UK Source for Canned Pumpkin? Diarrhoea Again.

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Critter Mom

Critter Mom

Member Since 2014
Hi all,

Saoirse has started getting runny stools again. Do any UK forum members know where I could get some canned pumpkin to give her?

Pancreatitis is the most awful affliction. :sad:
 
Maybe look in baby food and freezer sections
Canned pumpkin, nothing added
Canned squash, nothing added

Plain psyllium husk - a fiber, negligible calories, soaks up excess liquid to give stool some form. Start with about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon in a meal. Titrate for effectiveness.

Have you discussed digestive enzymes with the vet? Pancreatitis can destroy some of the enzyme-forming part of the pancreas in addition to the insulin forming part . This results in loose, stinky, often gray-colored feces.
 
Hi BJM,

I've got some psyllium husk but when I read about it online all I saw was advice on using it for constipation. Also, one source (can't find link again :roll: ) said that it can reduce beneficial gut flora so I didn't go any further with it. I'm so confused, and it's tearing me to shreds that I can't get Saoirse the balanced nutrition she so badly needs. :sad:

Saoirse's latest faeces were tan-coloured but not greyed out. I have asked my vet a couple of times about enzyme supplementation. He said that he had seen dogs benefit from enzyme supplementation but he had not seen much in terms of evidence to support the case for using them to help cats. Saoirse has had the TLI test done and we're waiting to get the results back. I'm hoping the results will provide more of a steer for her treatment options.

This trial and error is so hard. I don't care what I have to go through myself to help my little girl get better but I'm petrified of doing anything that might make Saoirse feel worse. Even highly conservative attempts to get proper food into her seem to trigger the digestive upsets. I don't want her to go through another experience like she did a few weekends ago. (I'm really struggling at the moment. :sad: )
 
Hi Aine,

It is possible to get Libby's canned pumpkin in the UK.
Some supermarkets stock it, although not always all the time, sometimes intermittently.
You may get it in Waitrose because I see that Ocado stocks it (online supermarket which stocks lots of Waitrose products (I only do grocery shopping online; Ocado is great for agoraphobics! ;-) )).
Some people have found it in the baking sections of supermarkets (with pie fillings) rather than the canned fruit section.
And some people have bought it on Amazon, but I think you may need to buy 4 cans in one go (an excuse to make a few pumpkin pies...?)

Otherwise....might it be possible to cook up some plain butternut or acorn squash, I wonder...? Might that do the same job...?

Eliz
 
Hi Eliz,

Thanks for the suggestions about where I might get some pumpkin. I'll have to do some ferreting around the relevant websites. (Never thought of Ocado. Or Amazon for that matter. Duh!!! :oops: )

I sometimes shop online but mostly I rely on my friends and my carers for my groceries. My appetite is very hit 'n' miss so I don't have enough to buy to make the online option economical. Won't be doing any baking, unfortunately. I struggle to stick Saoirse's chicken breast into some water and leave it to itself to poach. Between the OCD hand washing and the PTSD agitation/concentration & fatigue issues, me and kitchens don't go together any more. That makes me sad because I used to love to cook.
 
Fiber helps both constipation and diarrhea.
It holds moisture in the feces so they don't become rock hard.
It soaks up excess moisture to provide some bulk for the feces.
 
BJM, thanks for the additional information. BTW I asked the vet again yesterday about the pancreatic enzyme supplementation but he wants to wait until the results for Saoirse's TLI test come back.

Eliz, found a source for the LIbby's Pumpkin on amazon.co.uk. Pricey or wot! :shock: Cheap at twice the price if it helps my girl. Thanks for the steer.

Is it possible to freeze unused pumpkin once the can has been opened? Also how much pumpkin should be given?
 
Starte low and go slow - you don't want the opposite problem either!

Begin with 1/4 teaspoon per meal and see how that works for a day or so (observe the output!)
 
Absolutely, BJM. Saoirse only eats about 6-8g of chicken and 24 ml of broth for each mini meal, most of the time at 1-hourly intervals. Could I split the 1/4 teaspoon across several meals?
 
Whatever works with her - you could try a small pinch stirred in and see how it goes ... literally!
 
:lol:

Thanks for the comic relief, BJM. Badly needed!

BTW, the secondary monitoring data is a tremendous help, both for day-to-day nursing and also to be able to refer back to when similar events happen so that I can see what did or didn't help Saoirse before.

Thank you for all your help and advice. I appreciate it very much. :smile:
 
Glad you found it, Aine!
Critter Mom said:
Is it possible to freeze unused pumpkin once the can has been opened?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure you can freeze leftover canned pumpkin (I've frozen canned cat food: Ice cube trays and mini muffin tins found a whole new use...)

Eliz
 
I read somewhere that for Pancreatitis and Liver Failure that you should buy organic liver and cook it and feed it 2 times a week. Anyone ever heard of this before? I've been trying to find the link where I read it but I cant find it again.
 
Yay! Found the Libby's canned pumpkin at amazon.co.uk. Are they part of the affiliate program because I'd like to support FDMB.

I tried following the shop link but there was no live link to amazon.co.uk. Anyone know how I can make the purchase via FDMB? Also, if you go via FDMB for other amazon.co.uk purchases do they also go towards supporting FDMB?
 
terriy said:
I read somewhere that for Pancreatitis and Liver Failure that you should buy organic liver and cook it and feed it 2 times a week. Anyone ever heard of this before? I've been trying to find the link where I read it but I cant find it again.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip, Terri. I'll keep it on file for when (hopefully) I get Saoirse back onto complete food again.
 
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