Psyllium husks are purely natural and have been approved by the EU as a single feed for all animal species.
Pet owners particularly appreciate its positive effect on digestion. Thanks to its dual mechanism of action, psyllium regulates both constipation and diarrhea in their pets. Due to its high water-binding mucilage content, psyllium husks are often used as an intestinal regulator. Additionally, psyllium and psyllium husks improve general well-being, promote metabolism, have a weight-regulating effect, can relieve allergies, and ensure a shiny coat and strong claws and hooves.
Feed acceptance is generally good, as animals have a natural sense of what is healthy for them. Furthermore, psyllium is easy to administer and very well tolerated. The pet food industry also offers a variety of psyllium feeds for horses, dogs, and cats. The preparation should be dosed according to the manufacturer's instructions and fed either wet or dry as directed. It is important that the animal drinks plenty of fluids while administering psyllium and psyllium husks, as fluids are removed from the body.
Psyllium for horses
Many horse owners are familiar with this annoying problem: Depending on the nature of the soil and the condition of the meadows, horses often ingest sand while grazing. This occurs especially when the horse is on pastures with only sparse grass growth and eats the last blades of grass, including the sandy roots, or is fed hay from the ground in a sandy paddock. Sand deposits can quickly accumulate in the digestive tract. The horse develops digestive disorders, and painful and life-threatening sand colic can result. Thanks to its enormous swelling capacity, high mucilage content, and excellent water binding properties, psyllium binds the sandy deposits in the horse's gastrointestinal tract and supports the excretion of stomach-irritating substances. Especially in horses prone to colic, regular, curative psyllium supplementation contributes to intestinal cleansing and colic prevention.A 30-day psyllium treatment can be administered twice a year, ideally in spring and fall. Nutrition experts recommend using whole psyllium seeds. These seeds should be moistened before feeding, but should not be allowed to swell. This is because the swelling process should only take place in the horse's gastrointestinal tract to completely absorb and expel the sand found in the intestinal tract. Since every horse's digestive system reacts differently to psyllium, horse owners should check the horse's manure during the treatment. If the horse develops diarrhea, the dosage should be reduced. However, if the horse's manure becomes too dry, the psyllium seeds should be soaked to prevent constipation.
dosage
The dosage for a regular feeding of whole psyllium is 80–100 g daily for a large horse. Ponies receive 50 g per day. When using psyllium husks, the dosage for a horse is reduced to approximately 50 g, while ponies receive approximately 30 g per day.
However, horse owners should never feed psyllium husks dry, but always soak them. To do this, add the specified amount to about one liter of water, let it swell for 20 to 40 minutes, and mix it into the concentrate ration or mash.
If psyllium is given to a horse to improve its general well-being, owners can give their pets dry psyllium daily as a supplementary feed. This also provides additional protection against colds. In this case, the daily dosage is approximately 50–70 g for a horse and approximately 30 g for a pony.
Psyllium for dogs
However, psyllium and psyllium husks are also ideal for dogs suffering from anal gland problems. Soft stools often prevent the anal glands from emptying properly. Psyllium improves the dog's digestion and firms the stool. As a result, the anal glands empty themselves regularly again. This saves many dogs from painful veterinary treatments and anal gland surgery.Owners of overweight dogs also appreciate the benefits of psyllium. Due to its high fiber content, psyllium leads to a faster feeling of fullness, which means the dog consumes fewer calories.
dosage
The recommended daily supplement is 5 g of psyllium husk for dogs up to 20 kg in body weight and 10 g for dogs weighing 21 kg or more. The whole seeds can be added to the daily pet food, either moistened or dry.
A course of treatment is also recommended for dogs, with a duration of six weeks.
Psyllium for cats
Cats also respond well to supplemental feeding with psyllium and psyllium husks. The applications are similar to those for dogs. Thus, the plant-based fiber they contain can have equally positive effects on digestion, weight control, and well-being in cats.
dosage
The dosage is approximately 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk. Mix this with 30–40 ml of water. After allowing it to soak for two hours, the mixture can be mixed with the daily feed ration.
Conclusion: Healthy horses, dogs & cats with psyllium
Psyllium and psyllium husks not only effectively support the digestion of horses, dogs, and cats, but also promote the overall health and well-being of our four-legged friends. Psyllium products are easy to administer and highly acceptable. Due to their good tolerance, they are suitable as a daily supplementary feed.