How to Treat a Cat That is Allergic to Psyllium
Psyllium husk powder is an ingredient often added to homemade cat food diets and is found in fiber powders like Metamucil. Psyllium husk is an alternative to giving your cat vegetables. Not only does this ingredient add soluble and insoluble fiber to your cat's diet, but it also helps reduce hairballs. Many veterinarians prescribe psyllium to treat cats with constipation or not enough fiber in their diets. However, if your cat is allergic to psyllium, you can substitute it with a few different ingredients.
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Things You'll Need
- 1 cup steamed vegetables
- Blender
- Rice bran
- 2 tbsp. canned pumpkin
- Beets
- Carrot peeler
- Carrots
Instructions
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Put 1 cup of steamed vegetables--such as squash, zucchini, broccoli or wheat grass--into the blender and puree them. Mix 2 tsp. of the pureed vegetable into your cat's regular food every day.
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2
Sprinkle a pinch of rice bran over your cat's wet food and mix it in. Gradually increase the amount of rice bran every week or until you begin to see decreased hairballs or regular defecation. Too much rice bran will cause diarrhea.
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3
Feed your cat up to 2 tbsp. canned pumpkin per day. As with rice bran, start with a small amount and work upward until you see a noticeable difference in your cat's hairball production or bowel regularity.
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4
Puree cooked beets in the blender and add them to your cat's food. The ratio should be about 10 percent pureed beets to 90 percent cat food.
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Peel and steam carrots and puree them in the blender. Add 1 part pureed carrots to 10 parts cat food every day.
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Tips & Warnings
Bring your cat to a veterinary dermatologist if you suspect he is allergic to psyllium. These specialists will do a scratch test, much like a human allergy scratch test.
Always consult with your veterinarian before adding anything to your cat's food or beginning a raw diet regimen.
If your cat has already had an allergic reaction to psyllium, bring him to a veterinarian immediately. Allergic symptoms to food products include itchy head or neck, vomiting and diarrhea.
References
- Photo Credit cat image by fear from Fotolia.com
