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Psyllium husk can be useful but it can also be dangerous. To be upfront, I'm not a vet, but I'm a longtime cat owner and I study nutrition in humans, so maybe hear me out a little.
Psyllium husk powder is a type of laxative called a bulk-forming laxative. The way psyllium husk powder works to help with constipation is that it absorbs water from the body/intestines to form a big, easy-to-pass stool. Psyllium husk is a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber; the insoluble fiber creates the "bulk," which helps improve peristalsis, while the soluble fiber can help create lubrication so to speak. But for this to work, the person (or cat) taking the psyllium husk powder has to drink a LOT of water.
But cats don't drink very much water, and if the psyllium husk remains too dry, it can form an intestinal obstruction. Cats are already prone to intestinal blockages due to constipation, especially because some cheap dry cat foods contain a lot of cheap insoluble fiber.
You should be observant. Psyllium husk powder works in humans quite quickly, usually within a day. If you get two days into this treatment plan and his poops haven't improved, or have even stopped, you need to reach out to your vet for advice on an osmotic laxative to replace the psyllium husk powder. It works almost the same way by drawing water to the intestines to soften the stool, but it doesn't add bulk so there's no chance of an obstruction.
Best of luck with your kitty! Remain observant. This constipation -> psyllium husk -> obstruction chain of events happened to a friend of mine's cat and that was a costly emergency vet appointment for them.
Yes! I bought a few cans for my cats at PetSmart the other day. It’s 0.97/can and I was mixing it with the wet food and some chicken bone broth. I’ve been doing and they are so much better better. Even their fur is more soft and shiny.
u/_cookiekitty_ here is the pumpkin digestive support I bought for my cats: [Authority® Digestive Support](https://www.petsmart.com/cat/food-and-treats/food-toppers/authority-digestive-support-cat-wet-food---5.5-oz-puree-grain-free-5309024.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADiLNNmp1IypSkyIUzbCrlsLvgSkV&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxOauBhCaARIsAEbUSQQQApD5i76FXA6E2l2rPJzDDBUKu7x_Ev4MPibDo1d9YB9MSTSLxnEaApWxEALw_wcB)
Thank you for your in depth response! He is already adverse to water I always add in extra with his wet food. I’ll keep an eye on him and probably phone the vet anyway tomorrow if he doesn’t get a good poopy out between now and then. His tummy being hard has me a little nervous.
Our family’s male cat has the same problem- we use an osmotic laxative like Miralax and only feed him wet food and things seem to be going well with that. For animals especially cats that may not drink a lot on their own already, osmotic laxatives may be a better option than bulk forming ones unless there’s a specific reason that’d be bad for your cat.
Our boy started like this then became increasingly constipated, which caused significant distress and even two admissions with secondary acute kidney injury. We did a literature review on all options (not much in the way of high quality published evidence out there). Having tried several dietary adjuncts/supplements, the only thing that solved his issue entirely was 'Royal Canin Feline Gastrointestinal Fibre Response' kibble. This kibble absolutely saved his life and now keeps him going regularly due to the encorporated psyllium husks and seeds.
Edit:! Thank you u/alcMD for the advise because you was definitely right!! Over the weekend his tummy kept getting harder and he only managed to squeeze out two small dry poopies. I had been giving him treat squeeze tubes mixed in a bowl of water to force him to get some water in. I have been giving him tummy massages and he worked out lots of gas. Took him back to the vet today (Monday morning) and fortunately! No blockage! But he is full of poop. :(
They gave him a enema and sent him home this afternoon. We where recommended Miralax until his poopies get better. Then we can continue the psyllium husk powder as a supplement for fiber. I think I will try the pumpkin instead as suggested by many of you here. Thank you for the help guys! Oreo is much happier this afternoon poopie free :)
I volunteer at a pet rescue and they give psyllium powder to all the cats with loose stool. Just a sprinkle over wet food, it definitely seems to help and is extremely easy to administer. Just add a bit with each wet meal and it’ll work similar to how it does for humans.
I give my boy a 1/4 tsp daily of Miralax daily to prevent constipation. I had him on pumpkin powder for a few years but that stopped working.
Only caveat is to make sure your kitty is getting enough water. Switch to canned food (which will also help his constipation).
I would check out the YouTube videos of people making wet food at home. There are some good suggestions of fiber to be added. Some of them I can think of are boiled carrots, spinach, cat grass, brocoli etc.
He has been on a wet food diet for almost four years now! Vet said that is good for him because he’s not a fan of water, but wet food is notoriously low in fiber! That’s where I’m having the problem lol damned if you do damned if you don’t. We’ve been on tiny tiger from chewy.
I’m just starting using fortiflora for mine now. She’s had rotten diarrhoea for 10 days. So I moved her onto bland diet (poached white fish only) temporarily, have given her pro-kolin twice a day and now started with the fortiflora.
