High Fiber Options (FOR DIARRHEA)? Hills Biome Alternatives?

[rockitorknockit]

Howdy, y'all. Some of you might have already seen or followed the big post about my Oscar that I occasionally update here.

Recently we gave Oscar some samples of Hills GI Biome WET that the internal medicine office had sitting around (their last three they'd been hoarding) and for the first time in months (maybe even a year), Oscar had more solid poops for a day and a half... then we ran out of the samples.

I can't be certain it was that food that dramatically improved his poops until I try it again. I can't think of anything else we did differently, though. BUT, as many of you know, it's literally impossible to find right now.

We got our hands on a bag of the dry food, but it isn't working so far. After reading the ingredients on both the dry and wet, I see the wet seems slightly better in multiple ways, including having more fiber. The internal medicine doctor suggested more fiber might help, which is why we tried the sample of in the first place.

So my question is this: What fiber foods can I add to Oscar's food that might be okay for his sensitive system and NOT cause more diarrhea? We desperately need to firm up his poop, or he will never stabilize and continue to go downhill. It also needs to be appealing because he is extremely picky right now, due to his sensitive system.

Thanks for any tips anyone can offer. I've been scouring the forum extensively but it seems all the fiber discussion is around stopping constipation, and we have the opposite problem.

 

[maggie101]

Wellness Core Signature Selects Shredded Chicken & Turkey Cat Food Review

Wellness Core Signature Selects Shredded Chicken & Turkey Cat Food Review, analysis, ingredient list, nutritional information and calories

catfooddb.com

Just one to check. It maybe at petco. Search the site for more. Good luck!
If the prescription food works continue and like you said, mix the good with bad

 

[maggie101]

More moisture the better so scatter around water bowls and a fountain

 

[furmonster mom]

Psyllium husk powder has worked wonders for us.
I make my pets food, so I’m not sure how you would add it into a commercial diet. It doesn’t take much (maybe 1/8 tsp per meal), but you would need a wet medium to mix it into. I wouldn’t give it dry.

 

[maggie101]

Howdy, y'all. Some of you might have already seen or followed the big post about my Oscar that I occasionally update here.

Recently we gave Oscar some samples of Hills GI Biome WET that the internal medicine office had sitting around (their last three they'd been hoarding) and for the first time in months (maybe even a year), Oscar had more solid poops for a day and a half... then we ran out of the samples.

I can't be certain it was that food that dramatically improved his poops until I try it again. I can't think of anything else we did differently, though. BUT, as many of you know, it's literally impossible to find right now.

We got our hands on a bag of the dry food, but it isn't working so far. After reading the ingredients on both the dry and wet, I see the wet seems slightly better in multiple ways, including having more fiber. The internal medicine doctor suggested more fiber might help, which is why we tried the sample of in the first place.

So my question is this: What fiber foods can I add to Oscar's food that might be okay for his sensitive system and NOT cause more diarrhea? We desperately need to firm up his poop, or he will never stabilize and continue to go downhill. It also needs to be appealing because he is extremely picky right now, due to his sensitive system.

Thanks for any tips anyone can offer. I've been scouring the forum extensively but it seems all the fiber discussion is around stopping constipation, and we have the opposite problem.

My cat has started having loose stools so I hope she likes the high fiber that's in rawz and wellness core hearty cuts. Also got instinct though it's very expensive

 

[rockitorknockit]

My boy LOVES his water, there are already multiple bowls strewn throughout the apt.

I appreciate the suggestions and will try them. I got lucky enough that his internal medicine doctor had a case if the Hills GI Biome and we drove an hour to pick it up. I can't believe how well it has worked - within 24 hours, the firmest poops I've seen in over a year. I'm terrified of what we'll do if we can't find more. He NEEDS it.

 

[daftcat75]

Have you tried saccharomyces boulardii for diarrhea?
My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

A couple fiber options you can add to your cat's food are pumpkin and psyllium.

If you can stabilize him, you may want to try FMT (fecal microbiota transplant) to re-seed his gut with the correct flora in the proper ratios. I am currently doing this with Betty. I sent off poop samples to be tested (this isn't necessary but it can be helpful) and I will receive a report in two weeks that shows me the diversity and populations of her gut biome. In the meanwhile, I give her an FMT capsule (poop pill from healthy donor cats) that survives the stomach and dissolves in her gut where those strains are needed. She's only three days into this new protocol. But so far, her poops are no worse than her previous probiotic. But I'm hopeful this will address some of the inflammation in her gut while we are waiting for our specialist appointment next month.

You can email their customer support to see if Oscar would be a good candidate for FMT or if he should be more stable before you begin.
Restore Cat and Dog Gut Health - AnimalBiome

Btw, Betty is truly impossible to pill. Even the vet had a hard time getting her mouth open. But I found that if I place the capsule inside a small amount of a favorite food of hers (don't open it!) and place this capsule plus food morsel on a textured surface like a towel or the carpet, she takes up the morsel and swallows the pill herself. The textured surface is important. Otherwise she would simply lick all the food off the capsule and leave the capsule behind. She takes three capsules a day like this: two in the morning, one of them this poop pill, and one at a night. I don't know what I would do if I had to pill her myself.

