Itchy/constipated...info on coconut and fish oil?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Rachel & Chyna (GA)

Rachel & Chyna (GA)

Member Since 2012
Hi everyone:) My Chyna cat has been OTJ for almost a week now and things are looking good so far, her BG last night was 83. She also has early CKD (kidney failure). She's eating all her (watered down) food, peeing, preening, and purring lots. We just had a giant hairball. She's put on a few ounces in the last few weeks, so not losing weight. Her pooping has been fairly regular but some of it is hard and small turds along with medium size normal poos, so I've been giving some vaseline or canola oil when she hasn't pooped in over a day or so.

She's also pretty itchy, she's always had itchy ears but is now seeming to be itchy other places. She's licked or pulled fur in a quarter sized hole on her far back flank now that I just saw the other day. Her fur is still soft but seems a little lack luster, but she's never been a "shiny" kitty. She's always seemed to have sensitive skin. I don't see fleas-I don't think we have them this far north, her ears are clean (she did catch a claw in her ear a week or two ago and it swelled up a bit but has been treated with cleaning and polysporin so it's almost back to normal). I changed her litter a week ago to hypoallergenic Dr Elseys senior and vacuumed and dusted the house like crazy. I'll try to see if it's her food by just feeding one type/flavor at a time, but I have limited resources with the small town and need for low phos and carbs. Or it could just be dry skin, she has been shedding quite a bit now (is it weird she sheds in spring even though she's an indoor cat?)

Anyways, can anyone tell me about coconut oil and fish oil? I've read about them a bit on here that coconut oil can help fur and constipation and fish oil with constipation and allergies. Should I use both, or just try one to start with and if so which one? Can I use both of them on a diabetic/CKD kitty? I read some people give coconut oil to eat, and others rub it on skin or put as ear drops? Does it up BG or anything else I need to worry about? Can anyone recommend brands and doses? I'm pretty sure the local health food stores will have something I can buy today if I run out but I'm not sure what and what not to look for. My mom has virgin coconut oil so I know it's around town. Sorry for the gigantic post with a bunch of questions :lol: Any help is much appreciated:)
 
Itchiness is usually related to allergy (and, it's that time of year). Coconut oil doesn't help with allergy; it may help with coat. (I'd ask Marje. She uses it.) A few people use it as a supplement to aid in weight gain.

Fish oil or other omega-3 sources can help with allergy. Nordic Naturals makes a very reliable brand of fish oil. One of the issues I ran into when looking at various brands of fish oil is that there's a huge variability in the amount of actual fish oil in a gel cap. (My vet recommended it when Gabby was dealing with allergies last year and I was researching.) Jill has used this product for years. They recently changed how the fish oil is packaged and their dose recommendations for cats. The info is in the link above.
 
Thanks Sienne, that's awesome since I can actually order from iherb.com and it's reasonable shipping to Canada, that's where I ordered my empty gelcaps:) I'd really like to "naturally" help her with the sort of constipation and itching; we've had a lot of hairballs lately too which is probably par for the course with the spring shedding. Although she has always been a bit of a puker which a few years ago the vet thought could be food allergies and put her on hypoallergenic (dry) food (which is why I'm trying all grain free food now that we're on all wet). Her bean does try to brush her often but probably not often enough :? . I'll PM Marje to come take a look if she has time to for the coconut oil. Maybe I just worry too much :lol:
 
You could try pumpkin for the constipation ( canned pure pumpkin - not the pie filling) but to be honest both these things sound like a food allergy to me.

I am guessing you probably switched to a low carb canned when Chyna was diagnosed but it sounds like there is something in there she is allergic to. You might want to try a food thats low carb but main protein isnt something she normally has like Evo venison or rabbit or duck. Try that for a week and if the issue goes away, then add back foods gradually till you find the trigger.. eggs, fish, or whatever. My Bailey is allergic to chicken and rubs at his eyes when he gets it and the fur comes out.
 
Thanks Wendy. I have some baby food squash in the cuboard I may try for the pooping, I did have pumpkin as a "just in case" but the can expired and I haven't replaced it. I don't want to use vaseline or canola oil all the time...I'd like to try the coconut oil for that too since it has other health benefits, once I figure out what kind:) I know these symptoms are listed with CKD too...but I am going to try the food testing thing once my orders come in.

Right now because of the need for low phosphorus food with low carbs and the lack of variety in my town she is on Wellness Turkey and Wellness Chicken canned food mostly. I've given her the BFF fish ones twice (1/8 can) in mini meals during the past weeks. After hours of searching US sites and Canada sites I have finally found a store in Canada with ok shipping costs (YAY!) that sells individual cans of some of the brands/flavors I've been looking for so I have 4 each of Natures Variety Instinct Duck and Wellness Core Beef/Venison/Lamb on order. The local small pet food store is getting me in some Merrick BG Beef that I have to buy by the case, which I'm hoping to feed and/or mix with Merrick Cowbook Cookout (that she loves but brings BG up it seems). She's only had EVO beef and the Cowboy Cookout once in awhile, so I don't think it's that. The EVO flavors besides Turkey&Chicken are too high in phosphorus now for us.

