- Joined
- Jul 28, 2023
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First I’ll explain Pip’s history. For the last couple of months he has been struggling with occasional constipation. I have tried a couple different remedies which have kept him going up until this point. I have tried pumpkin and pumpkin powder but he didn’t like it and it didn’t seem to work. I tried green bean baby food every other day mixed in wet food which I think it may have helped. On a normal basis, he has Vets Best Hairball aid chewables, Get Naked Digestive Health treats, and on occasion I give him Petromalt or Laxatone hairball gel. The chewables he used to take 2, the treats he used to take 4 and it’d help, but when he started getting backed up and not pooping every other day or every 2 days, I cut back to 1 chewable and 3 treats which up until recently I thought was working very well for him. He also likes to eat grass when I let him walk around outside, but I should note he is overweight, he is 18lbs. When he doesn’t poop for 2 days, I give him 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Miralax mixed in chicken broth, I would give the chicken broth multiple times throughout the day and by the next day or so he’d poop. He would strain and sometimes go on the floor in the corner if he was having trouble. I think he struggles with hairballs as well because I’ve seen hair in his stool and he has a companion cat he grooms. His stools are not small and dry though, they are large and hard, but normally I can still break them open and they’d be slightly mushier inside. When he’d have the Miralax they’re definitely soft.
Friday I noticed he hadn’t went poop, Saturday still no poop, so I started chicken broth and Miralax. He had thrown up sometime Friday night I had found by Saturday morning. He was straining a lot, still no poop. He still ate and drank but not as much as usual. By Sunday he had finally pooped three large stools, two on the floor and one in the box. Now he started acting normal again, like his chipper self, eating and drinking, running around. Walking outside, chewing on grass. I started giving him the hairball gels again and continued chicken broth and small doses of Miralax. However, by Wednesday, he still hadn’t pooped. I upped his Miralax to 1/2 teaspoon, also then later gave a 1/4 teaspoon, still nothing, still straining, but still acting normal and eating/drinking. By Thursday morning he didn’t want to eat, I went to work and came home and noticed he was mostly laying around, I could tell he didn’t feel well. All he had in the morning was a bit of chicken broth. By evening, still no appetite, no poop, we walked around outside, came back in, more straining, so I took him to the emergency vet. We waited 2 hours but they got him in, kept him overnight and gave him an enema, iv fluids and a laxative and got some stool out. Took x rays said he was backed up almost to his intestines and his colon was very large, he was impacted. By Friday morning the emergency hospital was closing so they had me take him to my regular vet to continue care. However, the regular vet has left me with little information on how he is doing, I’ve had to keep calling to ask and they are closed for the weekend. Pip is still there and this new vet dr I’ve never had there before is taking care of him, my regular vet is currently not there and I’m very worried. He has told me he’s got about 80% of the stool out, but is very concerned on how large his colon is and what function Pip had left of it because he hasn’t went on his own. He’s had three enemas and they sedated him once for more manual deobstipation, they said they’ve softened some of the stool, have him on cisapride and lots of fluids, but other than that I’ve been left with little info on everything that’s going on. The vet told me he’d send me pics of the x rays, still didn’t yet, he said he’d call me Friday night and never did, by 8 this morning the receptionist called me to tell me Pip was doing ok and still didn’t poop on his own, 9 the vet told me they’d do the sedation and manual deobstipation, by 12 I called to ask how he was doing if they had tried to clear him out anymore, vet called me back by 4:30 with his concerns about Pip being able to go poop on his own, and said he will probably continue to stay the weekend, or he might have me take him home, get him some exercise, and see if he’ll go at home.
At this point my emotions are a mess, his companion cat, Graham, keeps hiding during the day and only comes out at night and is extra affectionate towards me, when I took Pip Friday morning to the regular vet with my mom, I opened the pen door and he circled around the crate and sat at the entrance, poor guy was ready to come home. I just want my boy back. I’ve spent $1,200 on emergency, not sure what his regular vet will charge me. I’d like to eventually get him a subtotal colectomy but I cannot afford the $4,000 estimate I asked the vet about right now at this current time. I’ve been researching foods but the vet told me he is just concerned right now about getting him to poop on his own. I’m very worried, anyone have advice on my situation?
Friday I noticed he hadn’t went poop, Saturday still no poop, so I started chicken broth and Miralax. He had thrown up sometime Friday night I had found by Saturday morning. He was straining a lot, still no poop. He still ate and drank but not as much as usual. By Sunday he had finally pooped three large stools, two on the floor and one in the box. Now he started acting normal again, like his chipper self, eating and drinking, running around. Walking outside, chewing on grass. I started giving him the hairball gels again and continued chicken broth and small doses of Miralax. However, by Wednesday, he still hadn’t pooped. I upped his Miralax to 1/2 teaspoon, also then later gave a 1/4 teaspoon, still nothing, still straining, but still acting normal and eating/drinking. By Thursday morning he didn’t want to eat, I went to work and came home and noticed he was mostly laying around, I could tell he didn’t feel well. All he had in the morning was a bit of chicken broth. By evening, still no appetite, no poop, we walked around outside, came back in, more straining, so I took him to the emergency vet. We waited 2 hours but they got him in, kept him overnight and gave him an enema, iv fluids and a laxative and got some stool out. Took x rays said he was backed up almost to his intestines and his colon was very large, he was impacted. By Friday morning the emergency hospital was closing so they had me take him to my regular vet to continue care. However, the regular vet has left me with little information on how he is doing, I’ve had to keep calling to ask and they are closed for the weekend. Pip is still there and this new vet dr I’ve never had there before is taking care of him, my regular vet is currently not there and I’m very worried. He has told me he’s got about 80% of the stool out, but is very concerned on how large his colon is and what function Pip had left of it because he hasn’t went on his own. He’s had three enemas and they sedated him once for more manual deobstipation, they said they’ve softened some of the stool, have him on cisapride and lots of fluids, but other than that I’ve been left with little info on everything that’s going on. The vet told me he’d send me pics of the x rays, still didn’t yet, he said he’d call me Friday night and never did, by 8 this morning the receptionist called me to tell me Pip was doing ok and still didn’t poop on his own, 9 the vet told me they’d do the sedation and manual deobstipation, by 12 I called to ask how he was doing if they had tried to clear him out anymore, vet called me back by 4:30 with his concerns about Pip being able to go poop on his own, and said he will probably continue to stay the weekend, or he might have me take him home, get him some exercise, and see if he’ll go at home.
At this point my emotions are a mess, his companion cat, Graham, keeps hiding during the day and only comes out at night and is extra affectionate towards me, when I took Pip Friday morning to the regular vet with my mom, I opened the pen door and he circled around the crate and sat at the entrance, poor guy was ready to come home. I just want my boy back. I’ve spent $1,200 on emergency, not sure what his regular vet will charge me. I’d like to eventually get him a subtotal colectomy but I cannot afford the $4,000 estimate I asked the vet about right now at this current time. I’ve been researching foods but the vet told me he is just concerned right now about getting him to poop on his own. I’m very worried, anyone have advice on my situation?
