Egg Lecithin Vs Egg Yolks Powder?

momof3b1g

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Has anyone tried both of these and found one
to work better for hairballs?
 

daftcat75

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I don’t have experience with the egg yolk lecithin capsules. I suspect we’re going that way with Krista though. But first we’re going to try the yolk powder again because that’s what I already have.

I do know that even the smallest amount of the yolk powder can mess the litterbox. Choline stimulates peristalsis. Lecithin emulsifies fat. Liquid fat moving through her. I kinda dread to see what the lecithin capsules would do to her.

Whichever you try, start very small. I use the smidgen, pinch, dash spoons which are 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8 tsp, respectively. We’ll do one smidgen per 5.5 oz can (she eats about 1.5 cans a day) and give that a week Observe the effect on the litterbox before increasing the amount. It may take several weeks (and several more hairballs) to acclimate her to the correct preventative dose.

For Krista, I plan to work up to 1/8 tsp per can (if she’ll even tolerate it these days. Her pooper has been so sensitive lately.) If we get there and it’s still not enough, we’ll try the lecithin capsules.
 

lisahe

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We've only used the Food Fur Life egg yolk powder. I can't honestly say how well it works for preventing either hairballs or constipation, though feeding the cats whatever the recommended dose is per day (I just have a measuring spoon in the pouch and don't think about the amounts!) does, for the most part, seem to keep hairballs and constipation under control. (We also brush the cats and I put very small amounts of pumpkin into one cat's food, for mild/moderate constipation.)

The egg yolk powder has the added benefit of being appealing to our fussier cat! I'd also much rather deal with a little measuring spoon and some powder than capsules -- as daftcat75 daftcat75 mentions, you need to start slowly with this stuff.
 

Burts

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I use the natures lecithin, easy and zero mess..

i open a capsule and squeeze out half into a tiny saucer, no lil spoon needed, put couple drops water and stir with my finger... I use my finger to scrape it up and he licks it right off my finger as a treat...done
 

cheeser

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We've had pretty good luck with Swanson Egg Yolk Lecithin. It has worked wonders for hairball control for our kitties, but didn't help Buddy at all re: his then chronic constipation issues (we later stumbled upon something else for that).
 

cheeser

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What did you stumble on.....
It was purely by accident, but we started giving Buddy a teaspoon of Young Again LID Zero Mature after his twice daily meds and supplements, and his poop went from hard dry pellets like something from the Petrified Forest National Park, to totally normal. Perhaps it's the guar gum in it. *shrugs*

But back to the egg yolk lecithin, we haven't tried any of the other brands mentioned upthread. We've just used egg yolks, homemade egg yolk powder, and the Swanson egg yolk lecithin.
 

daftcat75

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I love these, I'd had no idea such a thing actually existed, and accidentally found them one day in a restaurant supply.
They are amazing for Krista’s sensitive pooper. As I expected, the first day of 1 smidgen per can (so about 1 smidgen and a half per day) gave her a softer bonus poop. Nothing alarming or insurmountable. I’m sure it will firm up over the next day or two from acclimation alone.
 
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momof3b1g

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Well what I read is the egg yolk has egg lecithin. So you need to give more and as stated can cause problems . the lecithin is all that is needed for hairballs. :/
 

daftcat75

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Sure. But if Krista is already sensitive to egg yolk, I’d hate to see what lecithin would do on its own. Besides. Egg yolk also contains choline for peristalsis and biotin for hair strength. Stronger hair means less shedding and less to ingest. I’ll start with the powder because that’s what I have and that’s what she has acclimated to in the past. If we get up to the recommended dose and still no relief, then I’ll give the lecithin capsules a try.
 

daftcat75

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I think another part of Krista’s hairballs is that I don’t let her get hungry enough to move the hair on through. Because I want her to regain weight in between her chronic dental issues, I pretty much cave whenever she starts the feed me song and dance instead of sticking to a strict schedule. We’re working on that.
 

Furballsmom

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I don’t let her get hungry enough to move the hair on through
Not to hijack the thread but I have something of a similar problem - my boy doesn't get hungry enough either, I think. (I've been having troubles finding food other than one particular brand that he'll eat). We're getting there, but I'm still paranoid about him losing weight at (an otherwise healthy) nearly 14 years old.
 

lisahe

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Egg yolk also contains choline for peristalsis and biotin for hair strength.
IMHO, the choline is at least as important as the lecithin because cats' motility declines with age. Our cats are only six but our vet has been warning us about this for years! (And it is only in the last couple of years that Edwina has started to collect more fur to gack up... our cats love to prove Dr. Kris right on anything related to digestion!) I'll gladly take the biotin benefits, too, thanks.

Egg yolk (powder) is a case where I'm very glad to use the wholer food, with the lecithin and choline, plus the appeal of egg yolk to our picky cat who just plain seems to like egg.
 

Burts

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I have been on top of it giving Oliver who used to throw up hairballs like a train half a capsule egg lecithin a day as a treat in the morning.

He hasnt thrown up anything in almost 3 weeks now...Yea you know I have multiple barf threads posted...Hes also been on hairball food with high fiber for over a week and that has cured his constipation issues...
 

daftcat75

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Well, this morning was day two of the softer bonus poops. Krista doesn't seem too bothered by them like the glycoflex/cosequin bonus soup. But if that doesn't firm up in the next few days, I'll pick up the lecithin capsules.
 
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