Cleaning the bottom of a cat who can't clean herself

[nicolefrank117]

My kitty is fighting fatty liver disease.. it has now lead to her having to have a feeding tube put in her. At one point  before the tube was put in she was constipated so the vet gave her a stool softner. She is now home with the feeding tube and as many of you know that means a/d critical care soup diet through the syringe through the tube in her neck. Right now I am running into the issue that she is unable to clean herself. She has the bandages and tubes around her neck and has a hard time even getting all that comfortable when she lays down etc. Ever since she has been home she has these tiny small poops that are very soft. A relief because she had been backed up and dehydrated. But now that her feedings are increasing she is starting to poop a little and it is still the same soupy consistancy. The problem is its sticking to her bottom and she is not able to clean it off. I of course realized she had a bigger bowl movement when she got on our bed and smeared i on our sheets (poor thing). I have now been checking her regularly. I noticed that her anus always has a little bit sitting there ready to come out. Concerns me and will be calling the vet. But the issue keeping things clean down there. Especially since she is a girl. Sometimes she fights me and other times she actually lifts her rear for me. I have been currently using ultra soft non scented hypo allergenic baby wipes. They seem to get anything off the surface but I still feel she could be cleaner. We go back to the vet on Tuesday for a bandage change and plan to bring this all up. A friend told me that when her cat was sick and could not clean her self the vet shaved the fur back there to make sure nothing was sticking to it and then she did the same thing I am currently doing. 

Any suggestions would be helpful. Now when we are not home I feel I have to put sheets and towels down on everything. It's not her fault and usually if it gets on something it's not a terrible mess but I want to keep in under control too. Her being a girl I would hate for her to develop any other illness from this.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Is she on Lactulose?  Is that the stool softener?  I don't really think it's normal that she is STILL producing such soft stools that she doesn't realize she is "soiling" herself?  It sounds like she is getting too much, honestly.  My Sven was constantly constipated, and it is a very fine line getting the dosage just right.  He was on Miralax, plus he got water added to his food.  (this is NOT the same cat that was on the feeding tube)  Occasionally he would produce a little tiny stool that looked kind of like a small brown pasta shell that he was unaware of, but nothing like you described as "soupy".  I just think you need to adjust your furbaby's dosage.

As to the clean-up, I think you are doing everything you can right now, and having her shaved Tuesday is your best bet.

 

[nicolefrank117]

 
Is she on Lactulose?  Is that the stool softener?  I don't really think it's normal that she is STILL producing such soft stools that she doesn't realize she is "soiling" herself?  It sounds like she is getting too much, honestly.  My Sven was constantly constipated, and it is a very fine line getting the dosage just right.  He was on Miralax, plus he got water added to his food.  (this is NOT the same cat that was on the feeding tube)  Occasionally he would produce a little tiny stool that looked kind of like a small brown pasta shell that he was unaware of, but nothing like you described as "soupy".  I just think you need to adjust your furbaby's dosage.

As to the clean-up, I think you are doing everything you can right now, and having her shaved Tuesday is your best bet.

Actually when she was hospitalized she was given something to stimulate her to go and she went. Then they gave her a stool softener and she went on her own while she was there. We picked her up on Friday and she has not had anything stool medication wise since. Everything else is for her liver disease and inflamation. Since then she has only had tiny soft bm's in the litter box like you describe. A small little smudge so to say. I would compare it to a dab of chocolate frosting. It was either last night or early this morning she had a rather normal size BM in the litter box but it was the same consistency. I almost wonder if she doesn't realize the consistency once it is out of her and in the box. So it sticks to her more. She probably had a better sized BM too because she had her first whole day of regular scheduled tube feedings (14 ml every 6 hours). I do think she knows. Because I have noticed she will pee and sit in the litter box longer then normal and I hope when she goes #2 she isn't somewhat sitting in it. I know it's hard for her to really see what is going on back there without being able to really turn her neck all that well.

