2/07 Biggie BG 71, First week OTJ; question about Slippery Elm Bark

Jackie and Biggie

Jackie and Biggie

Member Since 2022
Ok it’s really only been 5 days since he went OTJ officially but I had to get a test in b/c we started a new food, and wanted to confirm it wasn’t raising his bg.

I hope everyone is having a great week! :bighug::D

Does anyone know what a good dosage is for slippery elm bark if giving it for constipation? Biggie is done with pumpkin- having a really hard time getting to eat it no matter what kind of toppers/flavor enhancers I try…and have been wanting to try SEB for awhile for tummy calming properties but if it helps for constipation, that would be a big plus. He is also on psyllium husks for constipation but the stool softening of pumpkin helps him a lot. Thanks in advance! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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I don’t use slippery elm but my Max likes the baby food squash better than the pumpkin. Don’t know if you’ve tried that yet? I have used the slippery elm once before, but Max didn’t like the taste of it and wouldn’t eat the food I mixed it in. I believe it was 1/4 teaspoon but @Suzanne & Darcy could tell you for sure.
 
I would start with a 1/4 tsp. Recently (as in this week) I have been taking a slippery elm bark human capsule and pouring some of it into a size 2 gelatin capsule. Then I have just pilled my boy (whose stomach was pretty torn up by Clavamox.). This way he doesn’t have to taste it. The only food that I have been able to mix SEB into and still have my cats eat it is baby food (usually ham.)
 
Max & Lori said:
I don’t use slippery elm but my Max likes the baby food squash better than the pumpkin. Don’t know if you’ve tried that yet? I have used the slippery elm once before, but Max didn’t like the taste of it and wouldn’t eat the food I mixed it in. I believe it was 1/4 teaspoon but @Suzanne & Darcy could tell you for sure.
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Thank you for the suggestion! I forgot about that. I will definitely pick some up next time I’m at the grocery store and give it a try.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
I would start with a 1/4 tsp. Recently (as in this week) I have been taking a slippery elm bark human capsule and pouring some of it into a size 2 gelatin capsule. Then I have just pilled my boy (whose stomach was pretty torn up by Clavamox.). This way he doesn’t have to taste it. The only food that I have been able to mix SEB into and still have my cats eat it is baby food (usually ham.)
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This is a great idea. I have 2 big bags of size 3 and size 4 capsules I can use. I still need to get the SEB, but I’m going to get it this week. I may try making a syrup and mixing with baby food, too.
 
no experience with slippery elm bark, but my Bubba had a bad bout of constipation last year and since then he has been on 1/4 tsp of restoralax / miralax mixed in with his breakfast every morning, just add a bit of water... it's odourless & tasteless. he's had good solid poos since then and no more constipation. you may need to play around with the dose, initially he was on 1/4tsp twice a day, but noticed softer, runnier poos, so we decreased to once a day with no issues
 
bubbasmom said:
no experience with slippery elm bark, but my Bubba had a bad bout of constipation last year and since then he has been on 1/4 tsp of restoralax / miralax mixed in with his breakfast every morning, just add a bit of water... it's odourless & tasteless. he's had good solid poos since then and no more constipation. you may need to play around with the dose, initially he was on 1/4tsp twice a day, but noticed softer, runnier poos, so we decreased to once a day with no issues
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Thanks for the advice @bubbasmom! I used to give Biggie miralax, but it stopped working and he ended up doing a lot better on psyllium for bulking with pumpkin for softening. The combo works better than anything I’ve tried (including miralax and psyllium). Hoping the SEB will also help soothe his tummy as he occasionally throws up before or after pooping.
 
