Effects of psyllium husk utilization on the efciency of feed utilization and the fecal hairballs elimination
Keywords:
Cat, hairball, cellulose, fecal, psyllium huskAbstract
The aim of this research is to examine the impact of psyllium husk utilization on the nutrition of cats and the reduction of fecal hairballs. A hybrid breed (Maine Coon × Persian) totaling 18 animals, mixed genders, with an average age of 2.58 ± 1.04 years and weight of 4.07 ± 1.22 kilograms, were included in a randomized completely block design. All cats were randomly assigned to receive three fiber-enriched food treatments: control (T1), 1% psyllium husk (T2), and 1% psyllium husk plus 6% cellulose (T3). Water was available ad libitum throughout the 30-day duration. The results showed that the control group (T1) exhibited lower feed intake (g/d) compared to the fiber groups (T2, T3) (P = 0.022). When analyzing feed intake relative to body weight (g/BW), the control group (T1) also showed lower values compared to the fiber groups (T2, T3) (P = 0.049). Fecal production (as-is basis) was highest in the group receiving 1% psyllium husk (T2) (P = 0.023), and significantly greater than the group receiving psyllium husk plus cellulose (T3) (P = 0.032). However, the use of psyllium husk and cellulose did not influence the total trichobezoar levels (P > 0.05). This study concludes that incorporating psyllium husk at a concentration of 1% increased feed intake and led to a higher wet fecal output, without significantly affecting trichobezoar reduction.
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