because I can get a lot more for way less then the Wellness Core and they are available in bigger cans. However, even though Evo is a good brand IMO, they don't have the same beneficial ingredients as Wellness Core. Also I want to make sure I don't over supplement them.

 

[jill-e]

Proviable-KP was the only probiotic that worked to cure diarrhea my cats get when on antibiotics. Neither of them developed UTIs or kidney issues afterwards. I tried FortiFlora on more than one occasion and found it useless. Then I tried the Proviable-KP and it worked great. I won't use any other now.

 

[jill-e]

Btw, my cats have the FHV and are now 13.5 years old.

 

[ldg]

So I decided to get Mercola Complete Probiotics for my kitties ( 5yrs. and 6 months) as well as the Mercola Digestive Enzymes and Ascenta Health Feline Omega 3. Stella, my older kitty will still need to get L-lysine like she has been getting. These are all available at my local Vitamin Shoppe. Is this combo ok for the both of them? I want to transfer then both back to Evo all stages because I can get a lot more for way less then the Wellness Core and they are available in bigger cans. However, even though Evo is a good brand IMO, they don't have the same beneficial ingredients as Wellness Core. Also I want to make sure I don't over supplement them.

Yes, that combination is fine to feed. :nod: It wouldn't be oversupplementing. I hope your kitties like the Mercola probtiotics - some have mentioned their cats didn't like them.

 

[jill-e]

If your cats are having loose stools or constipation, the best stuff I've ever used, along with Proviable-KP, is Slipper Elm Bark. It's a powder you mix with water. I had been using some old slipper elm in capsules, but since it's so fluffy (and it's very dry here this winter), it's hard to control when trying to measure out a whole teaspoon full by opening capsule after capsule to pour into a measuring spoon. It likes to fly around a bit. Plus, it seemed to be taking a long time to thicken in the pot. So, I just bought some fresh powder yesterday. What a difference! The new stuff thickened up in about a minute. I looked at the date on my bottle of capsules and saw it's dated 1999! :lol3:

Anyway, I got this recipe from The New Natural Cat Book by Anita Frazier. I've posted it in a couple of other threads too. I originally found out about it in an article online, written by Jean Hovfe, DVM, who writes a Mind/Body Consulting For Cats (little and big) blog called Little Big Cat. I highly recommend reading her blog. Everyone can find some very helpful information in both the book and on the website, including Hofve's article on the advantages of using Slippery Elm Bark Syrup for intestinal disorders. Btw, it works well for almost every animal and people too. I take it every now in them, in capsule form. Guess i should buy a new bottle for myself .

Here's the recipe:
In a small saucepan, place 1/2 cup cold water and 1 teaspoon powdered slippery elm bark. Whip with a fork or small whisk. Bring to simmer over low flame, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 or 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool and refrigerate. Keeps 7 or 8 days. Give a teaspoon of syrup (5 cc) for an average-size cat (again, about 10 pounds) 5 minutes before a meal to minimize upset stomach, constipation, diarrhea, or to soothe and heal mouth ulcers.

Since July 2013, one of my 13 year old cats is on forever more now meds for epilepsy, and the other is currently on an antibiotic for a UTI. I'm actually only giving the syrup to the cat on the antibiotic, as she's got diarrhea from that. However, she vomits about once a day from too much stomach acid too. So, this week, I'm give it about 30 minutes before her morning meal, and again at bedtime. Once she's off the antibiotic, I can go back to just giving it to her at bedtime to keep the acid at bay.