ASK-THE-VET: CAT DIGESTIVE HEALTH
November 2nd, 2009 by Dr. Donna Spector
Q: Interesting article on digestive health! I have a Snowshoe Siamese X (10yrs) that just went through major abdominal surgery. Turned out she had gallstones which blocked her bile duct. She also had a pretty good bacterial infection that got into her liver. Her final diagnosis was Bacterial Cholangiohepatitis, including Actinomyces and Obstructive Cholelithiasis. She’s home now and on numerous meds including two different antibiotics. One is long term (8 months) and the other is for two months. What I can gather from the digestive health article is that the pre and probiotics would be a good addition for her. She is currently being tube fed 4 x daily with a Prescription gastro diet and supplemented with Halo Sensitive formula-Seafood Medley. I have just picked this up trying to encourage her to eat on her own. The more she eats on her the less tube feedings I need to do. She seems to be really enjoying the food. Is there any other supplements I could give to augment what she is getting in the food?
Thank you
Terri
A: Hi Terri, Thanks for sharing the story of your Snowshoe Siamese X. I am glad to hear she is recovering well from her extensive surgery and infection. The bacterial cholangiohepatitis often occurs due to movement of bacteria out of the intestine and into the liver. As such, I agree that a source of pre- and pro-biotics would be a good long term choice for her to keep a healthy balance of good intestinal bacteria. Halo cat foods contain the pre and probiotics only in the dry food–you will need to ask your veterinarian if it is okay that she eat dry food at this time. If not, you can supplement these additives in a paste form that your veterinarian can recommend. The other supplements I would recommend for a cat with this type of liver problem are ursodiol and SAMe–these nutraceuticals help make bile less toxic and improve overall function of the liver with anti-oxidant support. If she is not on these supplements, ask your veterinarian to consider adding them to her regimen. Hope this helps.
Good Luck and keep us posted on her progress.
Dr. Donna Spector
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November 2nd, 2009 at 12:06 pm
I have 9 cats and 3 dogs. I buy Halo Sensitive Seafood and have varied their diet to the Chicken & Turkey for my cats and the for my dogs the Halo Chicken Stew. I leave the dry food out all of the time for my cats & dogs, however, it seems as if my cats prefer the dog food. Is this bad for them & if not, can I just give them this since they seem to prefer it?
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Hi Teri,
Thanks for your question. Although your cats getting a nibble of Halo dog food from time to time isn’t bad (our dog foods are supplemented with taurine), I definitely don’t recommend routinely feeding them food formulated for dogs. Cats (as strict carnivores) require higher levels of protein and fat than dogs and Halo foods are designed accordingly. Halo dog food just doesn’t have the right balance for cats to reach their optimal health level.
Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna Spector
November 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Another thought for your sometimes finicky felines Teri–try adding some Dream Coat to the dry food. Many cats love the taste of it and it has the added benefits of softening their skin and making their coats shine! The Halo Dinner Party would also be a great idea–it is a protein sprinkle (chicken, salmon or beef) that adds a little more flavor to the dry (or canned) food.
Good Luck.
Dr. Donna Spector