1. Has a diagnosis of megacolon been reversed or misgiven?
2. How long was yours and kitty adjustment period? Meaning, how long did it take to get the right combo of foods/meds to get back to normal?
3. Did bulking agents (fiber) work instead of or in addition to stool softeners for you?
4. Is it cruel to administer an appetite stimulant when the kitty doesn't want to eat?
(Posted also in the yahoo group but I wanted to post here also)
My little Meph(istopheles) has been unwell going on 6 weeks now.
12/30/16 - Enema given by vet. Xray showed lots of stool but no evidence of megacolon (I asked about this in the 2nd visit)
1/5/17 - 2nd enema given by vet base on palpitation. Vet recommended miralax at 1/8 - 1/4 tsp daily. Somewhat consistent stools, every 3 days, cowpie at first to soft sausages. On 1/13/17 vet prescribed lactulose as she believed 3 days was too long. Meph was eating really well, about 6-7oz daily at this time. Lactulose was only to be given "as needed" and to stick with Miralax daily
1/17/17 - Appetite stimulant prescribed by vet since Meph had eaten less and less over the previous 3 days. Since she was pooping and the vet didn't palpitate hard stool, we thought the constipation was over. Blood work showed normal levels in everything. Meph began a trend of eating well when the stimulant (mirtazapine) was given, then less and less until the next dose.
1/26/17 - Barely eating, even with mirtazapine, the vet administered a pancreatitis test which came out negative. Meph was visibly and vocally in discomfort and the vet took an xray to rule out a hairline fracture somewhere. Xray showed Meph was BACKED UP! Although a physical palpitation showed no evidence of hard stool, she was full of soft stool. At this point the vet said it could be MEGACOLON since she's not evacuating her stool (vet did note that the colon did not appear to be stretched out like normal megacolon in either of the two xrays). Meph was eating before (thanks to mirtazapine) but I guess that the food she ate just shoved the stool out the other end. An enema was given and a prescription of cisapride (2.5mg twice daily). She had diarrhea after the enema so the vet told me to hold off until it passed
1/30/17 - started the cisapride, have been giving 1/8 tsp miralax since 1/26. Soft stools every other day now. Not eating much though, anywhere from 1 - 3 oz daily. The vet stressed that she needs to be moving (she's been in various spots but always under the bed) so I've taken (read: forcibly dragged) her out into the living room and let her run back into the bedroom 2-3x a day.
2/3/17 - visibly uncomfortable and eating even less. Same symptoms as last week so I gave her a feline Pet-ema. She passed a few dime sized firm stools and then a lot of diarrhea with a few smaller rods of poo. I had given her lactulose today too.
And that's where I am. I bought some unflavored pedialyte to give to Meph as she hasn't been eating much at all. Before she had poop problems, she and my other cat were eating Blue Wilderness grain free chicken or salmon, and getting 1 can of grilled Fancy Feast to share. This had been their diet for years. When Meph started losing her appetite in early January, I let her eat only Fancy Feast. A month later it has taken it's toll. She has awful dandruff and I don't know if it's not just exacerbating her problems. I was also offering her dry again (as the vet recommended reintroducing it to help bulk up the softer stools) and she'd sometimes eat that in addition to the fancy feast.
Now I'm trying to get her off of the FF and dry food, but I'm concerned since she's not eating much right now and the vet said "give her whatever she'll eat." I guess because I have to figure out the right ratio of meds to food to regulate her the vet didn't want me trying new things. But I tried Nature's Variety LID turkey and she wouldn't touch it. She wouldn't touch the FF classics either (not even fishy ones!). What worked yesterday was Trader Joes tuna for cats (she ate 2.5oz), but she hasn't touched it today. I'm hoping the pedialyte will perk her up. The vet and I were thinking, well, less food intake means less poop, but overall I'm exhausted from stress.
I made an appointment for a second opinion on wed, but also have the option to walk in on Saturday or Monday. I like my current vet, but everyone I talk to tells me to get a second opinion. It can't hurt right? (well, it'll hurt her feelings, she hates getting in the carrier).
