Advice On Healing My Kitties Gut/dysbiosis

[danielle4522]

Hey guys this post will have a lot of questions but I have been mentally preparing myself for my kitties clostridium to return after treatment since that seems to be a pretty common trend and I have a feeling my boy has dysbiosis. For anyone who has kitties who had clostridium regrow or their kitty has leaky gut( I don’t believe my cat has SIBO but haven’t fully tested for that yet) I have the following questions because I am going to try like hell to heal my cats gut ( I really don’t wanna keep him on antibiotics but if that’s what has been the solution for you all in this situation please tell me) but I have a lot of thoughts and need your help!

1) my cat is on proviable dc once a day,three hours after his meds. Is proviable able to be given more than once a day or should I just switch to a stronger, better probiotic? I just bought 15 billion renew life just in case? Should I go with a stronger probiotic?

2) prebiotics and digestive enzymes: should I use these as well to help heal the bad balance of bacteria in the gut? Don’t know much about either so for those who use them, Why? My cat doesn’t show a pancreas issue in his lab

3) my cat has bad gas which is from the bad bacteria I assume, for those who have cats with gas what do you give them to help?

4) slippery elm, I am using this but not sure I am giving at the best time or enough. When should I be giving this and how often if I am trying to heal him. If he won’t eat it in his food, are the healing effects just as good with the syringed gruel? And can I give the gruel with the probiotic or do those need to be given separately(can I mix and syringe them together? Or should I give SEB at different times in the day)

LASTLY 5) S Bouliardi has proven pretty effective with clostridium but I have never given it to my cat because a year ago his allergy blood test showed he was very allergic to yeast. Do you think I could still try to give this in a small amount to start? Or should I just avoid it with the risk of a yeast reaction?

Anything else you do to heal your kitties guts please tell me because I’m going hysterical and crying all the time thinking my kitty has something I can’t get rid of and makes him miserable. I am trying to piece together my knowledge and have been extensively reading through past posts to learn. I need to switch vets or to a specialist because my vet knows nothing about any of this stuff and I am scared and just need a place to start.

Thanks all in advance for reading

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I'm so sorry this is so stressful for you! Try some chamomile tea for you.
catsknowme is an excellent resource regarding the slippery elm...

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Do try the chamomile tea for you, but sweeten with honey, NOT sugar. Sugar and chamomile don't play well together. It will gently relax and calm you, and since kitties are little energy sponges, YOURS is picking up on your distress, which isn't helping his own tummy one bit.

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you obtain a probiotic that isn't "based" on yeast?

Would Proviable be an option?

 

[stephanietx]

I have a kitty with digestive issues. He gets proviable DC 2x a day with wet food and 1/2 of a s. boullardi 2x a day with his wet food. He is also on an all RX diet right now due to a recent flare up following a prednisolone shot. This combination has worked well for him and cleared up his loose poops.

 

[catsknowme]

Awesome advice here - thank you, Furballsmom, Mamanyt1953, StephanieTX!! I had not thought of the yeast factor in probiotics - that might be a clue for my people-daughter's situation as well.
I have had great results using slippery elm decoction in the food or administered directly. I usually add marshmallow root and for digestive issues, especially diarrhea, I add red raspberry leaf (use commercially prepared unless you know how to dry it properly) at the end of the simmering and let it stand, covered, for another 3-5 minutes, at least. You should ask your vet or consult an holistic healer for specific advice. My experience is that the probiotics work the same regardless of when I give the herbs.
D danielle4522 I applaud your diligence in being so proactive! Please keep us updated on what you've tried and the results. Sending my prayers and vibes for your kitty's health

 

[Furballsmom]

Drat. I finally, after a couple of read-throughs, caught that you said you're already using Proviable, I apologise for not seeing that as your number 1 point. Eerrgg

Maybe this will help to put me back in your good graces;

Cat Farts! Ugh!

 

[danielle4522]

catsknowme thanks for the Advice! Do you ever see a difference in putting the powder in their food versus just syringing it? Or do you not put the powder in their food, you put the gruel/paste that you make in their food? I still can’t figure out if I’m just supposed to sprinkle the powder in his wet food or if I should syringe him the paste right before eating? He has diarreha but won’t eat it with the powder in his food. Is syringing still effective? I want to give him enough and at the right time. Typically I will syringe about 2ml right before he eats in the am and right before he eats in the pm. Does that sound accurate and ok? My vet doesn’t know anything about slippery elm should I call a holistic vet?? Just want to make sure I’m using it right!!

stephanietx thanks for the response, I use proviable but only give it once a day, can it be given twice? It’s says once a day on the box but I wonder if twice a day would be more beneficial. Did you give it once a day for a while and worked up to twice a day?

Thanks everyone I’m trying to stay calm. I’m trying to find the best probiotic for him and working with slippery elm. He ends his meds tomorrow and I want to keep his gut as comfortable as possible! Does anyone know if I can syringe a probiotic on an empty stomach is that more effective that giving it with food? Thanks!!

 

[catsknowme]

My personal experiences with slippery elm are that decoctions and the tinctures from the health food store work best, especially since cats get most of their water from food so I have doubts that cats always drink enough to use the powder. If your cat does not want the slippery elm, you can try the marshmallow root or red raspberry leaf instead, either as a blend or a stand alone. I am not saying that using the powder is bad but for my ferals as well as my tame cats, a decoction blended into wet food is the most effective and willingly taken (most of my tame cats hate being syringed).
The decoction is easy to do & since you have the powder, you can use that (the powder will tend to float and adhere to the sides of the pan so stir occasionally). You can add the usual dose to a cup of good water (not plain tap or other chemically laden water), cover, and bring to a simmer over low heat & simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let stand covered until the steam returns to the decoction. You can sieve or not - most of the medicine will be in the water but th
I would definitely consult a holistic vet if possible. I was raised using herbs as was my vet but I know that

 

[danielle4522]

catsknowme OH ok so you make the concoction and then you literally mix it in with their wet food. Is slippery elm also effective if I make the paste a little at a time? I don’t make it on the stove I usually just mix 1/4 teaspoon with 1/2 teaspoon of cold water and syringe it right before his meal. Is it ok I don’t make it on the stove? And do you think mixing the paste in his food is better?

ALSO can I give slippery elm at the same time as a probiotic or should those be given separately since I know SEB can inhibit absorption

 

[stephanietx]

D danielle4522 we have been giving him 1 capsule of proviable daily for the past 12-18 mos anyway because he has a sensitive tummy. When he reacted negatively from the pred shot, we upped it to 2x a day because his tummy and gastro tract were in crisis. We added in s. boullardi as well.

 

[danielle4522]

stephanietx do you notice the proviable is strong enough for your kitty and helps?

I always wonder about giving a stronger human grade probiotic like renew life but get so scared to give him new stuff

 

[stephanietx]

Under normal circumstances, it works great for Tumbles. The current situation is unique and he needed a bit more to help tame his tummy and GI tract.

 

[8kitties]

Here's some ideas if you're looking for probiotics/digestive aids Cat Gastrointestinal Care-category-listing