Has Anyone Else Experienced This? Constipated For Weeks, Didn't Know.

[Kyashasu]

Hello all,
Today I got news that my cat has an inflamed intestine because she was constipated. Her intestines lining was also thicker than it needed to be, so it was smaller. Her body was having a hard time pushing the poop and stuff through so it backed up into her intestines. I don't really know how to explain this all well, but basically it had been happening for a long time. I thought it had been happening for only 6 days because she had been throwing up or dry heaving for that long.

Turns out that she had been constipated for who knows how long. She would still eat, but it would come up the other way.

She is only 4 and a half.

My brother got a cat back in October /November and he isn't as observant as I am. It got harder to tell whether or not she was using the litter box cause she would use the one in his room all the time so a litter box that had nothing in it wasn't unusual.

I'm just basically in shock in a way. She is fine, but I feed her Instinct and Kiwipeak wetfood. I also fed her The Real Meat Company(dry food with water on top) recently, so maybe that had something to do with it. She was hydrated well enough.

Food too was hard to keep track of because my cat Aria, would try to eat Vi's food which was dry food at the time. That is why I got the Real Meat Company food so it would be something she could eat instead.

They gave me Royal Canine GI Fiber dry food, which I will use. It is hard to go back to dry food after giving her wet food, (I still have like 50 cans of different kinds too). I also have to give her prednisolone for a while. I still have a fountain up and running for her.

I guess the only questions I am wondering are:
Has anyone else gone through this? I thought I was doing everything right. I should have went with my gut feeling and took her in early when I noticed something was off. It was a good thing that we found out , but I am very worried. I read a different post about an older cat that the same thing happened and am worried that it will happen to my girl.

How do people keep track of their cats when there are two or more? How can you tell who has eaten what and when and when they have eliminated in the litter box? I am going to be more organized with this and switch to time feedings.

Are there foods similar to the Royal Canine Gi Fiber? Seems like Vet's only have Royal Canine that they can give you. Again, I won't switch for now until Aria is feeling better. I just don't like that the ingredients are all corn and wheat for the first ten except for chicken ground meal and chicken fat.

Last question: I bought some hairball treatment, does anyone else give this to their cats regularly, Cat Lax I think it is called? Or I also ready about egg yolks and lecithin too from different posts. Those were more about vomiting ,but also talked about the poop getting runny if given too much, so it must have fiber in it. I won't make many switches at once, i am going to do what the vet said for now.

I am going to keep her in my room at night from now on and talk to my brother. He might be moving soon, so we will go back to one cat and I might be moving soon. I really wanted another cat in the future, but if I can't tell I don't know if it is good for my cat that I get another one.

I know I'm not a failure, but it just seems like I failed my cat. She didn't show any signs other than throwing up and not eating for a time. Which I took her to the vet for when that came up. I missed the early signs though. She played, had energy, and purred a lot, but was literally full of poop. I saw the x-rays the vet showed me. It was scary to see.

Picture of my cat added, she outside sitting on a cushion on a table. She loves to go outside, i have a tie out and sit outside with her when I can. Also other picture of me and her. Don't like how I look, never noticed glasses make your head look smaller when the reflection hit them, but good picture of her.

I am in school right now and work at the same time. I got really behind this weekend trying to figure out what was wrong. So, if questions are asked I don't know when I will get back to you. Thank you for reading. I needed someone to talk to and get this out of me. Any advice for future stuff would be appreciated.

 

[Kitty Mommy]

Please stop blaming yourself. Cats are notorious for hiding illnesses and sometimes it can become serious before it is noticed. Some symptoms seem so minor or common that they are easy to dismiss. You got your cat to the vet and she is getting treatment. I know I've listened to my gut and ran to the vet for things that turned out to be nothing and I've missed signs that something was really wrong and had to go for emergency visits. We are all human and can only use the best judgement that we have based on the circumstances. Does the vet think she has IBD?

With multiple cats it can be hard to track who is eating what and which litter box activities are whose. Is there a place in the house that one of the cats prefers to go that the other ones doesn't frequent? You can try moving a litter box and food/water bowls to separate areas to see if that helps you determine what's what. Or try keeping one cat in a separate room for a couple of days or nights and see what that cat eats and eliminates.

My cat Max has IBD and is on prednisolone and I use Laxatone for his hairballs. I've been feeding both cats Purina Naturals Indoor and Fancy Feast grilled wet food which seems to work well for both. Max will still vomit on occasion but he is much better since starting the medication. My vet told me that elimination can vary depending on a lot of factors and what's normal can vary from cat to cat depending what they eat, how much they eat and drink, etc. For my two cats right now, I am happy if I see 3-5 pee spots and at least 2 poop spots a day. I try not to obsess but I do find myself on litter box patrol quite often.

