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Author: Dr. Cayla Iske, PhD
Updated: April 16, 2024
Papaya Support Information for Exotic Pets
Natural Science Papaya Support is designed to support your small pet’s digestive health. This award-winning supplement is timothy-hay based and uses active enzymes rather than the herbal ingredients used in our other Natural Science supplements.
Benefits of Papaya Support Enzymes for Exotic Mammals
Some pet parents may wonder, “how does papaya help with digestion?” Papain and bromelain, which are found in papaya and pineapple, are the active enzymes used in Natural Science Papaya Support. These enzymes break down proteins to aid in digestion, and also contain anti-inflammatory properties.
Common Digestive Issues in Exotic Mammals
The following serious digestive issues can lead to a variety of symptoms in rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and other small exotic pets.
- Motility issues, including Gastrointestinal Stasis
- Gastrointestinal inflammation (also known as digestive tract inflammation)
- Intestinal obstruction
- Diarrhea can occur in small pets for several reasons, but two common reasons can include GI upset from sudden diet changes, or frequent access to foods that are high in simple carbohydrates. Diarrhea can quickly dehydrate small animals and lead to even more serious health concerns such as GI stasis.
Supplements cannot treat these health concerns—if your pet is experiencing these conditions they must be seen by a veterinarian. As your vet develops a treatment and recovery plan for your pet, they may determine that Papaya Support will be helpful in assisting your little one on the road to recovery.
How do I Determine if My Pet Could Benefit from Papaya Support?
The digestive system is vitally important to the health and wellbeing of small mammals. Issues or disruptions in the digestive tract can lead not only to nutrient imbalances, but serious overall health concerns. Additionally, many health issues like stress and parasitic infection can manifest as symptoms related to digestive dysfunction.
Signs of Digestive Issues in Exotic Pets
- Reduction in food or water consumption
- Changes in animal weight or body condition
- Fecal changes, such as a complete lack of output, diarrhea, or changes in consistency, size, and frequency
- Large amounts of visible fur in the stools
- Reduced activity (lethargy)
- Odd or hunched postures
- Abdominal stretching
- Changes in your pet’s normal behavior
- Diagnosed or observed hairball issues
Because any of the above symptoms could be indicative of larger issues, it is important to visit (or at least call) your veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss your observations and determine next steps.
Upon a full examination, your vet may suggest additional diagnostics or therapies, including Papaya Support, as part of your animal’s treatment plan.
Ingredient Functionality
Fiber plays a key role in the digestive health of both herbivores and omnivores. While small herbivores require huge amounts of insoluble fiber and smaller amounts of soluble fiber in the diet, omnivores require fiber in the form of balanced soluble and insoluble sources to achieve optimal digestive health. This is why a complete and balanced diet is at the heart of maintaining healthy digestion for all species.
For herbivores such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas, offering a diversity of free choice grass hays in addition to high-fiber, uniform fortified food is one of the best ways to ensure adequate fiber. Omnivorous species such as rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils should have a complete and balanced food supplemented by a diversity of greens, grains, and other dietary items.
Natural Science Papaya Support was designed to accompany a complete and balanced diet to provide an extra boost of digestive aid. It was formulated specifically for small mammals, primarily containing timothy grass hay paired with ingredients contributing active enzyme activity to support and aid indigestion.
| Ingredient | Nutrient | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Timothy Grass | Insoluble Fiber | Promotes gut motility and a healthy gastrointestinal tract. |
| Papaya | Natural source of papain | Plant-based proteolytic enzymes that break down proteins to aid in the digestion process; anti-inflammatory to help to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation |
| Papain | Papain (active enzyme) | |
| Pineapple | Natural source of bromelain | |
| Bromelain | Bromelain (active enzyme) |
Is Papaya Support Good for Omnivores?
Like herbivores, small omnivores are prone to digestive issues as well. When fed in appropriate amounts, Natural Science Papaya Support can provide benefits to omnivores such as rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. The insoluble fiber, as well as active papain and bromelain enzymes, can offer some relief for omnivorous species experiencing digestive troubles.
As with any supplement, consult your veterinarian before adding a supplement to your pet’s diet.
Daily Feeding Recommendations
Herbivores (Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas)
- 1 to 2 tabs per day
Omnivores (Rats, Mice, Hamsters, Gerbils)
- 1/2 tablet per day
Supplement FAQs
Should Papaya Support be fed to young, pregnant, or nursing animals?
Papaya Support is not intended for animals going through these stages of life. Please work with your veterinarian to determine best treatment steps for young, pregnant, or nursing animals who may be experiencing GI issues.
Why Isn’t Natural Science Papaya Support Baked Like the Other Natural Science Supplements?
The active enzymes (papain and bromelain) in Natural Science Papaya Support are unable to survive the high temperatures of the baking process. For this reason, Papaya Support is compressed and tableted rather than baked. This ensures these valuable ingredients are protected and available to your pets.
How do I Choose Between Papaya or Digestive Support?
For information on deciding whether Digestive Support or Papaya Support is better for your little one’s health needs, please check out our blog on choosing between Papaya Support and Digestive Support.
How is Papaya Support Different from Digestive Support?
For information about the differences and similarities between Papaya Support and Digestive Support, please visit our blog post about the differences and similarities between Papaya Support and Digestive Support.
Other FAQs
When considering supplement additions to your pet’s diet, there are many questions to answer with your veterinarian’s help. Your pet’s health status, previous issues or conditions, and existing medications are just a few factors to consider. We’ve created a list of supplement-related FAQs to help answer some common questions. If this additional information does not answer your question or concern, please feel free to reach out to our knowledgeable customer care team!
Papaya Support is an award-winning product. It won SuperZoo’s Award for Best Small Animal Product in 2018.