Jackie and Biggie said:
Thanks for the advice @bubbasmom! I used to give Biggie miralax, but it stopped working and he ended up doing a lot better on psyllium for bulking with pumpkin for softening. The combo works better than anything I’ve tried (including miralax and psyllium). Hoping the SEB will also help soothe his tummy as he occasionally throws up before or after pooping.
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Re: miralax stopped working....Interesting - something to keep an eye on, Miralax has been working well for herman - hoping it continues to do its magic.... I monitor his poos like a hawk and we have a new routine where I take him to the riding arena for "poop and play" times and now I am worried he only wants to poop when he has me as a witness! But the activity definitely helps him with his BM's. He also still gets a million small snacks a day because that's what I have trained him for - trying to limit the night ones o_O - but I think the small snacks throughout the day seems to work for his system. I add a pinch of water to most meals.
 
I can only find the Beechnut where I shop (Food Lion, Walmart). I think Target has Gerber but I haven’t tried the Gerber yet. It’s getting kind of hard to find.
 
Amy & Herman said:
Re: miralax stopped working....Interesting - something to keep an eye on, Miralax has been working well for herman - hoping it continues to do its magic.... I monitor his poos like a hawk and we have a new routine where I take him to the riding arena for "poop and play" times and now I am worried he only wants to poop when he has me as a witness! But the activity definitely helps him with his BM's. He also still gets a million small snacks a day because that's what I have trained him for - trying to limit the night ones o_O - but I think the small snacks throughout the day seems to work for his system. I add a pinch of water to most meals.
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Poop and play, I love it! I hope the miralax keeps working for Herman. I do think you are right about play-time helping to get things going. Biggie has actually gone for a poop right after playing lately. The smaller meals definitely help Biggie. But he just won’t eat more than 1.5 ounces at a time anyway, so I have to give him at least 6 meals a day to meet his caloric intake. Before he went into remission he got at least 12 meals b/c of all the curve feeding. He’s worth it! :cat::bighug:
 
Amy & Herman said:
Re: miralax stopped working....Interesting - something to keep an eye on, Miralax has been working well for herman - hoping it continues to do its magic.... I monitor his poos like a hawk and we have a new routine where I take him to the riding arena for "poop and play" times and now I am worried he only wants to poop when he has me as a witness! But the activity definitely helps him with his BM's. He also still gets a million small snacks a day because that's what I have trained him for - trying to limit the night ones o_O - but I think the small snacks throughout the day seems to work for his system. I add a pinch of water to most meals.
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Lol, Amy … I told DBF (who knows zero about horses) that Herman only poops in the dressage ring, and now every time you post something about Herman pooping I have to read it out loud and he actually paused Ted Lasso just now to hear the latest bulletin. Yes, I have trained him to be a crazy cat person and we are both very weird. :p:p
 
Jackie and Biggie said:
Poop and play, I love it! I hope the miralax keeps working for Herman. I do think you are right about play-time helping to get things going. Biggie has actually gone for a poop right after playing lately. The smaller meals definitely help Biggie. But he just won’t eat more than 1.5 ounces at a time anyway, so I have to give him at least 6 meals a day to meet his caloric intake. Before he went into remission he got at least 12 meals b/c of all the curve feeding. He’s worth it! :cat::bighug:
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12 meals a day, that beats Chispa’s record of 10 by a full 20%. Well done! :joyful::bighug:
 
I tried to go to the herb store today but they moved, and then I couldn’t find their new location which said it was not far from the old location, and they were about to close. so, will try tomorrow! They sell SEB powder capsules at Whole Foods but they have a lot of filler in them, so hoping for the real deal.
 