 

[maggie101]

I read not to use pumpkin,use slippery elm bark instead. My cat did not like it

 

[rockitorknockit]

I only have about 6 days worth left of the Hills GI Biome, if I spread it out to two cans a day supplemented by the hard version.

Since eating the wet food daily, his poops have improved so much. They're not completely normal, but only one step away. Like, truly, almost indistinguishable from my healthy young cat's poops. If I was able to feed him only this with an unending supply of the cans, I bet they'd look totally normal. I think they're only still more frequent and slightly soft because I am having to feed him the hard version too, which alone did not improve his poops. The wet food is magical.

Not only this, but he is better overall. He's very obviously feeling less gut discomfort. It's like a veil has been lifted.

He acts hungry and somewhat annoyed I am only giving him these food options. But he's eating them. I am not certain he's technically eating as much as he should, but this is still a huge, unexpected move in the right direction.

So, I'm panicking. I have NO idea what to get to try and feed him if I can't find more Biome food next week. I appreciate y'all's recommendations so much, but of course who knows if they will work. I am terrified of breaking this amazing balance we've just found and sending him back spiraling down into misery or worse. I had assumed it was the fiber making the difference here, since the Vet told me this is why she was putting him on it, but when I read about the food on the catfood database, it says it actually has less fiber than the average food??? ... Why is it so hard to just get a doctor or website to tell me what food is MOST LIKE Biome that I could try? Why can't the universe just tell me what it is in (or NOT in) that food that's helping him!

I'm supposed to be working right now but instead I'm just researching every food that exists, trying to compare them all to each other, trying to guess at what to try. It's so overwhelming.

 

[daftcat75]

I only have about 6 days worth left of the Hills GI Biome, if I spread it out to two cans a day supplemented by the hard version.

Since eating the wet food daily, his poops have improved so much. They're not completely normal, but only one step away. Like, truly, almost indistinguishable from my healthy young cat's poops. If I was able to feed him only this with an unending supply of the cans, I bet they'd look totally normal. I think they're only still more frequent and slightly soft because I am having to feed him the hard version too, which alone did not improve his poops. The wet food is magical.

Not only this, but he is better overall. He's very obviously feeling less gut discomfort. It's like a veil has been lifted.

He acts hungry and somewhat annoyed I am only giving him these food options. But he's eating them. I am not certain he's technically eating as much as he should, but this is still a huge, unexpected move in the right direction.

So, I'm panicking. I have NO idea what to get to try and feed him if I can't find more Biome food next week. I appreciate y'all's recommendations so much, but of course who knows if they will work. I am terrified of breaking this amazing balance we've just found and sending him back spiraling down into misery or worse. I had assumed it was the fiber making the difference here, since the Vet told me this is why she was putting him on it, but when I read about the food on the catfood database, it says it actually has less fiber than the average food??? ... Why is it so hard to just get a doctor or website to tell me what food is MOST LIKE Biome that I could try? Why can't the universe just tell me what it is in (or NOT in) that food that's helping him!

I'm supposed to be working right now but instead I'm just researching every food that exists, trying to compare them all to each other, trying to guess at what to try. It's so overwhelming.

Have you tried the Hills I/D as an alternative? Having asked that, I think that one is also on backorder. But if you call around you might be able to find some of that. Can you call the VCAs near you or do you have to buy through your vet only?

 

[rockitorknockit]

Have you tried the Hills I/D as an alternative? Having asked that, I think that one is also on backorder. But if you call around you might be able to find some of that. Can you call the VCAs near you or do you have to buy through your vet only?

I/D is what he has been on since December of last year, unfortunately. It has not been helpful, it seems.

 

[Timmer]

I've used either psyllium husk or a Hills gastrointestinal food the vet has to order for me. I use it as a treat, not a meal, or else the cat will have loose stool.

 

[Astragal14]

Are you looking for Hill's G/I Biome chicken and vegetable stew? Chewy has it in stock right now:
HILL'S PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Cat Food, 2.9-oz, case of 24 - Chewy.com

There are a few options similar to Hill's G/I Biome. My cat tried the dry G/I Biome for his IBD and it worked, but he doesn't do well with the pea products in it, so we switched to Hill's w/d, which actually has a little more fiber. It is lower in calories, so keep that in mind if you try it. But it worked very well for us. Chewy is out of the wet food but the dry food is in stock.
HILL'S PRESCRIPTION DIET w/d Multi-Benefit Digestive, Weight, Glucose, Urinary Management with Chicken Dry Cat Food | Chewy

Another option is to look at weight management and/or hairball control foods. I know you don't want to lose any weight, but these foods typically have higher amounts of fiber and you can adjust your servings as needed for the desired calorie intake.

