Two easy food additives that can boost your Siberian’s health
You may or may not be familiar with Probiotics. These are types of bacteria and yeast which promote health. Your intestinal track, and your cat’s intestinal track is home to more than 500 different types of bacteria. They help keep the intestines healthy and assist in digesting food. A healthy population of good bacteria within the intestinal track leads to health benefits, such as:
- Strengthened immune system (this alone is compelling)
- Treating and preventing diarrhea
- Preventing bad bacteria from lodging in the digestive system
Humans acquire probiotics from eating fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut, or by taking a probiotic supplement. A simple way to increase your Siberian’s population of healthful bacteria is to add a probiotic supplement to its food.
At Glorious Siberians, we supplement with probiotics from the very 1st day our kittens start eating solid food. We alternate between Purina Fortiflora for felines and Benebac Plus. Just a little powder to sprinkle on your kitty’s food.
Antibiotics help us combat infection by killing bacteria. Unfortunately, antibiotics not only kill bad bacteria they also kill good bacteria. Glorious Siberians highly recommends supplementing with probiotics after any course of antibiotic therapy.
An informative video, however, we recommend choosing probiotics that include the Enterococcus faecium strain.
http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html
Digestive enzymes are types of proteins that act as catalysts to help break down food into smaller parts that can be absorbed, transported and utilized by every cell in the body. The list of digestive enzyme benefits is impressive:
- Supports the immune system
- Aids in the absorption of vitamins and minerals
- Promotes normal body weight (without hunger)
- Promotes respiratory health
- Reduction of minor food sensitivity
- Promotes healthy teeth and gums
- Promotes normal cell growth
- Lessens skin irritation and shedding
- Relief of hairball irritation
- …and more
The two sources of enzymes are: pancreatic production and raw foods (temperatures over 122 degrees Fahrenheit kill enzymes).
Commercially canned and kibble foods are definitely not raw and do not provide necessary enzymes. This means that the cat’s pancreas must produce all needed enzymes, unfortunately, it is demanding for the cat’s body to produce enough enzymes to completely digest processed cat foods. Further, over a period of years this forced constant demand results in a lowered ability to produce needed enzymes.
The solution is simple – add enzymes to your Siberian’s food.
Informative video:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/digestive-enzymes-for-pet.aspx
Links to products to get you started:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3563
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25279