Author Topic: Chlorophyll supplmentation?  (Read 3744 times)

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Offline Middle Child

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Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« on: September 06, 2015, 09:24:39 AM »
I've been reading an article from Dr Karen Becker.  A lot of times she is really off the mark I think, but the discussions that follow can sometimes be useful.

So I read this discussion where people have recommended supplementing with chlorophyll to prevent grass eating.  Both cases were dogs not cats.  I wonder if it would be safe for cats.  I wonder if this would be something I could give Mazy to make her stop wanting to eat grass.

Queen Eva NEVER eats grass.  She is the only one who has been on a species appropriate diet since she was 8 weeks old.

Jennie does, and just brings it back up usually, but I wouldn't mind if she stopped eating it too.

But of course as most know, it is Mazy cat who it causes the most trouble to.  I am not taking them out today, even though it is a beautiful Sunday because she is still puking almost every day, from her grass eating last week.  In spite of fasting periods, she has not passed the grass she ate last Sunday and she has not puked it up.  She just keeps puking her meals instead, and in extremely inconvenient places.  y

Yesterday right before I left for my hike she was up on the bookcase in the bedroom and puked her raw meal (that had been digesting for about 30 minutes).  She hit the books, the rug, the bed and under the bed.  It was and still is an unbelievable mess.  I was on my way out the door when she did it, I did not have time to clean it up or feed her the slow tiny amounts of a replacement meal.  All I did was scrape as much solid as I could find, then spray it all with vinegar.

Last night I spent ours with the portable carpet cleaner cleaning and sucking cleaning and sucking and the stench is still terrible.  When her puke is that foul (not to mention projectile) I know she's got something sitting down there in her gut just fermenting.

So I am about to give up on ever taking them out in the yard again. I just can't cope with this.

I know Pookie is our go to on things like supplements but she's away.  While we wait for her to return I will be interested in any other opinions or links anyone has that might help Mazy cat and me.

How can I find out if chlorophyll supplementation is safe for cats?

here is the brand recommended:

http://www.bettersunshine.com/products/chlorophyllliquid16.asp

Offline Pookie

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2015, 10:19:21 AM »
I know Pookie is our go to on things like supplements but she's away.  While we wait for her to return I will be interested in any other opinions or links anyone has that might help Mazy cat and me.

 :-[  Thanks!  I haven't left just yet -- wanted to check in first.  I haven't seen Dr. Becker's article, though, and won't have time to until I get back.

All I remember from the course I took is that chlorophyll is an alkalizer.  In other words, if you're system is too "acidic," you would take chlorophyll to make yourself more alkaline.  I'm personally not into that whole "body pH" stuff, but that's just me.  If I remember correctly, and it's been a while, meat makes you more acidic.  I don't remember if all plants make you more alkaline or just certain ones.  But humans tend to be slightly acidic.

Because cats and dogs are carnivores, I suspect they are even more acidic, and it works for them.  I'm not sure about giving chlorophyll to them.  I think cats eat grass to make themselves throw up in order to resolve tummy upset.  At least, that's been my experience. 

The short answer is, I don't know if the chlorophyll would help Mazy cat or not.  It's supposed to have a lot of good nutrients/minerals in it, but I just don't know.  You might want to do some more research before making a decision.

Sorry I wasn't much help.  I hate to suggest it, but maybe she needs a Pepcid, just to calm things down?  I hope she feels better soon, for both of you!

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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2015, 10:30:26 AM »
Thank you!  I read that about it being alkalizing also.  One thing Mazy cat doesn't need is to have her digestive system alkalized, though I have been toying with the idea of a pepcid since last night.

 I finally decided to let her be.  She went actually 24 hours without food because she puked up her breakfast and I didn't get home until 7 pm last night. I hoped that would be enough to get the grass moving.  She did poop last night but there was no grass in it.

 I was unable to get a full days meal into her from 7 pm until bedtime even staying up late. I got 2 ounces into her by feeding minuscule meals every half hour.  But by 11:30 she was starting to lick her lips and making urpy noises so I stopped trying.  Again I considered the pepcid, but finally decided to just let her be, over night.  I was feeding canned by the way, I just couldn't face the idea off cleaning up more raw puke.

This morning she has had her normal meals including Rad Cat, but I have taken 4 hours to feed her breakfast to her. How I will ever get enough into her to make up for the 2 ounce deficit yesterday (and earlier in the week) I don't know.

