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My constipated cat. Help!
My cat is constipated and it hasn’t been the first time. A few weeks ago I took my cat to the vet which he took x-rays and saw that he had a large size stool inside this colon and an abnormal kidney which seems to be functioning normally. He is a little on the larger side of his weight, he used to be an outdoor cat until I moved about a month ago, he eats dry food which I have just switched to wet. Also, In the past my cat had fractured this pelvis and so I think this might be another big factor to why he gets constipated. When he was taken for a few nights the vet gave him an enema a day =4 , IV’s, pain killers, and provided me with amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium for a week. What the Doc did was break the stool into pieces by placing his hand under his colon which took 4 days for my cat to actually have a bowl movement.
So last night my cat was having the same contractions as he did the first time he was constipated, so I gave him wet food drenched in olive oil, dripped water into his mouth, and made him run around a little in the house. So at night he ended up having 2 bowl movements! Thank God! And in the morning one more time and it was nice and soft. I hate when this happens, I feel like this is going to keep happening to him. I don’t really know what to do, I called my doc and I’m going to be picking up a stool softener for him. But as of that I’m planning on giving wet food with olive oil, buying canned pumpkin and maybe some powdered Metamucil. If anyone has been in my situation please help, I don’t want this to happen again. Its too much pain and strain for my cat. Any help will help. |
#2
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I am sorry to hear about your poor kitty.
Slippery elm bark is great to help with constipation. Here is some information about it.... http://www.littlebigcat.com/?action=...em=slipperyelm Will he chase a laser light at all? They are good for cats that need to be exercised. |
#3
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I have a girl cat that has had constipation issues for a long long time - usually about every three months. We are over a really bad episode (I hope). She had major constipation for the last couple of weeks. I finally took her to the vet again because she would strain so hard that she would throw up. The vet put her under for about ten minutes and completely cleaned her out. He also gave her an anema (while she was under) and popped one of her anal glands. This is a new vet and my old vet never cleaned her out. The new vet said that there was a huge blockage at the front of her anal opening that seems to have been there for quite some time. We now have her on Lactulose (a stool softner) and 100% pure pumpkin. It took her about 3 days after her fiasco at the vet to actually have a stool. But since Tuesday she has been pretty regular. I had tried slippery elm for 4 days before I took her to the vet with no response. I may try it again because I am thinking nothing really would have worked because she was so blocked up....The vet had also given me a stool softner called melaxicam.
Sounds like your cat got stressed out from the move??? My vet says that alot of cats that get stressed will get constipated. He thinks that my cat is a little worry wart |
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I have a big, somewhat portly tabby with a history of constipation. He's never needed an enema, but lactulose, pumpkin (which he won't eat ) and Metamucil have all been on the menu. He's been fine for a long time now. My cats do eat quality kibble, but they also get canned morning and night (and sometimes in between). An all-canned diet is optimal, so their gut is well hydrated.
Even if the problem is structural (megacolon), it can still often be managed by keeping tabs on the situation and acting quickly. This sometimes means lurking around the litter box . I never use any remedy for longer than necessary. You want their systems to function normally; the remedy is a kick-start (excluding really severe cases which may require prolonged treatment. But even then, try to get whatever dose and/or frequency down to a minimum, while still remaining effective). So since he won't eat pumpkin, Badger gets two or three days of Metamucil mixed into his wet food - maybe a half-teaspoon - and when things get rolling again, I stop. Lactulose I reserve for when nothing else works (he hates the taste). I would say don't panic, watch his diet and his litterbox activity and if he seems to be straining, dose him (one remedy at a time). All other things being equal (no fever, no loss of appetite, no blood in his stool), it is more a management problem. Or, maybe in your cat's case, it's a one-off? Time will tell. |
#5
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hi
you said that the vet see an abnormal kidney, but to say that he is functionning normally did he done the test to see if it's everything was ok? like a blood test? a urinary test? Because sometimes problems about kidney is related of problems of constipation. how old is your cat? give us some details please and maybe ask your vet about that?? |
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My cat is about 6 years old. The reason for the x-ray was to see how large the stool was inside his colon, that is when my vet noticed that this kidney was abnormal, but it seems to be alright because my vet didn’t mention anything about his kidney and said if there was a problem with it he would let me know.