Jackie and Biggie said:
Hehe, yes, I usually would feed him every hour for the first 6 hours of the cycle since he would sometimes drop a lot. So he got used to many small meals!
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Every hour for the first six hours!! There should be some sort of award for that, or at least an entry in the record books. I'm supposed to feed Chispa at +1 and +2, in addition to the meals she gets right after shots, and it probably would help. But I have to set timers and alarms on my phone in order to remember, and between those alarms and the ones that remind me to attend meetings, go to the gym, start dinner, and pretty much everything else I'm supposed to be doing, there's an alarm going off every 45 minutes throughout the day. I don't know what the solution is, only that I haven't found it yet. :confused:
 
Karen and Chispa said:
Every hour for the first six hours!! There should be some sort of award for that, or at least an entry in the record books. I'm supposed to feed Chispa at +1 and +2, in addition to the meals she gets right after shots, and it probably would help. But I have to set timers and alarms on my phone in order to remember, and between those alarms and the ones that remind me to attend meetings, go to the gym, start dinner, and pretty much everything else I'm supposed to be doing, there's an alarm going off every 45 minutes throughout the day. I don't know what the solution is, only that I haven't found it yet. :confused:
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Yes, I may have been a little ocd about that, but I never knew how much he was going to drop and sometimes he dropped a lot and for a long time…so I just gave him lots of small meals. Working from home I had that luxury, but it was pretty distracting! Yeah, that would be a lot of alarms haha! Luckily I don’t have that many work meetings to keep track of.
 
I finally got the SEB powder! I tried the 1/8tsp dose twice daily the first day, then he didn’t poop for a day so went up to 1/4tsp twice a day and that seemed to do the trick! He had very nice looking stool this morning. I am really hoping it continues to work and hopefully he will go daily, because combining pumpkin with psyllium is a lot harder. This is much less to give, and seems to have the same effect (stool bulking and softening). I went with capsules for now b/c he has been really picky lately and I didn’t want to introduce any other excuses for him not to eat, but I will try mixing in food or making the syrup too sometime.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice!
 
Karen and Chispa said:
Yay!!
Some people think we are crazy to get excited over a cat pooping. But you know, it’s the little things in life … :joyful::smuggrin:
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For sure! I’m know you all can relate! :bighug:
Melinda and Kitkat said:
Poop!!???!!!? It's a beautiful thing! Dont let anyone tell ya different! :bighug::).

We all know how a 'good constitutional' can just set us up for a nice productive day :woot::woot:
And wow! Just checked your SS..... Good on ya Jackie for not 'pokin the cat' , it's impressive! Amazing restraint :D:p:joyful:
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Thanks, Melinda! I actually have poked him a little more than weekly because I’ve been checking his bg after certain foods. I added a new variety and also added something back that I previously suspected raised his bg. I am mixing it with another type of LC food and he seems to be doing ok on it. He was just getting super bored with the other new foods I got…so hoping his bg does not go up from this. Congrats on your string of pmps greens! KitKat is looking so good! :bighug:
 
Karen and Chispa said:
@Jackie and Biggie , I was just thinking -- you took Biggie to the vet last week to find out about his stinky breath and mysterious scraping sound, right? What did they say?
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Hi @Karen and Chispa, yes, we went today! That’s sweet of you to think of Biggie. He may have a back molar that needs to come out. The gums around and under it are pretty inflamed. My vet actually got him to do the sound in the office by carefully squirting water in his mouth. He is grinding his teeth. I also had it on tape, but she could see if his teeth were aligning properly and also sort of tell that he is doing it on the left side.

She gave me some gabapentin to try to see if the grinding stops when he eats, and then it will be obvious that it is the tooth that now decided it needs to come out 2 months after his dental.

So far, gave him a small dose today and he didn’t make the grinding noise when he ate later, but then by the evening he was back to making it, so going to up his dose and see how it goes!

In other news on the other end, he pooped again today! SEB is great! He ate it in his food, too. :joyful::p
 
Jackie and Biggie said:
Hi @Karen and Chispa, yes, we went today! That’s sweet of you to think of Biggie. He may have a back molar that needs to come out. The gums around and under it are pretty inflamed. My vet actually got him to do the sound in the office by carefully squirting water in his mouth. He is grinding his teeth. I also had it on tape, but she could see if his teeth were aligning properly and also sort of tell that he is doing it on the left side.

She gave me some gabapentin to try to see if the grinding stops when he eats, and then it will be obvious that it is the tooth that now decided it needs to come out 2 months after his dental.

