Constipation Issues

Draco

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I would def check with the vet before changing meds, see what they say!

it will take time for kitty to feel better, a week at least. give it time too!
 
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mommyofthree708

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I would def check with the vet before changing meds, see what they say!

it will take time for kitty to feel better, a week at least. give it time too!
I have a call into the vet. He pooped this morning but very little slim poop and it was very little and very dark in color almost black. This scared me so I'm waiting to hear if I should bring him back into the vet. [emoji]128549[/emoji]
 

artiemom

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I do not know if what I am about to say will help or not but here I go:

My guy is prone to constipation. He also has IBD. 

He is on prendisolone for his IBD along with Pepcid. 

Because of the constipation issues, we started the Miralax. I could never get the dose correct. It went from constipation, to diarrhea, back to constipation.

The specialist prescribed Cisaperide. It helps the muscle contractions in the bowel. 

She also insisted that I start him on a low dose of Miralax TWICE a day.

I am giving him 1/8 tsp of Miralax, mixed with water Twice a day. 

This seems to be what he needed. He poops every other day or so~~~ a huge amount. It is a great consistency also. 

It is worth a try. The specialist at first insisted on just trying the low dose of Miralax twice a day, but I insisted that he has more of an issue. 

He has been on this regimen for about 8 months now. 

Good Luck
 

readburn

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My diabetic tuxedo (long since passed away) had constipation issues sometimes.  I read from the international meeting of small animal vets that you can use a child size glycerin suppository on your cat.  I did and it worked like a charm.  It's not a long term fix but it can rescue the kitty who is straining in the litter box.  
 

readburn

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P.S. I used KY jelly to lubricate the suppository and his anus.  My husband distracted my dear boy and I just popped it right in.  A few minutes later he headed for the litter box.
 

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Hi, I have constipation issues with one of my cats from stress so I wentbon line searching Petsmart and found they have this medication that works called Tract-Ease herbal formula. I ordered it from Petsmart and it works.
 
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mommyofthree708

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He pooped again last night and was a good size poop and firm but still dark. I spoke to the vet and she wasn't worried about the dark coloring. She said to up his dose to 1 teaspoon again and see if he goes again today. I have an appointment scheduled for tonight incase he doesn't poop for them to check him out.

He is acting normal and still peeing, eating and playing so the vet wasn't worried since he's acting normal.

Keeping my finger crossed for a normal poop today.
 

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I've never tried Miralax.  Lucy suffers constipation from time to time - most likely from hair balls.  I tried Pumpkin - but she refuses to eat it.  If she sniffs even the tiniest bit in her food, she turns up her nose and walks away.  I've had good luck with butter.  I use unsalted, Irish butter.  About 1/2 a pat, twice a week. I let it soften; then feed it to her on the tip of my finger (or a spoon).   She LOVES it.  And it does seem to help. 

Good luck.
 

artiemom

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I would not use too much miralax at one time, you will get diarrhea and then will have to cut back. A consistent dose is what you want to try. I know you want him cleaned out, but, believe me, it is a vicious circle.

The dosing for Miralax is: "Dose to desired effect"....

I was doing the same thing as you are, until I finally talked to my Vet. She finally got into my head that a consistent dose is what you want. 

Miralax does not work overnight. It takes 2-3 days to work. It is not an immediate laxative. 

I would try 1/4 tsp twice a day. 

Also add extra water to his food. 

Once you find the correct dose, then keep it at that. Do not up it for a while, unless you see a change in his poop. 

and go gradual.

This cycle of constipation and then diarrhea (from the miralax) is really miserable on cats. They will never gain weight by doing this. I found out the hard way. 

Some cats poop every 2-3 days... that is what my guy does. This is 'normal' for him...

Your cat can also feel your anxiety about this issue. I did not believe it, but again, it took a long time for me to realize that. Once I calmed down, he did also.
 
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mommyofthree708

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I would not use too much miralax at one time, you will get diarrhea and then will have to cut back. A consistent dose is what you want to try. I know you want him cleaned out, but, believe me, it is a vicious circle.

The dosing for Miralax is: "Dose to desired effect"....

I was doing the same thing as you are, until I finally talked to my Vet. She finally got into my head that a consistent dose is what you want. 

Miralax does not work overnight. It takes 2-3 days to work. It is not an immediate laxative. 

I would try 1/4 tsp twice a day. 

Also add extra water to his food. 

