Cat constipated for the past 4 days. Nothings working. Help:(

[4cats1house]

Hello all. I’ve been lurking on this site trying to find help for my cat, Jesus. He’s 13 and unfortunately was in a car accident a few years ago where his hips became narrow as they healed. We have been dealing with constipation and have had a few vet visits with enemas, which worked right away and we are done. However this time is different and I’m seriously lost

I took him to the er vet Thursday night for an enema. The vet wanted to put him to sleep and manually evacuate but I didn’t not feel comfortable doing that since the last time he had slight sedation, enema and dug out anything that the vet could reach. I thought it was unnecessary? Mistake?

Friday he was at the vet all day, 3 enemas and fluids. 1 little poop. That’s it.
Saturday we went back again, he got 2 more enemas and a massive poop came out.
Sunday, nothing. Monday, nothing but he peed normally.

Is this normal? I’m completely lost. No vet can take me in on short notice and his previous vet doesn’t want to work with me due to asking for a discount after spending $2400 in 3days!

Hes on miralax, daily at night for the past year. He’s on lactulose, cisaprise and cirenia currently. He’s eating normally and we add water to his food. He’s going outside, playing etc. He just looks tired. Im so exhausted and fed up too! Im trying to focus on other things but I’m so worried about my baby I’m trying everything. My family says maybe he’s suffering which is making me feel guilty. He’s just constipated! Im stubborn and I want it to work out for him so bad. Other than constipation he’s in great health.

Is there any other owners out there who dealt with enemas taking longer to work? Should I wait it out and see? Should I add anything else to his food? Please, any advice is appreciated!!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

How much Miralax are you using, and why only once a day? With my chronically constipated cat, we give him 1/4 teaspoon dissolved in a little water TWiCE a day. And once in awhile, if this doesn't seem to work, we give him Hairball paste (laxatone) on a daily basis until he poops. This seems to work well for him.

I believe some others have experimented with dosing the Miralax in various ways, sometimes 3 times a day, cutting down the dose slightly so not to exceed 1/2 teaspoon in a 24 hour period.

What has the Vet said about fiber? It's possible he needs either more, or less. Of course, you don't want to bulk up his stools too much since he has a narrower pelvic opening, I wouldn't think. But certain forms of fiber might help move the stool along and get it out easier. Just not sure in this situation if that's something to try or not.

 

[4cats1house]

Thanks for your reply! We tried twice a day but his stool were getting runny and there would be poop everywhere! So we give him 1/8 tsp at night. But have since bumped it up during this whole ordeal.

the vet doesn’t want him getting more fiber like pumpkin since it would bulk him up. So low fiber is the diet + prescription canned digestive food

I have some hairball/cat lax paste arriving tomorrow! Couldn’t come soon enough. I’m just worried because I feel like it’s been quite a long time with no bowel movement but I might be worrying too much. I have no clue at this point. I’m crossing my fingers for a miracle.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Yes, with the Miralax, you need to adjust the amount because if you give too much the stool can definitely get too soft. But on the other hand, too little can result in no poop

Hopefully the cat lax will help.

 

[white shadow]

Hi 4 4cats1house and the warmest welcome to the forum!

First off, no, I wouldn't take a 'wait-and-see' stance.......the longer without a movement, the greater the risk of greater difficulty IMO.

Remember, I can only 'go' by what you've said so far. So, given the difficulty in securing a Vet, in your position, if there were a cat-only clinic nearby/available to me, I would first print off a copy of that first post of yours and bring it with me to the (new) clinic. I'd ask to speak with the practice manager ("a short word with the manager?"...."well, it's a bit sensitive kind of thing....it'll just take a moment or so..."). If there's no manager, then ditto for the owner.....even if that means waiting until the end of the day. If that didn't get me anywhere, I'd go around back to the parking lot and plant myself there until they began leaving at closing time. Something like that, 'radical'/different in approach would likely get me an audience with a key player there. Then, I'd just present my one-pager story/history. People at the heart of these practices are compassionate and consummate cat people. I mean, someone would need to be an ogre to turn away from that!