So far, gave him a small dose today and he didn’t make the grinding noise when he ate later, but then by the evening he was back to making it, so going to up his dose and see how it goes!

In other news on the other end, he pooped again today! SEB is great! He ate it in his food, too. :joyful::p
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Awww, I'm so sorry your boy is having dental pain. It sounds like you have a very smart vet -- impressive that she could induce the grinding with a squirt of water! It's a shame that the problem appeared only after his recent dental work, but that's nobody's fault. I'm glad he told you (in his own clever way) so that it can be addressed. Also glad the gabapentin seems to help with the pain.

Btw, I got the Healthy Mouth stuff yesterday and added a small amount to Chispa's water this morning. It tinted the water a delicate shade of pond-scum green, which I was sure Chispa wouldn't like -- but no, she took a long drink of it, licked her lips, and a minute later went back for more. The amount I gave her was 1/10 of the recommended amount (if that), so we'll see if she still likes it as I increase the concentration. Supposedly it tastes like salmon oil. I called them to ask about the gel product and am waiting to hear back.

Have a happy day! :bighug::cat:
 
Update: a very nice man from Healthy Mouth called me back just now and patiently explained their products to me. He said the gel is designed for pets that won't drink the water additive. You put it on their teeth after the last meal of the day and it sits overnight. It would be less effective for a cat like Chispa who gets fed around the clock, but even having it sit on the teeth for four hours between meals would have some benefit. Bottom line, if she is drinking the water additive, it's probably not necessary. He said see how her teeth look at the next checkup and maybe add the gel if it seems like more is needed.
 
Karen and Chispa said:
Awww, I'm so sorry your boy is having dental pain. It sounds like you have a very smart vet -- impressive that she could induce the grinding with a squirt of water! It's a shame that the problem appeared only after his recent dental work, but that's nobody's fault. I'm glad he told you (in his own clever way) so that it can be addressed. Also glad the gabapentin seems to help with the pain.

Btw, I got the Healthy Mouth stuff yesterday and added a small amount to Chispa's water this morning. It tinted the water a delicate shade of pond-scum green, which I was sure Chispa wouldn't like -- but no, she took a long drink of it, licked her lips, and a minute later went back for more. The amount I gave her was 1/10 of the recommended amount (if that), so we'll see if she still likes it as I increase the concentration. Supposedly it tastes like salmon oil. I called them to ask about the gel product and am waiting to hear back.

Have a happy day! :bighug::cat:
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Thanks for the update on the Healthy Mouth water additive and gel. Those sound like good options! I’m glad Chispa likes drinking the additive so far. I will look into the gel, too.

Biggie has hardly made the grinding sound at all now that he is on gabapentin, and his appetite has increased some, as well. I’m so glad he is in less pain now. I was impressed with my vet, too for being able to reproduce the grinding sound in the office. She was really thorough.
So, I’ll be setting up an appt soon for him to have a dental. The vet is going to call me this week about it. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long. I’ll keep you posted! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Jackie and Biggie said:
Thanks for the update on the Healthy Mouth water additive and gel. Those sound like good options! I’m glad Chispa likes drinking the additive so far. I will look into the gel, too.

Biggie has hardly made the grinding sound at all now that he is on gabapentin, and his appetite has increased some, as well. I’m so glad he is in less pain now. I was impressed with my vet, too for being able to reproduce the grinding sound in the office. She was really thorough.
So, I’ll be setting up an appt soon for him to have a dental. The vet is going to call me this week about it. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long. I’ll keep you posted! :bighug::bighug::bighug:
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Excellent news. So glad the gabapentin is working, and I hope they can fit him in soon for the dental. Have to keep that handsome boy smiling! :smuggrin::cat::bighug:
 
