Following are selected posts to the Holisticat (TM) Mailing List on the subject of psyllium There's a lot of information here, and the posts are arranged in ascending chronological order. If there is a particular word you're looking for, it's probably best to utilize the "Find in Page" function in your edit menu!

Happy hunting :)

(See also Constipation archive for much more psyllium information)

<02 Nov 1998 From Sandy A Re  IAMS article about kidney diet>

Hi guys,

Just stumbled onto this site which has some interesting info on protein and progression of kidney failure.  They say lo-protein diets don't help and only cause muscle wasting.  But one thing I can't figure out is this diet they are promoting for CRF cats doesn't restrict protein yet has lower Phos.  What gives? I thought meat is hi in Phos so the 2 go hand in hand, or am I missing something?  I'm assuming of course that the protein is from a meat source.

Here's the URL is anyone is interested in reading the whole article
http://www.iams.com/new/renal.htm

Here's an interesting quote:
____
More than just higher protein levels, these experimental diets are based on Iams' unique Nitrogen Trap&trade;. This dietary management tool uses fermentable fiber to divert nitrogenous wastes away from the kidneys and into the feces. Essentially, it stocks the intestines with bacteria that feed on urea. It works because fermentable fiber in the diet promotes proliferation of intestinal bacteria. These flourishing bacteria hydrolyze urea to ammonia and incorporate it into their own protein.

When the bacteria are excreted in the feces, along with them go the nitrogenous wastes. Dr. Reinhart said the Nitrogen Trap&trade; works "without sacrificing nutrient availability or stool quality." The unique blend of fermentable fibers "allows feeding of higher protein levels without exacerbating uremia." He cautioned, however, against feeding high levels of fermentable fiber to cats until researchers know more about its effects on protein and fat digestibility in this species.
_____
Curious momcat here again..

Anyone know what in the world is "fermentable fiber"?  I know of soluble and insoluble fiber - psyllium is an example of the former, and wheat/oat bran are examples of the latter.

And what is in fermentable fiber to make it essentially probiotic?  I wonder if i can get the same results from acidophilus.  Boo Boo currently gets Dr. Goodpet's enzymes and I only just started adding psyllium to his food.  I gotta get to the bottom of this b/c this seems pretty logical to me.  I know that psyllium lowers cholesterol and the risk of diabetes plus many other things b/c it removes a bunch of bad stuff from the system.  So if I can figure out what fermentable fiber is, I can add it to Boo's food.  Any feedback greatly appreciated:)

Sandy and Booey

Hi everyone,

I got Mary C's permission to post this since so many of us use herbs for our kitties.  This appeared in the latest issue of "Herbs for
Health" magazine.
___
Add these to your ever growing list of things to be careful about when taking herbs if you are on pharmaceuticals.

[snip]
Fennel seeds, psyllium husks, marshmallow root, iceland moss, apple pectin, flaxseed, aloe gel and slippery elm all high in fiber can bind to certain drugs in the gut area and can delay the absorption of medications taken along with these herbs.

Before taking a herb, be sure to check with a professional, or do some research on your own if you are on allopathic medications.  There are so many components to some of the herbs in use today, either by themselves, or in combinations, that it is extremely important to know what they do.   We are still finding out about a lot of these interactions.  It is also vitally important to check with your doctor or pharmacist, if you are taking any allopathic medication, for side effects, interactions, or
synergistic problems that can occur from your drugs.  If the pharmacy is computerized, and many of them are, then have the pharmacist take a moment to input your herbal consumption into the computer to keep on file.  Interactions are always coming into us, and updating each file takes seconds of care.  You just have to let us know what you're taking.

