Cystitis relief - Slippery elm, red raspberry leaf, marshmallow root?

[Cupcakecrazy]

My boy has cystitis and I'm looking for something to help him. I first tried d-mannose and cornsilk, but they upset his stomach so much he didn't want to eat and drink while he was on it.

I've been reading through other posts about the benefits of slippery elm, marshmallow root, and red raspberry leaf. I see that slippery elm is good for sensitive tummies which I like, but I'm not sure if it's the most beneficial for cystitis. Would anyone recommend any of these three things for cystitis?

(He's currently on prednisolone for the inflammation. I see that if we go with slippery elm it can prevent the absorption of medication. It seems like waiting 4-6 hours for medication is long enough to prevent that?)

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I have always heard to wait two hours after giving slippery elm bark before giving medication, but I have NOT heard that is might help with cystitis. I did see one article on the internet that mentioned marshmallow root might be helpful, but have no actual evidence of such.

The main things that are known to help are hydration, hydration, hydration, and reducing stress. (plus the D-mannose and cornsilk mentioned above have been tried by folks here and do seem to work, at least to help prevent certain urinary issues, not necessarily cystitis. Did you introduce those very slowly? That might help with the sensitive tummy)

This article on stress in cats might be very helpful for you: https://thecatsite.com/c/stress-in-cats/

 

[catsknowme]

Greetings! For my ferals, I use all 3 of those herbs for both people and cats, both individually and in combination. The d-mannose is the active ingredient that is in cranberries and blueberries so maybe that is what upset your boy's tummy. You can ask your vet about marshmallow root, red raspberry leaf and the slippery elm. For the pain of cystitis,my preference is marshmallow root decoction (similar to a tea but simmered 10-15 minutes). If the sense of urgency/sensation of incomplete void is still an issue after a half hour, I definitely add red raspberry leaf tea which has a bit more anti-spasmodic. For my understanding (I am not a veterinarian) both marshmallow root and slippery elm bark are demulcent so they sooth the irritation of the mucus membranes; slippery elm bark is a bit thicker so I separate from modern medication by at least 4 hours but with marshmallow root, i shorten the time but with at least 2 hours. The red raspberry leaf is an antispasmodic which helps relieve cramps, sense of urgency, the desire to push so I have used it for menstrual cramps, diarrhea cramps as well as to ease natural childbirth. Red raspberry also helps with nausea, slippery elm is excellent for digestive/ diarrhea (including post-colonoscopy soreness) and marshmallow root helps with lung & urinary tract. You can add the red raspberry leaf to the finished decoction and steep, off heat, for 10-15 minutes covered. Add cool water to cool off if immediate consumption is needed.
For cats and children, i always brew a tea/decoction but my father's people are/were traditional healers and that is just what I learned. For youths and adult humans (and dogs, because they have strong stomachs) i will use capsules with a full glass of filtered/ good fresh well water. Tap water has harch chemicals that can increase irritation.
Also, make sure that the litter is absolutely fragrance free. Reducing other contact fragrances (bedding, laundry, scented candles, air fresheners, etc) also can help healing mucosal tissues.
Please keep us updated!

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Greetings! For my ferals, I use all 3 of those herbs for both people and cats, both individually and in combination. The d-mannose is the active ingredient that is in cranberries and blueberries so maybe that is what upset your boy's tummy. You can ask your vet about marshmallow root, red raspberry leaf and the slippery elm. For the pain of cystitis,my preference is marshmallow root decoction (similar to a tea but simmered 10-15 minutes). If the sense of urgency/sensation of incomplete void is still an issue after a half hour, I definitely add red raspberry leaf tea which has a bit more anti-spasmodic. For my understanding (I am not a veterinarian) both marshmallow root and slippery elm bark are demulcent so they sooth the irritation of the mucus membranes; slippery elm bark is a bit thicker so I separate from modern medication by at least 4 hours but with marshmallow root, i shorten the time but with at least 2 hours. The red raspberry leaf is an antispasmodic which helps relieve cramps, sense of urgency, the desire to push so I have used it for menstrual cramps, diarrhea cramps as well as to ease natural childbirth. Red raspberry also helps with nausea, slippery elm is excellent for digestive/ diarrhea (including post-colonoscopy soreness) and marshmallow root helps with lung & urinary tract. You can add the red raspberry leaf to the finished decoction and steep, off heat, for 10-15 minutes covered. Add cool water to cool off if immediate consumption is needed.
For cats and children, i always brew a tea/decoction but my father's people are/were traditional healers and that is just what I learned. For youths and adult humans (and dogs, because they have strong stomachs) i will use capsules with a full glass of filtered/ good fresh well water. Tap water has harch chemicals that can increase irritation.
Also, make sure that the litter is absolutely fragrance free. Reducing other contact fragrances (bedding, laundry, scented candles, air fresheners, etc) also can help healing mucosal tissues.
Please keep us updated!

Thank you so much for all of the information! His litter is fragrance free but I'll work to eliminate any other odors in the house. Maybe an air purifier would be beneficial? I'll definitely ask my vet about the herbs when she returns to the office but she's on vacation right now.

Do you have a preference in brands/products? I'm not sure what type of marshmallow root and red raspberry leaf is best to purchase. Do you also have a recipe and the dosage for him?

I'm sorry for all the extra questions! I really appreciate your time!

