On a topic related to last week’s entry about food, I would like to mention my use of FortiFlora in the cats’ soft-food meals. If I repeat myself from earlier articles, please forgive me; I can’t recall whether I have described this subject previously in my blog, or just in conversations with friends.
FortiFlora is the brand-name for a pro-biotic that a number of cats in the Blogosphere have been ingesting. I was inspired to buy it after reading about it, specifically in Katie Isabella’s blog (http://katieisabella.blogspot.ca) and Kim’s, at Musings on a Small Life (http://keaslife.blogspot.ca). Katie in particular seems to have had much success with pro-biotic.
It is meant to benefit digestion; in particular, it has been advantageous in reducing vomiting and improving the results of litter-box visits. I wanted to try it for Josie, since she has a very sensitive stomach and brings up her food, if not frequently, then more often than she should. Veterinary tests have shown - as much as they can - that there is little wrong with her. Thus, I thought a benevolent additive to her food would help.
The FortiFlora, which I purchase from my veterinarian, has not really helped with my Chubs’s vomiting. Its occurrence does seem a little less, but then its frequency has always fluctuated, and I don’t see evidence that it is being reduced by the new additive. This may be a problem with the delivery of the substance. The instructions call for a whole pouch to be used each day. My cats have always refused to eat a large amount of food when served all at once. I give two, three or more smaller portions, however many they want. (Yes, they are odd and picky and demanding. They are cats.) So I can’t put as much of the FortiFlora on or in the food as I would like.
However, the good news is that the cats enjoy the taste of it. This is the first time comestibles from the veterinary hospital have proved popular among my beasts. It has a beefy aroma to it and, as a powder, is easily added to the soft-food.
This encourages the cats to eat. Josie doesn’t need too much prompting in that direction, but there are some flavours of food for which even she doesn’t care. (I buy it for the others, or I bought it when someone, who has since changed her mind, liked it.) Some FortiFlora makes it more than palatable. This is also the case with the others. I am particularly pleased that Cammie likes the flavour. I have been able to feed her some Merrick brand soft-food, rather than just the one flavour of Fancy Feast, to which she had restricted herself previously. She particularly likes the chicken variety of Merrick. It is due to good and plentiful food, I believe, that the princess's bald patches on the sides of her head have filled in.
These developments mean more soft-food consumption, which is all to the good. And, as their doctor stated, the pro-biotic can do them little harm. I was considering sprinkling the FortiFlora on the hard-food, as well. This would probably result in more of the pro-biotic being ingested, but also more hard-food, which is not preferable to more soft.
The new additive has been provided only for a month or six weeks, so it is still early days. I will buy more - it’s not the most expensive item I buy for the beasts, but it’s not cheap, either - as I find that the beneficial qualities outweigh the bad (the latter really being no more than the cost). Seeing a pink nose, formerly turned up at many flavours and brands of food, now buried in a dish of nutrition is too satisfying to ignore.
I remember how frustrating it was to get our cats to eat a certain flavour of cat food that they loved the day before and now are turning their nose up at. I see Kim sprinkle the FortiFlora on her boy's food and they dig right in. As the vet said it can't do any harm!
ReplyDeleteHappy to see they like it. Some of my cat-clients have this added to their soft food, too.
ReplyDeleteI've used fortiflora and it is helpful. but when I want my cats to have probiotics I usually just give them the ones I'm taking.
ReplyDeletethe vet told mommy that they weren't the best for kitties. That they needed feline probiotics.
DeleteI've been adding powdered acidophilus to my cat's food for some time now, and they actually seem to prefer the food that way. I didn't know it was being sold as a formal "cat product."
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard of acidophilus, but then I'm just learning about pro-biotics. I think FortiFlora has it, along with other ingredients.
DeleteHere we have also been trying fortiflora for about a month based on Katie's recommendation. Simba seems to be throwing up hairballs less and stools a bit softer. We split a packet and give half in the morning and half in the evening: if he gets more food at lunchtime, we don't put it on that. Just as with your cats, the flavor is app ealing for him.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that Josie eats too fast?
I'm certain that Josie eats too fast, and just as certain that she regurgitates her food sometimes because of that. But when she vomits, it's usually hours after she has eaten.
DeleteCheck the price on Amazon.ca if you don't have an aversion to ordering online. I was getting it in boxes of 3 from a US online pet supply retailer, but since the dollar is down, it's a bit more cost-prohibitive. I ordered my current box from Amazon. It could be that the cost is the same as that of your vet, though.
ReplyDeleteBTW, one packet will last the boys 2 - 3 days, since I sprinkle only a bit. Too much and their systems will stop up a bit. In my case, it's just for the flavour, to entice Derry to eat his canned with his other supplements.
I'm glad yours like it, and it's great to read that Cammie's bald spots have filled in. :-)
guys....we haz hurd a lot oh good thingz bout pro biotics....N hope in time itz a win win for everee one ....tell dad purrhapz him may find it on amazon.ca fora reezon abull price ~~ ??!! ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteI'm looking into Amazon about it, and it looks promising.
DeleteI am glad they enjoy the Fortiflora. I got it some time ago for Flynn because the convenia injection and his intolerance to most medication meant he had diarrhoea for many months. He really loved it to start with, but then decided he didn't like it and now won't touch it. He only had it for around 3 weeks so not long enough to see any difference, but I know many others have had very good results with it.
ReplyDeleteThat's s shame that Flynn didn't like the FortiFlora longer than a few weeks. It must have been disappointing to you.
DeleteAn interesting post John. I've never thought to give my cats probiotics. Sasha would be the most likely to benefit from it, as he is most likely to get hairballs and vomit, and tends to be a dainty eater.
ReplyDeleteSaku will vomit too, but that is because he scarfs his food down as if it is his last meal. I don't need to encourage him to eat anything. ;)
Good luck with Josie! Glad to hear Cammie's fur has grown in.
Part of Josie's problem is certainly that she eats too fast, but I would like to see the pro-biotics improve her digestion - aside from her gluttony.
DeleteKatie still thrives on hers She has half a packet in the morning and the rest at night. If she had lunch too, I would make that roughly thirds of a packet each day. She still but not as often as she was, which was about 7 times throughout the day every four days or so. The Dr prescribed it for her when she was death ill with violent diarrhea and horrific vomiting of bile. It saved her from even worse. Her stools are softer and not segments. AND she will eat more flavors of foods.
ReplyDeleteI've used Fortiflora intermittently for several years. Right now, I'm not using it on a daily basis for my crew. I always use it when one of the cats is on antibiotics. Also, because several of my cats will eat only a specific food that is to their liking, I sort of "save" the Fortiflora as an incentive to eat when they are ill .
ReplyDeleteGood news about Cammie. She has a wonderful life with you. I'm so happy for her.
I like the idea of giving FortiFlora to a cat while it is on anti-biotics. It makes sense, of course, and I will do that in the future. Kim, from Musings on a Small Life, put me on to ordering FortiFlora from Amazon, which I did; I was able to save some money that way, and intend to keep some on hand for incentives, as well.
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