Then she did nothing for more than 48 hours. I was beginning to worry she’s firmed up so much as to become constipated.
Thankfully after 52 hours she finally did her business on Thursday. And it was the perfect poop. Things have been up and down since then — slightly runny poops as I wean her off bland diet and onto Royal Canin GI for cats, but still better than most of the last 2 weeks.
The vet strongly recommended fortiflora, and the vet is amazing, so I trust her implicitly.
The challenge now is to attempt a gradual return to normality without risking constipation or a return to super slushy nastiness.
Psyllium husk typically takes a few days. Start out SLOWLY. Introducing fiber into a diet (human or animal) can cause bloating and discomfort. Make sure your boy is eating wet food and sprinkle in a few extra splashes of water. If you must feed dry, add water to the dry and let absorb into the kibble. Another option is small amounts of pumpkin for fiber. Pumpkin baby food is good, but no matter what you get, make sure it is 100% pumpkin and no added spices, etc. Pure Bites makes a pumpkin supplement that our two kitties go completely insane for. If you have just one kitty, one pouch will probably last you 3-4 servings if you're giving it as a treat. It has a screw-top so easy to store (in the refrig) once opened. Just make sure it's back to room temp before you feed. We buy it from Chewy, but it's likely sold elsewhere as well. Here's the product: [PUREBITES Plus Squeezables- Gut & Digestion Cat Food Topping, 2.5-oz tube, case of 15 - Chewy.com](https://www.chewy.com/purebites-plus-squeezables-gut/dp/382707)
Thank you for your response! I have been seeing a lot of pumpkin digestion products I asked the vet she said to try this first it’s what she recommends the most, but I might have to move to that next if this doesn’t work. He didn’t really enjoy the taste/texture of the psyllium powder lol he looked up at me like really dude?! lol pumpkin he might like tho.
Steamed pumpkin/butternut squash (you can find frozen) (not seasoned) helped my cat. I’ve read psyllium husk should be 1/16-1/8 tsp + 2 tblspns of water… I feel like less is more with psyllium husk. hope your little guy’s doing better 🙏💗
Literally dealing with a constipated boy right now. I happened upon Hairball control Churus. They have insoluble fibre and lots of moisture, so far helping a lot.
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Psyllium husk can be useful but it can also be dangerous. To be upfront, I'm not a vet, but I'm a longtime cat owner and I study nutrition in humans, so maybe hear me out a little. Psyllium husk powder is a type of laxative called a bulk-forming laxative. The way psyllium husk powder works to help with constipation is that it absorbs water from the body/intestines to form a big, easy-to-pass stool. Psyllium husk is a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber; the insoluble fiber creates the "bulk," which helps improve peristalsis, while the soluble fiber can help create lubrication so to speak. But for this to work, the person (or cat) taking the psyllium husk powder has to drink a LOT of water. But cats don't drink very much water, and if the psyllium husk remains too dry, it can form an intestinal obstruction. Cats are already prone to intestinal blockages due to constipation, especially because some cheap dry cat foods contain a lot of cheap insoluble fiber. You should be observant. Psyllium husk powder works in humans quite quickly, usually within a day. If you get two days into this treatment plan and his poops haven't improved, or have even stopped, you need to reach out to your vet for advice on an osmotic laxative to replace the psyllium husk powder. It works almost the same way by drawing water to the intestines to soften the stool, but it doesn't add bulk so there's no chance of an obstruction. Best of luck with your kitty! Remain observant. This constipation -> psyllium husk -> obstruction chain of events happened to a friend of mine's cat and that was a costly emergency vet appointment for them.
Maybe a bit of pumpkin?
Yes! I bought a few cans for my cats at PetSmart the other day. It’s 0.97/can and I was mixing it with the wet food and some chicken bone broth. I’ve been doing and they are so much better better. Even their fur is more soft and shiny.
u/_cookiekitty_ here is the pumpkin digestive support I bought for my cats: [Authority® Digestive Support](https://www.petsmart.com/cat/food-and-treats/food-toppers/authority-digestive-support-cat-wet-food---5.5-oz-puree-grain-free-5309024.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADiLNNmp1IypSkyIUzbCrlsLvgSkV&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxOauBhCaARIsAEbUSQQQApD5i76FXA6E2l2rPJzDDBUKu7x_Ev4MPibDo1d9YB9MSTSLxnEaApWxEALw_wcB)
Thank you for your in depth response! He is already adverse to water I always add in extra with his wet food. I’ll keep an eye on him and probably phone the vet anyway tomorrow if he doesn’t get a good poopy out between now and then. His tummy being hard has me a little nervous.
Our family’s male cat has the same problem- we use an osmotic laxative like Miralax and only feed him wet food and things seem to be going well with that. For animals especially cats that may not drink a lot on their own already, osmotic laxatives may be a better option than bulk forming ones unless there’s a specific reason that’d be bad for your cat.
