For quite some time, one my cats has been very ill. He will soon be 14 years old and for his entire life, he and his brother have been indoor-outdoor cats. Most outdoor cats living in rural communities don't live but for a few years before predators get them. I've been very fortunate, except for the inherent dangers associated with allowing cats to free roam; run-ins with other cats.
My cat, Mr. Brownie (though he's not brown at all, but wheat colored) would sustain various injuries with wounds abscessing. I'd treat with antibiotics, either traditional or homeopathic; using clavamox or tetracycline, the infection would be effectively eradicated but I failed in my duties as a good cat mamma. I forgot to replenish good bacteria; good bacteria that was killed off with bad bacteria during antibiotic courses. The cat was wasting away.
I explored possible causes for his situation, including hyperthyroidism and supplemented his diet with 500mg of kelp daily. He seemed to respond well, but I was still observing some troublesome symptoms. He would eat and eat but not gain weight. I then added garlic oil capsules, which he tolerated well; one a day for several days in a row; garlic oil is a great purgative/parasite killer. Given my boys liked to dine on mice and other wild creatures, I felt a 'cleanse' was appropriate. Even with that, things weren't improving to any great extent. I was simply making the cat comfortable. Then, I watched him, and listened to sounds in his gut. A gurgling sound; that sound we hear when we're hungry. But this was different.
Further reading led me to an interesting article about vaccines and their negative effects on animals. One case was almost identical to what my cat was going through, so I thought I'd introduce homeopathy. For 3 days, the cat was given 3 pellets of Thuya 20 . I'm going to watch and wait for a few days, then introduce Thuya 200. I did observe an improvement in coat quality and the cat seems more interested in grooming himself. For months, he was totally matted and I finally got them all clipped out, after weeks of working on them. Here a matt, there a matt! Although still thin/frail looking, he does look so much better not weighted down by matted messes on his stomach and chest. I can only attribute that to the Thuya dosing. He also became more engaged/interested in playing and interacting with us. To boost his health even further, I revisited the possibility of irritable bowel syndrome.
Then, it clicked. His gut was in trouble. I knew about the importance of probiotics for humans but never thought much about it for cats. How utterly silly of me! I was well acquainted with the health benefits of yogurt, but I didn't think my cat would like it. Gosh, was I wrong! He was a major yogurt piggie! I love yogurt, too, as does our old Cairn terrier. The demand for yogurt in my house was going to increase dramatically with 2 furkids and one human kid eating a cup or more a day. I often have two cups of yogurt daily. So, I went-a-googling and learned about electric yogurt makers. I wanted something that was totally klutz proof and easy to use. Enter the Donvier Yogurt Maker .
For my first batch, under close supervision by the cats and the dog, I used 4 parts skim milk (made from powder) and one part whole milk. I heated in a pot on top of the stove. I won't do that again because it scorched on the bottom. DUH! Anyway, the milk is heated to 180-190 degrees F and then cooled to around 120 degrees F. At that point, the yogurt starter that came with the machine is added to one of the yogurt cups that comes with the machine. A bit of the milk is then blended in and that mixture is returned to the pot of milk that's been cooled. Then that milk is portioned into the 8 cups and lids are positioned on top of each cup to be placed into the machine. The cover is put on and the machine plugged in and started. As instruction book suggested, I 'cooked' the milk mixture for 10 hours, then refrigerated for a few hours. Upon tasting, I found it to be a bit tart. I gave a spoonful to sickly kitty and he gobbled it up. I gave him a bit more. Then it happened. He was squealing and circling. The furball wanted more of that yummy stuff. Then there was the matter of the old dog. He was actually sobbing for tastes. So, I divided a whole cup between them. The first batch was gone in a few days. Then I made another batch; using 4 parts skim milk and 1 part evaporated milk, for the fat content to help put weight on recovering kitty. That blend was a huge hit with both the cat and the dog. What's odd is that my other cat will not touch yogurt at all.
As per instructions found on the internet, for that second batch, and a third, I used a few spoonsful of the previously made batch as 'starter'. Then, to further test possibilities, I added a few tablespoons of sugar to the cooled milk. That variation of the original yogurt recipe was a huge hit. In fact, I used a few cups of that in a fruit smoothie which I gave to my husband. He is not a fan of yogurt, finding it too bitter. I didn't tell him I added it to the drink. He still doesn't know :)
I now make yogurt twice a week and it's sooooooo easy. What's not so easy is navigating around the kitchen with furkids underfoot. It's reached the point that I can't go near the fridge or open the fridge door without sickly/recovering kitty hovering. He 'knows' that his newest favorite treat is in there.
As I researched further about irritable bowel syndrome in cats, I explored supplementing more extensively with probiotics and started adding acidophilus-bifidus to the yogurt starter. It contains 10 billion live cells. The contents of one capsule was added to the milk and starter before portioning into the jars. Within a few days, I observed that the cat's gut was less noisy and his deposits in the litter box were less offensive.
Because I live some distance from grocery stores and shopping centres, the yogurt machine has been a tremendous asset in my home. Besides, from what I've been reading about commercial yogurt, unless it specifically says there is 'live culture', it's dead. Often, yogurts are pasturised and loaded with sugar. The pasturisation process effectively kills the good bacteria. If you're treating yourself or your pet for gut disorders, the only way to go it to make the yogurt yourself.
I like adding granola blend or fruit to a cup of yogurt. Not only is it tasty, it's good for a body. Alas, I have to sneak a yogurt cup since the silly dog has developed a liking for peaches! There's no escape!
Recovering kitty is also enjoying a home-made 'stew' concoction that I whip up and freeze. Several of my online chat pals have utilised this supplement with their own failing cats and were very pleased with the results. In fact, the vet of one of those chat pals now makes up the stew for his patients. Perhaps I should seek a cut of his action, if he's selling it! :)