Author Topic: ACV For Cats - Read First :)  (Read 8198 times)

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Offline Pookie

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ACV For Cats - Read First :)
« on: September 02, 2014, 04:43:11 PM »
You asked for it.   ;D  I thought it would be best to explain my "logic" (such as it is) to help folks understand HOW I got suggesting adding ACV to cat's food:

I’m currently taking a nutritional certification prep course.  One of the books that I was reading for this class covered digestive enzymes and the digestive process, including the functions of stomach acid.  One thing that stuck out at me is that stomach acid breaks down (meat) protein.  Enzymes serve many functions, and they break down plant proteins, but you need stomach acid in order to digest meat.

I’ve also learned that the symptoms of too much stomach acid (heartburn, acid reflux, nausea etc.) are the same as if you don’t have enough acid, and that humans produce LESS stomach acid as we age.  People who are on acid blockers may not need them, and can, over time, “re-train” their stomach to produce enough acid.  The gas, etc. is from the food “fermenting” in the stomach because there’s not enough digestive enzymes or acid in the stomach.

So these were my thoughts:

1.   What IF:  over time, people eating a high-carb diet “train” their stomachs to produce less acid, since the enzymes, not acid, digest the plants.
2.   What IF:  like humans, our pets produce less stomach acid over time.
3.   If there’s not enough acid to break down the protein, does that contribute to kidney and/or gallstones, since acid is needed to break down the minerals (calcium, magnesium, etc.) in the food?

Assuming the above are true, I then began to wonder if some cats that were on a high-carb diet (kibble) for years, eventually “teach” their stomach to produce less acid.  While they’re young, they may not show any signs of tummy upset, but as they age (again, assuming like humans they produce less acid as the age), perhaps those signs appear.  A vet will then recommend an acid blocker like Pepcid.  However, just like “human” doctors, they are basing that diagnosis on the symptoms.  Unless they have tested the cat’s (or person’s) stomach acid levels, they are assuming that the issue is too MUCH acid when the opposite may be the case.

In going through MC’s “Outdoor Dilemma” thread, at one point she mentions that Mazy usually hunches after she eats, as if her tummy is upset.  She also mentioned that Mazy has acid reflux.  So I began to wonder if perhaps the issue isn’t that she has too much acid, but not enough, esp. since, like Pookie, she was kibble-fed in her early years.  Hmmm . . . what can you give a cat to get more acid in the stomach . . .  keep it simple and natural . . . apple cider vinegar!  The Bragg brand is organic and has the “mother” in it, and vinegar is acidic.  Adding a drop or two to the meal might be just enough to help her digest her now-grain free meals.  And based on the updates that MC has provided, it sounds like it has!  [I did find it interesting that when she added the ACV to Mazy’s raw, Mazy needed a topper to eat it, but this wasn’t the case when adding ACV to her canned food.  My guess is that she may not need it with the raw – maybe actual raw triggers enough production of stomach acid, where canned (which is more processed) does not?]

It is my hope that, over time, Mazy cat will no longer need the ACV.  I’m also hoping that it helps her motility issues (she’ll be getting more calcium and magnesium out of her food, which helps muscles contract and relax, including the muscles that move food along the digestive tract) and (being super optimistic) her crystal issues, because she’ll be getting the minerals out of her food instead of the minerals just staying in the food, to possibly end up in her bladder.  NOTE:  I have no proof of this – it’s all theoretical.

[SIDE NOTEI and others have seen articles that state that ACV alkalizes and some that say it acidifies.  I suspect the reality is that it’s acid in the stomach, and when it gets to the intestines, the bile from the gallbladder alkalizes (like in humans). 

One other interesting side note:  I learned that your body needs salt (chloride) to help produce stomach acid (hydrochloric acid).  How many people on low-salt diets have acid reflux or other issues that they’re taking acid blockers for?  But I was NOT going to suggest adding salt to a cat’s diet.   funny2
« Last Edit: September 28, 2014, 09:23:14 AM by Lola, Reason: changed subject line »
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Offline Middle Child

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ACV For Cats - Read First :)
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2014, 08:36:22 AM »
Terrific article Pookie, thank you!
« Last Edit: September 28, 2014, 09:23:53 AM by Lola, Reason: changed subject line »

Offline Lola

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Re: ACV For Cats - Read First :)
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2014, 09:26:48 AM »
Yes, thanks a million Pookie!!
Everything you NEED to know about caring for your feline. www.catinfo.org

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