Can I give my cat generic fiber powder instead of Metamucil?

It should be fine to give the capsule but you should chase it with water in a syringe to prevent irritation to the esophagus. It’s difficult to say for sure but it looks like 1 capsule would not be equal to a tsp - you should make sure you are giving enough. I often recommend mixing it in a small amount of canned food.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Izumi! She is very cute. I do not recommend giving Metamucil to her. I can't say that it's safe to give her, and you have to be very careful giving human medications to young kittens, as you can accidentally do great harm. In addition, it may not be the right treatment for her diarrhea. For example, diarrhea in kittens can be caused by intestinal worms, which Metamucil will do nothing to help with treatment. You need to take her into a vet as soon as possible, as persistent diarrhea is dehydrating. The vet can diagnose what is causing her diarrhea and can treat her for it. Best of luck.

I would actually recommend starting with a vet visit to check for intestinal parasites at his age. And then explore different food options or pursue other testing as the vet recommends, because there is almost certainly an underlying issue (although that doesn't mean it's something serious or dangerous. Probiotics, a short course of antibiotics, a hypoallergenic diet can all help with diarrhea in cats. If you can't get to the vet and want to try fiber, you can mix in unflavored metamucil with his food (aiming for about 2 tsp) once a day to see if that helps, but it's probably going to be a waste of money (both for the metamucil and the wasted food if he won't eat it). Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Miralax and Benefiber are quite different from each other. I would not use Miralax if she is having diarrhea as you no longer need a laxative. Benefiber would be my recommendation to help bulk up the stool since she is experiencing diarrhea now. Glandex is fine to continue long term as it is a good source of fiber. You can also use Vetasyl capsules for cats (protein in capsule form). If using Benefiber, I would use ~1/2 tsp added to the food. You can also use Laxatone to help keep stools soft and help prevent constipation. I hope this helps!

You are better off giving him Miralax powder. The psyllium is a fiber that will bulk up the stools but it isn't really a laxative/stool softener. I would give him 1/4 teaspoon mixed in a bit of canned food every 12 hours to effect. I think this will help tremendously. https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/equate-clearlax/6000189073881 Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

If your kitty will eat her food when you add benefiber, it likely will help. The diarrhea could be a side effect of the antibiotic, so you may want to check with your vet about whether the antibiotic should be stopped or changed or the course finished anyway.

Sorry, should have been more clear. You’ll pick these items up at your local grocery store or supermarket. Regular human benefiber (odorless, tasteless fiber powder). And any zinc-oxide baby diaper cream like Desitin is fine. Best wishes!