Author Topic: Arrows & ACV  (Read 34899 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #75 on: July 14, 2014, 08:17:51 PM »
I tried it once...with a large glass of water and honey.  It was HORRIBLE.  I know it is good for all sorts of things, but I just can't gag it down. 
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #76 on: July 14, 2014, 08:38:00 PM »
I tried it once...with a large glass of water and honey.  It was HORRIBLE.  I know it is good for all sorts of things, but I just can't gag it down. 

You've just got to pretend you've got the hiccups and hold your breath until the glass is empty.
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Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #77 on: July 14, 2014, 09:40:18 PM »
Next time I have heartburn, I will.  Maybe.  If I remember.  ;)
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #78 on: July 15, 2014, 04:38:16 AM »
What do you use to measure a drop of ACV... or is it literally a drop? 
I put my finger over the bottle opening, and let a drop fall into his food yesterday.   :-\  He didn't blink an eye!  Ate his meal, like normal.  I was stunned.  That stuff smells and tastes like ______!!! 

Arrows is a VERY good eater though.  Roxy will walk away from her dish, if she even THINKS her food has been doctored.  If she was a human child, she would be a snot.  I say that lovingly.   ;D

I use the "drop" size of these spoons:

http://smile.amazon.com/Norpro-3080-Stainless-Measuring-smidgen/dp/B0009X1P9S/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1405416971&sr=8-12&keywords=measuring+spoons

Using an eye dropper I figuredout  that that size is approximately 3 tiny drops.

The ACV takes some getting used to.  I can drink it either way now, a plain tablespoon of it in a glass of water (chugged down) or a 6 ounce glass of my ACV-honey-cinnamon mixture.  Also chugged.

Chugging is a learned skill, also.  I was a champion beer chugger in my late teens, so I have no trouble chugging 6-8 ounces of Bragg's ACV and water.

Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #79 on: July 15, 2014, 10:41:00 AM »
Those measuring spoons are COOL.  Had no idea, something like that, existed! 
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #80 on: July 21, 2014, 08:32:10 AM »
How is Arrows doing?  Has he passed the 7-day mark yet?  fingerscrossed
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Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #81 on: July 21, 2014, 10:32:50 AM »
He went from once every few days, to daily.  It was a lessor amount.  Sometimes there was a small hairball, as well.  He has NEVER had hairball issue before.  Never ever... not even once. 

Can a cat be given too much ACV? 
Does it take time to work?
I probably should have asked those questions days ago. 

I'm using a dropper... half full.  One (half dropper) didn't change things much.  Two... better.  Half dropper 3x a day... nothing comes up.  PLEASE let me know, if that is too much ACV... in your opinion(s). 

I also totally removed Wellness from rotation... on a hunch. I played around with foods before, but only for a day or so.  Is it possible for it to take a few days, to see a reaction?  I thought I would see a food reaction within at least 24 hours.  ??

Part of me wants to continue, as I am doing.  If all continues to go well, for several weeks... add back in Wellness, just as a test.  I'm HAPPY not having Wellness in the rotation...finally.  I just am curious.  It would be a cruel test though. 

Is ACV a good thing, for a cat, in general?  I ask because... I was thinking ...after several weeks of no issues...stopping the ACV would tell me the problem was Wellness.  Maybe.

I've been trying to remove Wellness for a very long time, but I didn't want to change to a brand with worse ingredients. Similar brands/ingredients had other issues.  It was always something...

The Wellness removal and 3x a day ACV were done at the same time.  I could kick myself (now) for making two changes, at the same time.  It didn't hit me, at the time.  I was just trying to come up with SOMETHING to help him. 
« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 10:36:13 AM by Lola »
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Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #82 on: July 21, 2014, 10:40:41 AM »
If my rambling was confusing...

No barf for 5 days. 
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #83 on: July 21, 2014, 11:43:28 AM »
:(

Ok, brain fog is kicking in . . . no barf for 5 days using 1/2 dropper of ACV 3xday?  Then he started having daily hairballs?  Or did the hairballs and barfing stop after the ACV was increased to 3xday?  I'm a bit confused about the timeline of what happened when.

That does seem like a lot of ACV to me.  When did you cut out the Wellness?  If it's been about a week (or if you'd prefer, give it til 2 weeks), then you could try to stop the ACV (and continue to leave out the Wellness) and see what happens.  If the problems start up again or get worse, then it may not (entirely) be the Wellness.

