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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / November 2007Flax for cats
My vet suggested I give a quarter teaspoon of fiber (metamucil) each day to my 11 year old neutered male cat with colitis. It seems to be working, but I was wondering if freshly ground flaxseed might be better. It has lots of fiber, but also all sorts of other great qualities (at least for humans). Any thoughts about this -- could I use the flax instead of the metamucil? In addition to the metamucil? If it's okay to give him flax, about how much? Is there any harm in giving flax to cats? Thanks. JEP > My vet suggested I give a quarter teaspoon of fiber (metamucil) each day > to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > JEP I am not a vet but from my understanding flax seed oil is much higher than fish oils in Omega 3. You need to keep it refrigerated I would use oil instead of seed since seed goes bad very quickly. It is given as supplements for cats that have CRF. You need to ask you vet here Metamucil has other benefits to it such as vitamins and other supplements. > I am not a vet but from my understanding flax seed oil is much higher than > fish oils in Omega 3. Hiya Matthew, The Omega 3's in flaxseed oil and most other plant-derived omega-3's don't contain the two critical omega-3's-- eicosapentaenoic acid, a/k/a EPA and docosahexaenoic a/k/a DHA. Flaxseeds only contain a precursor omega-3-- alpha-linolenic acid a/k/a ALA- that the body must convert to EPA and DHA. The best sources of omega-3's for cats are menhaden and salmon fish oils. Flax seed oil http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl Menhaden Fish Oil http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl Salmon Fish oil http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl Phil >> I am not a vet but from my understanding flax seed oil is much higher >> than [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Phil I learn something everyday. thanks Phil > >> I am not a vet but from my understanding flax seed oil is much higher > >> than [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > I learn something everyday. thanks Phil Me too. Learning about cats is a never-ending, life-long, work-in-progress. P. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:59:44 -0500 from Matthew <Iamacatslave@proudtoserve.com>: > You need to keep it refrigerated I would use oil > instead of seed since seed goes bad very quickly. Are you sure about that? I know *ground* seeds are highly perishable, but I thought whole seeds could keep for at least a few weeks at room temp.  SignatureStan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com/ "If there's one thing I know, it's men. I ought to: it's been my life work." -- Marie Dressler, in /Dinner at Eight/ > My vet suggested I give a quarter teaspoon of fiber (metamucil) each day to > my 11 year old neutered male cat with colitis. It seems to be working, but [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > In addition to the metamucil? If it's okay to give him flax, about how > much? Is there any harm in giving flax to cats? I wouldn't give flax seeds to a cat- too high in omega-6 fatty acids which are pro-inflammatory. If you're looking for a good source of fiber, try canned pumpkin- not pumpkin pie filler- just plain canned pumpkin. Make sure your cat stays well hydrated- otherwise the additional fiber could cause constipation. Good luck, Phil > I wouldn't give flax seeds to a cat- too high in omega-6 fatty acids which > are pro-inflammatory. If you're looking for a good source of fiber, try > canned pumpkin- not pumpkin pie filler- just plain canned pumpkin. > > Make sure your cat stays well hydrated- otherwise the additional fiber could > cause constipation. I have to agree with Phil. I have successfully used canned pumpkin myself. Many cats like the taste and consider it a treat. I'd also suggest feeding your cat canned food only (grain free), to keep him hydrated. Suddenly, without warning, Phil P. exclaimed (11/14/2007 4:40 PM): >> My vet suggested I give a quarter teaspoon of fiber (metamucil) each day > to [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Phil Unfortunately my cat won't touch the pumpkin. What works for her is Benefiber - no taste and it seems to work, though not as well as I'd like. Probably need to give her more. Phil, what's the dosage of fiber for cats? She's getting about a 1/2 tsp a day, dosage morning and night. It's part of her "stew", which is canned food, water, glucosamine, and Benefiber. She's had problems her whole life - pooping only every other day, but as she gets older it's gotten worse. The benefiber keeps her pooping about every third day. 4th day she gets a cat laxative, but I can't seem to get Laxatone here and what I got doesn't work as well. She's gone as many as 5 - at that point it's another vet trip. jmc > Unfortunately my cat won't touch the pumpkin. What works for her is > Benefiber - no taste and it seems to work, though not as well as I'd > like. Probably need to give her more. > > Phil, what's the dosage of fiber for cats? She's getting about a 1/2 > tsp a day, dosage morning and night. How many grams of fiber in a tsp of Benefiber? Not only can too much fiber cause constipation if she doesn't drink a lot of water, fiber also displaces protein and fat. IOW, too much fiber could cause her to reach satiety before her protein and energy needs are met. So, you don't want to give her too much. I wouldn't feed more than 2 grams per 100 kcals- but you really should speak to your vet about this. It's part of her "stew", which is > canned food, water, glucosamine, and Benefiber. > > She's had problems her whole life - pooping only every other day, but as > she gets older it's gotten worse. The benefiber keeps her pooping about > every third day. 4th day she gets a cat laxative, but I can't seem to > get Laxatone here and what I got doesn't work as well. Can you get chicken flavored lactulose? You should be able to get it made up in a human pharmacy. Another drug that works wonders on constipation is cisapride- it was pulled from the US market but it can be made up by compounding pharmacies. Good luck, Phil > My vet suggested I give a quarter teaspoon of fiber (metamucil) each day > to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > JEP If your vet recommended Metamucil and that seems to be helping, why would you want to try something else? Just curious. Margaret > If your vet recommended Metamucil and that seems to be helping, why > would you want to try something else? Just curious. Reasonable question. But I was wondering if freshly ground flaxseed -- which is also high in fiber -- might be even better. I myself have been eating two to three tablespoons of it each day because it seems to be good for so many things in so many ways (including lowering bad cholesterol and being a good source of antioxidants, omega-3 acid, and fiber). Phil's warning about giving cats too much omega-6, however, is worth heeding, so I am not going to give the flax to my cats. I'll ask my vet about it next time I see him. (I didn't want to bother him on the phone just to ask about flax.) Unfortunately, neither of my cats will go near pumpkin. JEP |
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