{"topic_id":"evidence_feline_constipation_hairball_diet","category":"evidence","context":"---\ntopic_id: evidence_feline_constipation_hairball_diet\ncategory: evidence\ntitle: \"Evidence cluster — feline constipation & hairball management via diet (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC + PubMed)\"\nlang: en\nsource_file: pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_feline_constipation_hairball_diet_2026-07-22.txt\nsource: Europe PMC REST search (first-hand PMIDs) + PubMed efetch verbatim abstracts, pulled 2026-07-22\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-22\nmodel: codebuddy\nbatch: P0-EVIDENCE-8\nverified: 2026-07-22 substring_match 24/24 claims passed\npath: evidence/evidence_feline_constipation_hairball_diet/01_feline_constipation_hairball_diet.md\n---\n## Representative peer-reviewed studies (verbatim abstracts)\n\nThe following studies were retrieved from Europe PMC / PubMed and are reproduced verbatim. Interpretive synthesis is left to the API user.\n\n### PMID:42254911 — Can cultivated hamster cells compete with chicken meat? Insights on acceptance and digestibility in domestic cats.\n- Source: Front Vet Sci 2026\n1. Front Vet Sci. 2026 May 21;13:1781530. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1781530. \neCollection 2026.\n\nCan cultivated hamster cells compete with chicken meat? Insights on acceptance \nand digestibility in domestic cats.\n\nBortolazzi F(1), Stringhetti S(2), Hesta M(1).\n\nAuthor information:\n(1)Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, \nFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.\n(2)Bene Meat Technologies a.s., Prague, Czechia.\n\nIn response to the challenges posed by a growing human and pet population and \nthe climate crisis, novel ingredients such as cultivated meat have emerged as \npromising solutions to address concerns related to sustainability, ethics and \nfood security. However, data on its nutritional performance and suitability for \nuse in animal nutrition remain limited. This study aims to evaluate the \nacceptance and apparent total tract digestibility (AD) of a complete feline diet \ncontaining cultivated hamster cell biomass as the sole animal-derived \ningredient, compared to a control diet based on chicken breast meat. A two-day, \ndouble-blinded, cross-over acceptance test was conducted on 10 adult research \ncats. Subsequently, eight of these cats were enrolled in a double-blinded, \ncross-over digestibility trial. Each cat received both the test and control diet \nfor a 7-12 day adaptation period, followed by 5 days of fecal collection. The \ndiets were identical in ingredient composition except for the protein source and \nwere formulated to achieve comparable nutritional profiles. Celite® \n(acid-insoluble ash) was added as an indigestible marker to calculate AD using \nan indicator method. Cats were closely monitored for clinical signs. Body \nweight, body and muscle condition score were assessed weekly, and total food \nintake was recorded for each meal. Acceptance was optimal in 9 out of 10 cats, \nwith minimal food leftovers. AD results were comparable between diets, except \nfor protein digestibility which was significantly higher in the control diet \n(85.3 ± 1.6% vs. 83.9 ± 1.2%; p-value: 0.033). Interestingly, leftovers were \nsignificantly lower for the test diet (2.4 ± 3.3% vs. 8.5 ± 7.8%; p-value: \n0.025), despite its lower inclusion of palatability enhancer compared to the \ncontrol diet (1.5 vs. 10 g/kg). Fecal consistency was overall in the ideal range \nthroughout the trial and both diets were well tolerated during the feeding \nperiod of up to 17 days. These findings suggest that the cultivated hamster cell \nbiomass tested is well accepted by cats and adequately digestible for use in \nfeline diets. Further research is warranted to explore its impact on \npalatability and to assess long-term health outcomes in cats.\n\nCopyright © 2026 Bortolazzi, Stringhetti and Hesta.\n\nDOI: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1781530\nPMCID: PMC13235436\nPMID: 42254911\n\nConflict of interest statement: The author(s) declared that this work received \nfunding from Bene Meat Technologies a.s. The funder had the following \ninvolvement in the study: study design, writing of the article and decision to \nsubmit it for publication. SS was employed by Bene Meat Technologies a.s. MH has \nbeen paid for several consulting services by a variety of pet food companies. \nThe remaining author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of \nany commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential \nconflict of interest.