I think MC noticed an improvement in Mazy in about a week.  Though Mazy is still having hairballs, but she was less "urpy" and, if I remember right, wasn't throwing up her food as much.  She was also bringing the grass up in less time [3 days compared to 8].

I keep meaning to ask you, does Arrows get slippery elm?

grouphug
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #84 on: July 21, 2014, 12:18:45 PM »
I forgot to ask:  by dropper, do you mean an eye-dropper?  I keep thinking syringe and want to make sure.   :-[
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #85 on: July 21, 2014, 12:45:11 PM »
The amounts are given in this article:

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/02/apple-cider-is-good-for-your-dog-and.html

Quote
Dosage (human dosage provided at the bottom of the article):

Small Dogs (and cats) up to 14 lbs - 1 tsp;
Medium Dogs (and cats) 15 lbs to 34 lbs - 2 tsp;

Large Dogs:
35 lbs to 84 lbs - 1 tbs;
85 lbs to 134 lbs - 1.5 tbsp;
135 lbs to 200 lbs – 2 tbsp.

I made another post elsewhere so that this information could be easily found.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 12:51:33 PM by DeeDee »
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Pookie

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #86 on: July 21, 2014, 01:09:45 PM »
Thanks, Dee!   :-* :-* HeadButt HeadButt

Personally, I think I'd want to cut back on how much you give him in each meal, just to see how he does and because there is such a thing as being too acidic.  Maybe instead of 1/2 dropper, go to 1/4 dropper.  If you're not comfortable cutting the dose that much, maybe just reduce it to a bit less than 1/2 dropper and see how he handles that.  If he's ok, keep it at that dose for a couple of days and reduce it a bit more, etc.  It could be that getting it 3x/day is what helped him, and not so much the amount of the ACV, but I could be wrong.  Or it could be pulling the Wellness did the trick.

For the record, and I think you already know this, we're sort of in uncharted territory here.  I haven't found anything about using ACV to increase stomach acidity or improve digestion in cats (other than the article Dee posted, which is bit more general), which is what we're (hopefully) doing.  So I am going on what I've learned, what my gut (no pun intended) tells me, and what you report.  Every cat is different and input from everyone else is more than welcome, as I'm by no means an expert.

Dee commented in the other thread on ACV that she would split the dose listed in her post between the meals.  I would agree.

BTW, how many meals does he get each day, and how much food in each meal?  Finally (I hope), how much does he weigh?

P.S.  I just realized -- he's willingly eating food with 1/2 dropper of ACV in it?  Wow!
« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 01:44:47 PM by Pookie »
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Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #87 on: July 21, 2014, 01:48:48 PM »
:(

Ok, brain fog is kicking in . . . no barf for 5 days using 1/2 dropper of ACV 3xday?  Then he started having daily hairballs?  Or did the hairballs and barfing stop after the ACV was increased to 3xday?  I'm a bit confused about the timeline of what happened when.

That does seem like a lot of ACV to me.  When did you cut out the Wellness?  If it's been about a week (or if you'd prefer, give it til 2 weeks), then you could try to stop the ACV (and continue to leave out the Wellness) and see what happens.  If the problems start up again or get worse, then it may not (entirely) be the Wellness.

I think MC noticed an improvement in Mazy in about a week.  Though Mazy is still having hairballs, but she was less "urpy" and, if I remember right, wasn't throwing up her food as much.  She was also bringing the grass up in less time [3 days compared to 8].

I keep meaning to ask you, does Arrows get slippery elm?

grouphug

No barf, hairballs, spit-up, etc. for the last 5 days, since upping the ACV and removing Wellness.
No slippery elm.  No anything else.

I just measured 3 of my dropper dosages.  Total is less than a teaspoon. 
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Offline Lola

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #88 on: July 21, 2014, 01:50:00 PM »
The amounts are given in this article:

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/02/apple-cider-is-good-for-your-dog-and.html

I made another post elsewhere so that this information could be easily found.

Thanks Dee. 

The only reason this is in the private area... I get embarrassed being such a dork. 
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Arrows & ACV
« Reply #89 on: July 21, 2014, 02:12:37 PM »
The only reason this is in the private area... I get embarrassed being such a dork. 

Please, do you know how many times I had to modify my last post because I kept thinking of something?  As Shrek says, "Join the club, we've got jackets."   Silly7

When you can, would you mind answering the following:

1.  How many meals does he get each day?
2.  How much food in each meal?
3.  How much does he weigh?

Thank you!   HeadButt

« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 02:14:09 PM by Pookie »
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"Pass on what you have learned."  -- Yoda, Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi