Cancer and constipation

[Hannah518]

Hello! My 13 year cat Iago started to loose weight rapidly. Too keep it short we did an ultra sound and they found nodules throughout his body and suspect cancer. He may only have a week- month with me but he’s suffering from costipation but with liquid/bright blood stools. He had an enema last week that cleared it up and was eating dry food but as soon as we started him back in the wet it started again! I gave him a stool softener which helped him pass liquid feces but there was still blood and inflammation of his bum.
He’s is very normal besides the poo. We are just trying to make him comfortable his remaining days. Any thoughts? Does wet food cause constipation? I was someone surprised. Both times we switched him tj various wet diets he gets constipated.

Thank you!
Hannah

 

[jefferd18]

I am so very sorry to hear about your baby boy- cancer is an insidious bastard. I pray that his time with you is long and comfortable.

I would not think wet food would cause constipation- in fact, it has been known to do the opposite. I am wondering if one of the tumors is not blocking his ability to have a bowel movement. Stress can also cause constipation.

Canned pumpkin can help, adding fiber to his diet, and also laxatives.

 

[Hannah518]

Thank you, I had wondered about the tumor blockage too. He had an enema last week and just wanted to eat dry for the days after and his poop seemed very normal again so I didn’t know if a blockage would allow even that but here we are again. He took lacutose this morning and had liquid right after. He passes poo but also blood that was pretty bright in color probably due to straining.

 

[jefferd18]

Thank you, I had wondered about the tumor blockage too. He had an enema last week and just wanted to eat dry for the days after and his poop seemed very normal again so I didn’t know if a blockage would allow even that but here we are again. He took lacutose this morning and had liquid right after. He passes poo but also blood that was pretty bright in color probably due to straining.

So you are having success with dry food? If that is the case I would just stick with the dry and I agree with you, if there was blockage, it wouldn't allow any waste to get through. He might be a little nausea and that is why he is preferring dry food instead of wet. Constipation or diarrhea can cause some blood in a cat's stool.

 

[Hannah518]

Yeah! I’m trying to stick to the dry food but he actually prefers the wet. I can’t seem to figure it out because it doesn’t make sense. He’s constipated but it’s diarrhea and dry food seems to give it more shape. I don’t know. Maybe it’s something in the food? It’s happened when he’s eaten fancy feast classic and Sheba perfect portions now

 

[FeebysOwner]

HI. Can you call the vet and tell them what your are experiencing and ask them if there is partial bowel blockage causing this. Usually, with bright red blood, it is near the anus/lowest part of the colon. If it were up farther, it wouldn't be bright red. I would encourage you to talk to the vet about this aspect. And, also ask about using something like a small amount of Miralax (1/8 tsp) added to his wet food and it if would be less drastic than the lactulose?

 

[Pouncecat1]

What medications are you treating him with? If it's cancer I would ask the vet about prednisolone and/or chlorambucil. Your cat may not have long to live but those medications can improve the time he has remaining.

My dog had cancer in his sinuses. He was on prednisolone for the last year of his life. I think it helped because 3 days after I ran out, he couldn't breathe and was struggling so we made the decision.

My cat has struggled with constipation for years and was recently diagnosed with possible lymphoma or inflammatory bowel disease. He is on both those medications (and no more bloody stools).

If he's losing a severe amount of blood, and is truly suffering, I would take the cat in and have him pass peacefully. Sometimes when you are at the end, it is not worth prolonging their pain (and yours). As it hurts you to watch them suffer.

 

[Pouncecat1]

Miralax is my go-to laxative.

 

[jefferd18]

If he is constipated it will sometimes come out looking like diarrhea. I would take the other two members advice and use Miralax.

As far as euthanizing him- he is your cat and you know him better than anyone ever could.

I am so sorry that you both are going through this.

 

[jefferd18]

Miralax is my go-to laxative.

He is not suffering.

 

[Jojo&Tutu]

Change of diet to poultry or rabbit pate might also help. My cat has nodules in pancreas and intestine but they so far are not cancerous but she was constipated & was in kidney failure and a change of diet with daily a little sub q fluids and she poops just fine and went into normal kidney values now. A home made diet is also recommended by my internal Med vet. More veggies in diet and stay away from red meat can make a big difference.

 

[Hannah518]

Thank you all for your advice!

I have consulted my vet. We tried pumpkin again. He hated it. I tried boiled chicken and bone broth and he hated it.

So I'm sticking to Sheba wet food Chicken and Tuna combo because it is his favorite. I think Chicken is easier for him to digest but he LOOOVES fish. I'm trying to gradually get him to just do the chicken pate because I too agree that poultry may be the better food for him.

I am also switching to Miralax and Benefiber instead of prescription laxative. I think it was actually too harsh on him. His stool is still soft right now but there was little to no blood today and more volume so he doesn't seem constipated. Christmas Eve day there was a little more shape and volume, a little blood towards the end but less. He is no longer hovering outside the litterbox or seemly straining when he goes. He is still eating his wet food well and nibbling on prescription glycobalance dry between meals.