 

[Kyashasu]

I'm getting better, thank you for responding. I will probably be on litterbox patrol as well. Already flattened both of them. I will have to think on where I could put the litter box, right now they are only a room apart. I've had to switch them on occasion so that she'd use the one in my room after I have deep cleaned it.

Honestly, I don't remember what he said. I know he said he wanted me to switch the diet and totally switch it. I also thought he said something about wanting her intestines better before proceeding. Also, if she didn't have a bowel movement a day , to let them know right away. This was all a first step. So, as of right now I don't think she does, but it is a possibility. I read some things I found on another thread, and they helped a lot with information.

Thank you kitty mommy! I feel a bit better, still a little bit of shock. Doesn't help my cat is still pretty mad from the surprise vet visit, not that all of them are not a surprise to her.

 

[artiemom]

Hi Kyashasu Nice to meet you, but sorry it is under these circumstances.
Please stop beating yourself up. You have 2 cats, You go to School AND you WORK.. you are very busy. It is not your fault. Now, you have taken your cat to the Vet, so pat yourself on the back for doing so.

My guy has both IBD and Constipation issues. The IBD is; Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
It is usually from a food allergy and results with thickened intestinal walls. The 2 do not usually go hand in hand~~ my guy is one of the few "lucky' ones.. and he has a chicken allergy.

The constipation issues are borderline MegaColon; which means he gets constipated and cannot push it out. The lower intestine stretches out, to a large diameter, filled with hard stools.

Regarding the constipation:

The Royal Canin Fiber Response Food: While it is dry food, it is awesome for a cat with constipation issues. It really works wonders. There are ingredients in there, in the right promotion which make this food become a wonder food for many cats.. Occasionally, the extra fiber is not good for some cats.. it is a watch and see .. try it for several days, and see.. Make sure there are enough water bowls around..

Regarding the CAT LAX. Personally, I would not use it. Not without the Vet approving it's use. You do not want to overdue thing. I know from experience.
You could be forcing bowel contractions, which may be painful, if you cat is really blocked...
NO, I would not use that.

The other drug, which is over the counter, is Miralax.. that is a powder, mix it with water, and you would have to syringe it into your cat;~ Unless you mix the solution in with some wet food. Again, ask your Vet about this..

The other drug, which can be used, is a human drug ~ prescription only.. it is Lactulose.. a very thick, sickening sweet syrup, which looks like Karo (Corn) Syrup.. It is gross.
Cats hate it. You would have to syringe it in..

If you cat has not pooped, I would definitely call the Vet. He may need to give you baby an enema, to clean her out.. sorry..

I have only had one cat at a time. I do not know how it would be with 2 cats.
My thoughts; you could feed your baby in a different location. The main thing is you get as much of the dry Fiber Response food in her, as she will eat. You cannot control what happens when you are not home.
Do you free feed? If you do, then it will be almost impossible to keep the food separate.

As far as litter box, and checking poop. My feeling, from my own experience; I think you will be able to see the difference in poop, providing the other cat does not eat the Fiber Response food. The poops will initially be harder.. and then they can be larger, both in diameter and length.. but what do I know?? I am just going by my guy..

The vomiting was happening because your cat was constipated, completely full, and the food was backing up.. I am really surprised that your cat kept on eating.. usually, they refuse to eat, when they feel this way.

Your baby is very sweet.. and beautiful. It is obvious that she loves you very much.

One question; Did your Vet clean out your cat, from the constipation? If not, then you do need to be vigilant about monitoring her poops. If she has not gone for a day, then you need to contact the Vet.. this is serious. You do not want her to get worse.

Plus, your Vet can monitor your kitty's bowel movements and prescribe what is needed and when. I think this is a good idea..

Please relax a bit.. Cats are like sponges in picking up on our feelings. You do not want your little one feeling stressed.

Good Luck! We are here for you...
((hugs))

 

[Kitty Mommy]

You are welcome Kyashasu . Everyone here is very supportive so post anytime you need to talk. There is a great wealth of experience and wisdom here and we all know how scary and distressing it is when a kitty is ill. I'm glad to hear you are feeling a little better. I hope your beautiful kitty feels better soon too; give her lots of loves. Keep us posted on how you are both doing and feel free to share lots of pictures of your baby!

 

[Kyashasu]

artiemom
Hey,
I am feeding her the Royal Canin and had to do a transitioning period.

I think maybe my cat doesn't like chicken anymore, she doesn't like eating it, so I have been feeding her the duck kind and have been avoiding the chicken for now, probably for a while.

