Clearing Bowel Obstruction Without Surgery?

Willowy

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Most kibbles have around 400 calories per cup, so 1/4 cup would have 100 calories, which for a 5-pound cat is 20 calories per pound. I'd expect an adolescent to eat more but that's certainly sufficient, and if she's given all she wants you can't exactly make her eat more than she wants.

:vibes:that its isn't an obstruction and she feels better soon!
 

maggiedemi

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I'll have to respectfully disagree that 1/4 cup of food in an entire day is enough for any cat to survive on. I'll have to unsubscribe from this thread because it's upsetting me too much.
 
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jesmb

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Most kibbles have around 400 calories per cup, so 1/4 cup would have 100 calories, which for a 5-pound cat is 20 calories per pound. I'd expect an adolescent to eat more but that's certainly sufficient, and if she's given all she wants you can't exactly make her eat more than she wants.

:vibes:that its isn't an obstruction and she feels better soon!
Thank you! Getting her x-ray now, I'm thinking good thoughts.
 
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jesmb

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I'll have to respectfully disagree that 1/4 cup of food in an entire day is enough for any cat to survive on. I'll have to unsubscribe from this thread because it's upsetting me too much.
I'm sorry that this is bothering you so much. Please understand, I love my kitten like she's my baby, and this whole blockage experience has been deeply upsetting for me. The suggestion that I am in some way not providing appropriate care to my cat is even more so. I've done some more research and confirmed with my vet again this morning that she is eating the right amount of food. She is eating the appropriate amount, has been weighing the appropriate amount, and aside from this moment, is otherwise healthy. She also has access to wet and dry food at all times, and this is how much she chooses to eat. I have some links below that may help you understand. The first shows that for her weight (4 pounds), she is eating the appropriate amount. The second shows that how much each individual cat should eat varies, and the third shows how much a cat should gain each month, which matches her weight gain - I weigh her weekly. You of course can unfollow this thread, that's entirely your decision, but please, don't judge a pet owner for doing what is right for their pet, just because it's different than you.

How Much Should I Feed My Cat? | petMD
How Much To Feed Your Cat | Ask The Cat Doctor
Normal Weight for a Kitten
 

Brian007

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:hellosmiley:

How about giving her indigestion medicine?

Ranitidine
(Zantac) is an indigestion remedy that helps with trapped wind amongst other digestive ailments. It is both a human over-the-counter and veterinary medicine.

Simethicone (Gas-X, Mylicon) is another over-the-counter gas expelling medicine that is used both for humans and cats.

Catnip
is very good at sorting all digestive ailments. You could grind some up and mix it with the coconut oil.

Unsweetened pumpkin will also disperse gas.

Vaseline smeared onto her paws for her to lick off would help lubricate her insides, making the obstruction easier to pass. A good dollop on both paws and a smudge on her mouth for good measure.

Get her moving!!! The more she moves the better. Play a wand game like Da Bird with her. If she's too poorly, gently walk her around between your hands and legs. Do this often.

Make sure she's drinking plenty of water. If she's not, syringe it into her mouth frequently.

I'd definitely try all of the above if it were me, and I'd try them today (if it were me, that is).

What are you feeding her? Diet is often a culprit.

:goodluck:
 

Brian007

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I'll probably get a right old ear bashing for suggesting this, but cows milk is an assured laxative. Most cats are intolerant to it (like many humans) but it doesn't cause problems other than the runs. Brian was one of the lucky few who wasn't intolerant to cows milk, he loved his wee splash of milkies. But I digress.
 
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jesmb

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Final Update - it's a blockage! Derby, who has never tried to eat something other than food, decided to eat what the vet thinks is a small plastic wrapper. My boyfriend and I both just got over bronchitis and laryngitis, so it's probably a cough drop wrapper. No concerns of it wrapping up in the intestines, and her x-rays show good movement from yesterday, so surgery is off the table. Someone will be home with her 24/7 until it passes. Thank you so much for the advice and well wishes! And yes, we're upping her wet food. No dry food until she's back to normal.
 