That regurgitation yesterday morning was so foul my bedroom still stinks.  I have cleaned the carpet (with the portable cleaner) twice now.  Granted that "Green machine" doesn't have very good suction.  But my gosh, it is foul.  I may never get the smell out.

I may just have to give up taking them out, ever.  Today I am so tired and discouraged I fell an overwhelming " I just can't cope with this.  I just can't cope with it."

I'm sure you all know that feeling. I just feel hopeless. Nothing ever works for Mazy cat for long.  Nothing. Every time I think I've found a way to help her improve...the improvement is never permanent. We always go back to the status quo of puking. The damage is just too much. Vets should be prosecuted for selling that crap as food. 

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2015, 10:34:56 AM »
Oh, it wasn't Dr Becker recommending the Chlorophyll.  She was going on about how "cats and dogs eat grass to aid and improve their digestion" and recommended sprouts instead.  I don't know about the sprouts but her comment about cats and dogs eating grass to "aid and improve digestion" is bullcrap.

Queen Eva has been on a species appropriate diet since she was 8 weeks old.  And she does not eat grass. EVER.

Offline Lola

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2015, 04:32:11 PM »
Just seeing this.  :(

When Mazy took Pepcid before, did it help stop the puking? 
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Offline Lola

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2015, 04:33:33 PM »
Quote
I think cats eat grass to make themselves throw up in order to resolve tummy upset.  At least, that's been my experience. 

I agree.  My experience as well... with cats and dogs. 
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2015, 08:41:34 PM »
Well V&B eat grass all the time and never vomit.
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2015, 09:54:55 PM »
I've started going through the HUGE pile o'papers I got from that class, and as luck would have it, the first pile included information on  pH and chlorophyll.  According to the paperwork, chlorophyll does the following:

- breaks up stickiness [inflammation] in the blood
- helps stimulate bone marrow to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood.  It helps the blood carry more oxygen to the cells
- helps to alkalize the body
- helps to combat infection
- helps cleanse open wounds
- improves bowel elimination
- helps nursing mothers give more milk
- stimulates healthy tissue growth
- is a natural deodorizer
- is an anti-oxidant and "has been shown to inhibit many cancer-causing agents"
- "Is safe for anyone of any age to consume" and is non-toxic

Another page mentioned alfalfa, which apparently is a source of chlorophyll, can "help with . . . gastrointestinal disorders" among other things.  "According to Chinese medicine it is for use in the treatment of blood, stomach and spleen Qi [energy] deficiencies."  Additionally, it says that "alfalfa tablets have often been used to aid bowel function.  They have been used for reducing cholesterol, binding toxins in the colon and protecting against colon cancer."  However, it also mentions that it "helps build the blood in cases of anemia" and my sense is that in increases blood iron levels.

Mind you, this information is in material that's for treating people.  It doesn't discuss giving it to pets.  So while I am wondering if it would help Mazy cat's motility issues, I really don't know for sure if it would, and even if it could help, I wouldn't know how much she should get or how often.  But I wanted to put this information out there in case you wanted to research it some more.

I hope I didn't make things more confusing, and I hope this helps!
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2015, 10:09:05 PM »
Here's an article that includes dosing, but I get the sense that it should be used with caution:

http://allnaturalpetcare.com/blog/2012/09/21/chlorophyll-for-pets/

If I find more articles, I'll be sure to post the links.

Edit:  found something else.  The woman who taught the course I took turned out to be a distributor for this company:

http://www.justforcatscattery.co.uk/pet-shop-peterborough.htm

Quote
  Liquid Chlorophyll is an ideal tonic for your pet with bad breath. Suitable for cats and dogs and helps to deodorise the body improve the immune response, reduces acidic levels, and cleans the blood of impurities. It also helps towards improving proper bowel movements. A bad breath can be the result of decaying teeth as a result of eating meats, poor digestion or parasites. Equally, Chlorophyll will deodorise internally and oxygenate the blood. Parasites hate oxygen. Liquid Chlorophyll is like having a very mild detox helping to clean the animal from within. 