\n- Abstract (verbatim excerpt): \nJOURNAL:Front Vet Sci 2026\n1. Front Vet Sci. 2026 May 21;13:1781530. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1781530. \neCollection 2026.\n\nCan cultivated hamster cells compete with chicken meat? Insights on acceptanc\n\n### PMID:41748338 — Therapeutic Applications of Dietary Fiber: Managing Fiber-responsive Gastrointestinal Conditions in Dogs and Cats.\n- Source: Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2026\n1. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2026 May;56(3):603-617. doi: \n10.1016/j.cvsm.2025.12.004. Epub 2026 Feb 26.\n\nTherapeutic Applications of Dietary Fiber: Managing Fiber-responsive \nGastrointestinal Conditions in Dogs and Cats.\n\nRudinsky AJ(1), Parker VJ(2).\n\nAuthor information:\n(1)Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, 601 \nVernon L. Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.\n(2)Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, 601 \nVernon L. Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Electronic address: \nParker.888@osu.edu.\n\nGastrointestinal disorders are some of the most common diseases in dogs and \ncats, and treatment can be challenging. Practicing clinicians who understand the \nphysiochemical properties of dietary fiber, the clinical scenarios in which \nfiber may be effective, and how to appropriately utilize dietary fiber in dogs \nand cats can see significant improvement in patients' clinical signs. \nSpecifically, core gastrointestinal concerns including acute diarrhea, chronic \ndiarrhea, hairball vomiting, and constipation may be effectively managed via \nalterations in dietary fiber intake.\n\nCopyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.\n\nDOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2025.12.004\nPMID: 41748338 [Indexed for MEDLINE]\n\nConflict of interest statement: Disclosure The authors have working \nrelationships with pet food and supplement companies that offer fiber-based \ndiets and supplements. The article does not specifically endorse any particular \ndiets, companies, or products. The authors have no financial, nonfinancial, \nother relationships to disclose in relation to the submitted work, which would \ncreate a conflict of interest. The authors disclose no intellectual property \nrelated to the submitted article.\n- Abstract (verbatim excerpt): \nJOURNAL:Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2026\n1. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2026 May;56(3):603-617. doi: \n10.1016/j.cvsm.2025.12.004. Epub 2026 Feb 26.\n\nTherapeutic Applications of Dietary\n\n### PMID:41631677 — A psyllium-supplemented gastrointestinal diet is effective for the management of chronic constipation in cats: a 6-month controlled clinical trial.\n- Source: J Feline Med Surg 2026\n1. J Feline Med Surg. 2026 Mar;28(3):1098612X261420519. doi: \n10.1177/1098612X261420519. Epub 2026 Feb 3.\n\nA psyllium-supplemented gastrointestinal diet is effective for the management of \nchronic constipation in cats: a 6-month controlled clinical trial.\n\nRochon J(1), Charles H(1), Biourge V(1), Laxalde J(1), Goñi García-Falces M(1), \nDito D(1).\n\nAuthor information:\n(1)Royal Canin Research & Development Centre, Aimargues, Occitanie, France.\n\nObjectivesThis study evaluated the efficacy of a psyllium-enriched diet for the \nmanagement of chronic constipation in cats.MethodsA multicentre, controlled, \nblinded, 6-month trial randomly assigned client-owned cats to a gastrointestinal \ntest diet containing 6% psyllium or similar control diet containing 0.5% \npsyllium (as-fed values). Inclusion criteria included two or more constipation \nepisodes in the previous 6 months and two or more constipation signs for 14 days \nor longer. Constipation severity (stool consistency and frequency, and \ndefecation pain/difficulty) was scored on days 7, 30, 60, 90 and 180. Cats could \nswitch diets if constipation signs did not improve or the diet was not \ntolerated. Diet failure was defined as study withdrawal due to lack of \nimprovement in constipation, new gastrointestinal signs or diet switch. Cats \nswitching diets were considered as new cases in the group into which they moved, \nand statistical analyses (linear and linear mixed models) included them in both \ndiet groups.ResultsOf 49 cats enrolled, two were removed for non-compliance, \nleaving 26 in the test group (18 assigned, eight switched from control) and 30 \nin the control group (29 assigned, one switched from test). Of the remaining \ncats, 19/26 and 11/30 completed 6 months of the test and control