Cat help (local vet is closed due to doctors being sick)

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stand with ukraine
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Did x-ray, bloodwork, and the vet said he was just very very constipated. He wouldn't poop on his own so they they did an enema on him and prescribing a GI tract antibiotic for his infection + overnight stay because he needs fluids. Already $305 price, not sure what the enema is gonna cost me, or the med and overnight stay. But at least I have an answer now.

This vet was very nice, thorough. They didn't make me wait and they saw him almost immediately.

When my sister went in, she said he was covered in poop because the enema (vet said they were cleaning him as it happens though), but my sis also said my cat was already back to his old self. So all of it was due to the constipation.
He's home. He's active. He's talking again. He even ate. His belly is NORMAL size again. Final bill was $500 but worth every penny. My boy is safe again :cloud9:
Double Yay!!..from here, too. :clap::woo:
So glad that you got your Blondie home, again, catladyky catladyky ...and that he is eating. :yess: :jive:

**You may still find that that he may be 'a bit leaky' from his liquid poop, and that it will look a bit yellowish,...for up to four days.
Remember to just put down a small towel, or 'puppy pee pads', or even a cat blanket...where ever your Blondie is laying down...so that the 'poopy spots/liquid spots'...are easier to clean

(my female cat, dsh, at age 5, also needed an enema, and it took her about four days, until she was not 'leaky'...and I think it was about a week, until her poop returned to a normal looking log shape.
My cat did have a 'partial blockage' from a 'small piece of kitchen sponge pad'...which the vet told me,...so it's different than your Blondie...but I figure that the Enema's effects might be similar)

Sending more Mega Health Vibes...that your Blondie continues to get Better,...Fast. :vibes::vibes::caticon:....and that the urinary crystals go away.
You sound like such an excellent and observant cat guardian,...from just the way you wrote up your first post.
Basically, ...:rock:
 

Alldara

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catladyky catladyky excellent news about your cat being home and well. I'm amazed at the price really too.

Nobel is 16 and has lazy bowels. The vet has him taking 1/4 teaspoon of Restorilax per day as prevention.

Did the vet tell you what type of crystals your cat has? It's important information to have when looking at foods going forward.
 
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catladyky

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Thank you everyone!! Just in case future cat parents go through the same experience as my Blondie did. The regular vet I usually go to was very helpful and they looked over the other vets paperwork and they determined that he might have developed a slight ulcer on his stomach from the days of not having food. They advice soft food while he's recovering. They determined this because I reported that he would vomit yellow foam if he didn't eat (he lost apatite during this sickness).

So thank you for well wishes everyone!
 
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catladyky

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catladyky catladyky excellent news about your cat being home and well. I'm amazed at the price really too.

Nobel is 16 and has lazy bowels. The vet has him taking 1/4 teaspoon of Restorilax per day as prevention.

Did the vet tell you what type of crystals your cat has? It's important information to have when looking at foods going forward.
The gave us Hills Urinary care kibble. Here's his paperwork from 6/29.

62678F95-44D5-456E-B8BB-87C7E3E13400.jpg
 

Alldara

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The gave us Hills Urinary care kibble. Here's his paperwork from 6/29.

View attachment 424996
Ah Struvite crystals. One of the reasons we should be advocating that the guidelines for the amount of phosphorus in cat food be lowered.

Struvite needs a lower phosphate and magnesium in the diet. And a higher PH urine (so a food that contains something like cranberry or blueberry)

Problem is that the AAFCO hasn't modified the minimum levels of phosphate for years....and we've learned that 1% is quite high for cats. Without prescription the lowest you can get in a dry food is .8% min. Most foods do not post the maximum, which can also be problematic. 1% should really be the maximum for an elderly or geriatric cat, not the minimum.

Still, the concentration of phosphate and magnesium in the over -the-counter wet foods for urinary issues resolve most issues if you can afford to do a 90 to 100% wet food diet. You can add some extra water to the canned food to help flush the bladder regularly which also super helpful.