3 nights ago I bought canned pumpkin and have been mixing it with my cats wet food, he doesn’t really enjoy eating it and neither does my other cat who has no health concerns. I’m planning on giving the canned pumpkin with all meals today and for tomorrow just in the morning and night with the wet food and in between giving them the dry food which they enjoy eating. Let me know if I should try something else, feed the pumpkin in a different way, or anything.... advice on this would be greatly appreciate! |
#7
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There is a cat food called Almo Natural which has a flavour Chicken and Pumpkin canned. Global here in Kingston ON sells it.
http://www.almonature.co.uk/cat_prod...=2&id=97&lng=3
__________________
Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#8
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How old is your cat? Has he had any recent blood work and a urinalysis?
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Something else that might be worth trying is aloe vera juice (with no sodium benzoate as a preservative - Lily of the Desert inner leaf juice is a good choice). 5-10 drops mixed in with food twice a day is a reasonable dose. Also Vet's Best Cat lube and Vetbasis hairball gel are good preventative options. Hope some of this helps! ETA - here's another link that might have useful info: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body...megacolon.html
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler Last edited by sugarcatmom; December 22nd, 2008 at 06:14 PM. Reason: add another link |
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My 9 year old male cat, Pip, has had chronic constipation issues for 2+ years. I have had him on stool softeners and medications such as Cisapride and Dulcolax. He has had enemas by the vet and has had to be sedated several times to remove impacted feces. Kitty Lax and other hairball pastes work if he doesn't flip all of it off of his paws and nose. My latest trick is to put the hairball paste into an EZ dose medicine syringe and squirt it into his mouth. I think if he gets enough in his system each day, it should do the trick. I have to sit on the floor with Pip facing me. I put one leg over his body so that he can't escape during this process. So far, it seems to be working. Any hairball paste that contains mineral oil should work. Try this and let me know if it works for your kitty. |
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I'd strongly advise not squirting anything with mineral oil into a cat's mouth. If they were to accidently aspirate some, it will cause lipoid pneumonia. Chronic use also interferes with nutrient absorption in the intestinal tract, and can result in an inflammatory response as the cat's body attempts to get rid of this petroleum by-product. There are much safer options.
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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Thanks for your input sugarcatmom, I don’t think I will be using Metamucil right now, just gonna stick to what I’m doing for now and observe my kitty. But that was really good to know that I gotta add lots of H20 to it.
As of the Slipper Elm Bark, where can I find this? Is it a liquid, tab, or ointment? What size should I get? And how much and frequently should I be administering it? Sorry I’m asking a lot of questions it’s just that I have never heard of this? Also, I have an Aloe Vera plant in my house, can I actually cut a piece of the plant and mix the liquid from inside it into the food? Or I no way!? Thanks for all your help People.. |
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Quote: As of the Slipper Elm Bark, where can I find this? Is it a liquid, tab, or ointment? What size should I get? And how much and frequently should I be administering it?
Here are a few sites I have come across for slippery elm. It even has advice on constipation in kitties http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...em=slipperyelm http://www.harpsie.com/constipation....ppery_elm_bark |
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I prefer smaller doses more frequently, which is why the 100mg 4X/day instead of 400mg all at once. One caution with slippery elm is that if your cat is on any medication, make sure not to give it within an hour of the meds. It can interfer with their absorption. Quote:
Good luck, and let us know how things work out.
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#14
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Cat constipation
My cat Tonali was constipated as a kitten quite often. The vet gave us a product called 'laxatone', which worked fine but was also quite expensive... A small amount of petroleum jelly works fine as well. Twice a day until stools soften!
Good luck
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Helper to: Cookie July 1st 1999 f/ RIP July 31st 2008 -cat Tonali June 3rd 2007 f -cat Elphin April 21st 2008 m -cat Stibule(Gino,Airell,Katla,Rasta)June 6th 2009 f- cat Gino Ferrero April 8th 2010 m -cat Airell Awenn Awnfenn Ep Berrth April 8th 2010 f- cat Katla Chilam Balam April 8th 2010 f- cat Rasta Farian Marley April 9th 2010 m- cat Chipcat-Filou found June 12th 2011 (Ocicat 6months old) f-cat Jane the Snow Cat rescued Dec27th 2012 f- cat |
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Megacolon
This is my 1st post here. My name is Lori I have an 11 yr old male cat that was diagnosed with megacolon around a year ago. Lately it's been getting harder to treat, he is on Cisipride 3x a day which does not seem to be as a effective as it used to be.....he can go days without pooping. Right before Thanksgiving he had to be knocked out and manually cleaned out by the vet.....this past week he was there 2x & had 2 enemas (Mon & Thurs). The vet says he should go no longer than 1-2 days without a bowel movement....not only is it stressfull on my cat & myself to do this to him but my pocketbook can not keep up with this anymore. Medication costs about $100 a month & enemas even MORE. I see there are alot of you that have gone through this here & am looking for any help or advice I can get, I am at the end of my ropes here, I just don't know what to do anymore, surgery has been suggested but it is very costly, there is no guarantee that it will cure him & I don't think I want to put him through such major surgery, leaving only one other option, putting him to sleep....just the thought sends me into tears....I would appreciate any feedback
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Hi Lori, welcome to the board. I'm sorry to hear that you're kitty has megacolon, it is such a frustrating condition to deal with. What does your cat eat?
