Constipation, Enemas, Prescription Food, Prozac - Are We Missing Something?

[Twofakind]

My 6 year old female cat has been battling severe constipation since November. We first tried Lactulose, which made her sick. Then we got two enemas (one sedated) that seem to reset her clock, however she was still pooping on the floor and not the litter box. We were put on royal cabin fiber response diet which has helped, but still missing the box. We have water fountains and she pees regularly so dehydration is not an issue. Blood test work up came back very normal. We finally resorted to prozac to see if she has anxiety from the box and failed attempts prior, and we went 3 days without an accident. A few moments ago, she had an accident and something looks so incredibly off about this. Has anyone experienced something similar? Sorry for the graphic image... I may need to try another. Vet.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - the poo doesn't look too far out of normal when I think of my Big Guy and his, --but--, he's ok healthwise and his digestive system is sometimes dealing with a bit of olive or a small bit of raw egg, or a different food. Plus, I'm not a vet, and you know your cat a whole lot better than I do.
So, with all that said, can you try a food change, which is to say if she's on only dry food, try some canned.
Also, try a litter change - even if she's using the box for pee she may need a new litter to help mentally that it's ok to use for poop. Maybe also consider moving the box to a different location, or try a second or third box to help her out.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It looks a bit dry to me, just judging from the different colors in the one that was broken open. If so, she may be avoiding the litter box for pooping because it hurts to pass the dry stuff. Metamucil or Miralax may help, as may canned pumpkin (oddly, this works with both constipation and diarrhea...don't ask me how the pumpkin knows what to do!).

 

[artiemom]

It looks dry to me.
Can you give him a bit of miralax? Mix it with some water, either syringe it into his mouth.. or add to a tiny bit of wet food. Try 1/4 tsp to start, mixing with water.

Did you change litter? Sometimes that is an issue, or your kitty does not care for that specific litter.

 

[laura mae]

I agree with the others. Too dry, probably hurts to poop. Miralax works very well for my constipation prone cat. Because of his size, I have a higher than normal dose for a kitty. You might want to call the vet to get advice, but my cat's maintenance level is 1/4 teaspoon mixed in a bit of water, and then mixed with canned food. It's tasteless, unlike lactulose. But it attracts moisture into the digestive tract and makes the stool softer and easier to pass.

I have to watch him carefully and if I notice him straining, I up the dose of the Miralax (at a level that the vet recommends). If he continues to have issues, I offer him 1/4 teasp of Vaseline brand petrolatum jelly mixed with butter. He loves butter. Vaseline is the same thing that makes up the cat lax hairball remedy. I have to time it two hours after a meal and two hours before a meal because it does affect vitamin absorption. But a kitty doesn't absorb the Vaseline and it helps slip things through.

My cat is on Cisapride which gets compounded for cats and is a motility agent to keep the goods moving, so to speak. I'd try the other stuff first. But it was the 3rd enema in a fairly short time that inspired my vet to put him on the Cisapride.

He too gets the Royal Canin Fiber Response but as a supplemental level to get the combo of the fibers in it. His primary food is Weruva or Lotus Just Juicy Pork (his favorite).

When he was having difficulty though, going out of the box was part of the symptoms.

 

[Ladysnuggable]

I would try another box or litter. The constipation could have given kitty bad associations with that box and/or litter. Switching everything up might help. Give a few different options to try in my house we have two with clumping clay one of the big self cleaning boxes then a regular box, a hodded litter box with either clay or pine pellets and another open, a Purina breeze system. The options help a lot. They choose what they prefer. If theirs a bad association they can choose another till their over it.