diets, \nrespectively. The rate of diet failure for gastrointestinal reasons was \nsignificantly higher in the control group than in the test group (22/30 [73.3%] \nvs 7/26 [26.9%]; P = 0.0005). Constipation signs improved significantly from \nbaseline in both groups at each visit after day 7. For stool consistency, \nimprovement was significantly greater in the test group vs control group except \nat day 30.Conclusions and relevanceIn cats with chronic constipation, a 6% \npsyllium-supplemented gastrointestinal diet resulted in sustained improvement of \nclinical signs, a significantly lower probability of diet failure and greater \nimprovements in stool consistency than a control gastrointestinal diet.\n\nDOI: 10.1177/1098612X261420519\nPMCID: PMC13009942\nPMID: 41631677 [Indexed for MEDLINE]\n\nConflict of interest statement: Conflict of interestJulie Rochon, Hélène \nCharles, Vincent Biourge, Jeremy Laxalde, Mikel Goñi García-Falces and Danielle \nDito are employees of Royal Canin SAS.\n- Abstract (verbatim excerpt): \nJOURNAL:J Feline Med Surg 2026\n1. J Feline Med Surg. 2026 Mar;28(3):1098612X261420519. doi: \n10.1177/1098612X261420519. Epub 2026 Feb 3.\n\nA psyllium-supplemented gastrointestinal diet is effective fo\n\n### PMID:42072044 — X-Linked Muscular Dystrophy in a Cat with a Putative Variant in the <i>DMD</i> Gene.\n- Source: Animals (Basel) 2026\n1. Animals (Basel). 2026 Apr 21;16(8):1278. doi: 10.3390/ani16081278.\n\nX-Linked Muscular Dystrophy in a Cat with a Putative Variant in the DMD Gene.\n\nCridge H(1), Erger C(1), Thelen Strong K(1), Guo LT(2), An H(3), Xu C(3), \nShelton GD(2).\n\nAuthor information:\n(1)Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine \nMichigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA.\n(2)Comparative Neuromuscular Laboratory, Department of Pathology, School of \nMedicine, University of California San Diego, LaJolla, CA 92093, USA.\n(3)Bioinformatics and Analytics Core, University of Missouri-Colombia, Colombia, \nMO 65211, USA.\n\nX-linked dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy (DD-MD) is an uncommon \nneuromuscular disorder in cats. We described an adult male cat with chronic \ntongue protrusion, dysphagia, muscle hypertrophy, and a history of \nrhabdomyolysis associated with anesthesia. Clinical pathology revealed markedly \nincreased CK activity, muscle histopathology demonstrated a dystrophic \nphenotype, and an absence of dystrophin protein was confirmed by \nimmunofluorescent staining. Whole genome sequencing identified two potential \ndisease-causing variants, including a new missense variant in the DMD gene \n(c.2207T>C; p.Gln736Arg), which was considered causative of the clinical \nphenotype. A second variant in the CLIC2 gene was also detected but was \nconsidered unlikely to cause myopathic signs. The clinical course remained \nstable over 1.5 years with supportive management and dietary modification, and \nno further episodes of rhabdomyolysis occurred. This case expands the known \nspectrum of feline DMD variants and highlights the value of genetic testing \ncombined with muscle histopathology for diagnosing chronic presentations of MD. \nAvoidance of inhalant anesthetics may be important in managing affected cats due \nto the risk of acute muscle injury.\n\nDOI: 10.3390/ani16081278\nPMCID: PMC13113721\nPMID: 42072044\n\nConflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.\n- Abstract (verbatim excerpt): \nJOURNAL:Animals (Basel) 2026\n1. Animals (Basel). 2026 Apr 21;16(8):1278. doi: 10.3390/ani16081278.\n\nX-Linked Muscular Dystrophy in a Cat with a Putative Variant in the DMD Gene.\n\nCridge H(1), Erger C\n\n### PMID:40678920 — Quantification of defecation frequency in cats with and without chronic kidney disease.\n- Source: J Feline Med Surg 2025\n1. J Feline Med Surg. 2025 Jul;27(7):1098612X251348011. doi: \n10.1177/1098612X251348011. Epub 2025 Jul 18.\n\nQuantification of defecation frequency in cats with and without chronic kidney \ndisease.\n\nGeorge ZM(1), Quimby JM(1), Jones S(1), Brusach KB(1), Rudinsky AJ(1)(2).\n\nAuthor information:\n(1)Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, \nThe Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.\n(2)Comparative Hepatobiliary and Intestinal Research Program (CHIRP), College of \nVeterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.