I give my cat non-prescription hairball control food when he goes through seasonal shedding. We use the dry version of this food:
HILL'S SCIENCE DIET Adult Hairball Control Savory Chicken Entree Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24 - Chewy.com

This Royal Canin prescription dry food has the highest amount of fiber I've seen, 16.1%. Maybe this has enough fiber to compensate for lower-fiber wet foods? It's worth asking your vet.
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET Adult Satiety Support Weight Management Dry Cat Food, 7.7-lb bag - Chewy.com

I don't know how the complimentary wet food compares to other higher fiber foods:
ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY DIET Adult Satiety Support Weight Management Loaf in Sauce Canned Cat Food, 5.1-oz, case of 24 - Chewy.com

There is also a fiber supplement that I highly recommend, but definitely check the ingredients and make sure they work for your cat - Vet's Best Hairball Relief tablets. Just be sure to add enough liquid, otherwise it will become thick and gummy in his intestines and then he definitely won't feel well.
VET'S BEST Chewable Tablets Hairball Control Supplement for Cats, 60 count - Chewy.com

 

[Mighty Orange]

HILL'S PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Cat Food, 2.9-oz, case of 24 - Chewy.com

Buy Hill's Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Cat Food, 2.9-oz, case of 24 at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

Have it on chewy, just get a vets prescription.

 

[rockitorknockit]

Thanks for the Chewy alert! I've been checking Chewy every day and it's been on back order, so I'm SUPER EXCITED! Just ordered some!

 

[Mighty Orange]

I hate to see our fur buddies in any distress. Hang in there.

 

[Astragal14]

rockitorknockit I was comparing the ingredients of Hill's G/I Biome and I/D and they have different fiber sources and I wonder if that is part of why one has worked better for Oscar than the other (but other ingredients could be triggers too, so please don't think fiber sources are the only issue).

It may be worth asking your vet about the best fiber sources for Oscar, specifically soluble vs insoluble fiber and also prebiotics. I met with some veterinary nutritionists when my cat started having major issues with IBD and I found this in my notes: "G/I Biome has a lot of prebiotics (fibers) to feed beneficial microbes in the gut". You may want to consider meeting with a veterinary nutritionist; they can help identity ingredients and supplements beneficial to Oscar, and they can also create a list of specific foods for him to eat. A list of specific foods may be very helpful with all the shortages happening now - I saw the canned G/I Biome is out of stock again on Chewy after only a day!

And here is something interesting about nutrition labeling in pet food - labels list the amount of crude fiber, which is only insoluble fiber and not total fiber. So that's one reason why it's perplexing when a cat does better on a (seemingly) lower fiber food than a (seemingly) higher fiber food.

The amount of fiber is required on all pet food labels in the guaranteed analysis section. But the guaranteed analysis only gives “crude fiber,” not “total dietary fiber.” The distinction is only in how the different kinds of fiber are measured. Crude fiber is, in fact, very crude – it only includes the insoluble fiber in the food. Depending on the type of pet food, it could have much more total fiber than the amount listed on the label, especially if that food contains primarily soluble forms of fiber. Therefore, even if 2 pet foods say they have the same amount of fiber on the label, the amounts and types could be very different.

The Problem with Pumpkin
(Please don't let the link make you think pumpkin is bad!! The article discusses the problem with mistakenly feeding pumpkin pie mix, among other things. The appropriate kind of pumpkin can be good!)

 

[Astragal14]

rockitorknockit I was comparing the ingredients of Hill's G/I Biome and I/D and they have different fiber sources and I wonder if that is part of why one has worked better for Oscar than the other (but other ingredients could be triggers too, so please don't think fiber sources are the only issue).

It may be worth asking your vet about the best fiber sources for Oscar, specifically soluble vs insoluble fiber and also prebiotics. I met with some veterinary nutritionists when my cat started having major issues with IBD and I found this in my notes: "G/I Biome has a lot of prebiotics (fibers) to feed beneficial microbes in the gut". You may want to consider meeting with a veterinary nutritionist; they can help identity ingredients and supplements beneficial to Oscar, and they can also create a list of specific foods for him to eat. A list of specific foods may be very helpful with all the shortages happening now - I saw the canned G/I Biome is out of stock again on Chewy after only a day!

And here is something interesting about nutrition labeling in pet food - labels list the amount of crude fiber, which is only insoluble fiber and not total fiber. So that's one reason why it's perplexing when a cat does better on a (seemingly) lower fiber food than a (seemingly) higher fiber food.


The Problem with Pumpkin
(Please don't let the link make you think pumpkin is bad!! The article discusses the problem with mistakenly feeding pumpkin pie mix, among other things. The appropriate kind of pumpkin can be good!)

I found this in my notes from a veterinary nutrition lecture from last year - Purina EN and Hill's G/I Biome are very similar. I don't recall why they are similar (ingredients? digestibility? desired effect?). All flavors seem to be in stock on Chewy so it's worth discussing with your vet.

PURINA PRO PLAN VETERINARY DIETS EN Gastroenteric Savory Selects in Gravy Variety Pack Wet Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24 - Chewy.com

 

[maggie101]

Thanks for the Chewy alert! I've been checking Chewy every day and it's been on back order, so I'm SUPER EXCITED! Just ordered some!

I was going to order but chewy is out. It is on Amazon
I might try petcare rx