Raw Food Causing Constipation?

[Stephanie1373]

Hello Everyone, my 17 year old Maine Coon baby is on day 3 of not pooping and I can tell he's uncomfortable when he moves around. He's already been into the vet last week for constipation and he had 2 enemas and a lot of poop. He's been given Miralax and still no results.

The vets are scratching their heads on this one...why is he constipated when he's eating only canned and raw food, both with added water because he seems to prefer soupy meals?

Does anyone have any experience with your cat becoming constipated from this diet change? He's never had this issue before so this isn't historical. It only came up a few days after the transition into the new diet.

Please help with some insight! I want to keep my boy on this new diet because it's supposed to be the best for him...but not if it's going to give him constipation issues. I'm so worried.

Much love.
Stephanie

 

[Ardina]

When I first switched my cats to raw, I thought she was constipated because she went from pooping large, stinky logs daily to tiny, dry, hard, powdery, non-odorous poops once every two days on raw. After doing some reading, I realized that it's normal because they can extract a lot more from raw than they can from processed, canned food.

That being said, 3 days of no pooping and some discomfort make me think that your case isn't quite normal. Does he have any GI motility issues? The other issue might be this: when a cat eats non-raw food for many years, defecation is only stimulated by a certain diameter of stool. When switched to raw, that diameter becomes much smaller, and defecation may not be triggered as easily. Thus, the stool sits in the colon and rectum and proceeds to further dry out as water is reabsorbed. At some point, it becomes too dry and hard to pass easily. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there's a good solution besides giving it time.

 

[missmimz]

Try adding more fat to his diet and see if that helps. Fat is the 'natural' way to treat constipation. You could drizzle some bacon fat on top of the raw, or just feed fatter cuz of meat, like lamb, or chicken with skin on. Older cats just seem to be more prone to constipation issues, it seems.

 

[Stephanie1373]

When I first switched my cats to raw, I thought she was constipated because she went from pooping large, stinky logs daily to tiny, dry, hard, powdery, non-odorous poops once every two days on raw. After doing some reading, I realized that it's normal because they can extract a lot more from raw than they can from processed, canned food.

That being said, 3 days of no pooping and some discomfort make me think that your case isn't quite normal. Does he have any GI motility issues? The other issue might be this: when a cat eats non-raw food for many years, defecation is only stimulated by a certain diameter of stool. When switched to raw, that diameter becomes much smaller, and defecation may not be triggered as easily. Thus, the stool sits in the colon and rectum and proceeds to further dry out as water is reabsorbed. At some point, it becomes too dry and hard to pass easily. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there's a good solution besides giving it time.

Today the vet suggested that it could be that he's not getting enough fiber in his diet of all wet food. He's used to kibble for 17 years and that has a lot of fiber in it. She suggested giving him pumpkin every day for the fiber and that should help keep him regular. So I'm going to try that.

 

[Stephanie1373]

Try adding more fat to his diet and see if that helps. Fat is the 'natural' way to treat constipation. You could drizzle some bacon fat on top of the raw, or just feed fatter cuz of meat, like lamb, or chicken with skin on. Older cats just seem to be more prone to constipation issues, it seems.

Is it ok to give him butter?

 

[missmimz]

Is it ok to give him butter?

Yeah butter is okay as long as he tolerates it. I'm not a fan of pumpkin. It's not really the solution for constipation issues. Cats in general don't need extra fiber. Are you feeding Rad Cat? Have you tried feeding the lamb or beef, which are fattier meats? What about lactulose? You need an RX from your vet for it but it will help with constipation more than something like pumpkin or miralax.

 

[orange&white]

I would go with the fiber your vet recommended, since he has been used to getting a lot of fiber for 17 years. Pumpkin seems to help for a short-term fix for both diarrhea and constipation. In some cats, it loses its effectiveness if given long-term...but you may only need a temporary fix now and then.

Psyllium husks (Metamucil) is often an ingredient in raw food recipes. It's used to add fiber and bulk up the stool. Seems like it would be harsher on the gut, but it might also be a good short-term remedy.

Raw ground unsalted sunflower seeds might also be worth a try. That would mimic the stomach contents of a prey diet of mice.

A little fat is worth a try, but I wouldn't overdo it. How is your cat's weight? Fat is 120 calories per tablespoon, and senior cats need extra protein in their diet. Fat could make him feel full and not want to eat the protein he needs to prevent "skinny old cat syndrome" (muscle wasting). I'm decreasing the fat in my 13 year old's diet, trying to get him to eat more protein calories (but he is also overweight by 1.5 pounds).

Pumpkin is probably the gentlest and easiest thing to try first. And if he can't stand the taste, you've got a start on the ingredients to make yourself a few pumpkin lattes.

Also, you noted that he's been back to the vet to get some dried feces removed. You may be good to go without anything else.

 

[missmimz]

I would go with the fiber your vet recommended, since he has been used to getting a lot of fiber for 17 years. Pumpkin seems to help for a short-term fix for both diarrhea and constipation. In some cats, it loses its effectiveness if given long-term...but you may only need a temporary fix now and then.

Psyllium husks (Metamucil) is often an ingredient in raw food recipes. It's used to add fiber and bulk up the stool. Seems like it would be harsher on the gut, but it might also be a good short-term remedy.

Raw ground unsalted sunflower seeds might also be worth a try. That would mimic the stomach contents of a prey diet of mice.

