Metamucil and sucrose

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Katie and Fuzzy

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I bought a new container of Metamucil (unflavored) today. Fuzzy has been doing well on it for years. Whenever he has some trouble passing stool, I give Metamucil to him, and it helps him stay regular. My vet said it was safe to give to him everyday, but I usually give a tiny amount in his food every 2 days, but I hadn't for a couple of months and just started again yesterday. I would rather use the Metamucil than Lactulose since the Lactulose upsets his stomach. I looked at the ingredients on the new container of Metamucil and noticed it contained sucrose, which was not mentioned on the old container. Isn't sucrose some sort of sugar? Is it safe to give to a cat, especially a diabetic one? I actually gave him a tiny amount last night. His BG was normal this morning, but he seemed a little bloated, but that could have been because he just ate, and I add water to his food which always makes him bloat up a bit after eating. He's fine now, and the Metamucil did help him poop last night. I just need to know if the sucrose is safe, and if it will affect his BG numbers. Thanks.
 
One of the liquid antbiotics my cat is currently on is compounded with sucrose . I really don't think sucrose is harmful to cats, but it is a sugar and may raise BG slightly. So far I haven't noticed any significant change in his BG. In many cases it is a trade off-with Nomad he doesn't do well with pills and will throw up the antibiotic if it is not compounded with some sort of flavor. In Nomad's case, the benefits of the antbiotic outweigh the small amount of sugar that are in the compounding formula.

There was another member about a month or two ago that had a thread on this same topic. There was someone who had found a fiber product without any sugar at all...hopefully they will see this post.
 
Lactulose is also a type of sugar, but I've never seen any BG spikes when I give it to Fuzzy. I guess because it's not digested. But it still upsets his stomach, so I'm going to stick with the Metamucil if there's nothing better, but I'm going to see if I can find the sugar-free one. I've heard of Miralax, but can't seem to find it anywhere.
 
Sucrose is table sugar. So, while it is safe to give, it will also raise BGs. I went through this a year ago when my vet prescribed Metamucil for Angus. Metamucil no longer comes in unsweetened form. The regular contains sugar and the sugar-free contains maltodextrin which is also a carb. The added sugar/maltodextrin also changes the dosage since almost 1/2 the powder is the sweetener.

So, if you want to continue using psyllium (the active ingredient) there are two choices. Get Metamucil in the capsules. Cut open one capsule and sprinkle on their food. Or, there is a brand called Konsyl Original that has no added sweeteners or fillers. I got it at CVS.
 
I just give him an extremely tiny amount, like just the tip of a teaspoon. If I gave it to him only every other day, or every 3 days, would it still be ok? It's just that I already bought the container. And it does work really well for him.
 
The only problem with it is that it might raise BGs. Just keep track of his numbers after you've given him a dose. If you notice that his numbers are a bit higher, you can compensate by giving him slightly more insulin.
 
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