Bottle baby Metamucil?

Lawjess310

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 6, 2022
Messages
6
Purraise
9
hi there! I’m new here. And hope I’m posting in the right place. I have a bottle baby foster right now and vet at humane society told me to pick up Metamucil for diarrhea. But they never responded when I asked how much I put in the bottle? Can anyone help me with this please? Thanks!
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
I have never heard of giving a kitten Metamucil.

First: How old is the kitten? Which brand formula are you using? Is it pre-mixed or powdered? What color is the diarrhea?

Please answer all questions so I can better respond. In the meantime, I would hold off on adding any Metamucil.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,995
Purraise
10,640
Location
Sweden
Metamucil seems to contain psyllium fibers... I have never heard it used for cats (small kittens), but it perhaps may work.

What I have heard about, with the same idea, is to use crushed flavorless pumpkin. I believe such is sold in USA. Otherwise, its probably probable to do it oneself...

If kittens has more than occasional diarrhea, its important to give extra salts... Best is to use pedialyte. A common flavorless pedialyte as for human babies, or some variant of this for diarrhea.

OR you cook your own. You take some rice with lotsa water. Add salt! Cook it thrice of the usual time. Take the fluid thereof, and you have a terrific pedialite good for diarrhatic kittens and babies or kids.

L Lawjess310
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

Lawjess310

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 6, 2022
Messages
6
Purraise
9
Hi there so a little over 1 week kittens. I am bottle feeding with KMR. So humane society clinic for my fosters dewormed both of them for parasites but said can’t do anti biotic treatment till older. Was tested for panleukopenia and was Neg. Thank goodness. So emergency vet gave the boy a dewormer today since he started having watery diarrhea. They weren’t too helpful of bottle baby diarrhea tips. I had heard of pumpkin for constipation and have used that before with my fosters but don’t know how to help chronic diarrhea!
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
I have like 'zero' experience, but was curious if you have considered taking a sample for a full fecal PCR test to the vet? It may be a better indicator of what is causing the diarrhea since it will look for bacterial and fungal infections, as well as a host of parasites. I am not entirely sure your kitten cannot have an antibiotic. I swear I have seen kittens as young as yours receive antibiotics - I am looking for threads on this site to see if I can find where some of our more experienced members have confirmed such.

Also going to tag Sarthur2 Sarthur2 to see if they can chime in about this.
 

IndyJones

Adopt don't shop.
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 13, 2017
Messages
4,015
Purraise
3,722
Location
Where do you think?
How would you even get a cat to take metamucil? The only stuff I've seen is an orange powder that you mix with water. Most cats dislike citrus.
 

Sarthur2

Cat lady extraordinaire
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
35,984
Purraise
17,674
Location
Sunny Florida
My guess is that the kitten may have an intestinal bacterial infection causing the diarrhea. The cure for this is clavamox or metronidazole. He is not too young to take antibiotics. I’ve never understood where this myth comes from. What color is the diarrhea?

Kitten may do better on full fat goat milk as well. Could be he’s not reacting well to the formula.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

Lawjess310

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 6, 2022
Messages
6
Purraise
9
So they have unflavored Metamucil and u just add a pinch to their bottle the fiber can help both diarrhea and constipation. Trust me the humane society I foster for isn’t that “involved” I should say. I kept trying to get their clinic to test so we KNOW what we are treating. But to no avail. They said they couldn’t do antibiotics right now cause it might do more harm than good at 1 week old which was super surprising to me cause you can deworm them? But no antibiotics? Makes no sense. I agree I think it’s bacterial. :-/ very frustrating. So I’m doing the best I can. The good news is the are responsive right now and eating a bit again. But still diarrhea. :-| so I’m hoping it will firm up soon. Diarrhea was liquid green, now back to yellow. Ok goats milk? Is this at the store? I’ve heard of this but haven’t tried yet.
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
I don't know what stores you have around, but you might check Walmart or Meijers for powdered (or evaporated) goats milk, which I know has been other recommendations in this forum when goats milk cannot be found. Do an internet search for stores in your area and see if you can find any of them. I think some stores sell it in the canned milk section as opposed to the refrigerated section. Also, check local health food stores as well.
 
Last edited:

Joelle and the kittens

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 4, 2021
Messages
190
Purraise
250
Location
New Jersey
Just so you know, goat milk should only be a temporary solution, not a permanent replacement for KMR. Goat milk is not nutritionally any better than cow milk for cats (the only benefit is lower lactose), and its nutritional profile is deficient in the fat and protein levels kittens need to develop. I expanded on this a bit more in this post.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

Lawjess310

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
May 6, 2022
Messages
6
Purraise
9
I didn’t try it yet but keeping it on reserve just in case. They are doing a bit better. Not getting much help thru shelter. I ditched the Metamucil and went with what I know and put a tiny bit of pumpkin in bottles and it’s slowed the liquid diarrhea down thank goodness. Their appetite has finally picked back up. So I’m hoping for the best and just keeping at it.
 

StefanZ

Advisor
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
25,995
Purraise
10,640
Location
Sweden
Just so you know, goat milk should only be a temporary solution, not a permanent replacement for KMR. Goat milk is not nutritionally any better than cow milk for cats (the only benefit is lower lactose), and its nutritional profile is deficient in the fat and protein levels kittens need to develop. I expanded on this a bit more in this post.
It may be so. Although these rescuers whom do use goats milk, are usually happy with it. So in this case, practice works better than the theory. Why I dont know, but it seems to work...

The ideal is perhaps to find a brand of good kmr, which is based on goats milk. This way you get the best of both worlds. GNC makes such kmr, there are also other producers I have heard...

Or, an enrichened goats milk should be feasible.... There are such products, even if I always forget the name, and Im unsure if its sold in USA.
 
Top