I have been using the catlax, I could have swore that I was told it would help. And I told them that yesterday too when I called. She hasn't pooped yet. She has been eating, but no poop. It isn't a litterbox thing because she peed when she got home. When I am not home it is hard to tell. I have been keeping both cats separate when home so I can tell for right now.

It is going to be two days without seeing her poop come this afternoon. I am going to be calling the vet if it happens. She has been hiding a lot more since coming home. She did get the enima (spelling?) on tuesday and they cleaned her out. I have to give her a steroid (perisidone, I think, spelling again). It is for inflammation and to get her organs working again.

One other thing that happened is that originally when we thought it was something else they gave her a two week antibiotic shot. The two weeks ends March 3rd. I am wondering if that is affecting the good bacteria in her gut that help with digestion now, while all the rest of this is happening. Like maybe I need a probiotic to help? If the vet says so anyway, or maybe it won't make a difference until after that two week mark.

I don't know if she is pain, but I am guessing she might be cause yesterday she was making growling noises near the litterbox and I couldn't figure out why....hard thing is though she growls like that when the other cat is nearby...she has done that before and I don't know if the other cat was walking past the room or not.

My guy has both IBD and Constipation issues. The IBD is; Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
It is usually from a food allergy and results with thickened intestinal walls. The 2 do not usually go hand in hand~~ my guy is one of the few "lucky' ones.. and he has a chicken allergy.

She does. They showed me the thickened walls that wasn't allowing food to be pushed through. I had been giving her chicken, freeze dried as treats when training her or praising her. Sometimes it was food, but I would switch it each day and go with duck(w/turkey) or kiwipeak lamb, salmon from instinct. I don't think she likes the salmon now that I tried putting a different medicine from the first diagnosis in there (before we found out about constipation).

I'm trying not to worry. It is harder, cause she goes and hides, she isn't purring anymore, and she isn't playing as much either. So, I don't know what is normal or not anymore. She looks outside a lot still. She doesn't sleep in her favorite bed in the closet either, she would always purr in there. I just want her to feel right again.
I'm also afraid of what will happen if the steroid doesn't work. She is eating the royal canin cause she loves kibble. Ironically, she gets to eat it now because of this, so that should make her happy.

As of right now, as far as I know, she hasn't pooped. It has been two days since I took her home from the enima

enema

I just needed to see the word better..enema.

The constipation issues are borderline MegaColon; which means he gets constipated and cannot push it out. The lower intestine stretches out, to a large diameter, filled with hard stools.

I think this is what she has or had. That is how bad it was for her.

I work different schedules from my brothers and other people so I don't have many people to talk to.
I will be calling the vet soon and probably want to pay for another xray to see what is happening inside. I have work today at 5 pm and they close at 5pm, so I can't wait too long unless they want to wait until Friday which means I need to call anyway to make an appointment to get her in Friday.

Thank you again for responding artiemom Kitty Mommy , for being supportive and kind. I am a worrier. This cat was my basically my best friend when I lived in a different state all alone. I don't go out much so I was with her a lot. Found her when I was about to be alone in that state. Basically, I took a job four years ago in Missouri. My dad and brother were working down there. Once I got down there, my dad had to leave for Michigan. My brother and I were supposed to be down there at the same time. He got in a little bit of trouble, so they sent him to Michigan with my dad. So I was alone. Thanksgiving morning around 5am, my brother let his dog out at the hotel we were at before we were leaving for the 6 hour drive back to Minnesota to go home for THanksgiving. Lily, his dog shot off to the side of the hotel. Damien, my brother, went after her and found a kitten in a pipe. He got the main desk's girlfriend who was in the back to get the cat. They took care of her for the weekend and then I got her when I got back to Missouri. She has been with me ever since. She probably would have died during the winter I think.

Here is a picture of my brother's dog Lily, with Aria. And then Aria in the first year I got her. I had an extra closet that I had her litterbox in. And I was using freshstep, the dust was getting everywhere so I hung up a sheet thinking it would keep some of the dust in when she was using it. Well, she jumped up on it, so it ended up being a toy. I have a video of it, which is pretty great. As a vet once told me, she still has her kitten face. She hasn't changed much

 

[artiemom]

You are doing a great job of handling things.

Aria, so sweet..and that sounds like a 'furrever" story.. it is meant to be...

Glad Aria is eating the RC Fiber Response food. That is good for her poops. It will help a lot. You have great instincts about food~~ Seriously!!!

You understood the chicken allergy, went directly-- and on your own I will add.. to Novel Protein food. That is awesome.. and such a strong understanding of things.. most people do not 'get it'...

I understand what you mean about this cat being special to you. Artie is my 'soul cat'..
Yup...

Ok, after having an enema, on Tuesday, and hopefully being cleaned out, it may take a couple of days for Aria's stools to be eliminated.