I read the whole thing but you should do a TLDR too lol
Our boy started like this then became increasingly constipated, which caused significant distress and even two admissions with secondary acute kidney injury. We did a literature review on all options (not much in the way of high quality published evidence out there). Having tried several dietary adjuncts/supplements, the only thing that solved his issue entirely was 'Royal Canin Feline Gastrointestinal Fibre Response' kibble. This kibble absolutely saved his life and now keeps him going regularly due to the encorporated psyllium husks and seeds.
Edit:! Thank you u/alcMD for the advise because you was definitely right!! Over the weekend his tummy kept getting harder and he only managed to squeeze out two small dry poopies. I had been giving him treat squeeze tubes mixed in a bowl of water to force him to get some water in. I have been giving him tummy massages and he worked out lots of gas. Took him back to the vet today (Monday morning) and fortunately! No blockage! But he is full of poop. :( They gave him a enema and sent him home this afternoon. We where recommended Miralax until his poopies get better. Then we can continue the psyllium husk powder as a supplement for fiber. I think I will try the pumpkin instead as suggested by many of you here. Thank you for the help guys! Oreo is much happier this afternoon poopie free :)
I volunteer at a pet rescue and they give psyllium powder to all the cats with loose stool. Just a sprinkle over wet food, it definitely seems to help and is extremely easy to administer. Just add a bit with each wet meal and it’ll work similar to how it does for humans.
I give my boy a 1/4 tsp daily of Miralax daily to prevent constipation. I had him on pumpkin powder for a few years but that stopped working. Only caveat is to make sure your kitty is getting enough water. Switch to canned food (which will also help his constipation).
This is how I help my boy. 1/4 tsp in his wet food in the morning. He goes very regularly and he is in much better spirits!
I would check out the YouTube videos of people making wet food at home. There are some good suggestions of fiber to be added. Some of them I can think of are boiled carrots, spinach, cat grass, brocoli etc.
Always dilute it with water before giving it to a child or animal.
I would feed him all wet food. My boy eats pate and I add a little water to it
He has been on a wet food diet for almost four years now! Vet said that is good for him because he’s not a fan of water, but wet food is notoriously low in fiber! That’s where I’m having the problem lol damned if you do damned if you don’t. We’ve been on tiny tiger from chewy.
When my cat had diarrhea the vet suggested Purina Pro Plan FortiFlora for cats. It’s a probiotic. Wonder if it would also help for constipation.
I’m just starting using fortiflora for mine now. She’s had rotten diarrhoea for 10 days. So I moved her onto bland diet (poached white fish only) temporarily, have given her pro-kolin twice a day and now started with the fortiflora. Then she did nothing for more than 48 hours. I was beginning to worry she’s firmed up so much as to become constipated. Thankfully after 52 hours she finally did her business on Thursday. And it was the perfect poop. Things have been up and down since then — slightly runny poops as I wean her off bland diet and onto Royal Canin GI for cats, but still better than most of the last 2 weeks. The vet strongly recommended fortiflora, and the vet is amazing, so I trust her implicitly. The challenge now is to attempt a gradual return to normality without risking constipation or a return to super slushy nastiness.
I put ot in my toast. Its tasty. Also chia seeds are good
Psyllium husk typically takes a few days. Start out SLOWLY. Introducing fiber into a diet (human or animal) can cause bloating and discomfort. Make sure your boy is eating wet food and sprinkle in a few extra splashes of water. If you must feed dry, add water to the dry and let absorb into the kibble. Another option is small amounts of pumpkin for fiber. Pumpkin baby food is good, but no matter what you get, make sure it is 100% pumpkin and no added spices, etc. Pure Bites makes a pumpkin supplement that our two kitties go completely insane for. If you have just one kitty, one pouch will probably last you 3-4 servings if you're giving it as a treat. It has a screw-top so easy to store (in the refrig) once opened. Just make sure it's back to room temp before you feed. We buy it from Chewy, but it's likely sold elsewhere as well. Here's the product: [PUREBITES Plus Squeezables- Gut & Digestion Cat Food Topping, 2.5-oz tube, case of 15 - Chewy.com](https://www.chewy.com/purebites-plus-squeezables-gut/dp/382707)
Thank you for your response! I have been seeing a lot of pumpkin digestion products I asked the vet she said to try this first it’s what she recommends the most, but I might have to move to that next if this doesn’t work. He didn’t really enjoy the taste/texture of the psyllium powder lol he looked up at me like really dude?! lol pumpkin he might like tho.
Steamed pumpkin/butternut squash (you can find frozen) (not seasoned) helped my cat. I’ve read psyllium husk should be 1/16-1/8 tsp + 2 tblspns of water… I feel like less is more with psyllium husk. hope your little guy’s doing better 🙏💗
Literally dealing with a constipated boy right now. I happened upon Hairball control Churus. They have insoluble fibre and lots of moisture, so far helping a lot.