 

[catsknowme]

No need to apologize! I pretty much go by best price but typically I buy from Amazon and chose Now, Swanson and Nature's Way for capsules and buy from Frontier Co-op for bulk.
Per 1 cup water, I use about a teaspoon of dried or 1 capsule of powdered herb. With roots and bark, I prepare as a decoction which is simmered, covered, for 10-15 minutes. With leafs, I steep 5-10 minutes, covered, as a tea. If you wish to do a combination, simply add the leaf to the decoction after removing the pan from the stove and keep covered.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Thank you so much for all the help, I've purchased the marshmallow root and red raspberry leaf and they'll be here tomorrow. That is also when my vet will be in so I will check in with her as well. Do you believe the marshmallow root and red raspberry leaf will be gentler on his tummy than the D mannose?

 

[opener_of_cans]

I personally have interstitial cystitis and one of my cats had the chronic cystitis.

For the cat - cat fountains to encourage drinking and adding wet food to his diet helped keep him hydrated. Those tweaks and switching to a urinary formula were enough to keep his in check.

From a human - I found slippery elm made some difference, but I never found that marshmallow root had noticable effects. I took the slippery elm about 3 hours after other meds and never noticed a problem. What helps me most is freeze dried aloe vera capsules, so if other options don't help, you might look into that.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

I personally have interstitial cystitis and one of my cats had the chronic cystitis.

For the cat - cat fountains to encourage drinking and adding wet food to his diet helped keep him hydrated. Those tweaks and switching to a urinary formula were enough to keep his in check.

From a human - I found slippery elm made some difference, but I never found that marshmallow root had noticable effects. I took the slippery elm about 3 hours after other meds and never noticed a problem. What helps me most is freeze dried aloe vera capsules, so if other options don't help, you might look into that.

Thanks for the help! I've tried six different styles of water fountains to entice him to drink more but he's terrified of running water so it had the opposite effect. He also won't touch wet food. When I try to mix just a little bit in to his dry food to try and transition him it makes him stop eating completely.

He liked both Hills urinary stress and Iams urinary health foods but they made him sick even when I introduced it as slow as possible. My vet recommended Subcutaneous fluids but I'm sure the stress of either taking him in or doing it at home will make him even worse.

Thank you for the tips!

 

[Furballsmom]

laundry

Wool balls instead of dryer sheets (--even the sheets that proclaim they're fragrance free) for the dryer are terrific

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Wool balls instead of dryer sheets (--even the sheets that proclaim they're fragrance free) for the dryer are terrific

Thank you, I'll get some!

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Does anyone give their cats anything for stress? The Hill's urinary stress didn't agree with his stomach and neither did the gabapentin when we tried it for a week, even at a quarter of a pill. It also kicked him out a little too well, he spent all of his time asleep and wasn't eating or drinking.

 

[Furballsmom]

Have you tried Cat Music? It can be surprisingly helpful, but a caveat is that it might only be a bandaid or not work at all if for example there are cats/animals outside.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Have you tried Cat Music? It can be surprisingly helpful, but a caveat is that it might only be a bandaid or not work at all if for example there are cats/animals outside.

I have! I haven't noticed a difference but he also doesn't seem to mind it so I put it on for him from time to time.

 

[fionasmom]

Purina ProPlan makes a product called Calming Care which is a probiotic which is sprinkled on food. It is not a prescription and comes in little packets which last a long time as you don't need to put a whole packet in one serving of food.

 

[Furballsmom]

I put it on for him from time to time.

You could try a different type - there's classical harp music, harp music written for cats, RelaxMyCat, MusicForCats, and also music with purrs in it as well as videos with just purring

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Purina ProPlan makes a product called Calming Care which is a probiotic which is sprinkled on food. It is not a prescription and comes in little packets which last a long time as you don't need to put a whole packet in one serving of food.

We've used their fortiflora before and it made him vomit, I'll take a look at the calming care and see what's it's like! Thank you!

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

You could try a different type - there's classical harp music, harp music written for cats, RelaxMyCat, MusicForCats, and also music with purrs in it as well as videos with just purring

Thank you, I will!

 

[fionasmom]

My vet swore that it helped her nervous cat. Mine seem to like it in the same way that many cats like FortiFlora, but I never determined if it did as much as she thought it did.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

No need to apologize! I pretty much go by best price but typically I buy from Amazon and chose Now, Swanson and Nature's Way for capsules and buy from Frontier Co-op for bulk.
Per 1 cup water, I use about a teaspoon of dried or 1 capsule of powdered herb. With roots and bark, I prepare as a decoction which is simmered, covered, for 10-15 minutes. With leafs, I steep 5-10 minutes, covered, as a tea. If you wish to do a combination, simply add the leaf to the decoction after removing the pan from the stove and keep covered.

Thank you so much for all the help, I've purchased the marshmallow root and red raspberry leaf and they'll be here tomorrow. That is also when my vet will be in so I will check in with her as well. Do you believe the marshmallow root and red raspberry leaf will be gentler on his tummy than the D mannose?

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

My vet swore that it helped her nervous cat. Mine seem to like it in the same way that many cats like FortiFlora, but I never determined if it did as much as she thought it did.

It's always worth a try! I've also been looking into calming treats. I see they're suggested a few times on the site but I don't see anyone suggesting a specific brand. Ill have to do some more digging!