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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 16:32:20 GMT -5
Hi all, I searched the forum and found some info on this, but didn't seem like it was real conclusive...
What's the consensus on psyllium? Could a tiny bit sprinkled on wet juicy meats be a safe alternative to pumpkin for adding bulk and firming up stools to help prevent prolapses? Like maybe, a teaspoon or less sprinkled on the outside of juicy chicken chunks?
I hate to sound lazy, but most of the year we can't buy pumpkin here, and it's kind of a lot of trouble to coat their meat with it all the time. Most of my group will not eat the pumpkin by itself so it has to get flavored or added to their food somehow so they will eat it. It would be so easy to just sprinkle some fiber powder on the meat, at least some of the time.
Is this a viable option or too risky? I read too much psyllium can cause blockages, but usually I see this in the context of adding it to soupies. Maybe it's less of a danger if it's just sprinkled lightly on the outside of nice juicy meat?
Just trying to figure out an easier way to firm up their poopies lol... I also find bone meal powder helps sprinkled on the meat, but bone-in meals don't particularly need the added calcium, and it's rather expensive compared to pumpkin or psyllium husk powder.
I thought maybe I would give their chicken chunks a light dusting with psyllium as a trial (maybe 1 teaspoon or less on 1 pound of meat) and see how their poopies look, does that sound safe? Just to see if it even helps... No point worrying about it if it doesn't have the desired effect anyway...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 19:05:30 GMT -5
I found this "Blond psyllium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken with plenty of fluids. Drink at least 8 ounces of fluids for every 3-5 grams of husk or 7 grams of seed. In some people, blond psyllium might cause gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. It has also been linked to reports of headache, backache, runny nose, cough, and sinus problems. Some people can have an allergic response to blond psyllium with symptoms such as swollen nasal passages, sneezing, swollen eyelids, hives, and asthma. Some people can also become sensitized to psyllium through exposure at work or repeated use of psyllium. Stop using blond psyllium and get medical attention immediately if you develop symptoms such as flushing, severe itching, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling of the face or body, chest and throat tightness, or loss of consciousness." and "It’s important to take enough water when taking blond psyllium. Not taking enough fluid could lead to choking or obstruction of the esophagus (the food passage connecting the throat and the stomach) or bowel. Take at least 240 mL per 5 grams or less of blond psyllium husk or 7 grams of blond psyllium seed. To minimize some of the common GI side effects, start with a low dose and increase to the needed amount." The article also mentioned it can affect blood sugar levels. from www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/866.htmland "Adding water to dry psyllium causes it to swell to up to ten times its original volume" from www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol04/issue3/psyllium.htm
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Post by Sherry on Sept 25, 2012 19:24:40 GMT -5
Meaning since ferrets won't drink enough water it's likely not safe for them.
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Post by Heather on Sept 25, 2012 19:35:46 GMT -5
Psyllium is not to be used on any carnivore, especially ferrets who are prone to blockages. You can use it but only under the supervision of a trained naturalpath. I know on the cat list I'm on we prefer to say "do not use" ciao
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Post by bitbyter on Sept 25, 2012 19:45:59 GMT -5
Mikeybox, if you are finding the Bonemeal powder to expensive the ground eggshell works really well. I only had to save eggshells for a while and the amount of ground it made will last me for a reeeally long time. If you don't eat a lot of eggs yourself ask people at work if they will save them for you.
I just crack the egg, give the shell a good rinse and stick it back in the carton. When I have enough I put them in a large ziplock and roll it under a rolling pin. Then I empty it out onto a baking tray and cook it at the lowest my oven will go for about 45 minutes to kill off anything even potentially nasty. Lastly once cooled they go into the coffee grinder for a quick spin and done!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 21:40:54 GMT -5
We use it with horses all the time. Don't know about ferrets though.
My horse had sand colic once (built up sand in his intestine..he likes to wander with his nose to the ground testing things with his big lips) and the psyllium has prevented it from happening again.
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Post by Heather on Sept 25, 2012 23:08:55 GMT -5
Horses drink....ferrets don't ciao
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 9:18:17 GMT -5
Pysllium, like ANY dried food, will swell when water is added. Dietary clays can swell as well. I use the clays more for mineral content/detox properties rather than for bulk.
These items can be safely used on ferrets as long as they (the pysllium, clay, etc.) are FULLY hydrated (and fully swelled up) when fed. You don't want to wet the psylium immediately before feeding - you want it to sit overnight fully hydrated - as such, it is best fed in soups that are prepared the night before they are served...again, you need to be sure that the psyllium is fully hydrated. If you want to, you can make a fully hydrated psyllium mush that gets added to a meal right before serving. The key is to be sure that the pysllium has absorbed sufficient such that 1. it cannot swell any more. 2. some extra water is pooled on top indicating that the pysllium cannot take in any more water. (Use the same principle for clays. Sounds complicated, but really, once you get the routine going, it's no worse than saving eggshells and grinding them.
You can freeze pumpkin in ice cube trays and put the cubes in freezer bags. You can puree squash, or other vegetables such as broccoli or zucchini, mushrooms, etc. I simply use coarsely ground flax seed, but that does not work well for some ferrets. It doesn't bother my kids at all.
-jennifer
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 12:40:21 GMT -5
Thanks for the info all! Before everybody answered, I did already try feeding 1 meal of bone-in chicken chunks with psyllium husk powder sprinkled on. It was a little less than a teaspoon coating a pound of chicken chunks. The result was that the poops were not significantly firmer. So, it seems that in the dosage I used, it was not effective. Sounds like this could have been dangerous too, to feed it the way I did, it may or may not have been able to rehydrate with just the meat juices. If it needs to be rehydrated first to be safe, then it's not really going to be any easier than pumpkin, so based on your advice I'm going to forget the whole thing and just stock up on pumpkin when the stores start selling it (should be soon!) Oh and P.S., even though my ferrets eat juicy meat, my ferrets actually drink quite a bit of water, I don't know if it's because it's hot here during the day or what. Finn in particular takes drinks quite often when he's out playing.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 13:43:28 GMT -5
Walmart usually sells pumpkin year round. Check the baking aisle.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 19:28:23 GMT -5
Mikey, what part of the country are you in? I find pumpkin here in new england all year round in the grocery stores. Granted it's cheaper during the fall/winter but I haven't had a hard time finding it all spring and summer.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2012 19:39:23 GMT -5
I'm in Arizona. I just checked last night at a couple grocery stores and still didn't find it and it's almost October now!
I had not checked Walmart, I will have to try there...
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Post by Sherry on Sept 26, 2012 19:48:16 GMT -5
That is just so weird! I find it year round in the baking aisle! I understand the UK and Australia only get it seasonally, but where you live, they *should* have it!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Sept 26, 2012 20:03:01 GMT -5
I use Rad Cat frozen raw meats for my ferret and it has a small amount of psyllium
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Post by miamiferret2 on Sept 26, 2012 20:05:48 GMT -5
But i would not administer it myself. The Rad Cat is different bc it is a frozen raw meat blend. So the psyllium is already hydrated. You can do alot of damage if you give that to a ferret if you do not know how. Just stick with pumpkin.
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