Once you find the correct dose, then keep it at that. Do not up it for a while, unless you see a change in his poop. 

and go gradual.

This cycle of constipation and then diarrhea (from the miralax) is really miserable on cats. They will never gain weight by doing this. I found out the hard way. 

Some cats poop every 2-3 days... that is what my guy does. This is 'normal' for him...

Your cat can also feel your anxiety about this issue. I did not believe it, but again, it took a long time for me to realize that. Once I calmed down, he did also.
Thank you for this.  I am so stressed out from this and he knows it since I watch him like a hawk to make sure he eats all his food which contains the Miralax.  I just want him to be able to poop. 
 
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LotsOfFur

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I really like this site. It helps explain a lot about constipation :) http://felineconstipation.org/prevention.html#FiberorPrebiotics

A lot of us totally understand how stressful it can be to have a constipated kitty... :hugs: Artiemom gave you some great info and support. I never knew how invested one becomes regarding their cat's poop until you have one that can't or can't stop!

You are doing great and you sound like a great cat guardian! Keep us posted on how things are moving along (pun intended) ;)

I almost forgot to add that my cat isn't an every day pooper either. I keep a calendar and record when he goes ( if I see him or if it "looks" like his). This gives me an idea of what his normal is and tells me if I need to up his dose of Miralax if he goes to the box to poop and produces nothing. We've been doing trial and error with consistent dosing of Miralax and wet cat food with added water for almost a year now. I know my kitty and we have been fortunate that he hasn't had to make another enema or clean out trip to the vet!

:vibes: that things start to normalize soon for you and your kitty.

-Tina
 

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I feel your pain having lived with this issue with my Spazzie for the last year or so. It is so frustrating to try and control. Some vets say add fiber, others say low residue so as not to bulk up the stool. My regimen is Restoralax ( same as Miralax) 1/4 tsp x twice daily. I mix it in baby food on a tbsp. and he loves it that way. I never give him dry food and feed him Fancy Feast chicken or turkey as that's what he likes. I have tried more expensive foods with no success. I also give him Laxatone every other day. He only poops every 3-4 days. I was worried he could have megacolon but the vet says it's a "sluggish" colon for now. He has an enema at the vets every 6 weeks or so and we start again same-same. He is active, eats well, pees normally and his bloodwork is all fine so I guess this is his life from now on. His new normal. I think it stresses us out more than our cats sometimes ! be careful if you try enemas at home. They should only be done by a professional. 

   I wish you luck ! It's a tough one but I was so glad to have found this site a year ago. I felt so alone in this until I read others were enduring this too.

 BTW,  Spazzie also has pooped blackish stool but our vet told me it is nothing to worry about unless it is tar like. It really isn't black but a dark brown he said and is probably due to it sitting in the colon for a longer period of time.

XX  maybe try mixing the Miralax in baby food on a spoon and let him lick it off. I use the chicken with broth. That way you know exactly how much your kitty ingested. I tried it in his food but sometimes he didn't eat it all so I wouldn't have a clue. 

  Wishing you all the best  !!
 

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once a day add 1/8 teaspoon psyllium hust powder and 2 teaspoons water to food.
  +1 on psyllium!

and, of course, make sure he's getting plenty of water... as always.

Psyllium is the main ingredient in bulk laxitives such as Metamucil.  It's completely natural and it can help people AND animals stay healthy.  If taken regularly, it can even lower your cholesterol!

Don't use Metamucil for animals.  There's lots of sugar and other ingredients in Metamucil which I don't know if it's good for cats.  However, you can get 100% psyllium at the health food store.  It's cheap and it's healthy for you AND your cat!  :)
 

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I second the plain psyllium recommendation. We used to add it to our cat's wet food to get more good fibre in him, and it helped with his diarrhea (it works for constipation too). It's easy enough to do and doesn't have any other ingredients that may be harmful to cats, so I'd just stick with the plain stuff.
 
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mommyofthree708

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I feel your pain having lived with this issue with my Spazzie for the last year or so. It is so frustrating to try and control. Some vets say add fiber, others say low residue so as not to bulk up the stool. My regimen is Restoralax ( same as Miralax) 1/4 tsp x twice daily. I mix it in baby food on a tbsp. and he loves it that way. I never give him dry food and feed him Fancy Feast chicken or turkey as that's what he likes. I have tried more expensive foods with no success. I also give him Laxatone every other day. He only poops every 3-4 days. I was worried he could have megacolon but the vet says it's a "sluggish" colon for now. He has an enema at the vets every 6 weeks or so and we start again same-same. He is active, eats well, pees normally and his bloodwork is all fine so I guess this is his life from now on. His new normal. I think it stresses us out more than our cats sometimes ! be careful if you try enemas at home. They should only be done by a professional. 

