Kitty Had An Enema On Friday And Is Constipated Again

[basilleaves]

Hi! Anya (9 F) is giving us quite the health scare. She dropped from 10.5 to 9.0 lbs this summer and her ensuing blood work showed high calcium. We're waiting on a malignancy panel to rule out the scary. I have many reasons to think it's not cancer but of course I'm worried that it is.

She hadn't used the litter in a minute so I dropped her off at the vet on Friday morning. Apart from a ton of backed up poop that "kind of wrapped around a little bit," her vet didn't see anything too concerning on the x-ray. They expressed her anal glands and gave her an enema. She went later that night and immediately looked like a million dollars, illustrious coat and all. The poop itself wasn't epic or anything but the consistency was excellent.

Anyway, it's Sunday night and she hasn't pooped since. I've been giving her 1/4 tsp Miralax twice a day. She won't touch the vet's Royal Canin cans or any other wet food, so I've been feeding her kibble soaked to the point of mush. She has always consumed more water than any other cat I know (her kidneys are fine atm) and should still be fairly hydrated from Friday's spa retreat.

...So how do I inspire her to go? Is it normal to not want to go for days after an enema? Her Friday Night Poop wasn't big enough to convince me that she's empty and she's licking a little more than I'd like. No other signs of pain. She's been playing quite a bit.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!

Is it normal to not want to go for days after an enema?

well, a certain time period yes and here, you're talking about only Saturday and part of Sunday, --it depends a lot on how much she's been eating.

Her being active is good, that will help her digestive system to function better. If you don't see anything by tomorrow night or Tuesday morning, you may want to check with the vet again.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I have heard that high calcium levels in cats can cause constipation as well as unexplained weight loss. See if the vet would approve you increasing the dosage of Miralax if you don't see a good stool in the next 24 hours. Also, the extra licking could be from her behind being a bit irritated by the enema.

I gather that once the vet has the test results looking for malignancies and doesn't find anything, they will start to address other reasons for the high calcium count - or at least do another blood test to re-check it? Did they already rule out things like an overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism) and/or underactive adrenal glands (hypoadrenocorticism) - both of which can cause high calcium.

Keep us posted - hoping she has a nice BM in the very, very near future!!

 

[basilleaves]

No poopies in the litter today, so I called and they're writing a script for Lactulose. She's eating and drinking a lot so I'm really hoping that the (questionable imo but what do I know) combo of Lac and Miralax will do the trick!

I gather that once the vet has the test results looking for malignancies and doesn't find anything, they will start to address other reasons for the high calcium count - or at least do another blood test to re-check it? Did they already rule out things like an overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism) and/or underactive adrenal glands (hypoadrenocorticism) - both of which can cause high calcium.

Yep! I think that's included with our malignancy panel. They're confirming elevated calcium and running a check on iCa, parathyroid levels, etc. to pinpoint a cause (or at least rule some out). Of course her blood's being shipping to Michigan State so we'll be biting our nails for the next 7-10 days.

Here's a novel:

From what I gathered, elevated calcium can also be caused by malnutrition? A couple of weeks prior to the onset of Anya's symptoms, we happened to switch to a rabbit-based protein to accommodate a potential food allergy in our youngest (1 M). The new food turned Anya's fur to SILK, so I stupidly assumed it was good for her and ignored some pretty big warning signs: regurgitation and foamy puke, aversion to eating much, etc. Her energy also rose this year (she plays with the youngster), leading me to attribute her weight loss to being fit for the first time in her otherwise vegetative life.

The weight loss was sort of gradual. She lost a little over a pound in two-three months, and I felt it on her many weeks before I saw it. And then I saw it, and kicked myself to Mars for not acting on it sooner, and now we're here.

I started feeding her some crummy Purina that she's been devouring without a single puke, and her thighs seem to be a bit thicker but I just can't trust myself on that. I truly hope that this isn't coincidental, that mommy royally messed up, and that all this can be fixed with new food and apologies. She has always been the prime example of health and a cancer scare at 9 is so unexpected and terrorizing.

First things first, though: positive energy for her poops!

 

[FeebysOwner]

From Feeby to Anya -

 

[Furballsmom]

Definitely keep an eye on things, i know you will . regarding those two tummy meds

 

[basilleaves]

She did it!

 

[Furballsmom]

. .

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[FeralHearts]

Good job kitty and Mama!!!! XOXOXOXOX