I think my cat is constipated?

[runekeeper]

Just doing my usual thing, snuggling with my kitties, and I noticed my older male's belly seems a little hard. Not like solid hard, but gassy-hard, so I assume he's bloated. His belly kind of feels like a balloon - I can poke it, but it feels tight. I have no idea if he's in pain because he's a very vocal cat when he's happy or upset, in pain or not, so feeling his belly gets meows or no meows. Sometimes I can't tell the difference between his annoyed meows and painful ones, but he seems more annoyed with me poking him in the sides than anything. He's acting normal otherwise - he's urinating, he wants to play, though he did make more noise than normal when I lifted him up. I think he's uncomfortable, but not hurting badly.

I've got my money on constipation because he was meowing a lot in the litter box for a couple days and today. I'm not sure about his appetite - he seems to still be interested in food and water, but I don't know if he's eating or drinking less. And he has access to fresh water every day too, so that's not an issue. As far as I know, he hasn't eaten anything lately that would cause any kind of an obstruction. Maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago, he ate a couple hunks of tape about the size of a pencil eraser (I tried putting tape on the tips of his claws to prevent scratching of a facial wound and he ate a couple of the tape caps off). I would imagine if those would cause an issue, they'd have caused it sooner, though this cat is noted for eating things he shouldn't despite a pretty well cat-proofed house. He's been constipated before, but was never bloated from it.

Should I try home treatment first? I'm not trying to be a cheapskate or a neglectful owner, but just wondering if I could do something at home to help him first to try and avoid unnecessary stress from a vet visit. I mean is there something non-toxic I could give him that would act as a laxative or stool softener? Should I give it a day or so and see if it just might be gas that clears up? I believe this just started today because I pick him up and snuggle him every day and he felt fine yesterday, both in terms of comfort upon lifting and his belly feeling normal. So whatever is wrong just started. I checked out some other causes for a bloated belly in cats, and none of them really match at all. Constipation fits the bill just about to a T, so while I'm not trying to diagnose him, just saying that's what I think is most likely going on. In any case, I'll see how he feels later and take him to the vet if he's still not well. I'll be out of town for 2-3 weeks starting this Saturday, so he'll definitely need attention before then, especially if I have to make an appointment for (the unlikely chance of) obstruction surgery.

Edited to add: My kitty is 14, eats a mostly dry food diet that he's been on for years (special urinary tract health formula due to bladder stones in the past) and shares wet food with my other kitty, no diet changes, indoor only cat, he's not vomiting, he's not lost any weight, he has access to 2 litter boxes that are cleaned regularly. I think he's had on-off constipation bouts in the past, but nothing that made him bloat up like a balloon (and they went away on their own). Also tried picking him up and pressing on his belly again and he didn't make a peep or flinch or anything, so his meowing before was just him in a bad mood. So he's bloated/gassy, but doesn't seem to be in pain from it.

 

[runekeeper]

Oh, and I don't know if this makes any kind of a difference, but I've had my kitty his whole life - he was born in the house, never been to a cattery or a shelter, and he's kinda fat (17 pounds) and has been neutered. I'm starting to worry myself that maybe he has FIP since I found out the effusive form causes fluid buildup in the abdomen and can result in non-painful belly distention. I've found conflicting information regarding risk factors for FIP - most sources say it almost always occurs in young cats and kittens, but that onset of symptoms is rapid. He's also had no other deviations from his regularly scheduled cat stuff, though I think he may have wet on the floor recently. I did not catch him doing it, so it could have been my other cat too.

FIP can be spread by other cats, though from what I am seeing, that is a bit on the uncommon side. The last cat I brought home was my younger male, and he's been here at least 8 years (I remember having him waaaay back in 2005 when I still had my old tabby cat). While I understand there is often an incubation period with symptoms, is it possible that it would take that many years for FIP to develop? Assuming, of course, my younger cat has it and spread it to my older cat?

Maybe I'm just being a worrywort, but I would rather worry that there is a major issue and find out it's nothing or a minor problem than tell myself it's nothing and have it hit me that much harder if it is, in fact, something major or terminal. All I know is my cat went from normal to beach ball in less than a day, and I can't tell from feeling his belly if he's full of air or full of fluid. Wet FIP signs are rapid, but are they THIS rapid? His belly is not squishy or lumpy - frankly, it feels exactly the way my belly feels when I get bloated. It's not rock hard, but it's exactly the same as if you poke a balloon - it gives a little way under the fingertip, but bounces right back. Even though he's a fat cat normally, his belly is still noticeably wider than normal. If I didn't know he was an altered male, I'd think he was pregnant!