\n\nObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to objectively measure defecation \nfrequency in cats with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cats with CKD \nare at higher risk for presenting with constipation. It was hypothesized that \ncats with CKD would defecate less frequently than healthy cats.MethodsA \nprospective observational study was conducted of healthy cats (n = 9) and cats \nwith CKD (n = 9). Serum biochemistry, complete blood count, total thyroxine \nmeasurement, urinalysis and blood pressure measurement were performed in all \ncats to confirm their health status. The Petivity Smart Litter Box Monitor \nSystem was utilized to collect real-time defecation data. Data were collected \nvia the Petivity app for 30 days, during which medical management and husbandry \nremained consistent. A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed to compare the total \nnumber of days without defecation between CKD cats and healthy cats over 14, 21 \nand 30 days.ResultsCats with CKD had significantly more total days without \ndefecation than healthy cats over 14 days (P = 0.001), 21 days (P = 0.0004) and \n30 days (P = 0.0003). The median total days without defecation over 14, 21 and \n30 days was 5 (range 1-8), 7 (range 3-9) and 10 (range 5-13), respectively, for \ncats with CKD, compared with 0 (range 0-4), 2 (range 0-4) and 2 (range 0-7) for \nhealthy cats. Cats with CKD had a lower mean number of defecation events per day \nover the 30-day study period (0.86 ± 0.22 defecations/study day) compared with \nthe healthy cats (1.07 ± 0.13 defecations/study day) (P = 0.02).Conclusions and \nrelevanceCats with CKD defecate less frequently than healthy cats. The use of \nlitter box monitors could allow for earlier interventions and therapies, \npossibly preventing episodes of overt constipation.\n\nDOI: 10.1177/1098612X251348011\nPMCID: PMC12276494\nPMID: 40678920 [Indexed for MEDLINE]\n\nConflict of interest statement: Conflict of interestJessica Quimby is an \nadvisory board member for Nestlé Purina Petcare Company.\n- Abstract (verbatim excerpt): \nJOURNAL:J Feline Med Surg 2025\n1. J Feline Med Surg. 2025 Jul;27(7):1098612X251348011. doi: \n10.1177/1098612X251348011. Epub 2025 Jul 18.\n\nQuantification of defecation frequency in cats with and with\n\n### PMID:42121775 — A Tolerance Study of Turmeric Extract in Healthy Adult Cats.\n- Source: Animals (Basel) 2026\n1. Animals (Basel). 2026 Apr 28;16(9):1355. doi: 10.3390/ani16091355.\n\nA Tolerance Study of Turmeric Extract in Healthy Adult Cats.\n\nRaynaud E(1), Raasch M(1), Sanders W(1), Mitchell D(1), Laxalde J(1), Biourge \nV(1), Venet C(1), Cohen T(1).\n\nAuthor information:\n(1)Royal Canin Research Center, 650 Avenue de la Petite Camargue, 30470 \nAimargues, France.\n\nTurmeric has a long history of use as a colorant and flavoring agent. Turmeric \nextract (TE) is a feed additive containing at least 90% total curcuminoids, \ncomprising mainly curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The \npublished antioxidant effects of TE in humans have sparked interest and feeding \nstudies in companion animals. Studies describing the feeding of TE to cats are \nscarce and do not provide adequate toxicology data; regulatory approval is \nrequired to allow use of TE as a nutritional antioxidant in pet food. The \ncurrent study describes a safety test of TE in cats. Control cats were fed a \nstandard extruded dry diet whilst two groups of test cats were fed the same diet \nsupplemented with two different levels of TE for four months. Physical \nexamination, body weight, body condition score, food intake, fecal score, \nmonitoring of adverse effects (vomiting, diarrhea, clinical signs), complete \nblood count, and blood biochemistry (particularly liver enzymes) were used to \nmonitor toxicity signs. The lack of statistically significant effects of \nclinical or toxicological concern concludes that feeding TE to cats at a dietary \nlevel providing up to 1040 ppm total curcuminoids is safe. This allows future \napplication of this ingredient in cat food as a nutritional antioxidant.\n\nDOI: 10.3390/ani16091355\nPMCID: PMC13162889\nPMID: 42121775\n\nConflict of interest statement: All authors were employees of Mars Petcare \n(Royal Canin) at the time the study was conducted. Mars Petcare (Royal Canin) \nprovided funding for this study. Employees of Mars Petcare designed the study \nwith guidance of federal authorities, were involved in analysis and \ninterpretation of the data and with writing of the manuscript, as well.\n- Abstract (verbatim excerpt): \nJOURNAL:Animals (Basel) 2026\n1. Animals (Basel). 2026 Apr 28;16(9):1355. doi: 10.3390/ani16091355.\n\nA Tolerance Study of Turmeric Extract in Healthy Adult Cats.\n\nRaynaud E(1), Raasch M(1), Sanders W(\n\n","sources":[],"tokens_estimated":3251,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}