foxxycat

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I always feed as much as my girls want to eat-then monitor weight- they get 2/3 cup of dry food daily plus a small can of wet food=fancy feast in a bowl with a can of water added. We use canned pumpkin for the young one who has a bad habit of eating anythign on the floor-we have to make sure no little washers/nuts/parts other junk that she would eat=we don't have crumbs on the floor-she eats them..I would continue to feed as much as the cat wants to eat for the time being=more stool pushes the object out of said colon. 1/4 cup isnt enough to sustain. I would bump it up to 1/2 cup. do 1/4 cup every 12 hours. Monitor weight.
 

jcat

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I'll have to respectfully disagree that 1/4 cup of food in an entire day is enough for any cat to survive on. I'll have to unsubscribe from this thread because it's upsetting me too much.
The quantity fed is dependent on the quality of the kibble. I have two types of grain-free kibble here to use for snacks - Wildcat and Vet-Concept. The feeding recommendation is 1/4 cup per day for a 5+ kg (11 lb.) cat.
 

orange&white

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Five month old kittens usually eat up to twice as much as adult cats. When my kitten was 5 months last year, she was eating over 250 kcals per day. She did go from 4lbs to 6lbs between 4-5 months old. She topped out at 9 pounds as an adult and now eats 160 kcals per day.

Anyway.....jesmb says the kitten has free access to food 24/7 and the vet thinks the weight is good, which 5 pounds for a 5 month old kitten is right at the "average" for growth. I would expect the kitten may eat more food after this obstruction passes, but if it's getting all the food it wants to eat and is gaining about a pound a month, then it seems on track.
 

Willowy

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She's a 4-pound cat! That's tiny! Tiny cats will eat less than normal cats! I'm not even sure how this got to be an issue, lol.

Yay! I'm glad they figured it out. Yeah, a cough drop wrapper should pass without any trouble, you must be so relieved. Silly cats, eating things they shouldn't.
 

foxxycat

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The quantity fed is dependent on the quality of the kibble. I have two types of grain-free kibble here to use for snacks - Wildcat and Vet-Concept. The feeding recommendation is 1/4 cup per day for a 5+ kg (11 lb.) cat.
Yes it does depend on the kibble. Wellness has more calories per cup verses Purina cat chow.. That is a correct statement. I was going on the basis of average cat food which is 150 to 200 calories a cup- Wellness is 500-600 calories a cup. I guess I am used to feeding on the heavy side because my young cat is extremely active.
 

orange&white

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When my kitten was 4 months and 4 pounds, she ate over 300 kcals per day. Maybe that's why she gained 2 pounds that first month. :p

Yes, it is good news that the source of the obstruction has been identified and it sounds like you're almost out of the woods now. :yess:
 
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Brian007

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J jesmb I recommend you look up 'PICA' syndrome. It is when a cat eats non-edible, non-foodstuff and can lead to all kind of tummy troubles. Brian had it big time and would eat anything not nailed down - in fact, he'd probably have eaten the nail given half the chance. I very quickly learned to be super scrupulous with my cleanliness (since gone to pot a bit now that he's no longer with me to kick me up the backside) and would instruct every visitor to be equally vigilant. He'd eat elastic bands, bits of bottle tops, wires, paper clips, all sorts of scrummy plastic, bits of wood, metal, paper, crayons, the list goes on and on and on. I once found him with a spool of cotton that he'd swallowed a good metre or so of the thread, and it was tightly bound around his tongue and he was choking to death. He was a very clever cat, albeit stupid if you get my meaning, and he allowed me to delve into his mouth to unravel the thread, which was cutting into his inflamed tongue, without the merest hint of protest or squirming. We both practically passed out on the floor in a heap of tears and purrs when he was finally free. It gives me the shivers just thinking of it now.

Anyway, be wary of tempting bits of plastic!
 

AbbysMom

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I just looked at Abby's dry food. 4 lbs = 1/4 cup.

food.jpg


jesmb also said they supplement.

I supplement daily with wet food, extra water, coconut oil, and fat free plain greek yogurt.
We are not vets here, have never seen this cat and do not know what type of dry she is on. If this cat's vets think the cat is healthy and getting enough nutritionally, then I would certainly think we should believe that.

Can we please get back to the blockage, which is why jesmb posted?

I'm so glad that you an avoid this surgery, J jesmb ! Please let us know how "poop watch" goes.
 
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