7

My cat is going through a 4-week antibiotics prescription, and due to it he’s having a bad diarrhea.

I have a probiotic supplement containing:

  1. Bifidobacterium bifidum
  2. Bifidobacterium longum
  3. Bifidobacterium lactis
  4. Bifidobacterium breve
  5. Lactobacillus casei
  6. Lactobacillus rhamnosus
  7. Fructooligosaccharides, maltodextrin, potato starch and L-ascorbic acid

Will this be any benefit to my cat? I’ve seen some papers that while Bifidobacterium spp. is not important to cats, Lactobacillus spp. is important for them.

2
  • don't do this. those little pills can cause severe constipation on 200 pound humans. i can't imagine what that might do to your cat.
    – Joel M
    Commented Feb 6, 2020 at 17:24
  • ok well don't do it without researching it at least.
    – Joel M
    Commented Feb 6, 2020 at 17:26

1 Answer 1

6

Cats and humans have very different digestive systems, and it's generally not advised to administer human medication to pets; I would extend this caution to supplements, which are not only geared toward human digestive systems, but loosely regulated.

I would recommend consulting with your vet before starting any species-appropriate supplement, as your cat is already on medication; while it's unlikely that adding a probiotic would cause any serious issues, the vet should still be part of medical decisions like this one. He or she may also be able to recommend a brand or two of probiotics to you.

In a brief review of listings for probiotics for cats on Amazon, the cultures used are:

*Enterococcus faecium (2 products)
*Lactobacillus acidophilus (3 products)
*Lactobacillus casei
*Bacillus coagulans
Bifidobacterium bifidum
L. plantarum
L. brevis
L. fermentum
Lactococcus lactis

Only the first four (starred items) are present in brands that my vets have recommended to me over the years; while there is some overlap, the sugars and starches included in your human probiotics are not present. (Excluded from my list were some supplements that bragged about the number of strains; this is more marketing than useful and I would not recommend these brands.)

Additionally, feline probiotics come in powder form, not pill form, with an appealing scent and flavor, making them extremely easy to administer. These features also make them a benefit with ill cats who may be resisting eating in general, as the stronger smell and taste of the food can help with a cat who may have a slightly dulled sense of smell or taste.

2
  • Hi Allison, could you please add a link to the source of the survey you quoted? I'm wondering what the asterisks (*) and numbers mean and would like to read the source. Thanks a lot.
    – Elmy
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 8:34
  • @Elmy this was my own survey of product listings on Amazon where ingredients were called out; I'll add clarifications to the list
    – Allison C
    Commented Jan 31, 2020 at 14:06

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.