Source:  Herbs for Health, November/December 1998 Issue.
Mary L. C, MNH

hey all --

<<My vet said to go ahead, that it couldn't hurt, but I have  reservations.  As the fiber is absorbing toxins, wouldn't it also absorb  nutrients?  Would the added fiber make him lose weight?  Fiber is used  in weight reduction programs, for people.  Can you guyz think of  anything why I should not give Sammy FiberSol?>>

judy, this came up while you were on hiatus, but chris cowell from vetmed (hill's sr. nutritionist) made a few comments that he ok'd my forwarding here:

<begin quote>
An important thing to remember about fiber is that one size does not fit all.  A fiber type should be chosen to fulfill a specified
purpose.  If it is for weight control and calorie dilution, then non-fermentable fibers like cellulose, peanut hulls, are appropriate.
If you want to adjust the gut flora, then fermentablility is desired and fermentable fibers like soybean fiber, psyllium, pectin, etc are the best choice.  Mixed fibers like beet pulp and soybean hulls are somewhere in the middle.
<end quote>

so from that, it *seems* giving sammy fibersol would not be a bad call....

Vick and the kitty company: Skippy, Sam, Max and Jezebel

Hi all and Sharon

<<Just last week someone mentioned that their kitty was having bms like rabbit pellets and there was a suggestion as to what to give as a stool softener.>>

Hey, I'm vying with Kathy for constipation queen :-)

I think it was Ahaphia ... she said to mix 1/8 tsp ground psyllium husks with 2 tablespoons of hot water, let it sit for 5 minutes until it is gel-like, and then mix it into the food. Her cat (Myrtle?) had rabbit-like stools, if I remember correctly.
[snip]

Jean

Hi all

I was browsing through some cat books (homeopathy & alternative medicine) and found a couple of ideas about how to give psyllium to cats. Thought they might be of interest...

For constipation:
Soak bran and/or powdered psyllium husks in a small amount of juice or water until soft and fully hydrated, using 1/4 tsp per 10 lbs. of body weight. Add it to food, 1/2 in a.m. and 1/2 at night.

For hairballs:
Combine 1/4 cup powdered psyllium husks with 3/4 cup warm water and let stand until it forms a soft gel. Add 1 tsp gel to the morning meal and 1 tsp to the evening meal.

[snip]
--Jean, Saski Basket & Amber Sweet T'ing

Lorna,

In my experience, psyllium is not really good for cats.  I know they sell it in pet stores in capsule form, but it needs to be taken with alot of water.  Food is not enough.  It can harden in the intestines.  I had tried all this with my other cat and found this out.  What works really well and is safe is the "Purizone".  It gently oxygenates the system and purifies it.  It is great for gettting rid of hairballs and makes the stools soft and easy to come out, as hairballs can cause constipation too.  This worked great for my cat.  The directions are on the bottle.  For cats, 1/8 to 1/2 tsp a day with purified water and Bio-C or give in raw food.  Pat McKay sells this product.  Capitol Drugs used to sell it too.  When using the Aloe Vera juice, be careful it doesn't have any "sodium benzoate" in it as a preservative, as it is poisonous to cats.  Many Aloe juices do have it, so look for one that doesn't.  Hope this helps.  I haven't read any of the other e-mails on this yet, so if I repeated something some else said, sorry.

Marilyn

In a message dated 5/1/99 8:22:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Moonpadler writes:
<< so my plan is to add psyllium to his diet...perhaps a pinch sprinkled   in a couple of times/week?   >>

Jillian,

With Psyllium you have to remember that if you are going to be giving it  with food, while it is bulking out Django's stools it will also be absorbing the  nutrients from Django's food which means less nutrients available for Django.  This is a draw back of Psyllium. It absorbs everything. So if I were you if  this is going to be a regular thing, I would give it too him after or between  his meals in a snack but not with his regular meals.

Emily

Hi Kidz,

Good ole Rudy is my example again ;) There was a 'discovery' made that fermentable fibers helped keep crf #'s in check, by absorbing toxins.  It just so happened that I was giving Rudy a blend of different fibers (psyllium, guar gum, apple pectin) to
keep his chronic diarrhea in line -- at the time of this discovery.  To make a long story short, I researched a bit and found out that not only will the fibers eliminate toxins, that it will also eliminate nutrients -- ACK, including zinc!