Jackie and Biggie said:
I finally got the SEB powder! I tried the 1/8tsp dose twice daily the first day, then he didn’t poop for a day so went up to 1/4tsp twice a day and that seemed to do the trick! He had very nice looking stool this morning. I am really hoping it continues to work and hopefully he will go daily, because combining pumpkin with psyllium is a lot harder. This is much less to give, and seems to have the same effect (stool bulking and softening). I went with capsules for now b/c he has been really picky lately and I didn’t want to introduce any other excuses for him not to eat, but I will try mixing in food or making the syrup too sometime.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice!
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Could I get a title info on the slippery elm bark…I’m curious when I saw that in your thread. Thanks! @Jackie and Biggie
 
sandysh66 said:
Could I get a title info on the slippery elm bark…I’m curious when I saw that in your thread. Thanks! @Jackie and Biggie
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Hi @sandysh66, sure! SEB is both a stool softener and also helps bulk it up, so this has been just what my kitty needs. It also helps soothe the digestive tract for kitties with upset tummies or ibs.

@Bandit's Mom pasted some links as resources to refer to that may help you decide if it’s what your kitty needs and decide on dosage. https://felineconstipation.org/prevention.html#PreventionFiberorPrebiotics
http://felinecrf.org/holistic_treatments.htm#slippery_elm_bark

In one of the links they also have instructions on how to make it into a syrup that you can mix with food, but that is supposed to be a little weaker than the straight powder but probably good for soothing their tummies if that is what it’s used for. I started out putting 1/8 a tsp into a capsule (I get them from capsuline - size 3 or 4 are good sizes for cats). That wasn’t strong enough so I went up to 1/4tsp twice a day and it is a good dose for Biggie, though I’m going to add a little more than that b/c he is a big cat and I think he needs a tad more.

I started mixing it in his food and he hasn’t minded. Others above have suggested mixing into baby food if needed (nothing with onion or garlic) so if the taste starts to bother him I will try that.

I got the powder straight from an herb store here in town- they also have a website: https://cherylsherbs.com/products/slippery-elm-bark-inner-powder

Good luck!
 
Hi @Jackie and Biggie

I use SEB, liquid form, pure extract. Add it right to pate food.

The brand is Animal Essentials.

They make straight SEB and they also have a version called, Colon Rescue ( it has 4 ingredients, formulated to bulk up the )

I used the straight SEB with my Luigi (RIP) for his IBD, and I also used it for my current diabetic, Sly as an alternative to Constulose. ( luckily the Young Again food is doing the trick for him now).

It absolutely works, and I can appreciate that it's natural.

Have a nice day!
Deb
 
Deb and Sylvester said:
Hi @Jackie and Biggie

I use SEB, liquid form, pure extract. Add it right to pate food.

The brand is Animal Essentials.

They make straight SEB and they also have a version called, Colon Rescue ( it has 4 ingredients, formulated to bulk up the )

I used the straight SEB with my Luigi (RIP) for his IBD, and I also used it for my current diabetic, Sly as an alternative to Constulose. ( luckily the Young Again food is doing the trick for him now).

It absolutely works, and I can appreciate that it's natural.

Have a nice day!
Deb
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@Deb and Sylvester I’m glad the SEB syrup is effective for constipation. That is good to know. Also good to have a brand that makes it in case I ever can’t find it. I am so pleased with how it is working so far for Biggie. thanks for the tips!
 
@Jackie and Biggie

I'm so glad it works for Biggie. ECID...

The psyllium seems to work better for Sly.

I wish I knew about SEB sooner on when my Luigi boy (RIP 8/20/22) was still with me, it was only at the end that I had done enough research and got him on it. The Constulose barely helped him.

I didn't want Sly to be on all kinds of meds, just to poop ( he had perfect before DX) so I had started the SEB about 2 weeks into his DX, because even though research says that Constulose doesn't increase BG, I honestly saw a slight difference once I got him off it.

I feel lucky that the YA food does the trick, although maybe too much, I balance it out with Fortiflora.

Have a great rest of today!!
Deb
 
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