Vet's Best Hairball Relief - Interesting observation

[ldg]

Oh! LOL. :lol3:   And I was wondering about adding additional digestive enzymes on top of what is already in the Vet's Best. They don't actually tell us how much of the enzymes are really in there, do they? They are using 2 mg per tablet of a product called Allzyme. 

Ooooooo! Yeah - I give them less prozyme than the instructions, and they also say that cats over X age should get twice as much. Most of mine are over that age, so I didn't worry about the additional digestive enzymes in the Vet's Best and decided to keep using the prozyme as well.

 

[worriedsomuch]

?????? What don't I know about enzymes and fiber that you're asking this question?

Yeah - there is something about this formula - cats seem to love the stuff, and it is really helping with digestion in a number of cats. Sheldon can eat red meat now without vomiting - I mean a whole meal! Carolina's Lucky most likely has IBD, and it's improved her digestion dramatically too - and no more crouching after eating. I'm not sure how much she's giving her. I'm using just 1/2 a tablet for Tux, Laz, Shel, Spooky and Ming Loy (mine that were having hairball problems), and 1/4 tablet for Pawley and Billy, just because they want treats, too.

Chumley and Flowerbelle don't like it, but haven't been having hairball problems (knock wood). Oh - that's per day at this point. A few weeks ago when things were at their worst, I was using a whole tablet twice a day for the problem kitties.

I keep hearing such rave reviews about this product but Grace has been on it for probably close to 2 months and if anything, her situation seems worse. There are more hairballs, nausea, and now last night , of all things, vomiting clear liquid (on me!) Is there any reason why this wouldn't work? I had her on a tab a day and she seemed nauseous after the meal I gave to her, the meal after the supplement. I always give it and then feed a wet meal since I heard the fiber can be dehydrating. I talked to the company about this and they said to give it 3 weeks for maximum efficacy and that the digestive enzymes in it can make some cats ill. So I lowered the dose to half a tab a day and she seemed okay, still saw hairball symptoms but she hadn't thrown any up. Then all the sudden Memorial Day weekend hit and I've been finding hairballs. I can't say all of the time it's been her (similar coat colorings in my cats) but I know for certain it was her sometimes. I talked to the company again and they said give her 2 whole tabs a day but I hesitate to do so. I upped it back to 3/4 tab a day and as soon as I did that, she had that vomiting incident last night. I don't know if there is a connection or not. I'm really discouraged. Does the fact that this doesn't work indicate there is a serious issue going on? Why doesn't this help her digestion?

 

 

[peaches08]

Hmm. You know, I noticed my cats really drank some water this past week.  But it's been hot too, so...I don't know.  Mason did the crouch and cough this morning immediately after eating but nothing came up.  I immediately gave everyone a half tablet.  I've been giving it at night, so this morning was a little extra.

Hopefully someone can help you, WorriedSoMuch.

 

[ldg]

worriedsomuch

I keep hearing such rave reviews about this product but Grace has been on it for probably close to 2 months and if anything, her situation seems worse. There are more hairballs, nausea, and now last night , of all things, vomiting clear liquid (on me!) Is there any reason why this wouldn't work? I had her on a tab a day and she seemed nauseous after the meal I gave to her, the meal after the supplement. I always give it and then feed a wet meal since I heard the fiber can be dehydrating. I talked to the company about this and they said to give it 3 weeks for maximum efficacy and that the digestive enzymes in it can make some cats ill. So I lowered the dose to half a tab a day and she seemed okay, still saw hairball symptoms but she hadn't thrown any up. Then all the sudden Memorial Day weekend hit and I've been finding hairballs. I can't say all of the time it's been her (similar coat colorings in my cats) but I know for certain it was her sometimes. I talked to the company again and they said give her 2 whole tabs a day but I hesitate to do so. I upped it back to 3/4 tab a day and as soon as I did that, she had that vomiting incident last night. I don't know if there is a connection or not. I'm really discouraged. Does the fact that this doesn't work indicate there is a serious issue going on? Why doesn't this help her digestion?  

I have one cat that throws up when I use Prozyme Digestive Enzymes, but she eats the Vet's Best Hairball tablets without a problem. As the company says, the digestive enzymes may be a problem for some cats. These particular enzymes work for Spooky, they may not agree with your cat.

In otherwise healthy cats, the ingredients in this product *should* help move hair through. But not everything will help with every cat. Has an ultrasound been done? Does your kitty have thickened intestines? It is possible to have motility problems without diagnosis of IBD. Have you talked to your vet about something to improve motility, like zantac (ranitidine) or reglan?

Of have you tried egg yolks or egg yolk lecithin, as discussed here? http://catcentric.org/care-and-health/hairballs-species-appropriate-treatment/

My cats not only get the Vet's Best, they get 1/4 egg yolk every-other day, and the ones with the worst hairball problems get a full capsule of Swanson egg yolk lecithin twice a day during shedding season.