I've found the Purina urinary wet food great for Nobel. It has a mix of pate, and chunks. I add a teaspoon of water to both regularly or up to a watery soup consistency if it's hot here to maintain hydration level. But like I said there's loads of brands.
 

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I am so glad to hear that you got your kitty seen and everything is better now! Yay! Yes. It is worth every penny to see them back home and feeling better! :heartshape:
 
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catladyky

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Ah Struvite crystals. One of the reasons we should be advocating that the guidelines for the amount of phosphorus in cat food be lowered.

Struvite needs a lower phosphate and magnesium in the diet. And a higher PH urine (so a food that contains something like cranberry or blueberry)

Problem is that the AAFCO hasn't modified the minimum levels of phosphate for years....and we've learned that 1% is quite high for cats. Without prescription the lowest you can get in a dry food is .8% min. Most foods do not post the maximum, which can also be problematic. 1% should really be the maximum for an elderly or geriatric cat, not the minimum.

Still, the concentration of phosphate and magnesium in the over -the-counter wet foods for urinary issues resolve most issues if you can afford to do a 90 to 100% wet food diet. You can add some extra water to the canned food to help flush the bladder regularly which also super helpful.

I've found the Purina urinary wet food great for Nobel. It has a mix of pate, and chunks. I add a teaspoon of water to both regularly or up to a watery soup consistency if it's hot here to maintain hydration level. But like I said there's loads of brands.
That's amazing information, thank you so much. Right now I have him eating the science hill food, mixed with soft food.

It seems like he has some kind of stomach issue. When he has his pain medicine, he acts pretty much normal, including eating on his own (the science hill urinary food). but by nightfall, when i assume his pain med is worn off, he looks less like himself and won't eat. im giving him watered down syringed food because he seems to throw up yellow/foam when his stomach is empty for too long.

I'm not sure what is going on. Something in his mouth or stomach is causing him to be in pain, but the vets have checked and said he's fine. two vets had the same results.

So for now the symptoms are this:

- He's on his Science Hill Urinary food mixed with between meals of soft cat food (which vet said could help his stomach if he does have an ulcer from the days he went without eating).

- He won't drink on his own.

- When he takes his pain med, he acts more normal, eats on his own, but still won't drink.

- He can still pee, but when pain meds wear off, he needs to be encouraged heavily to do so.

- He vomits up yellow/foam if his stomach is empty for too long.

- He hasn't pooped again since we took him home from vet. So he didn't poop July 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. My sister and I were told to use "Catlax" to help him make it easier, as the vet suspects he may have something called "megacolon". If he doesn't poop tomorrow I'm going to call the vet.

The vet also gave us Onsior for Cats, 6 mg 3 tablets for him to take. and when he's on these, he seems so much more like himself.
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catladyky

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I need ways to help my cat poop as he's becoming dehydrated. Once i move him to soft food only, the constipation will end. but i need something that makes him poop. catlax is not cutting it.
 
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catladyky

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Try Miralax - 1/8 tsp mixed in water then added to whatever food you can get him to eat. Increase to 1/8 tsp twice a day, or 1/4 tsp once a day if you don't see any improvement within a day or so.
Will do. Thanks for info.

I only have one question.

I've read that enemas and miralax can cause more dehydration in cats (in his case, his constipation stems from dehydration from what I've deduced on my own since the vets couldn't give me any answers).

I've just purchased a pet-ema kit from chewy. I will buy miralax now, too. How many mls of water should I give my cat every hour to combat any dehydration that may pop up during miralax/enema use? I'm already giving him 11-15 ml every hour to keep up with his regular water intake amount.

EDIT: Cannot give my cat miralax, he's battling dehydration already (due to crystals and constipation). Miralax locks water in the gut and prevents the body from absorbing that water. So if Iuse it on him, i'll have no way to get fluids into his body.

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FeebysOwner

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Miralax does draw water from the body into the intestines to soften stool, but does it really cause dehydration? I suspect not unless your cat is seriously dehydrated and then it might behoove you to talk to the vet about a couple of rounds of sub-Q fluids.