I really hope if it is food that it's the Turkey and not Chicken :evil: , she loves the purebites freeze dried chicken! Except Wellness Turkey is lower phos...who knows, it could be both. She has always had some itchies though, the hypoallergenic dry food of duck from the vet (for the two years previous to diabetes diagnosis and the switch to wet) helped with the throwing up but not completely. Lately she usually only seems to puke before/with hairballs, or just after a hairball...
 
Hey Rachel!! Glad to see Chyna is in such great numbers.

I also don't think the coconut oil will help with the itchiness if it's caused by an allergy. It does leave their coats gorgeous, though. I use it in Gus to maintain his weight. I was giving it to Gracie and Tobey but it caused Gracie's triglycerides to skyrocket but didn't affect her BG, but then it wouldn't. However, I do not know of any other cat whose triglycerides went up because of it....Gus's have not, nor have Tobeys, and neither has Jill's Alex who is FD. So it's entirely a Gracie thing. And we aren't 100% unequivocally sure that's what caused it. It just seemed to....her levels were great, I gave coconut oil, a month later her trigly were elevated, stopped oil, they came back down. So who knows...I still believe in it and think it is awesome just for overall good health, reducing hairballs, and great for the coat.

I also use the Nordic Naturals fish oil for my cats. I buy the small bottle of liquid made for cats and small dogs. My cats love it. My vet (who does feline nutrition) highly recommends it and thinks it's the best fish oil on the market. Just follow the instructions on dosing amount. I hope it helps!!!
 
Thanks Marje. I guess that answers my question as to if I can give them both to her :-D I'll order the fish oil, but I'm pretty sure I can find coconut oil at the health food store that would be appropriate to try, she does have the digestion/hairball problem. I was thinking of taking if for myself too! Do you have a dose for that somewhere of what to try for her? Am I just looking for coconut oil?

Well, I should know better than to brag anytime about things like "no puking except hairballs" because Chyna just read my post and to prove me wrong, barfed up her afternoon snack :?
 
You want pure cold pressed virgin organic coconut oil. My guys love it. I bought it to help put a little weight on them. Didnt work but they still get it ;)
 
I buy the Tropical Traditions Gold Label...it is extra virgin,unrefined, cold pressed. You have to be sure you get unrefined. And I found out that even in the above category, they aren't all created equal. Instead of buying it online, I decided to just get some at Whole Foods that met the same qualifications. Gus didn't like it. He LOVES the Tropical Traditions. I don't know if they ship to Canada, tho.

You want to start low...maybe .25 ml bid and slowly increase over several days to 1 ml bid. I actually give Gus 2.5 mls bid but he's CKD. I know Chyna is, too, but that's a big dose and I'd just be sure it doesn't affect her triglycerides.

I use it instead of any other oil for cooking. You aren't really supposed to heat olive oil so I cook with it; I put a little on toast. I even put it on my face once a week as a super moisture treatment :lol: and then I smell yummy, too :lol: :lol:
 
Hahaha, for some reason I just had this mental picture of 3 cats loving you up just to get to the coconut oil on your face :lol:

Sorry to be not understanding, but what are triglycerides, do they test for those during her normal blood work or is it something I can check, since I won't be doing blood tests very often with the anemia? I was thinking end of May, it'll be 3 months since the last lab.

I may have to try a local health food store first, the US site does ship to Canada but it's way out of my price range with shipping. They have a website in Canada but it's phone orders only, so maybe I'll call them to see but they only have the big containers for sale and again, it's a bit pricey for me right now...my mom has one she gets from the local farmers market that she loves but I'm not sure how it's made, she said it says organic pure coconut oil. I'll just have to get my research pants on again and hope I can find one Chyna cat will like ;-) I was thinking to start pretty low...back to start low go slow? :lol: Thanks everyone for your thoughts!
 
Triglycerides in cats are the same as in humans. They are tested in the usual SuperChem bloodwork. I would not have the bw done before her normal round of tests because of her anemia and because I think it is something with Gracie.

Triglycerides help to transfer fat and blood glucose back and forth to the liver. That's a little oversimplified but it works.
 
Thanks Marje :cool: , I don't see it on her previous labs but I haven't looked up all the abbreviations either yet ;-) I found some "pure unrefined virgin organic coconut oil" at the health food store today, there were a ton of different brands but not all said organic or unrefined/virgin. It doesn't say cold pressed but I'm hoping it's good. I gave 0.25ml this afternoon and she lapped it up off the spoon:) I also found feline omega-3 oil by Ascenta at the health food store, and it appears to have all the same concentrations as the one online link I was given. I think I'll do coconut for a week and then try fish oil too, don't want to do to much at once. Then if she has a reaction to one I can tell which it is, I think. Hopefully no reactions tho!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top