 

[worriedsomuch]

 
Hmm. You know, I noticed my cats really drank some water this past week.  But it's been hot too, so...I don't know.  Mason did the crouch and cough this morning immediately after eating but nothing came up.  I immediately gave everyone a half tablet.  I've been giving it at night, so this morning was a little extra.

Hopefully someone can help you, WorriedSoMuch.

Do you mean they drank extra water? I think the treats make them thirsty. I know when I give them to my cats, they all get kind of slurpy. I assume because it's chalky and I have that reaction too with Tums. Do you give the whole dosage at once or split it up? I usually give it at morning and night.

@worriedsomuch
I have one cat that throws up when I use Prozyme Digestive Enzymes, but she eats the Vet's Best Hairball tablets without a problem. As the company says, the digestive enzymes may be a problem for some cats. These particular enzymes work for Spooky, they may not agree with your cat.

In otherwise healthy cats, the ingredients in this product *should* help move hair through. But not everything will help with every cat. Has an ultrasound been done? Does your kitty have thickened intestines? It is possible to have motility problems without diagnosis of IBD. Have you talked to your vet about something to improve motility, like zantac (ranitidine) or reglan?

Of have you tried egg yolks or egg yolk lecithin, as discussed here? http://catcentric.org/care-and-health/hairballs-species-appropriate-treatment/

My cats not only get the Vet's Best, they get 1/4 egg yolk every-other day, and the ones with the worst hairball problems get a full capsule of Swanson egg yolk lecithin twice a day during shedding season.

It's a real shame that they don't work because the last thing I want to see is hairballs

Grace hasn't had an ultrasound. The vet doesn't think it's warranted at this point. He doesn't believe she has any thickening, and then he explained that even if she does, that even then it can be hard to differentiate between IBD and lymphoma without biopsy. He said even with biopsy, it can be too.  I'm still considering it though especially if these issues continue. I guess I'd know for sure if there was thickening at least. My vet has only mentioned Pepcid to settle her stomach. She still gets the morning nausea issues. Does that indicate a motility problem too?

I finally got her on a grain free diet. Ideally I'd like her on a novel protein but it's just been a rollercoaster even finding grain free food she would eat. I've tried a million and one brands (or so it feels) with the different novel proteins and she dislikes them all. She ate duck a few times but there were issues so I think duck is completely excluded. Forget about venison and rabbit. I heard rabbit was very palatable especially the Instinct brand, I believe it's called, but not for Grace (or any of my cats for that matter). I also tried cooked egg yolks but she wouldn't eat the food that it was mixed it. I am trying EYL now as well but it's too soon to tell.

 

[peaches08]

 
Do you mean they drank extra water? I think the treats make them thirsty. I know when I give them to my cats, they all get kind of slurpy. I assume because it's chalky and I have that reaction too with Tums. Do you give the whole dosage at once or split it up? I usually give it at morning and night.

It's a real shame that they don't work because the last thing I want to see is hairballs

Grace hasn't had an ultrasound. The vet doesn't think it's warranted at this point. He doesn't believe she has any thickening, and then he explained that even if she does, that even then it can be hard to differentiate between IBD and lymphoma without biopsy. He said even with biopsy, it can be too.  I'm still considering it though especially if these issues continue. I guess I'd know for sure if there was thickening at least. My vet has only mentioned Pepcid to settle her stomach. She still gets the morning nausea issues. Does that indicate a motility problem too?

I finally got her on a grain free diet. Ideally I'd like her on a novel protein but it's just been a rollercoaster even finding grain free food she would eat. I've tried a million and one brands (or so it feels) with the different novel proteins and she dislikes them all. She ate duck a few times but there were issues so I think duck is completely excluded. Forget about venison and rabbit. I heard rabbit was very palatable especially the Instinct brand, I believe it's called, but not for Grace (or any of my cats for that matter). I also tried cooked egg yolks but she wouldn't eat the food that it was mixed it. I am trying EYL now as well but it's too soon to tell.

I was giving 1/2 tablet twice a day, but my cats were acting like they were starving to death between meals so I reduced it to 1/2 tablet once a day (at night).  And yes, they drank more water. 

My cats don't shed as much as they did when on canned, but they still shed.  And the 2 boys have Olympic grooming sessions with each other, which really increases the incidents of hairballs.  They should have vomited by now, and no one has yet.  The extra dose yesterday seemed to work.  No more hacking and no vomit.  I'll know for sure when I check the litter box.

 

[ldg]

I finally got her on a grain free diet. Ideally I'd like her on a novel protein but it's just been a rollercoaster even finding grain free food she would eat. I've tried a million and one brands (or so it feels) with the different novel proteins and she dislikes them all. She ate duck a few times but there were issues so I think duck is completely excluded. Forget about venison and rabbit. I heard rabbit was very palatable especially the Instinct brand, I believe it's called, but not for Grace (or any of my cats for that matter). I also tried cooked egg yolks but she wouldn't eat the food that it was mixed it. I am trying EYL now as well but it's too soon to tell.