From what I've been trying to find out about FIP, my cat has no other symptoms. I'm wondering if it could also be worms? Being a house kitty, I don't know if that means his immune response is better or worse, and while it seems that stressful situations can sometimes trigger FIP, he's not really been under any stress. Probably the worst stress is when he gets into little spats with my other cat, which he did do recently.

 

[farleyv]

I don't think pressing on the belly will tell you anything.  FIP is very questionable..I believe they have to come into direct contact with another cat who has it.  It is spread through a litter box, food dishes etc. 

Why not set your mind at rest and take him to the vet?  I hava a cat whos belly is as hard as a rock and other that are plump and soft.

Can you keep him in a room by himself for a day to see if he moves his bowels?  When my cats have become constipated, they usually strain in the box and then throw up.  Can you keep the box in view if you cannot seperate him?  I have watched my vet check for constipation or impaction in my cats and it is alot more involved than just pressing on the belly.  The cat is usually standing up and the vet puts his hands and fingers in certain places and applys pressure at various places.  It takes a professional to determine these things.

Best thing to do is just go to the vet seeing you are going out of town.  Do it sooner than later and I am sure ;you will feel a lot better.

 

[jenn baldillez]

I agree with farleyv. I had to take one of my cats to the vet recently because she suddenly stopped eating and drinking one day. She was fine otherwise though. They took an x-ray and the vet said she was constipated and bloated. Her belly didn't feel tight or like a balloon. The vet gave her fluids and a stool softener and sent me home with some gentle canned wet food made specifically for digestive issues. It was the science diet brand, but I don't remember the exact one. I had to keep an eye on her for 24 hours. If she didn't start eating or drinking, then it was possible it could have been a more serious obstruction. Luckily, it was only gas and constipation in her case. She started eating and drinking again that evening.

I hope it's only gas and that your kitty is feeling better by now! 

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I agree with the others.  Usually if a cat is constipated, there will be signed.  Straining in the litterbox (or even outside if it gets really bad), then throwing up from the straining.  Like of appetite.  I had a chronically constipated cat and could never tell anything from feeling his tummy, although I would often rub his entire underside hard to try to give him some relief and get things moving along.

Rune, I know you're kind of paranoid since the loss of Caspurr, and google can make that paranoia worse!  Believe me, I know.  When my Sven was still alive, I was googling things left and right concerning kidney disease.  Anyway, I really don't think it's FIP since you don't have any new cats for the last 8 years!  Have you been around any cats who are suspected to have it?  Also, there are symptoms of FIP other than a hard stomach, and you said he's fine in every other way. 

To be absolutely certain there is no blockage, you would need to take him to the Vet for an exam.  Otherwise, you could confine him and see if he has a bowel movement on his own.  If he doesn't, you can try adding about 1 T of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) to his food per day and see if that helps.  Or I started giving Sven 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Miralax twice a day mixed in a little bit of water, then added to his food.  Might take a couple of days, but this worked like a charm.  Lots of people use this.  BTW, if he has had constipation issues in the past, it's probably from eating kibble, since constipation is brought on from not taking in enough liquid.  If you could switch him to canned it might help.  Or if he does eat canned maybe once a day, maybe mix in some water into it to give him more water. (does his urinary food come in canned - probably not)

 

[lucky83]

Might be worth asking next time you go to the vets..and obviously contact them straight away if he starts being sick or stops eating... My cat, Lucky -(although it appears not so!) is 8 and has always been prone to having a 'bloated' tummy. (took her to the emergency vet years ago once cos it looked so odd ). Then this year she started throwing up everything she ate and there was a faint red tinge to it -it was diluted blood. She had to have emergency surgery because although they couldn't see anything on an xray she had all the symptoms of an obstruction in her gut. Turns out it was a build up of gas - which some cats are apparently prone to - she wasn't constipated just gassy. And in most cases it never causes a problem...it just comes out naturally...But her case - in excess it stretches the intestines so they don't work anymore and then it can act as an obstruction. They had a really good look -nothing except gas - they could even tell me there were no signs of worms! The vet hasn't recommended a special diet or anything...and she is fine now, has a lovely big scar and really won't let me brush her tummy (and my bank balance is quite a bit lighter -but then maybe they earned it - theatre couldn't have been a nice place to be in when all that gas was released....)...

 

[runekeeper]

Rolly's got a vet appointment tomorrow afternoon because he looks like he's going to have kittens! I did hear him meowing a lot last night in the basement, so he may have been straining in the litter box. The thing is he also does this thing where he'll go into a room where he's alone and start doing that "I'm lonely" howling. And I can't tell the difference between the litter box strain meow and the lonely meow. It might also explain why I occasionally find little cat turds on the floor. I think he's had on-off constipation for a while, but I've never seen him bloat up like this. He's still eating and drinking just fine. He seems to not want to move around exactly as much as before, but he's still hopping up on the furniture, begging for food, and snoozing in his usual spots. I also have no idea if there's any way to tell from an external exam if he's full of fluid or full of gas. I'm thinking constipation (or maybe gas) because that seems like the only thing that would make him swell up like this so quickly and with no other symptoms. He hasn't vomited as far as I know, and I can't tell if he's in pain because half the time he meows when I press his belly and half the time he doesn't. Like I said, he's a noisy boy. He's never had a big appetite either; he won't turn down wet food, and it looks like someone's been eating the kibbles, though I'm not sure if Rolly's had any today or if my other cat has been grazing. I guess I'm so worried about FIP because my understanding is the only symptom of the wet form is the distended abdomen without noticeable pain. At least that's what most FIP sources seemed to say. I can't really tell if he's heavier or not - a smaller cat gaining even a little weight might be more noticeable, but Rolly's such a tub that I don't think I'd notice if he gained a couple pounds. In any case, I want to try and figure out what's going on with him now because I'll be going out of town this weekend and will be gone for a couple weeks, and if he needs further care like X-rays, I at least want to get appointments set up and I can probably have my mother take him to these appointments. If need be, the vet can call me while he's at the office. I'm also concerned about liver or kidney failure since bloating seems to be a symptom of both. My guess is he might have blood testing done to rule these things out.

 

[otto]

Are you positive he is peeing? Have you seen him pee?

I'm glad you are taking him in tomorrow, but if you haven't actually seen him pee, I don't think I would wait until tomorrow. If you know for sure he is urinating, okay.

Bloating can be many things. Constipation might cause some bloating, but...I don't know this sounds..different from that. I hope that is all it is. Cancer also can cause swelling of the abdomen. That's what happened with my Tolly . He swelled up like a balloon in a matter of days.

Hopefully your boy just needs a good clean out. All paws crossed for him. But remember, if you haven't seen him pee in the last 24 hours, get him to the vet right now.

 

[runekeeper]

I have not actually seen him pee since I noticed the bloating. Between last night and tonight, there were three wet spots in the litter box from somebody urinating, but I don't know which cat it was. It could have all been from my younger cat. Rolly has had bladder stones in the past - several years ago he had them, but would a urinary blockage make him bloat up like this? When he had bladder stones, he wasn't bloated - he couldn't even move. He'd just lay on the floor and howl. Most of what I'm trying to find regarding older cats quickly developing pot bellies all say either FIP, kidney failure or liver failure, unfortunately. But all those things are caused by fluid in the abdomen and right now, I have no idea if he's full of fluid or gas. And as said before, it's also strange that he seems to have absolutely no other symptoms.

I'm truly hoping it's something that's at least treatable. I don't want to have to put down another kitty so soon after losing my Caspurr. I want to stay hopeful considering that Rolly is still acting normal, but Caspurr was also acting relatively normal all the while having a big mass in her lung. I don't want to be a pessimist, but a part of me is sort of mentally preparing for the possibility that my kitty has something terminal. I hoped and hoped that Caspurr had something minor and she ended up having two very uncommon, hard-to-treat problems. While I know cats often hide their pain, Rolly is easily the most whiny cat I have ever met and I don't think he's ever made any effort to hide even the tiniest hint of pain from anyone. So I can only assume he would let me know if he was hurting.