I personally would never use any kind of enema on my cat at home, so the only thing I can say about that is to ask that you please check with your vet before using it. If your vet says it is OK, ask about the Miralax, and I think they will tell you NOT to do both.
 
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catladyky

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Ok thank you for the advice. I have a lot to think over now.
 

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catladyky catladyky My vet suggested Restorilax. 1/4 tsp twice a day. Constipation can cause pain and be partially why not eating on their own.

Cats may have lower thirst drive when dehydrated, but also when wet food has just started. Add the most water to the wet food that your cat will tolerate, but mix the mirlax or Restorilax water into the food first. Don't sprinkle dry and it should not contribute to dehydration.

You mix it with water until all crystals dissolve which reduces the risk on increasing dehydration. Mix into food. The crystals hold the water to keep the cat's poo from getting hard.

Will he eat the dry food rehydrated (water added until the kibbles puff up?). Kibbles dehydrate a cat because it also absorbs water from the stomach.

Unless a vet shows you how to do an enema, it's not safe. Please be cautious.

Onisor both my cats have had short term with no issues. Nobel is sensitive to medication so I was pleased.
 

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Oh if you're back at vet today can they give subcutaneous fluidss? They might be able to show you how to do it and give you one to bring home also.
 
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catladyky

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Thank you so much. I will call my vet again and ask about Restorilax or Mirlax. Since so many people are saying not to do the enema I'm at a loss for what to do. Mirlax and other similar medications can be so dangerous about dehydration, but since everyone is suggesting it I'll use it. Just to be sure, it's the HUMAN mirlax that I can use correct? Because I have some in my house right now. I'm just scared to overdose him and worsen the dehydration.

My cat is 11.93lbs, he's 5 years old this July. He's slightly dehydrated from what I can tell. And like I said, he hasn't pooped in three days. Can someone tell me exactly how much to give him per weight?
 
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catladyky

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Oh if you're back at vet today can they give subcutaneous fluidss? They might be able to show you how to do it and give you one to bring home also.
Sadly my vet is not seeing anyone for now due to the lead doctor being sick, and now I'm broke. I spent my emergency cash (about $600) on his vet visit and I got no answers, just treatment that turned out to be temporary relief. I have only $100 to spare and it sounds horrible but I'm keeping that in case worse comes to worse...

The enema or mirlax are my only options. I'm just terrified I'll dehydrate him to the point of no return. I don't know how to do fluids other than feeding him water via a syringe, nor do i have the proper materials for fluids. I'm terrified of leaving him as is, and I'm terrified of dehydrating him even more.
 

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IMO, a home enema could be more problematic than a couple of doses of Miralax (yes, human version). As I said before, just start out with 1/8 tsp mixed with a bit of water and then added to whatever food he will eat. And don't give another dose until tomorrow if he doesn't poop by then.

Have you tried adding just a bit of tuna 'juice' (liquid from a can of tuna in water) to a small amount of water to see if he will drink that? And, if he will accept syringe feedings of water, that is good too. Low sodium bone broths might be another thing to try. Any wet food you get him to eat is also attributing to hydration.

Btw, in case it hasn't been mentioned, many pain meds can have a constipation type of effect, so more hydration and Miralax may help immensely.
 

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Thank you so much. I will call my vet again and ask about Restorilax or Mirlax. Since so many people are saying not to do the enema I'm at a loss for what to do. Mirlax and other similar medications can be so dangerous about dehydration, but since everyone is suggesting it I'll use it. Just to be sure, it's the HUMAN mirlax that I can use correct? Because I have some in my house right now. I'm just scared to overdose him and worsen the dehydration.

My cat is 11.93lbs, he's 5 years old this July. He's slightly dehydrated from what I can tell. And like I said, he hasn't pooped in three days. Can someone tell me exactly how much to give him per weight?
Yea human grade Restorilax or Miralax IF there's no flavour added. Just be very sure to have it 100% dissolved BEFORE you add to food. Give a 1/4 teaspoon, that amount is safe for a 6 to 10 lb cat and lower dosage is always better when you're concerned. My vet has Nobel at 2X that and he also has problems with dehydration before we started that medication too.
 
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