A little fat is worth a try, but I wouldn't overdo it. How is your cat's weight? Fat is 120 calories per tablespoon, and senior cats need extra protein in their diet. Fat could make him feel full and not want to eat the protein he needs to prevent "skinny old cat syndrome" (muscle wasting). I'm decreasing the fat in my 13 year old's diet, trying to get him to eat more protein calories (but he is also overweight by 1.5 pounds).

Pumpkin is probably the gentlest and easiest thing to try first. And if he can't stand the taste, you've got a start on the ingredients to make yourself a few pumpkin lattes.

Also, you noted that he's been back to the vet to get some dried feces removed. You may be good to go without anything else.

Cats don't process fat the same way humans do, so a high fat diet for cats isn't a bad thing and doesn't necessarily make them feel "full" over protein. Fat also moistens stool, which helps with constipation, rather than simply trying to cure constipation with medication or fiber, which isn't really appropriate for cats, fat is the natural way to moisten the stool so it moves easier through their system.

 

[orange&white]

I know cats process fat differently. I've fed raw since 2008.

I still keep a can of pumpkin in the pantry in case of a temporary bout of constipation or diarrhea, and would still cook bland chicken and rice for a tummy ache. Some things just work.

 

[missmimz]

I know cats process fat differently. I've fed raw since 2008.

I still keep a can of pumpkin in the pantry in case of a temporary bout of constipation or diarrhea, and would still cook bland chicken and rice for a tummy ache. Some things just work.

Rice absolutely isn't appropriate for cats for any reason.

 

[orange&white]

Yes, well when my senior went off his food for over 24 hours earlier this year, I bought him kibble, several types of canned, cooked him chicken/rice and offered raw. I believe a raw diet is most appropriate for all cats, but occasionally you just need to prevent your cat from dying for a few days when he doesn't feel well...especially when you know how to keep him alive.

So Stephanie, how is Kasper doing today?

 

[valentine319]

I know that some raw diets have psylum husks added. I wanted to add a brief note on that. Read the label before buying any. It seems even generics commonly have sweeteners in them. I would go with pumpkin first.

 

[Stephanie1373]

Yeah butter is okay as long as he tolerates it. I'm not a fan of pumpkin. It's not really the solution for constipation issues. Cats in general don't need extra fiber. Are you feeding Rad Cat? Have you tried feeding the lamb or beef, which are fattier meats? What about lactulose? You need an RX from your vet for it but it will help with constipation more than something like pumpkin or miralax.

The raw food is from Rad Cat and I have both chicken and beef. He liked the beef for a little while and now he's rejecting it and I'm not sure why. Since this diet change, he has suddenly gotten very picky when he wasn't before. I haven't used lactulose but I will ask my vet about it, thanks!

 

[Stephanie1373]

I would go with the fiber your vet recommended, since he has been used to getting a lot of fiber for 17 years. Pumpkin seems to help for a short-term fix for both diarrhea and constipation. In some cats, it loses its effectiveness if given long-term...but you may only need a temporary fix now and then.

Psyllium husks (Metamucil) is often an ingredient in raw food recipes. It's used to add fiber and bulk up the stool. Seems like it would be harsher on the gut, but it might also be a good short-term remedy.

Raw ground unsalted sunflower seeds might also be worth a try. That would mimic the stomach contents of a prey diet of mice.

A little fat is worth a try, but I wouldn't overdo it. How is your cat's weight? Fat is 120 calories per tablespoon, and senior cats need extra protein in their diet. Fat could make him feel full and not want to eat the protein he needs to prevent "skinny old cat syndrome" (muscle wasting). I'm decreasing the fat in my 13 year old's diet, trying to get him to eat more protein calories (but he is also overweight by 1.5 pounds).

Pumpkin is probably the gentlest and easiest thing to try first. And if he can't stand the taste, you've got a start on the ingredients to make yourself a few pumpkin lattes.

Also, you noted that he's been back to the vet to get some dried feces removed. You may be good to go without anything else.

I'm actually trying to get his weight back up, right now he's 8.3 pounds. He used to be 10 pounds until the hyperthyroidism kicked in and he had to be on meds, then his kidneys acted up because of the medication. He lost some weight and a lot of muscle mass. His fur got really bad too with lots of mats and an oily feel. Since changing his food, his weight has gone up from the lowest of 7.6 pounds and his fur isn't oily anymore and the mats are much easier to get out and manage.

He's definitely rejecting the pumpkin but I haven't tried it slathered in tuna yet so I will try it today. If he still doesn't like it then I really will have the start on ingredients for a few pumpkin lattes lol!

 

[Stephanie1373]

Yes, well when my senior went off his food for over 24 hours earlier this year, I bought him kibble, several types of canned, cooked him chicken/rice and offered raw. I believe a raw diet is most appropriate for all cats, but occasionally you just need to prevent your cat from dying for a few days when he doesn't feel well...especially when you know how to keep him alive.

So Stephanie, how is Kasper doing today?

Kasper seems to be feeling much better and he's gotten very picky on his food now that he has so many options lol! I am keeping some Merrick's senior kibble out for him for about an hour during the day, just to get in a little fiber to help him out in the litter box. Once I figure out how to get him to eat some pumpkin or some other fiber alternative then I won't put the kibble down anymore. This is tricky!

 

[Stephanie1373]

I know that some raw diets have psylum husks added. I wanted to add a brief note on that. Read the label before buying any. It seems even generics commonly have sweeteners in them. I would go with pumpkin first.

Thank you for the tip! I will keep a close watch on the labels.

 

[Catamaran]

Kasper seems to be feeling much better and he's gotten very picky on his food now that he has so many options lol! I am keeping some Merrick's senior kibble out for him for about an hour during the day, just to get in a little fiber to help him out in the litter box. