Constipation and Hairballs Recs

[Calicat13]

Hello,
My cat has been experiencing constipation occasionally. She used to be like clockwork, but stopped eating her food she's been on for 12 yrs - Solid Gold KatznFLocken - I think because the kibble is too big, so I switched her to the Solid Gold Indoor Cat Formula which is higher fiber (8%) and smaller kibble. It helped a little and goes good for 3-4 days then will have a bad day and only have few small hard pieces and scooting. Vet recommended Miralax - I tried putting the powder in her wet food, but she wouldn't eat it. She is very picky about her food and a very intelligent Bengal Should I try it in her water?

She also has a hairball about once a month where she either pees or poops along with it. I was giving her Greenies Hairball treats which kept it under control, but I read so many negative reviews on them I stopped giving them to her and she just had a hairball again.

Has anyone had any success with Probiotics? If so, what brand?

Any other hairball & constipation remedies?

Thank you!

 

[Telstar]

I use malt cookies (beaphar malt bits) for hairball prevention - they are very tasty and work, provided I dont neglect brushing at least 3x week. Those "for hairballs" have strange vegetal stuff that I dont trust. Bought once, read the ingredients list and trashed them.
I also don't buy into "hairballs" kibble formulas, which are never high quality kibble to start with.

I don't see why you should give a food with 8% fibers in it - I bet it would cause constipation.

Also, wet food helps making stools more fluid. Old cats may need some oil supplementation as well (not direct experience).
my 2c.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Try the Miralax in a bit of canned tuna or chicken water and see if she will take it that way. She can then get a piece of the tuna or chicken as a treat afterward.

I have heard numerous members on this site use canned pumpkin (no additives) to help with both constipation and hairballs. Also, egg yolk or egg yolk lecithin, which would probably be my preference. Have no experience with probiotics.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I give one of my senior cats Miralax every day, but what I do is dissolve it first in a little bit of water before adding in his wet food. It has no taste or smell, and doesn't gel up like so many of these product do, so even my pickiest eaters have taken to it without issue. It may be the texture of the powder in the food that was the turnoff.

For hairballs, I use dried egg yolks AND Vet's Best Hairball Relief . It may be similar to that wafer mentioned above. (not all cats like egg yolks. one of mine won't touch it

Oh yes, water, water, water. The more the better for constipation. If you can, add water to every wet meal, and try to make more meals of wet food versus dry.

 

[LTS3]

. Vet recommended Miralax - I tried putting the powder in her wet food, but she wouldn't eat it. She is very picky about her food and a very intelligent Bengal Should I try it in her water?

That's not the correct way to give Miralax. You don't sprinkle it over food, Similar to the instructions for people on the Miralax label, you have to dissolve the dose in water. Did the vet give you a dose of Miralax to use? If not, call and ask for a specific measurable dose. A typical cat dose is 1/8 to 1/4 level teaspoons up to twice a day. Dissolve a dose in a tablespoon or so of water. Then mix it with canned food, something with gravy is ideal. It may take up to a day or two for the Miralax to work.

Probiotics isn't a cure-all for all sorts of tummy issues, hairballs, etc. Probiotics just help keep the gut bacteria population healthy. If you're interested in probiotics in general, try these links for suggestions:

Probiotics Search - Human Grade and CFUs

I've been trying to find a good probiotic. All my research has results in some questions: Human probiotics - Have heard different stories on whether or not to give to a cat. Have heard that you shouldn't give them to a cat because some human strains could irritate them. Have also heard that you...

thecatsite.com

Prebiotics & Probiotics for Cats: Healing Inflammation and gut dysbiosis

How to restore gut health, not just manage symptoms, in feline IBD

www.rawfeedingforibdcats.org

Here's some info on managing hairballs:

How Best to Manage Hairballs

Hairballs are an early warning sign of a motility problem in cats. This article describes how best to manage hairballs.

www.foodfurlife.com

A Big Hairball!
Egg Lecithin Vs Egg Yolks Powder?
Good Sources Of Choline For Hairball Control For Kitty Who May Be Allergic To Eggs?
Hairball, Egg Yolk, Slippery Elm, Petromalt - Confused.....

 

[molly92]

I have heard numerous members on this site use canned pumpkin (no additives) to help with both constipation and hairballs. Also, egg yolk or egg yolk lecithin, which would probably be my preference. Have no experience with probiotics.

You're correct that pumpkin is often used, but I would caution C Calicat13 NOT to try pumpkin in this case since the balance may have been thrown off by too much fiber in the first place. Fiber can be a useful tool for constipation, but it can also add bulk to stool and make things worse, so it's a tricky balance. I don't love the idea of adding fiber on a regular basis either, except perhaps in small amounts to feed the good bacteria.

I have great success with acidophilus probiotics for constipation! Delilah gets it with every meal, and if we run out, she starts to get constipated again. I've been using it for years now. PB8 Nutrition Now is the one I like, and I keep it refrigerated. You want something with a very high CFU count because the cat's stomach will kill off so many of them before they reach the gut. Honestly, I didn't think it would be so successful. I tried every constipation remedy under the sun and that was the last one on my list. (I tried slippery elm bark right before that and it was far TOO effective-cleaned her out so quickly that she was terrified for days!) I still can't identify why she's so prone to constipation, except maybe that she's not a very active cat. But I'm a big probiotic advocate now. I like the theory that wild cats eat the intestines of their prey regularly so their microbiome gets replenished that way.

Brushing regularly is probably the best hairball prevention.

I'm going to echo the chorus of wet food if she'll eat it as well, for sure! Dry food is not doing her digestive system any favors.

Some notes about Miralax: it cannot soften stool that is already in the colon, just new stool, so there's a chance the blockage won't pass and she'll need an enema to get the old stool out of the way and let the soft stool come out. Be on the look out for small amounts of watery stool (stool that's been pushed out around the blockage). If she doesn't have a real bowel movement after 4 days, and/or she gets lethargic and stops eating, it's time to see the vet. Constipation can actually get very dangerous if left too long.

I'm sure the vet checked, but if you do get her examined again, make sure they check her anal glands. I only mention it because of the scooting, which could just be from the constipation. It's pretty uncommon for cats to need their anal glands expressed because normal bowel movements express the glands naturally, however after bouts of constipation or diarrhea they can get clogged.

 

[MissClouseau]

I suggest malt paste, use daily. Some malt pastes/hairball pastes are not recommended daily as you read on the box. I like the ones that are OK to use daily better. If you can find where you live, I love GimCat Malt Soft Extra. The vet clinics here sell and use them too.

GimCat Malt-Soft Paste Extra 200 g - GimCat English

I repeat brushing daily helps a lot, or to use gloves or your own hands - whatever works the best and the cat handles well.

I wouldn't recommend any treats. Hydration helps with hairballs too so personally I definitely prefer something liquidy. A paste, puree form treat if it has to be treats.

 

[Telstar]

I suggest malt paste, use daily. Some malt pastes/hairball pastes are not recommended daily as you read on the box. I like the ones that are OK to use daily better.

FYI paste can make stools too loose, that is why I prefer malt in cookies form, and I use less than the recommended dosage on the box. See how your cat responds. Daily or every other day is fine, as long as you brush the mantle often.

 

[MissClouseau]

FYI paste can make stools too loose, that is why I prefer malt in cookies form

Any hairball remedy can make stools too loose if it's given too much. Malt cookies, too.

 

[Telstar]

Any hairball remedy can make stools too loose if it's given too much. Malt cookies, too.

Yes, this is true. But pastes contains oils which exacerbate this issue (but would help more with constipation). Gimcat is a good brand, though.

 

[lisahe]

As mrsgreenjeens mentioned, egg yolk can be useful in preventing hairballs: it emulsifies the fat that glues the hair together so it can form hairballs. This page from Food Fur Life (which does sell egg yolk powder) has a fair bit of detail on hairball prevention. It's pretty detailed and has lots of good suggestions. The choline in egg yolk is also thought to be helpful for motility, which declines with age for cats. Poor motility can slow the movement of food (and fur!) from a cat's stomach.

We've been adding extra egg yolk to our cats' food for some time now (at least six months, maybe even a year? time flies when you're feeding cats!) and I can't say for sure how much it helps but I can say for sure that our cats seem to like it!

 

[Calicat13]

As mrsgreenjeens mentioned, egg yolk can be useful in preventing hairballs: it emulsifies the fat that glues the hair together so it can form hairballs. This page from Food Fur Life (which does sell egg yolk powder) has a fair bit of detail on hairball prevention. It's pretty detailed and has lots of good suggestions. The choline in egg yolk is also thought to be helpful for motility, which declines with age for cats. Poor motility can slow the movement of food (and fur!) from a cat's stomach.

We've been adding extra egg yolk to our cats' food for some time now (at least six months, maybe even a year? time flies when you're feeding cats!) and I can't say for sure how much it helps but I can say for sure that our cats seem to like it!

Thank you for the suggestion mrsgreenjeens

 

[Calicat13]

Hi. Try the Miralax in a bit of canned tuna or chicken water and see if she will take it that way. She can then get a piece of the tuna or chicken as a treat afterward.

I have heard numerous members on this site use canned pumpkin (no additives) to help with both constipation and hairballs. Also, egg yolk or egg yolk lecithin, which would probably be my preference. Have no experience with probiotics.

Thank you, I will try the Miralax that way. I tried pumpkin, but she wouldn't touch it unfortunately.

 

[Calicat13]

You're correct that pumpkin is often used, but I would caution C Calicat13 NOT to try pumpkin in this case since the balance may have been thrown off by too much fiber in the first place. Fiber can be a useful tool for constipation, but it can also add bulk to stool and make things worse, so it's a tricky balance. I don't love the idea of adding fiber on a regular basis either, except perhaps in small amounts to feed the good bacteria.

I have great success with acidophilus probiotics for constipation! Delilah gets it with every meal, and if we run out, she starts to get constipated again. I've been using it for years now. PB8 Nutrition Now is the one I like, and I keep it refrigerated. You want something with a very high CFU count because the cat's stomach will kill off so many of them before they reach the gut. Honestly, I didn't think it would be so successful. I tried every constipation remedy under the sun and that was the last one on my list. (I tried slippery elm bark right before that and it was far TOO effective-cleaned her out so quickly that she was terrified for days!) I still can't identify why she's so prone to constipation, except maybe that she's not a very active cat. But I'm a big probiotic advocate now. I like the theory that wild cats eat the intestines of their prey regularly so their microbiome gets replenished that way.

Brushing regularly is probably the best hairball prevention.

I'm going to echo the chorus of wet food if she'll eat it as well, for sure! Dry food is not doing her digestive system any favors.

Some notes about Miralax: it cannot soften stool that is already in the colon, just new stool, so there's a chance the blockage won't pass and she'll need an enema to get the old stool out of the way and let the soft stool come out. Be on the look out for small amounts of watery stool (stool that's been pushed out around the blockage). If she doesn't have a real bowel movement after 4 days, and/or she gets lethargic and stops eating, it's time to see the vet. Constipation can actually get very dangerous if left too long.

I'm sure the vet checked, but if you do get her examined again, make sure they check her anal glands. I only mention it because of the scooting, which could just be from the constipation. It's pretty uncommon for cats to need their anal glands expressed because normal bowel movements express the glands naturally, however after bouts of constipation or diarrhea they can get clogged.

Thank you for the recommendations. Yes, I think the hard food has been "bulking up" her stools as they are larger sometimes. I have tried taking away her hard food and she gets very upset. The constipation starts when I feed her canned food only. I will try the probiotics.

 

[Tobermory]

As mrsgreenjeens mentioned, egg yolk can be useful in preventing hairballs: it emulsifies the fat that glues the hair together so it can form hairballs. This page from Food Fur Life (which does sell egg yolk powder) has a fair bit of detail on hairball prevention. It's pretty detailed and has lots of good suggestions. The choline in egg yolk is also thought to be helpful for motility, which declines with age for cats. Poor motility can slow the movement of food (and fur!) from a cat's stomach.

We've been adding extra egg yolk to our cats' food for some time now (at least six months, maybe even a year? time flies when you're feeding cats!) and I can't say for sure how much it helps but I can say for sure that our cats seem to like it!

lisahe , do you use an actual egg yolk or do you use powdered? If you use powdered, do you buy it or make it yourself?

 

[RangersMom]

Hello,
My cat has been experiencing constipation occasionally. She used to be like clockwork, but stopped eating her food she's been on for 12 yrs - Solid Gold KatznFLocken - I think because the kibble is too big, so I switched her to the Solid Gold Indoor Cat Formula which is higher fiber (8%) and smaller kibble. It helped a little and goes good for 3-4 days then will have a bad day and only have few small hard pieces and scooting. Vet recommended Miralax - I tried putting the powder in her wet food, but she wouldn't eat it. She is very picky about her food and a very intelligent Bengal Should I try it in her water?

She also has a hairball about once a month where she either pees or poops along with it. I was giving her Greenies Hairball treats which kept it under control, but I read so many negative reviews on them I stopped giving them to her and she just had a hairball again.

Has anyone had any success with Probiotics? If so, what brand?

Any other hairball & constipation remedies?

Thank you!