As far as euthanizing him, I don't feel like we are there yet. He's still very cuddly, playing, jumping up on tables and beds, eating, etc. I have my eye out for when he is really struggling, as much as I love him, I don't want him to have to be in prolonged pain. His resting breaths per minute are still 24-26 average when hes' laying down, so I think his breathing is okay at the moment. I'm hoping to see improvement when his liquid prednisolone arrives in the next day or so.

He was on prednisolone in pill form which was helping. He hasn't taken it for over a week. I could only get him to take half the dose the last few times, so I have ordered it in liquid form to add to broth or some wet food. He just HATES pills and was ending up being very angry and stressed if I tried to force it down his throat, so once he stopped eating the treats, I stopped forcing it. Every time he'd find it in a wet food he'd swear off it, so I don't want to press my luck with the food he's actually eating.

I am also sneaking some cbd into the wet food. Trying to stay on one type of a food at the moment because I feel like his gut has been through so much trying to find a food he consistently likes.

Thank you all! I'm cherishing my moments with him and am just trying to make him as comfortable and loved as possible. I feel like he will tell me when it's time. He has a lot of fight though right now so I don't want to go there quite yet. I don't think he knows he's sick.

Thanks again for all the replies

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[Hannah518]

My man

 

[FeebysOwner]

Adorable pics!!! P.S. Don't even think about telling him he is sick- maybe he won't ever notice. He sure doesn't look like he knows!

 

[Hannah518]

I don’t know if that will work, but yeah! This was him today. He’s still got some oomf!

 

[Jojo&Tutu]

My cat was misdiagnosed with intestinal lymphoma without having a biopsy. Her stools were hard little rocks. She was eating venison and losing weight. After three ultrasounds over a 6 month period of time her new internal medicine vet said it was not lymphoma because her intestinal lining was not growing. Her kidney values were elevating even with sub q fluids. I was adding a teaspoon or two of organic Beechnut pumpkin baby food into her cat food. Her new vet recommended a change to a non red meat diet. I opened a can of Lotus Just Juicy Turkey and Lotus rabbit pate. She went to the rabbit pate can and gobbled it down. My vet recommended adding s probiotic and I added Proviable DC. I also added a small amount of EPAkiten. Her stools turned completely normal and her kidney values went normal too. Now I will get cat food made without the preservatives same as rabbit pate by Lotus. Her weight stabilized though it is a bit low. I can’t believe the change just from a change in food. The Lotus pate has more veggies and moisture the cat needs. It is also a unique protein. I am also doing sub q fluids. I give my cat licks of vanilla rice pudding after her sub q fluid that she craves and she comes to me now for sub q fluids because she wants that pudding. For pills or capsules I put it in a little food so it slides down easily. I hope this info helps your cat. I haven’t seen my cat do this well in years in spite of 17 years of IBD. By the way my cat could not tolerate prednisolone. She is on low dose compounded Budesonide and Amlodipine for blood pressure. I am also giving her 1/4 regular strength Pepsid AC and Zofran (Ondansetron) to relax her muscles and help her bowels move without over stimulating her to vomit after that she tended to do. Her values are normal now. Kidneys are stable now. I hope you can find a pate of non red meat for your kitty, Change of diet can help significantly especially in kidney failure and kidney failure can cause hard dry stools. Good luck with your kitty

 

[Hannah518]

Thank you so much for your reply! I’m so happy for your kitty! Unfortunately I think my kitty may have cancer. There was thickening in his intestinal wall.

He is verrrryyy picky eater in his old age. I’m seeing how he does before switching from the Sheba food. I have some duck as a backup. I may try rabbit if he gives up on these. Sometimes I think it’s a texture thing with him. Whyyyy lol. His bloodwork came back normal before the ultra sound. It’s been a few months though so I don’t know if anything has changed. I’ve done some urine strips and they all seem normal for the time being so that’s good.

 

[Hannah518]

Has anyone had their prednisolone in liquid form? I just got mine from the pharmacy and it says it has almond oil in it. I heard it was not good for cats but I called the pharmacy and they said it should be fine unless he has a specific reaction to it. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this?

 

[Jojo&Tutu]

Thank you so much for your reply! I’m so happy for your kitty! Unfortunately I think my kitty may have cancer. There was thickening in his intestinal wall.

He is verrrryyy picky eater in his old age. I’m seeing how he does before switching from the Sheba food. I have some duck as a backup. I may try rabbit if he gives up on these. Sometimes I think it’s a texture thing with him. Whyyyy lol. His bloodwork came back normal before the ultra sound. It’s been a few months though so I don’t know if anything has changed. I’ve done some urine strips and they all seem normal for the time being so that’s good.

My kitty has thickened intestinal lining and pancreas lining but her internal medicine vet checked it a few times in 6 months and it did not appear to grow like cancer would have so she feel it is not that. My kitty also had dry stools and was without diarrhea more common to cancer. Maybe check on a few months to see if there are significant changes. Chlorambucil -Leukeran is a Medicine often used for intestinal lymphoma. It can be used a couple times a week or even once every three weeks as there are different protocols. Wishing your kitty to feel better soon.