Pumpkin Cure??

[BAILEYSMUDGE]

Bailey is still constipated...? I've tried the pumpkin which I can get him to eat... i'm amazed... he doesn't mind it. It's been a day and a half... still no sign of relief... You think I should take him to the vet??? Other than that he's fine... he's playing, eating, curious (you know the cat curiosity thing)... I've changed his litter-type for the third time... I'm thinking this change-litter-thing might be upsetting him...????

[Lukka'sma]

Have you tried buying a product like this from your vet

Tonic-Lax
Tonic Lax is a mineral oil based cat laxative supplemented with Vitamins A, D2, E, B12, B1, Iron etc. For the removal of cat fur balls or for use in cats or dogs prone to constipation.
To get the cat to eat it just smear it on the cat's front paw and it will be licked clean.
Also do you have any place in your basement perhaps a crawl space with dirt floor that your cat could be using for a litter box and you just haven't gotten a whiff of the proceeds yet? Sounds gross I know but anything is possible.

[Jim Hall]

i would give huim another day as long as he doesnt seem to be in pain you can usually tell when cats are constipayed they cant get comfy and wonnt curl up my cat does that sometomes too go fpr a 48 hr period with no bowel movement

[BAILEYSMUDGE]

No...not yet...but, I'm fast getting to that stage... if nothing tonight... I'm taking him in tomorrow morning...

[ancientgirl]

I'd take him to the vet if he hasn't gone by tomorrow.

[krdahmer]

I'd give it till tomorrow, then take him in. Two of my girls sometimes only go every other day, depends on how much they've eaten, or if they are working on a hair ball.

Have you also checked the house for 'accidents' under beds etc? He may have gone somewhere inappropriate (with the aid of the pumpkin) and it just doesn't smell bad enough for you to notice? That's a long shot, but it has happened here once or twice.

[BAILEYSMUDGE]

Will do... thanx... I hate to see any animal suffer.... although...truthfully, they seem quite happy and playful...and they're still eating....that's what is keeping me thinking positive... I finally broke down and gave Bailey a tsp of Olive Oil... so that's like a double whammy... Hopefully, when I get home (I'm at work) there will be a contribution to the litter box.

[sugarcatmom]

I'm wondering, what does Bailey eat? He's awful young to be getting constipated this much. Constipation in cats is frequently a dehydration issue, and adding more fibre to the diet without extra water can sometimes compound the problem. If you're just feeding him dry at this point, I highly recommend changing over to canned and maybe adding a couple teaspoons of extra water. You can also mix a few drop of olive oil or salmon oil in to lube things up a bit.

Please do not use any products with mineral oil in them. It's an indigestable petroleum by-product that cannot be eliminated from the body, possibly resulting in an inflammatory response as the body tries to deal with this foreign "invader". I know that it's commonly prescribed by vets, but it shouldn't be. If Bailey requires a laxative, you'd be better off using something like Miralax.

Let us know how things "go".

[14+kitties]

The dosage for olive oil for a cat for hairballs is 1/2 tsp. taken from ....

http://www.best-cat-tips.com/catgrooming.htm

My trick that worked wonders for me (well, my cats) was butter or vaseline smeared on their front paws. They lick it off and whammo, no more hairball. That is if it is a hairball. Your best bet if there is no sign of bowel movement is to take kitty to the vet which is what you said you were doing.

[BAILEYSMUDGE]

He seems to be enjoying the pumpkin (Go know!).... this is the first time this has happened... I haven't seen a hairball yet from either of the brothers... I read about the mineral oil in one of your other responses (that's what got me to join in on the forum) It scared me. and I think you also suggested the Olive Oil in its place.... I love my boys so much

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by BAILEYSMUDGE

... this is the first time this has happened...

Oops, sorry, for some reason I thought he'd been constipated a few times.

So, what do your boys eat?

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

So, what do your boys eat?

Just found your other thread where you mention Medi-cal Preventive canned and dry T/D. No doubt these were recommended by your vet . You may be surprised to learn that most vets are not the best source of nutrition information, especially where cats are concerned. You see, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they MUST eat meat and can exist quite happily never consuming grains or vegetables or fruit or really any plant matter. In fact, eating too many of these starches can actually cause them a great deal of harm in the long run. But guess what?? ALL of the dry food out there (even the really high-end expensive stuff that brags about it's "grain-free-ness") has some degree of starch in it; it has to in order to make the kibble shape. Some dry is worse than others, and I hate to tell you this, but T/D is one of the worst. Here are the main ingredients:

Ingredients
Chicken By-Product Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose 10% (source of fiber), Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor,....preserved with BHT and BHA...

Full of grains and other nastiness (BHA/BHT are potentially carcinogenic and not used anymore in most other pet foods). A whopping 30% of the calories come from carbohydrates, when cats shouldn't be eating more than 10%. And there is no actual muscle meat in this food! Don't get me started on the powdered cellulose (basically sawdust!). Not to mention the premise that dry food does anything for dental care, which in a carnivore that is designed to tear it's food with sharp pointy teeth, not grind it between flattened molars, is completely misguided. Does your dentist tell you to eat cookies and pretzles to clean your teeth? Same idea. So ya, do your kitties a favour and ditch the T/D.

I have a similarly harsh opinion of the Medi-cal Preventive based again on the poor ingredients. The only thing going for it is that it's a wet food, which is incredibly important for cats. Because they evolved in the desert, they're designed to get their water intake with their food and consequently have a very low thirst drive. Cat's fed only dry have chronic low-level dehydration, no matter how much you see your cat drinking. This can lead to kidney and urinary tract problems. But since the ingredients in Medi-cal ain't so hot and you'd be better off finding a higher quality canned food (probably cheaper, too).

If you're interested in an easy read about feline nutrition, check out this site: http://www.catinfo.org/