   I wish you luck ! It's a tough one but I was so glad to have found this site a year ago. I felt so alone in this until I read others were enduring this too.

 BTW,  Spazzie also has pooped blackish stool but our vet told me it is nothing to worry about unless it is tar like. It really isn't black but a dark brown he said and is probably due to it sitting in the colon for a longer period of time.

XX  maybe try mixing the Miralax in baby food on a spoon and let him lick it off. I use the chicken with broth. That way you know exactly how much your kitty ingested. I tried it in his food but sometimes he didn't eat it all so I wouldn't have a clue. 

  Wishing you all the best  !!
Thank you for this!  This site has been such a huge help during this time. 

So far he is taking his Miralax well.  I just mix 1 teaspoon 2X daily (vet prescribed amount) in a small amount of food and he eats that and then I give him the rest of the can for him to eat after he gets his full dose of Miralax.  He doesn't get any kibble and is on an all wet food diet.  I am switching him over to a better wet food so hopefully that will help as well.  I also add water to his canned wet food to make sure he is getting enough water.

The vet didn't mention anything about megacolon after seeing his xray (which is attached above) so I don't think that is a worry right now.  When we went into the vet the first time they did an enema and then gave him Lactose 2X daily for a week which seemed to help clear him out.  I just think my boy will need some help (Miralax) long term to help him move things along.  Otherwise he is acting normal and eating, peeing and playing so I just need to get his Miralax dose correct and his pooping schedule under wraps. 

He did poop last night a nice solid log poop so I was happy to see that when I got home from dinner.  He then also pooped again this morning so hopefully things are regulating a little bit with the Miralax.  Crossing my fingers and toes.

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions.   
 
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mommyofthree708

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I really like this site. It helps explain a lot about constipation
http://felineconstipation.org/prevention.html#FiberorPrebiotics

A lot of us totally understand how stressful it can be to have a constipated kitty...
Artiemom gave you some great info and support. I never knew how invested one becomes regarding their cat's poop until you have one that can't or can't stop!

You are doing great and you sound like a great cat guardian! Keep us posted on how things are moving along (pun intended)


I almost forgot to add that my cat isn't an every day pooper either. I keep a calendar and record when he goes ( if I see him or if it "looks" like his). This gives me an idea of what his normal is and tells me if I need to up his dose of Miralax if he goes to the box to poop and produces nothing. We've been doing trial and error with consistent dosing of Miralax and wet cat food with added water for almost a year now. I know my kitty and we have been fortunate that he hasn't had to make another enema or clean out trip to the vet!

that things start to normalize soon for you and your kitty.

-Tina
Thank you so much for the compliment!  That is a great idea about keeping a chart of his poop schedule.  I did update in my post above this one.  He is doing better and has pooped yesterday and today.  Wahoo!
 

artiemom

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Are you mixing the miralax with water before adding it to his food? This is important. It has to mix with water in order for it to work. It will not work if it is added dry..

1/2 tsp twice a day seems like a high dose to me, but I am not a vet.

I also keep an extra calendar to monitor my guy's poop. It is a "Grumpy Cat" calendar.
 
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mommyofthree708

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I am putting some food on a plate then putting the Miralax on top and then poring water over the Miralax and then mixing it all up. Maybe I should mix it seperate and then add to food?

Yes the vet recommended 1 teaspoon which I thought was a lot too but she's the vet so I'm going with it. She didn't said adjust accordingly should he start having diarrhea.
 

artiemom

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I am putting some food on a plate then putting the Miralax on top and then poring water over the Miralax and then mixing it all up. Maybe I should mix it seperate and then add to food?

Yes the vet recommended 1 teaspoon which I thought was a lot too but she's the vet so I'm going with it. She didn't said adjust accordingly should he start having diarrhea.
@MommyofThree708

YES,

You need to mix in it water before  adding it to food!!!!  That is most important.. something to do with how it reacts with water. If you just sprinkle and then pour water on, it will not work.....

You need to take a spoon and mix Miralax into water before mixing it to the food in the food dish...
 
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mommyofthree708

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Okay, I'll try that tonight. I figured since I was wetting down all the Miralax mix I would be okay. Thanks for the info. :)
 
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