Could you try, after asking the Vet, of course.. about giving her a bit of wet food, mixed with some of the miralax solution? That can help her even more..You could get a small cup, add about an inch of water, mixing in about 1/4 tsp of miralax.. adding this solution to her wet food.
Ask the Vet...

Or even ask the Vet about a tiny bit of Lactulose (prescription)..

The steroid is to calm things down in her intestines... In my thoughts, I think you need to allow the drug some time to work..

The antibiotic, if it were negatively effecting her colon bacteria, would probably be producing some diarrhea.. Yes, you can try a probiotic.. try a mild one, at first, until things get straightened out a bit.. I use Proviable, which I order from Chewy.com
Again, ask the Vet about this.

I would expect Aria to produce some poops either today or tomorrow. If not, then I think she needs to be seen... If my guy is anything to go by; the RC FR dry food, will produce thicker stool, and a bit different color.. yup.. food is really reflected in stool..

Unfortunately, things do not happen overnight.. and these are very frustrating diseases to have.. and Aria is so young to have these issues.. Once you get a handle, things should be ok for a while...

Aria has been through a lot of bad things, from her point of view. She is stressed and not feeling well. It is understandable that she is having a bit of a different attitude.. again, I would bring that up to the vet..
Just show her your love.. try to get her to play.. exercise is good for her.. get a wand toy, or a laser dot-for cats..

((hugs))

 

[Kyashasu]

She pooped!! Haha, it is weird being so happy about that! I had an appointment to take her in today at 10:45am, and she pooped around 9:30am. So I called and cancelled. They agreed. I will still keep an eye on her, probably from now until forever since this caught me off guard. You were right, artiesmom, that it would take a bit. I guess I didn't understand the vet well enough when he said she needed a bowel movement everyday. I thought he meant starting that day.

I am keeping the cats separated for now. Aria gets pretty anger when the other cat is around for some reason, so maybe I will also try to slowly introduce them back, in a way. Shouldn't hurt, but I will be able to keep an eye on her litterbox better this way and eating the Royal Canin food. Vi, my brother's cat, ate her food yesterday. I had it on a small plate with another plate on top thinking that would stop either of them. Came home from work, found the bowls almost toppled off the dresser I feed her on. It was the leftovers from earlier that I didn't want to put in the bag. I will be switching over to time feeding.

artiemom , there isn't really a good way to figure out what she is allergic to right? It'd probably be feeding her other things lightly and seeing her reaction?

I am guessing it is the chicken, kind of like psychological stuff where you eat something(onions), get sick from something else(food poisoning), but think it is onions rather than the food poisoning. SO then everytime you eat onions you think you are gonna throw up or get sick.

I read a lot of stuff, I think from this website about raw food, wet food, dry food. I learned a lot from other people. It was actually fun, would spend hours reading up on topics. This website is great for the resources available.

Aria has been playing, but hiding a bit more upstairs. She still is growling and I don't understand why sometimes especially when Vi is in her room and isn't making any sounds. I think Aria thinks I am going to give her medicine or take her to the vet everytime I pick her up now. Granted, she didn't like being picked up before around Vi either. Can't expect too much right away I guess.

Thank you again so much artiemom and Kitty Mommy ! Especially for showing me how to tag people too! Hopefully Aria continues to get better. Will probably be back on here if not. I have so much school work to catch up on, I am going to be busy for the next month, but at least I won't have to worry so much now

First picture is of her a couple of years ago.
Second picture is her getting up the neighbors garage after getting up the tree chasing after a squirrel. She was up there for a good thirty minutes before I got her down.
Last one is probably one of the best ones I have. Zoom in on the flower she is about to hit

 

[artiemom]

Such sweet pictures! Such a sweet girl!!

Hooray for Poops!!! We even have a poop smilie:

Some of us are obsessed with Poop!!! Yes, we are weird..

As far as checking for allergies, via blood test.. I do not know about any. I think there may be a way, but I would add that it would be expensive.. most of it is trial and error.. whether it is the protein itself or an additive, is very confusing..
That is why the one protein, one brand at a time, experiment is so good.

You really need to stay with one protein and one brand for a while.. weeks.. do not change it up. If, after several weeks, there are no reactions.. then you can move on to a different protein and brand.. it takes a lot of time for diagnosing food allergies..

Unless, you are like my guy, who immediately vomited each time he ate chicken. That was a given.

Good luck, keep doing what you are doing.. keep us and the Vet informed...

This is an awesome place for guidance, and friendship.. a great learning tool.. and so friendly...
Glad you like it!!!

 

[Kitty Mommy]

Glad to hear she is doing better and that you are felling better too! Keep us posted on how you are both doing and I hope you find some time to explore this site. There is a lot of great information and great conversation here.