Anything, advice, experience, a kind word, anything would be appreciated...
2. How long was yours and kitty adjustment period? Meaning, how long did it take to get the right combo of foods/meds to get back to normal?
3. Did bulking agents (fiber) work instead of or in addition to stool softeners for you?
4. Is it cruel to administer an appetite stimulant when the kitty doesn't want to eat?
(Posted also in the yahoo group but I wanted to post here also)
My little Meph(istopheles) has been unwell going on 6 weeks now.
12/30/16 - Enema given by vet. Xray showed lots of stool but no evidence of megacolon (I asked about this in the 2nd visit)
1/5/17 - 2nd enema given by vet base on palpitation. Vet recommended miralax at 1/8 - 1/4 tsp daily. Somewhat consistent stools, every 3 days, cowpie at first to soft sausages. On 1/13/17 vet prescribed lactulose as she believed 3 days was too long. Meph was eating really well, about 6-7oz daily at this time. Lactulose was only to be given "as needed" and to stick with Miralax daily
1/17/17 - Appetite stimulant prescribed by vet since Meph had eaten less and less over the previous 3 days. Since she was pooping and the vet didn't palpitate hard stool, we thought the constipation was over. Blood work showed normal levels in everything. Meph began a trend of eating well when the stimulant (mirtazapine) was given, then less and less until the next dose.
1/26/17 - Barely eating, even with mirtazapine, the vet administered a pancreatitis test which came out negative. Meph was visibly and vocally in discomfort and the vet took an xray to rule out a hairline fracture somewhere. Xray showed Meph was BACKED UP! Although a physical palpitation showed no evidence of hard stool, she was full of soft stool. At this point the vet said it could be MEGACOLON since she's not evacuating her stool (vet did note that the colon did not appear to be stretched out like normal megacolon in either of the two xrays). Meph was eating before (thanks to mirtazapine) but I guess that the food she ate just shoved the stool out the other end. An enema was given and a prescription of cisapride (2.5mg twice daily). She had diarrhea after the enema so the vet told me to hold off until it passed
1/30/17 - started the cisapride, have been giving 1/8 tsp miralax since 1/26. Soft stools every other day now. Not eating much though, anywhere from 1 - 3 oz daily. The vet stressed that she needs to be moving (she's been in various spots but always under the bed) so I've taken (read: forcibly dragged) her out into the living room and let her run back into the bedroom 2-3x a day.
2/3/17 - visibly uncomfortable and eating even less. Same symptoms as last week so I gave her a feline Pet-ema. She passed a few dime sized firm stools and then a lot of diarrhea with a few smaller rods of poo. I had given her lactulose today too.
And that's where I am. I bought some unflavored pedialyte to give to Meph as she hasn't been eating much at all. Before she had poop problems, she and my other cat were eating Blue Wilderness grain free chicken or salmon, and getting 1 can of grilled Fancy Feast to share. This had been their diet for years. When Meph started losing her appetite in early January, I let her eat only Fancy Feast. A month later it has taken it's toll. She has awful dandruff and I don't know if it's not just exacerbating her problems. I was also offering her dry again (as the vet recommended reintroducing it to help bulk up the softer stools) and she'd sometimes eat that in addition to the fancy feast.
Now I'm trying to get her off of the FF and dry food, but I'm concerned since she's not eating much right now and the vet said "give her whatever she'll eat." I guess because I have to figure out the right ratio of meds to food to regulate her the vet didn't want me trying new things. But I tried Nature's Variety LID turkey and she wouldn't touch it. She wouldn't touch the FF classics either (not even fishy ones!). What worked yesterday was Trader Joes tuna for cats (she ate 2.5oz), but she hasn't touched it today. I'm hoping the pedialyte will perk her up. The vet and I were thinking, well, less food intake means less poop, but overall I'm exhausted from stress.
I made an appointment for a second opinion on wed, but also have the option to walk in on Saturday or Monday. I like my current vet, but everyone I talk to tells me to get a second opinion. It can't hurt right? (well, it'll hurt her feelings, she hates getting in the carrier).
Anything, advice, experience, a kind word, anything would be appreciated...
