Older cat with bowel problems... please help!

[pittsburghcats]

Hello,

I have a 12 year old cat who is unable to have a bowel movement without the use of laxatives. I have taken her to the vet and he doesn't know the underlying cause, just that her rectum is not working as well as it should. The problem is, she keeps getting filled up with poo, and every time she does we need to take her to the vet to get cleaned out (which is not cheap). So far she has gotten cleaned out twice in the past 5 months. I've gotten her to the point where she has a bowel movement every 3 days or so, but she is still filling up. Currently she is receiving prescription laxative twice a day as well as mineral oil in her food. I can't keep shelling out money to get her cleaned out every couple of months... but I cannot bear to think of putting down an otherwise healthy and happy cat purely for money reasons. This is causing an immense amount of stress between my boyfriend and I for we love this cat very much and don't want to put her down. Does anyone have any other home remedies for cat laxatives? Any help is greatly appreciated!

[sugarcatmom]

This can be such a frustrating problem to deal with! My first question is, what does she eat? And also, how long has this been going on?

[mummummum]

The problem with stimulant laxatives is that they can cause constipation including constipation caused by colonic inertia.

You don't mention whether your cat is taking any otc / prescribed medicines. I don't know about cats but in hoomans thyroid issues and diabetes can lead to constipation.

[pittsburghcats]

She eats dry food in the morning- when we wake up we put down just enough dry food to last our two cats for most of the day until either my boyfriend or I come home. Then for dinner she gets wet food with mineral oil mixed in. It is hard to say exactly how long this has been going on because she was living with my mother up until Jan '10. I believe she has been having problems since the middle of last year.

[pittsburghcats]

she isn't on any other medication other than the prescription laxative

[LavenderRott]

Can you tell us the name brand of the foods?

[pittsburghcats]

both the wet and dry food are Hills Science Diet for senior cats

[LavenderRott]

While vets across North America swear that Science Diet is the best thing to hit the pet food market since the invention of kibble - it is nutritional garbage. You should go to the cat food forum (http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=81) and do some looking around. We have several members who have spent hours upon hours researching foods and would be able to recommend something better to feed that should help your cat out.

[pittsburghcats]

LavenderRott- thank you so much, I will look into that!

[catlover2]

Some people have had success with baby food pure squash instead of harsh laxatives. Any canned food is better than dry kibble food. But it's also possible that being constipated so much that it has stretched your cat's colon, and now has "megacolon".

You may also want to read through the posting in this thread on Megacolon.
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=69825

[Khari]

Hi,

There is hope - please do not give up! I am happy to see you are looking for ways to rectify this condition. That is great

Has your vet taken xray's of your kitties colon? Has he said it looks streched/enlarged? Has he mentioned Feline megacolon? My cat had the same problems as your kitty is having. At first she was diagnosed with constipation but it then progressed into megacolon. Is the vet porscribed stool softner called lactulose? My cat was on this as well and it STOPPED working for her. I use a stool softner now called Miralax that is amazing. With megacolon it is most likely a motility issue. The cats muscles in the colon can not push the stool out on their own (because the colon is really stretched). So a motility drug is usually required along with Miralax. I use Miralax & Cisapride on a daily basis. Does not mean your kitty needs both but I want you to know there is hope. All your kitty may need is the Miralax. You can buy Miralax OTC at a pharmacy or off the shelf in the medication section at Walmart. It is a tastelss/odourless powder that can be added to your kitties canned food (with some water).

Another thing is you may want to try a low fibre food grain free canned food (MAX fibre content of 1 to 1.5%). Most dry foods have a higher fibre content. Fibre does not do well with some kitties (especially severley constipated / megacolon kitties) because it bulks up the stool making it even harder to pass. And the kitties are already having a hard time passing stools.

I belong on a group on yahoo "Feline Megacolon" that deals with constipation and megacolon in felines http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline_Megacolon/ Come on over and join for some support and advice. There is alot of info in the files and archives for you to look over and take to your vet if he is not versed in megacolon.