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#1
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
Since I switched Emily to Wellness canned cat food she has had hairballs
- evidently too little fiber. Every other cat food I've tried gives her diarrhea. I finaslly discovered that ~ 3 tsp pumpkin daily kept the hairballs at bay. Unfortunately, she hates the taste of pumpkin mixed in her cat food in the second of her three daily meals and eats it _ very_ reluctantly, only out of hunger at the far end of the day. Anyone found a more palatable way to feed pumpkin? (I thought of mixing it with a half can of tuna but Google tells me feeding people-tuna to cats is evidently a bad idea.) Or another hairball cure? Laxatone and other products with the same active ingredient don't work well at all with her. I've tried other forms of people-type fiber like natural flasvored Metamucil, and a type of fiber that is tasteless. She eats them more readily, especially the tasteless, but they don't work on her hairballs. Maybe some other fiber, like wheat or oat bran? I woder why the pumpkin works? According to the label doesn't seem to be particularly high in fiber. Suggestions? TIA Ken -- "When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner |
#2
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
Ken,
IMO I would avoid feeding that much tuna. A tidbit every now and then is ok, but that amount could cause long-term health problems. Can she tolerate those "hairball treats?" Lots of cats like them. You feed 3-5 pieces or so per day. I am surprised that Metamucil (psylium fiber) does not work, since it's designed to bulk up the stool similar to the pumpkin. How long did you try this? Will she eat any other kind of squash, such as (plain) acorn or butternut? Pumpkin is in the squash family so these should work also. I don't know of any other treatment, except for regular brushing and Petrolmalt. Rene |
#3
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
You might try planting some oat grass for her to nibble on.
---MIKE--- In the White Mountains of New Hampshire (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') |
#4
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
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#5
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
Try Benefiber, about 1/4 teaspoon, in a small amount of food. It mixes in
well, has no taste, and works well. It's just a bulk fiber that helps things move through the digestive tract. Tasteless, odorless, and no texture once it's mixed. Start out with a small amount daily for a couple of days. Once it's working, it can really push things through and give the cat too much roughage, so don't give it every day. Recommended by my Vet. |
#6
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
"SJ" wrote in
: Try Benefiber, about 1/4 teaspoon, in a small amount of food. It mixes in well, has no taste, and works well. It's just a bulk fiber that helps things move through the digestive tract. Tasteless, odorless, and no texture once it's mixed. Start out with a small amount daily for a couple of days. Once it's working, it can really push things through and give the cat too much roughage, so don't give it every day. Recommended by my Vet. Did the vet mention hairball reduction? Well, it's wheat dextrin and soluble and Metamucil is psyllium husks and insoluble. So who knows? Worth a try. I'll pick some up. The tasteless soluble fiber I tried unsuccessfully previously was inulin. Emily would say "Anything but pumpkin!" Ken -- "When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner |
#7
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
Ken,
How about giving her a small amount of oil per day (like olive oil, vegetable oil)? Like 1 t. per day. She "might" like the flavor. This is not science, but for a few years I added 1/2 capsule of fish oil to my cat's food once per day. They really enjoyed the taste and it helped with hairballs. I don't know if you would have the same experience, but might be worth a try. Rene |
#8
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
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#9
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
"Rene S." wrote in
news:465f3a26-e410-4e55-9685-132338d1c813 @e16g2000pri.googlegroups.com: Ken, IMO I would avoid feeding that much tuna. A tidbit every now and then is ok, but that amount could cause long-term health problems. That's what Google says too. Can she tolerate those "hairball treats?" Lots of cats like them. You feed 3-5 pieces or so per day. Same active ingredient as Laxatone, at least those I've checked. That doesn't agree with her. I am surprised that Metamucil (psylium fiber) does not work, since it's designed to bulk up the stool similar to the pumpkin. How long did you try this? A month. Daily. Most of the time I included a tsp of pumpkin with it. No help. Will she eat any other kind of squash, such as (plain) acorn or butternut? Pumpkin is in the squash family so these should work also. I don't like squash and I've never seen it canned - so no. Might try baking one once just for her just to see if it works. I suspect not. I don't know of any other treatment, except for regular brushing and Petrolmalt. Petromalt has the Laxatone ingredient? - petrolatum or something like that? She gets groomed daily. Short hair cat. Rene Ken -- "When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner |
#10
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Hairballs - pumpkin - taste
Want to control hair balls?
Brush your owner. If you believe in food for hair balls, then your owner is young. |
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