Is this about accurate as far as the bm's other peoples cats were having when being tube fed? Or do you all think this might be the stool softner working its way out of her and this will get better? I do think I am going to have them shave her for the time being.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i use unscented baby wipes for my snick when she has poop that is very moist -- snick has long hair, so it can stick to the hair around her bottom.

i think the idea of having your girls bottom area trimmed/shaved to make it easier for you/your girl to clean is very good. you might ask your vet if applying a bit of vaseline (petroleum jelly) might help prevent irritation to her bottom and maybe help prevent the poop from sticking as much. petroleum jelly is pretty safe stuff, safe to ingest -- just don't let kitty ingest too much, or softer/diarrhea stools can happen.

 

[nicolefrank117]

 
i use unscented baby wipes for my snick when she has poop that is very moist -- snick has long hair, so it can stick to the hair around her bottom.

i think the idea of having your girls bottom area trimmed/shaved to make it easier for you/your girl to clean is very good. you might ask your vet if applying a bit of vaseline (petroleum jelly) might help prevent irritation to her bottom and maybe help prevent the poop from sticking as much. petroleum jelly is pretty safe stuff, safe to ingest -- just don't let kitty ingest too much, or softer/diarrhea stools can happen.

Thank you so much for your added advice!!!  Vet called me earlier to check on Sabbath. She informed me that Sabbath had 2 stool softeners while she was there. So between that working its way through her system as well as the antibiotics she is on that is most likely the blame for the messy stools I am dealing with. She said it might be more noticeable to us now because she is getting bigger meals gradually and she will go more then she had been. She said that what I am doing as far as cleaning is good.

This last time I cleaned her I used the wipes but also a soft warm wet washcloth to try to clean the fur area. She lifted her little butt to let me do it so she knows. She also lets me know when she has had enough ha ha. I am trying to be careful as I don't want to rub her raw or irritate her. I will definitely ask about the vaseline.

The vet said that on Tuesday when we come in for the bandage changing they can take a look back there to make sure all is ok and if we want to have her trimmed up/shaved a little back there they could do it and it wouldn't be too pricey. So for now its a matter of cleaning things up without over doing it until the stools start to form a little more. Hopefully after that the cleanup won't be so frequent or messy!! I sure hope

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
Thank you so much for your added advice!!!  Vet called me earlier to check on Sabbath. She informed me that Sabbath had 2 stool softeners while she was there. So between that working its way through her system as well as the antibiotics she is on that is most likely the blame for the messy stools I am dealing with. She said it might be more noticeable to us now because she is getting bigger meals gradually and she will go more then she had been. She said that what I am doing as far as cleaning is good.

This last time I cleaned her I used the wipes but also a soft warm wet washcloth to try to clean the fur area. She lifted her little butt to let me do it so she knows. She also lets me know when she has had enough ha ha. I am trying to be careful as I don't want to rub her raw or irritate her. I will definitely ask about the vaseline.

The vet said that on Tuesday when we come in for the bandage changing they can take a look back there to make sure all is ok and if we want to have her trimmed up/shaved a little back there they could do it and it wouldn't be too pricey. So for now its a matter of cleaning things up without over doing it until the stools start to form a little more. Hopefully after that the cleanup won't be so frequent or messy!! I sure hope

i've also used a dry shampoo product to clean my mickey's bottom and back legs area. i got it from our vet's and it's fort dodge quikclean waterless shampoo. you just spray it on (it's a pump spray bottle), work it in the hair a little, then wipe it off with a towel/paper towels.

 

[nicolefrank117]

 
i've also used a dry shampoo product to clean my mickey's bottom and back legs area. i got it from our vet's and it's fort dodge quikclean waterless shampoo. you just spray it on (it's a pump spray bottle), work it in the hair a little, then wipe it off with a towel/paper towels.

I will definitely ask the vet about this on Tuesday!! Thank you so much.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
I will definitely ask the vet about this on Tuesday!! Thank you so much.

you're welcome!