Probiotics

[Timmer]

Because cats are not humans and because cats diets differ from humans--humans eat a lot more carbs--I feel more comfortable giving a pet formulated probiotic. But I gave two examples of quality probiotics vs Fortiflora which is more like a flavor enhancement than a probiotic. Saccharomyces boulardii is a special case. It is a yeast-based probiotic that you should absolutely use anytime your cats have diarrhea and especially any time they are prescribed antibiotics. Bacteria-based probiotics are killed by antibiotics. If you try to give bacteria-based probiotics alongside antibiotics, you are killing the probiotics and distracting the antibiotics with additional and unrelated targets. Using a yeast-based probiotic like s. boulardii will help you overcome both of these and keep the stools in good shape while the antibiotics are killing good microbiome strains with the bad. If your cat has been on a longer course of antibiotics or multiple courses, I definitely recommend the FMT pills from AnimalBiome to restore the microbiome more thoroughly than even pet formulated probiotics can accomplish.

I'm looking at getting the Jarrow brand of probiotic which contains the saccharomyces. Is that the brand you are using?

 

[daftcat75]

I'm looking at getting the Jarrow brand of probiotic which contains the saccharomyces. Is that the brand you are using?

Yes the Jarrow brand is what I recommend. Though I have lately been using the AnimalBiome GMP supplement which is largely the same as the Jarrow brand except it has an extra bacteriophage ingredient to specifically target E. coli and C diff. I don’t know if my cat or yours specifically need this extra ingredient. But it’s what AnimalBiome recommends after Betty had a course of antibiotics. Some cats like the yeasty taste of s boulardii. For those cats, you can simply sprinkle it into their food or roll their food in it to make yeasty balls. For cats who don’t like the yeasty taste, I recommend ordering size four capsules off Amazon and a size 4 capsule filling machine (I got mine off Etsy) to repack the large human sized size 3 or size 2 capsules the Jarrow comes in into something small enough to coat in food and let your cat pill him/herself.

 

[Alldara]

My vet said if it's affordable, it's an excellent idea to give your cat probiotics daily. She recommended the Flotiflora by Purina.

She also said if not affordable, that it's not something to worry about

 

[Timmer]

I started to order the Jarrow but it's really for humans and I'm too scared to try it, so I got some kind of Dr. Mercola brand.

 

[daftcat75]

I started to order the Jarrow but it's really for humans and I'm too scared to try it, so I got some kind of Dr. Mercola brand.

Many people give their cats human probiotics. Many of the same strains that are helpful with humans are helpful with cats as well. The Jarrow brand s boulardii is perfectly safe for cats.

Dr Mercola, on the other hand, has often been associated with some snake oil science. For that reason, I’d be more concerned buying something from him than the Jarrow brand.

 

[maggie101]

daftcat75 , how much and how often do I give it to my 9 pd cat.

 

[daftcat75]

daftcat75 , how much and how often do I give it to my 9 pd cat.

Which product?

 

[maggie101]

Which product?

Sorry. Forgot to mention that! Outagest digestive aid. I tried d mannose but the diaheria is worse though I probably didn't wait long enough

 

[daftcat75]

Sorry. Forgot to mention that! Outagest digestive aid. I tried d mannose but the diaheria is worse though I probably didn't wait long enough

Betty eats smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Instead of 1/4 tsp per cup of food (she doesn’t eat a cup of food at one time), she gets 1/8 tsp per 30 to 40 grams of food. It probably works out to 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of food.

 

[maggie101]

Betty eats smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Instead of 1/4 tsp per cup of food (she doesn’t eat a cup of food at one time), she gets 1/8 tsp per 30 to 40 grams of food. It probably works out to 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of food.

So 1 /4 t a day for wet?

 

[daftcat75]

So 1 /4 t a day for wet?

1/4 tsp per cup of food is what the instructions say. I give it with every meal because those digestive enzymes will not stick around. They aren’t colonizing like probiotics. If you feed a 3 oz serving of wet food, that’s probably 1/4 tsp of Optagest. If you feed smaller meals like Betty (she’s almost but not quite up to half a 3 oz can), that’s where I half the dose and give her 1/8 tsp in every meal.

 

[maggie101]

1/4 tsp per cup of food is what the instructions say. I give it with every meal because those digestive enzymes will not stick around. They aren’t colonizing like probiotics. If you feed a 3 oz serving of wet food, that’s probably 1/4 tsp of Optagest. If you feed smaller meals like Betty (she’s almost but not quite up to half a 3 oz can), that’s where I half the dose and give her 1/8 tsp in every meal.

Thanks! I wasn't sure because of the colonizing

 

[daftcat75]

Thanks! I wasn't sure because of the colonizing

Digestive enzymes don’t colonize. They aren’t alive like probiotics. They need to be given with every meal. They are essentially functional proteins that will get digested as protein at each meal. Optagest does have.a fermentable prebiotic that feeds beneficial colonizing bacteria. But the enzymes take the full ride through the cat and out the poop chute.

 

[misty8723]

I don't give them to my cat, but the ones that I have seen discussed most on this site are saccharomyces boulardii, which is yeast based rather than bacteria based (not sure what specific brand), and Proviable which is a multi-strain bacteria probiotic, which also contains prebiotics.
Should I Give My Cat Probiotics? – TheCatSite Articles

I had Cricket to the vet a couple weeks ago because she was vomiting a lot. Vet gave her Cerenia and Zofran for a couple days to see if that would "break the cycle" and it seems to have worked. She also prescribed Proviable, but I have not started using it yet. I'm not sure if it's necessary now that she isn't vomiting and she's eating well and maintaining her weight.

 

[maggie101]

I had Cricket to the vet a couple weeks ago because she was vomiting a lot. Vet gave her Cerenia and Zofran for a couple days to see if that would "break the cycle" and it seems to have worked. She also prescribed Proviable, but I have not started using it yet. I'm not sure if it's necessary now that she isn't vomiting and she's eating well and maintaining her weight.

My cat used to throw up every morning. Much less since taking proviable dc. Could be that or allergic to chicken

 

[misty8723]

My cat used to throw up every morning. Much less since taking proviable dc. Could be that or allergic to chicken

Cricket never really threw up much, but she does have early stage kidney disease so I was concerned about that. Vet says cats vomit for a lot of reasons. I've held off with the probiotics for now since she hasn't vomited since I had her at the vet.