Cat can’t poo

[CJ1980]

I have an almost 1 year old tuxedo boy. Last week (Thursday night) I noticed he threw up one of my silicone earplugs. I know that’s terrible. After that he seemed to be acting fine, playing, eating, etc. But that is the last day he pooped. I give him wet food 2x a day and add warm water to it, make sure he has plenty of water.

He’s still acting completely fine but just can’t go. I have a call into the vet for Monday as they are off tomorrow. I don’t think he ate anything else. Is there anything I should be doing? I’m so nervous and keep staring at him wishing he would just go.

 

[Caspers Human]

Cats can miss a day, maybe two, at the litter box but any more than that spells trouble.

If it's just constipation, a little laxative such as Miralax can help but, if your cat ate something he shouldn't have, there could be an intestinal blockage. That's bad!

You feed wet food and give plenty of water. You mention the possibility that your cat may have swallowed a foreign object. I have my doubts as to whether this is just simple constipation.

You need to call a vet, ASAP.

Does your vet have an answering service or is there a 24-hour hotline you can call?

Is there an Veterinary Emergency Hospital within traveling range?

A conscientious vet will examine your cat and take X-rays to see what's going on, inside. They may try other tests such as blood, urine or stool samples.

They may give medicines like laxatives or other things. They may give your cat an enema.

If your cat swallowed something he shouldn't have, it may mean surgery to remove the blockage.

If nothing is done, feces and waste will back up inside your cat's intestines and cause something called "megacolon." His intestines will swell up, inside him, and it will be impossible for him to go to the bathroom, normally. If this happens, surgery is your only option to save him. If megacolon becomes severe, there may be no chance for recovery.

When things go wrong, it's okay to say, "Watch and wait and see," but this has been going on for more than a day or so.

We have gone beyond the "wait and see" period and are now in "call a vet" mode.

If this goes on for much longer, we will be in "emergency" mode. We could be at that point, now.

If you don't do something soon, there is a definite possibility that we'll go from "wait and see" to "call a vet" or "emergency" modes to "making funeral arrangements."

I'm not trying to scare you but, neither am I kidding around. CALL A VET, ASAP!

Hoping your cat gets better, soon!
Thoughts and prayers be with you!
Sending get-well vibes!

 

[CJ1980]

Sorry I’m just seeing this. He ended up going to the litter box shortly after I posted this and has been pretty much ok all week. I noticed yesterday he had some trouble, but eventually went. Today he went to the litterbox and nothing. I’m only giving wet food and took away his dry food. I also added water to the wet.

I’m not sure it this is just constipation or something else. Would he still be going throughout the week if there was a blockage? I have a call into the vet and I’ll bring him in to get checked anyway.

 

[Caspers Human]

There could be a partial blockage or there could be some other thing causing problems.

Like I said, it's okay for a cat to skip a day but it could still be a problem if it happens all the time. Skipping should only be an occasional thing. A cat should be able to completely eliminate its bowels. (Humans too! ) We defecate to get rid of feces and built-up metabolic waste. If we aren't eliminating completely, waste is hanging around inside the body and that's, obviously, not good for health.

What you need to do is keep track of how much your cat eats and estimate how frequently he goes to the litter box and how much he eliminates. If the amount going in is roughly equal to the amount coming out, you're okay. If output is less than input, there's a problem that needs to be taken care of, soon.

Yes, I agree with you. A trip to the vet is necessary. I'm happy to hear that he's out of "emergency" territory but I still don't think he's out of the woods, yet. A vet will be able to tell, for sure.

Your question is a particular concern of mine. Our cat, Casper, has a perineal hernia (a small tear in the muscles surrounding the rectum) which makes it hard for him to defecate. We had to rush him to the vet, once, for an emergency because he hadn't gone for more than three days. The vet took X-rays and diagnosed megacolon. Casper had to stay in the hospital for two days and a night to get enemas and medicine. She said it was a "close call." If it went on any longer, we could have lost him.

We had to take him in a second time for the same reason. Luckily we caught it in time.

The solution to Casper's problem would be surgery to repair the muscle tear but that would cost $4,000 or more but we can't afford it. Instead, we keep Casper on medication to make him go to the bathroom more often and we feed him 1/4 teaspoon of Miralax, mixed in his food to make his stool softer so that it's easier for him to go.

Casper's health has been good but we have to keep him on medicine and laxatives, every day or else the problem will come back. We also try to feed at least 50% wet food and make sure he gets plenty of water, just the same as you do.

I understand the kind of problem you've been having with your cat. From experience, I know it's a sh*tty thing to have to go through.
(Pun intended! )

I'm not saying that your cat has the same problem as Casper but it sure sounds similar. At the point you are, now, I'd say that the best thing to do is go to the vet. Hopefully, this is just a passing thing. Maybe just an office visit and some medicine. I'd really hate to see you and your cat have to go through what we did with Casper.

Glad to hear that your cat is, at least temporarily, on the mend!

Fingers still crossed!

Casper says, "Meow!"