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#18
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3 weeks ago my vet put my cat under a mild anasthesia, applied an anema and cleaned out a huge blockage. Although my cat has constipation issues (not a megacolon that I am aware of) and she has stools every 3-4days. The vet says this is okay as long as she is not straining, in pain, throwing up, and the stools are not super hard. He is happy as long as the stools are abundant when she does have a stool. But he has told me that if she goes to 5 days without a stool than I have to bring her in. I have lost many hours of sleep worrying about her but I am coming to terms with the fact that she is normal in every other aspect except her pooping habits. I also am starting to believe that maybe some cats are just more speradic in their bowel movements. Is your cat straining or in pain after 2 days with no bowel movement? If not, than maybe it is time to find another vet. Get a 2nd or 3rd opinion. I would not be able to afford taking my cat in to the vet every couple of days either. This has never been an option with my vet. He has told me to call him when I get concerned and he will make the decision if I should bring her in or not. He also told me that the stool softner "Lactulose" can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy. I save 5-6 times the amount I would spend paying for this at a vets office.
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Khari Mom to Libby (4 Month Old Kitten) 🐈 |
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It is very frustrating, It makes me cry.......he eats Iams in the can & some Purina One Naturals(dry)(it says it's easy to digest) I limit him the dry food, but he loves that the most.....he is a very picky eater....I also let him have some cold cuts(turkey,chicken,roast beef) I use the cold cuts mainly to hide his pills in(he's a sweetie but when it comes to taking pills not so sweet) I also sometimes hide his pill in a blob of cream cheese, eventually he catches on to me no matter what I do. I love this cat soooo much this is killing me........
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#20
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Believe me I love this cat more than anything, I've had cats my whole life but I have a special bond with this one & vice versa.....the last thing I want to do is put him to sleep, I just wonder if I'm being selfish putting him through all this because I'm not ready to let him go. Again about the Lactulose, you said I can get this over the counter? & if so what dosage do you give your cat? Thank you so much to evryone that has answered me.....I appreciate it more than you know. |
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And thank you Khari for the link to yahoo....it's amazing just how many people & their cats are dealing with this.
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I know it is sad how many people have cats with megacolon and constipation issues...I am a firm believer that it is because of the commercial pet food that we are feeding our pets. But that is a whole other forum
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Khari Mom to Libby (4 Month Old Kitten) 🐈 |
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I also forgot to mention that alot of exercise is good for constipated kitties... Lexus is a very timid cat and I have been trying to chase her around the house for some exercise....doesn't work very well because she gets so terrified. Thinks I am going to murder her or something Pelase keep me updated...
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Khari Mom to Libby (4 Month Old Kitten) 🐈 |
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I'm just noticing that alot of people are from Canada, that's probably why you can get it over the counter. It figures I'd find a forum in another country!...LOL...was just searching the internet for any info & stumbled across this forum, that's ok though I like having others that know what we're going through I keep telling my husband we need to move to Canada, things here in the US keep getting worse! I will keep you posted. |
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Tyler is in good spirits today....hasn't had a bowel movement since his enema on Friday. I got the Lactulose from Rite Aid today...he is to get 1 tspn 2x a day, that did not go well, he threw it right up both times,any suggestions on that? He is on the Cisipride 2 pills 2x a day. I also had him playing with and chasing a paperball to give him some exercise......how long to I give him before I call the vet again??
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#27
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Have you tried changing Tyler to a better quality canned food? Maybe adding some warm water to it to make it a little soupy. Do you leave fresh water out for him at all times? Cats are notourious for not drinking enough water. It is imperitive cats get an adequate amount of water daily in order to have everything functioning properly.
Also, have you tried adding pure pumpkin to his diet? Not the pie filling. The pure pumpkin. It acts both as a laxative and for diarrhea. A tblsp mixed in with his canned food may help.
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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me. We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD! |
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Khari Mom to Libby (4 Month Old Kitten) 🐈 |
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