Well, it's really outside the scope of this thread, but I think part of your problem is the approach. Just offering new foods to cats really isn't the best way to get them to eat new food. Once food preferences have been "set," the issue becomes one of properly introducing / transitioning a cat to the food we want them to eat.

Imagine you've eaten only pizza your whole life. Now your doctor wants you to eat salad. How weird are they going to feel in your mouth, and they're going to taste terrible. And if you suddenly stop eating pizza, and start eating salad, your stomach is going to be VERY upset. You may need to eat one leaf of lettuce a day in addition to your pizza, and slowly increase how much lettuce you eat. When you're used to lettuce, to eat a salad, it may take a whole lot of croutons, salad dressing, bacon bits, and cheese to make it taste like something you'll eat. Over time, you can reduce the amount of stuff you add to it.

It's the same thing for our cats. Transitions to new foods need to be made with the food they know and love, and it needs to be done slowly.

 

[worriedsomuch]

@LDG I see what you are saying. I admit I started giving it to her as is at first but then I did start mixing it in with food that she did like but she still wouldn't eat it. Perhaps I could have tried an even slower transition, like a miniscule amount mixed with food to see if she'd eat that, then working up like you said.

On a side note, does Vet's Best tend to change the color of stool? I did increase her dose ever so slightly to see if it would help, not too much in case she is indeed sensitive to it. I noticed yesterday part of her stool (not all) is clay colored. I read this can be a sign of a pancreas condition. The clay colored part of her stool was softish too. I asked the vet about this before (another time she did it) and he thought it was due to the supplement but now I don't know. Sorry to ask more questions in the thread @peaches08!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Where do you buy this stuff.

 

[peaches08]

Still no hairballs!  This stuff is awesome and so easy to administer.

Where do you buy this stuff.

I think most get it from Amazon.  I got it from this place since they had some cat scratch thingies I wanted as well:  http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/vet...7&cadevice=c&gclid=CPyjnY_hxb4CFaZlOgodq3YANQ

 

[goholistic]

 
I think most get it from Amazon.  I got it from this place since they had some cat scratch thingies I wanted as well:  http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/vet...7&cadevice=c&gclid=CPyjnY_hxb4CFaZlOgodq3YANQ

Whoa! That's a super cheap price, too! 

  I made the mistake of buying mine at a local pet store. I paid way more than I should have. Now that I know Caesar loves them, I'm going to buy them online.

 

[peaches08]

 
Whoa! That's a super cheap price, too! 

  I made the mistake of buying mine at a local pet store. I paid way more than I should have. Now that I know Caesar loves them, I'm going to buy them online.

Yeah, and the free shipping was awesome.  I think it took about a week to get here in GA.  I got a couple of scratchers too:  http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/catit-style-patterned-cat-scratcher-w-catnip-white-tiger-lounge.html.  Cheap and they love them.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

So is this stuff a basic hair ball treatment for any cat.

 

[ldg]

Yes, it is. But IMO, it is better than Petromalt or Laxatone because it uses no petroleum products. (And cats seem to love the stuff!)

 

[ldg]

WOW, peaches08, that's a great price! Just in time - I'm going to need more. Thanks!

 

[peaches08]

So is this stuff a basic hair ball treatment for any cat.

Yeah, kind of like a preventative measure.  I'm only giving 1/2 tab once a day per cat.  I'm sure in full-on hairball season I'll increase the dose.  But my crew gets hairballs year round so I'll give it year round.

WOW, peaches08, that's a great price! Just in time - I'm going to need more. Thanks!

No problem!

 

[worriedsomuch]

Not sure where people live but I was able to find some (after ordering) in my local grocery store in the cat food aisle for about 6 dollars. Now I just get them there. Glad to see so many are having success with this. It continues to be a fail, imo, with my cats. I wish I was as lucky. Meadow is throwing up weekly hairballs, Grace is still having issues, and Delilah was dry heaving last night. Either my cats are sickly or just immune to the stuff. I didn't get a reply about it changing the color of cat poop so I guess I'll just ask my vet.

 

[goholistic]

 
Not sure where people live but I was able to find some (after ordering) in my local grocery store in the cat food aisle for about 6 dollars. Now I just get them there. Glad to see so many are having success with this. It continues to be a fail, imo, with my cats. I wish I was as lucky. Meadow is throwing up weekly hairballs, Grace is still having issues, and Delilah was dry heaving last night. Either my cats are sickly or just immune to the stuff. I didn't get a reply about it changing the color of cat poop so I guess I'll just ask my vet.

The Vet's Best has not changed the color of Caesar's stool in any unusual way.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I am seeing this for sale now on Ebay. Has anyone bought any there. And if this is pills, is it a struggle to get the cat to swallow them.

 

[peaches08]

I am seeing this for sale now on Ebay. Has anyone bought any there. And if this is pills, is it a struggle to get the cat to swallow them.

I haven't tried eBay, but so long as it is a good seller I don't see why not.  To administer it I just cut the tablets in half (1/2 per cat) and then break it into 1/4 pieces or more and place on top of food.  They like them so they eat them right away.