Other quick thoughts/points:
- cat-only vets can also be found online....under "practice type" on this site, choose "feline only": https://catfriendly.com/find-a-veterinary-professional/

- at your earliest opportunity, get a vet to do a hands-on demo/training session with you to show you how to palpate this cat so that you can learn to determine what/how much (and the quality, hard/softer), if anything, that may/may not be in his colon. That will give you the skills you really need for decision-making from now on. (if you had that today, you wouldn't have posted, you'd know what to do!) (not to mean we don't appreciate your company )

- have a complete copy of his medical file on hand and keep it updated

- here's an amazing, reliable resource for you, a 101 on 'how the cat's gut works' in plain language: FelineConstipation.org

- you mentioned the vet's comments about fiber/pumpkin......that website has an excellent and thorough coverage of fiber, info which I'm sure will 'raise your eyebrows' that you'll find here, and then a display of all the varieties, right here.

- this is a total sidebar to today's concerns, but, as he grows older, he's very likely to face earlier degenerative joint disease which will also likely affect his defecation...you'll need to be aware and alert for symptoms. One drug manufacturer's site has some great resources for spotting telltale signs.

Hope something in there will help...and, keep us posted.


Oh...........we never turn away from pictures!

 

[4cats1house]

I took your advice and got him an appointment to a different vet! Great reviews and a big focus on cats. However I am receiving the side eye from family members again thinking I am making him suffer by taking him to these appointments when the little guy is seriously backed up. They are telling me I should go in prepared to put him down. But he really isn’t poorly besides extremely backed up. I did not feel right leaving us both to suffer at home. Hopefully I will have a new update soon but not sure

 

[ShrimpusMinniemus]

Any thoughts given to herbal remedies? I often treat my cats with herbs (and have been for decades). I find NHV products to be very helpful and if you contact them they will give free advice and even follow up. I use a variety of their herbal preparations, as they have remedies for just about any ailment; but there are others out there, as well as single herbs & teas to try.

I'm not a vet (!) but speak from experience, as I've lived with many a feline senior - IF the enema on Saturday ('the massive poop') cleaned him out, it can take some time until he goes again, but it depends on the type of food he eats and how much. As mentioned above, it's of advantage to know how to palpate the cat. I even went as far and had my vet show me how to do enemas at home. A priceless skill to have!

 

[4cats1house]

Any thoughts given to herbal remedies? I often treat my cats with herbs (and have been for decades). I find NHV products to be very helpful and if you contact them they will give free advice and even follow up. I use a variety of their herbal preparations, as they have remedies for just about any ailment; but there are others out there, as well as single herbs & teas to try.

I'm not a vet (!) but speak from experience, as I've lived with many a feline senior - IF the enema on Saturday ('the massive poop') cleaned him out, it can take some time until he goes again, but it depends on the type of food he eats and how much. As mentioned above, it's of advantage to know how to palpate the cat. I even went as far and had my vet show me how to do enemas at home. A priceless skill to have!

I’ve tried slippery elm bark but I could tell my cat didn’t like the sensation? If that makes sense.

he did have a massive poop but the rest hasn’t come out. Today I can tell he is still in pain so off to a different vet we go and see what will happen. Please send Jesus any good vibes if you are willing

 

[ShrimpusMinniemus]

I know what you mean. Slippery Elm is pretty gooey and can have a bitter taste if it's not fresh.
But there are other herbs than SEB that help the digestive and intestinal tract and are safe for long term use. Just wanted to point those NHV products out (I am not connected to them in any way other than being a customer myself).
Either way though, I wish Jesus a good big poop and am sending good vibes!

 

[FeebysOwner]

he did have a massive poop but the rest hasn’t come out. Today I can tell he is still in pain so off to a different vet we go and see what will happen. Please send Jesus any good vibes if you are willing

Ask the about an x-ray to see what kind of shape his intestines are in. If he is leaning toward megacolon, motility meds as well as other items might need to be added to his regimen. I'm pretty sure an x-ray would show something, so it can't hurt to ask.

Good vibes to Jesus -

 

[4cats1house]

Ask the about an x-ray to see what kind of shape his intestines are in. If he is leaning toward megacolon, motility meds as well as other items might need to be added to his regimen. I'm pretty sure an x-ray would show something, so it can't hurt to ask.