I have used vaseline with good results. Let him lick a dollop off your finger, or wipe it on his paw and he'll lick it off. You don't want to give them this often or it could effect their digestive tracks ability to absorb nutrients. But vaseline isn't digested so it just passes thru their system but helps "slide" out hairballs or blockages. Like I said I don't do this often, but I have done it before and its never hurt my cats, and I feel like it has helped them. My one vet even recommended this.

 

[lisahe]

lisahe , do you use an actual egg yolk or do you use powdered? If you use powdered, do you buy it or make it yourself?

I boil eggs myself and put freshly boiled yolks into the food. I used to buy the powder from Food Fur Life but the last bag or two were lumpy and messy to use. I find it less aggravating to just boil the eggs myself!

I have used vaseline with good results. Let him lick a dollop off your finger, or wipe it on his paw and he'll lick it off. You don't want to give them this often or it could effect their digestive tracks ability to absorb nutrients. But vaseline isn't digested so it just passes thru their system but helps "slide" out hairballs or blockages. Like I said I don't do this often, but I have done it before and its never hurt my cats, and I feel like it has helped them. My one vet even recommended this.

I've also used vaseline -- our cat who sometimes seems to collect hair actually loves vaseline and would eat it every day if it were good for her! (Which, as you say, it isn't!)

 

[Telstar]

Vaseline in the long run is bad for liver.

 

[Xraystyle]

Hey everyone, looking for more constipation advice. I took Puar to the vet today thinking that he was going through a rough time not pooping in several days. The vet did an xray and said that although there was poop in his large intestine, nothing was under pressure and that I just had to wait it out. Are some cats just slower than others?

Puar eats canned food (fancy feast pate) with water added to it (twice a day, about half a can) as well as kibble (free fed). I am also keeping some bowls of water scattered around, so I don't think he's dehydrated. I started giving him a probiotic yesterday and the vet today said that could help. He also recommended psyllium husk if things weren't moving by Friday. All in all, the vet seemed pretty blase about the whole thing. Puar is eating and drinking and playing as if nothing is wrong, although I notice him licking his butt a little more than you'd think is normal. I don't think he'd take pumpkin as he's a bit picky with his food. I'm not sure if Miralax is sold here, and would be hesitant to get an alternative in case it's not safe.

But yeah. I guess I'll just keep an eye on Puar and make sure his behavior doesn't change and that he's still taking in liquids?

 

[zoes]

Hey everyone, looking for more constipation advice. I took Puar to the vet today thinking that he was going through a rough time not pooping in several days. The vet did an xray and said that although there was poop in his large intestine, nothing was under pressure and that I just had to wait it out. Are some cats just slower than others?

Puar eats canned food (fancy feast pate) with water added to it (twice a day, about half a can) as well as kibble (free fed). I am also keeping some bowls of water scattered around, so I don't think he's dehydrated. I started giving him a probiotic yesterday and the vet today said that could help. He also recommended psyllium husk if things weren't moving by Friday. All in all, the vet seemed pretty blase about the whole thing. Puar is eating and drinking and playing as if nothing is wrong, although I notice him licking his butt a little more than you'd think is normal. I don't think he'd take pumpkin as he's a bit picky with his food. I'm not sure if Miralax is sold here, and would be hesitant to get an alternative in case it's not safe.

But yeah. I guess I'll just keep an eye on Puar and make sure his behavior doesn't change and that he's still taking in liquids?

I had a cat with megacolon. It started as mild constipation and got worse from there, so it's good that you're on top of it. Next time you see your vet, ask them to show you how to palpate for constipation. I was able to learn how to do that so I could know daily if he was constipated, and how constipated. You can even get a feel for how dry/hard the poop is (if it's lumpy and hard vs smooth and kind of soft.)

Miralax is a commercial brand of polyethylene glycol-based laxative. Even if you don't have Miralax locally, I'm sure you can find another brand that is the same product. This laxative works by pulling moisture into stool to make it easier to pass. AFAIK, it's safe for cats, but do a bit of research to confirm.

Psyllium husk works by bulking up the stool which can help with chronic constipation.

If he were my cat, I would start giving him more wet food (cats don't tend to drink enough even from available water bowls and glasses, so the more wet food he'll eat, the better) and I would add a pump of Omega 3 oil supplement for cats to his meals. Not 100% sure about any evidence behind it, but I'd do it. And I'd give him the miralax. Once he's pooped, I would keep up with the extra wet food (with added water) and Omega 3 oils and just monitor for recurrence.