"cshenk" wrote in
:

"KenK" wrote

Anyone tried the Whiska's 'Temptations' hairball control cat snacks?
I've unsuccessfully tried everything else I'm aware of or heard about
here (anti-hairball food I've tried gives her diarrhea). BM problems?
Other problems? I'm going to try Google later this morning.

Hi KenK, not being sure what you may have tried, here's the gist of
what I've read.

Most commercial anti-hairball things all act like a laxative. Some
more strongly than others. Many (myself included) feel this isn't
healthy over long term so have taken to other methods.

I did some research since I posted and the snacks I mentioned contain
petrolatum. Same as Laxatone. Quarter to half teaspoon doses of Laxatone
every two or three days don't help her. A single teaspoon dose helps for
a day or two but really screws up her BMs - soft and way too often, last
time five or six in two days! So I likely won't bother trying the snacks.

These assume
you are well past the basics of brushing as much excess as feasible on
a regular basis.

Yes. She's a short-hair.


Several chimed in recently with a sort of 'fiber addition'. I've not
used this personally in any deliberate way but others have had
success.

I've been using 1/8 tsp. generic unflavored Metamucil in each of all
three meals for months now. Can't see that it is helping any. She
dislikes it. I probably should quit.

Most mentioned pumpkin (the orange stuff used at Halloween
if you aren't USA and pumpkin has a wider meaning). Folks get cans of
it then freeze in small portions and dole out with the food. Some
mentioned this works for any 'winter squash' that the cat likes. It's
pureed fairly fine and added by the tablespoon or with some cats, 1/2
tablespoon twice a day. My cat and dog like acorn squash baked with
butter so they always get a little scoop when we make some. Apparent
effect here on both pets is a mild stool softening but not at all like
diarrhea.

I've tried a teaspoon of pumpkin before, once a day for a few days with
little success. I'm cuuently trying is again, this time for at least a
week, mixed with one of her meals. She'll eat it, but not by itself.

My own methods seem to be related to feeding broth (home made, salt
free, bone broth mostly left over chicken carcasses tossed in a
crockpot) and feeding a bit of extra fat (Olive oil, bacon or chicken
rendered fat etc).

I've tried olive oil. A quarter tsp. with each of three meals doesn't
help. I upped it to 1/2 tsp. but she won't eat her food then.

Both methods are utterly harmless to try with the fiber addition being
the more well known one. Just keep it salt free as possible for pet
use (They aren't as sodium tolerant as we are in the long run).

Last but not least, my experience has been that cats fed on a dry
kibble diet, no matter how high the quality of it, tend to have more
furball problems. They also have a higher prevalence of other
problems due to moisture intake issues not related to your question.

I only feed her Wellness canned chicken. For months now. Any other brand
or dry food, even Wellness, gives her diarrhea, some more often than
others, usually one meal will do it. The Fancy Feast trout feast doesn't
bother her most of the time, but can be difficult to find. Feeding canned
Wellness, purchased by the case, is simpler. Odd, a year or so ago she
could eat anything. She's 14 - 15 now.

The easiest path if you are dry feeding now, is to try wet feeding for
a week (remove the dry) and see if it helps. Best method is a small
can in the morning and another in the evening. Fancy Feast may not be
the best on the market, but will do for this and you don't have to
mess with storing 1/2 the larger can in the fridge for 'dinner'.





--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner