Cats and Dietary Fiber

Introduction

Nutritionists and veterinarians have been interested in dietary fiber as a component of pet foods or as a supplement for many years. Fiber has traditionally been used to modify stool quality and as an aid in weight management, but more recently fiber has been shown to have effects on the gastrointestinal microbiome and may play a role in the management of various disorders. This article offers a brief overview of dietary fiber and a discussion of the potential benefits for several common feline medical conditions.

Key Points

• Fiber is surprisingly difficult to define but is often classified by its properties, such as solubility in water, viscosity, and fermentability in the gastrointestinal tract. Many commercial cat foods contain two or more fiber-containing ingredients.

• Dietary fiber, and in particular slowly fermentable fibers such as cellulose and peanut hulls, have been shown to be an effective means of increasing dietary bulk in the gastrointestinal tract without supplying additional calories.

• Recent reviews suggest that the effect of fiber in cats with diabetes mellitus is unknown but that low-carbohydrate, low-fiber diets may be indicated.

• Recommendations for nutritional therapy of constipation vary widely; some authors suggest highly digestible, low-fiber diets while others prefer high-fiber diets or fiber supplementation.