Here's a thread that might be helpful.  FYI, I didn't read past the first few posts (it's late, sorry):  http://www.oocities.org/holisticat/alf_arch1.html

And another article.  While I tend to take what most vets say with a grain of salt, this one speaks to my doubts about giving chlorophyll to cats:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/dining/19salad.html?_r=0

Quote
Veterinarians aren’t so sure about the benefits. “Do cats need chlorophyll? No,” said Dr. Arnold Plotnick, the owner of Manhattan Cat Specialists on the Upper West Side. “Cats are true carnivores, so they are not really designed to eat plants and vegetation. As far as I know, there’s no science to back up the claim that cats need nutrients that they can only get from eating grass.” 
« Last Edit: September 10, 2015, 10:17:20 PM by Pookie »
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2015, 10:24:19 PM »
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2015, 05:17:54 AM »
Just seeing this.  :(

When Mazy took Pepcid before, did it help stop the puking? 

Not really. I hoped that it was making her more comfortable, but Pookie really nailed it thinking that is was not enough stomach acid as opposed to too much.  ONly once in a very very great while now do I see the need for a pepcid dose for Mazy cat.

Pookie than you so much for all that helpful information.

I'm not a big fat of Mercola products in general but they do have a spirulina product that seems pretty pure.  It's just....adding anything new to Mazy's regimen can back fire and I hate to rock the boat.  But what if this is something that might really help her?

http://shop.mercola.com/product/spirugreen-superfood-for-pets-180-tablets-1-bottle,270,92,0.htm

I'll be checking out Pookie's links, too.

Offline Lola

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2015, 09:31:33 AM »
I probably should know this, but... does Mazy still eat some canned?
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2015, 10:59:39 AM »
It's just....adding anything new to Mazy's regimen can back fire and I hate to rock the boat.  But what if this is something that might really help her?

That's my concern, too.  I'm torn between suggesting you give it a try, in case it really would help, but like you, wonder if it will do the opposite, and I'd hate for it to cause more problems.  I've been trying to figure out if it's one of those missing pieces to healing the damage the dry food did, and if so, how it fits in the puzzle.   A mouse's stomach would have digested plant matter, but I think it would be mostly seeds.  :-\  Maybe there's something in the plant matter, like chlorophyll, that's missing from her diet but would help?  I just don't know . . .  :-\

Just for fits and giggles, I Googled "what do field mice eat" and found this:  http://www.livescience.com/28028-mice.html

Quote
  f you believe what you see in cartoons, you would think that mice eat cheese. Actually, they like to eat fruits, seeds and grains. They are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and meat, and the common house mice will eat just about anything it can find. In fact, if food is scarce, mice will even eat each other. 

I looked at a couple of sites and they said pretty much the same thing.  I did not see that they eat grasses.  How much chlorophyll would be in seeds, fruits and grains?  I would think "not much" but I could be wrong.   :-\
« Last Edit: September 11, 2015, 11:12:47 AM by Pookie »
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Chlorophyll supplmentation?
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2015, 11:29:39 AM »
What Kind of Food Contains a High Amount of Chlorophyll?

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/kind-food-contains-high-amount-chlorophyll-11022.html

Quote
Photosynthesis occurs primarily in plant leaves, so chlorophyll is most abundant in dark green, leafy vegetables. The top source on Linus Pauling’s list is spinach, with 23.7 milligrams of chlorophyll in 1 cup of raw spinach. Spinach is also a good source of the orange pigment beta carotene, but its leaves contain so much chlorophyll that the green pigment hides the orange. Two other good sources are fresh parsley and garden cress. One-half cup of parsley has 19 milligrams of chlorophyll, while 1 cup of garden cress provides 15.6 milligrams. Choose leafy vegetables with the darkest shade of green to obtain the maximum amount of chlorophyll.

Other Green Vegetables to Choose

Fresh green beans, arugula and leeks are also good sources of chlorophyll. Each one has about 8 milligrams of chlorophyll in a 1-cup serving. The same portion of endive and sugar peas supplies about 5 milligrams, while you'll get 4 milligrams of chlorophyll from 1 cup of Chinese cabbage. North Dakota State University’s list of chlorophyll sources includes green peppers, Brussels sprouts, peas, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini and cucumbers. Chlorophyll-containing fruits include green apples, honeydew melon and kiwi.

Wheatgrass Contains Chlorophyll

Wheatgrass comes from immature, green wheat, so it contains chlorophyll. It also provides amino acids, vitamins and minerals. You may see wheatgrass touted for its ability to boost red blood cells or to help heal common colds, bronchitis, fevers, infections and inflammation, but these claims are not supported by current evidence, according to the American Cancer Society. A few studies have explored the potential for wheatgrass to relieve symptoms related to ulcerative colitis and to treat plantar fasciitis. New York University's Langone Medical Center reports that the studies were too flawed to prove it provides any benefit for these conditions.
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