Edited to add: I brought Rolly to his litter box downstairs and put him in it and he did pee, but only a little tiny bit. He didn't seem to be straining. I also notice he seems to want to lie down more than usual, as in he'll walk around for a bit, then lay down on the floor. While he likes to lay on newspapers on the floor, it's odd for him to just lay down in a random place on the floor since he prefers the couch. Also, I think he was in pain when I lifted him up, though I did my best to not touch his belly (I lifted him under his chest and legs like I always do). I don't know what he's got, but I don't think it's constipation if he doesn't want to get up to pee (though it could be he didn't have to go very very badly and just went because he was in his litter box). I just have a gut feeling that he has something very bad.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm glad you have an appt for him, since he's now showing other signs that something isn't right. 

Keep us posted.

 

[runekeeper]

At the very very least, I found out there's an animal hospital I can actually reach myself where he could receive X-rays if needed, but their online description says they only do certain orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries. So I imagine if Rolly needed surgery or fluid aspiration, he'd have to go to the other clinic where I took Caspurr. Not that I don't want to take him - it's just very hard trying to find someone who is willing to spend the entire day at the clinic and I feel badly when the person who takes me is someone I don't know very well (even though I pay them).

Rolly does seem to have signs of a blockage, though I don't know if an obstruction in the intestines or stomach would cause him to bloat up so quickly or to the extent he has bloated. He's still not vomiting and has not passed any stool that I'm aware of since he started to puff up, but I don't know if he has to have all the signs of a condition in order to possibly have it. Honestly, if he has to have something serious, I'd want it to be a blockage since that would be most treatable, I think. I don't know how well a cat his age would do in surgery, but if he has to be sick, I can only hope it's something that can be helped.

He's been getting a bit more sleepy/lethargic as the day has gone on, but he perks up when he knows I've just opened some canned cat food or he smells his dry cat treats. He followed me all the way down to the basement when I fed my other cat to share food. I brought him a few treats when he was "sleeping" on the recliner, but the second he smelled those treats, his eyes were darting all over the room and his little nose was up in the air sniffing. He also ate his treats just fine, so he still has an appetite, it seems. Don't most cats with blockages lose their appetites? I would definitely not rule out an obstruction only because Rolly has always liked to eat things he shouldn't. Rubber bands, cords, tape, string, bags, ribbon. I do my best to cat-proof the house and remove inedible items from his reach, but there's always a chance he could still find something to chow down on when I'm asleep or away from home. I can't count how many times I'd be cleaning the litter boxes and find a bunch of hard little stools with a single string running through them like a little feces necklace. I always know which stools are Rolly's.

Sorry for serial posting here...I'm just worried, and writing helps calm me down. Hopefully tomorrow I can find out if Rolly is full of fluid or not and then decide from there what treatment to seek. His symptoms just occurred so suddenly that I can only imagine his condition is acute. Of course, that can also include organ failure and FIP right along with blockages.

 

[otto]

I hope Rolly is at the vet now. This sounds like an emergency to me. All paws crossed for him.

 

[runekeeper]

Yup, took Rolly in a couple hours ago and he got an X-ray done (which I didn't know the small local facility could do). The vet said there was no obstruction anywhere, there was no tumor, and his belly is not full of fluid. So that rules out everything serious I thought he had. She didn't take a temperature, so I don't know if he has even a small fever, but he did gain a pound and a half since I took him in two weeks ago. So the best the vet can tell, Rolly's just very gassy and a little constipated, so he got an enema. He did pass a few little hard stools when I brought him home (and he threw up a bit after the enema on the way home), but he's still bloated.

I'm not sure if he's supposed to "deflate" immediately or if it's more gradual. He's acting the same, wanting to lay down more than normal, but for some reason, he seems to prefer the floor to the couch. Though he has made a couple trips downstairs to use the litter box (apparently he has forgotten about the one upstairs). So he's obviously not feeling so terrible that he can't get up and use the cat box.

I was also told if he doesn't stop being bloated that I should take him to get an ultrasound. But if he has no tumor, no blockage or no fluid, what else could it be? The vet didn't seem concerned that this is an emergency situation, so she didn't say run out right now and get him a US. If he's gassy, is there anything I can do to help relieve him quicker? Like rubbing his belly? Or will he deflate on his own now that he's gotten an enema? He just came downstairs where I am again to use the cat box and he passed the tiniest little bit of wet stool, so I think he's all cleaned out. I know dogs get bloat sometimes, but do cats get it? This wasn't even brought up (and nothing was said about his heart rate or breathing being abnormal at all).