Good vibes to Jesus -

We went to the vet and this second opinion has surely put me at ease. He has a lot less poop than I imagined but it’s not coming out. Tomorrow he will go back to be put on fluids, slight anesthesia then they will try to take out what’s left. The vet did discuss motility drugs but more will be found out tomorrow. I feel really good about what’s to happen but surely he needs a better routine moving forward to avoid this once and for all. Thank you so much

 

[4cats1house]

I know what you mean. Slippery Elm is pretty gooey and can have a bitter taste if it's not fresh.
But there are other herbs than SEB that help the digestive and intestinal tract and are safe for long term use. Just wanted to point those NHV products out (I am not connected to them in any way other than being a customer myself).
Either way though, I wish Jesus a good big poop and am sending good vibes!

Looked at the NHV website. I have thought about adding supplements to his food so thank you for the resource. Tomorrow I will find out more about his health and decide which supplement to try.

 

[stephanietx]

What are you feeding him? Is he on a strictly wet/canned food diet? That would be something to consider as dry food dries everything out, including stool.

 

[ShrimpusMinniemus]

Looked at the NHV website. I have thought about adding supplements to his food so thank you for the resource. Tomorrow I will find out more about his health and decide which supplement to try.

Those are not really supplements, but remedies for conditions. If you decide to use those herbals (they can help you find the right remedy and dosage), I would suggest to put them into treats or something - like Churu or Tiki Soft Treats. He may not like it in food (that can actually hold true for any supplements too). I have not had much success with my cats adding anything to the food (I wouldn't like that either LOL ). I hope all goes well at the vet!

 

[4cats1house]

Hey everyone. I wanted to give a quick update and maybe if someone sees this that’s going through the same that I did- it’ll be ok, just keep going!

After our last visit to the vet, the kitty a manual clean out + re-prescribed cisapride, lactulose + a nausea/appetite med. He was cleaned out pretty good but had about 20% of stool left that the vet squished and made soft. She wanted him to poop within 3 days. If not, call them.

Well he didn’t poop within 3 days and I had no money left. I spent a couple grand on this whole ordeal so I was wiped out and desperate.

What I did; kept going with meds. I wanted to give up since there was no results but he was miserable and so was I! I gave him 1/2 tsp of miralax 2 times a day. If he didn’t eat it in his food, I squirt it in his mouth. I also bought him Tiki pouches of food to spoon feed him and Churu snack sticks. I gave him a tsp of milk a night. I wanted a lot of moisture in his food without fiber bulking him up due to his narrow exit way. But what I felt really helped was - CAT LAX & Liquid BM You can find both on Amazon. I received liquid bm before cat lax. I squirted drops in his mouth, it can take a few days to kick in. With cat lax, I put about an inch on my finger and put it on the roof of his mouth. Well it worked within 12 hours!!!I gave it to him again and we have stool flowing again!

The first turds were rock solid so I don’t know if lactulose was doing anything ground breaking for him. Cisapride + appetite meds kept him stable enough to push and eat. I will keep on doing cat lax and have another refill of cisapride. Eventually he’ll ween off cisapride but cat lax/miralax may be a weekly thing for us.

The most important part is I didn’t give up. I was worried for another enema/manual evac. It’s exhausting for us and rough on him. I’m so glad for poop and I don’t even care about skid marks at this point. We are both so happy and I can tell he feels SOO much better!!!

 

[ShrimpusMinniemus]

That is great to hear that he's feeling better and functioning.

If interested in natural and affordable appetite stimulation, try Yucca extract. Helps my FIV cats when they don't want to eat due to nausea or tummy troubles. Yucca is also an anti-inflammatory, a natural pain reliever and nutritious. There are preparations available that take the guess work out of how much and how often to give. In my experience, it really does work. Some use a powder and others, like me, use a liquid extract.
(For those worried about toxicity - only in LARGE quantities, like many other things, incl. pharmaceuticals. Too much of anything is not good.)

Dr. Hofve explains more on her site Little Big Cat:
Yucca | Little Big Cat - Dr. Jean Hofve.

Maybe this helps someone who comes across this post and of course, always do your own research to fit your circumstances.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

4 4cats1house , I'm so glad he's doing better. I know how relieved you must be.