 

[finnlacey]

There's always a chance it's megacolon so just because x-rays didn't show anything, doesn't mean it's 100%. x-rays don't always show everything such as the pancreas which is behind the stomach and isn't viewed well on x-rays. So I think the vet wants to be 100% sure there isn't anything going on in there. But megacolon can cause constipation and bloating. Hopefully this is just a one time thing though, that can happen, it happened to my Finnegan and he never had another problem after that.

 

[runekeeper]

But if it was megacolon, wouldn't the vet have been able to feel it? And wouldn't the colon have looked larger? I'm not arguing about it, but just curious. I don't know how much an X-ray will show of organs, though if it showed constipation, I imagine it would show something like a twisted or enlarged colon. Also, Rolly was tested for anemia and his results were normal...I don't know if that makes a difference at all. I didn't see the X-ray myself, so I don't know what angle it was taken from or if the pancreas was seen and it wasn't mentioned as a potential concern.

The weight gain paired with a decreased appetite is especially strange because just about every single condition that would cause a kitty's belly to be distended involve weight loss. He definitely did not pass a pound and a half of stool. I wonder if I should take him back for blood work to maybe rule out pancreatic problems; it seems pancreatitis can cause the distended belly along with his other symptoms. Maybe it does - some sources say a distended belly is not a sign of pancreatitis and other sources say it is. I also wonder if if could be worms, though it strikes me as odd that an older indoor-only cat would suddenly develop a worm infestation while gaining weight.

All I know is Rolly is acting the same as he was prior to visiting the vet.

 

[finnlacey]

No I'm sorry, you misunderstand me. I was only using the pancreas as an example of things that x-ray may not pick up. This doesn't sound like anything to do with pancreas. But to answer your question, I don't think x-ray can pick up near what the ultrasound does so if the colon is enlarged at all or anything to do with megacolon, it may not show up. As I said, this may just be a case of being constipated and gassy, it happens. 

 

[runekeeper]

I understand you were just offering the pancreas as an example, but for the heck of it, I tried finding some information about whether or not my cat's symptoms could be pancreatic in nature and some sources listed a distended abdomen, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc. as possible symptoms of pancreatitis. So that's why I went on about it so much. In any case, I was told to call the vet back if Rolly wasn't better, and he's not. His appetite has definitely decreased, BUT it's not gone completely. He's not eating his kibbles, but he'll eat a little canned food (which I added some water to). He hardly ate any of it, but he did eat some...maybe a teaspoon. I was just never told if, after the enema, he'd immediately go back to a normal size or if it would be a slow release of gas (or if the enema could have any possible side effects). I also haven't seen him take a drink today, but I don't know if that's a lack of a desire to drink or not wanting to move around a lot since he does seem to be in pain (eyes half-open, laying down with feet tucked under his chest, minimal movement). I have a mouth syringe somewhere, so I think I might give him some water to ensure he's not dehydrated.According to the vet, Rolly was only a little constipated, and I imagine that since he did manage to pass some stool, he's not blocked up. It's just considering his belly size and weight gain, I was anticipating a large amount of feces. Even if it is megacolon, would he not have had some relief from his bloating by now from the enema? I also still wonder if it could be an obstruction since not all foreign objects would show up on an X-ray.

 

[finnlacey]

He definitely doesn't sound right to me. When my Finnegan was constipated he had immediate relief. Have you called the vet again yet? I would if you can. 

 

[runekeeper]

I tried, but the vet's not in until tomorrow morning and I really would like for the vet who examined Rolly to be the one I speak to since she's obviously most familiar with his condition.

I also gave Rolly some water with a mouth syringe - not a lot, maybe 5 mL - that sure got him up and moving! He put up a big fight, but I wanted to make sure he got a little fluid in him, and the second I let him go, he went and hid under something in the garage where I couldn't reach him. He also ate some more canned food. Believe it or not, he looks better all of a sudden. He came out from his hiding spot and now he's laying on the floor, but rather than being crouched with half-lidded eyes, he's on his side, totally alert and cleaning himself. Basically, he looks more relaxed. I'm still going to call the vet, especially if he's still bloated tomorrow, but this is the first time since his bloating started that I've seen him laying on his side.

Such strange symptoms.

 

[finnlacey]

I wonder if he's just majorly stressed out after everything he's been through today. Has he had this reaction before coming home from the vet? I'm thinking this all may be stress related if he's starting to come around. (which is great news btw).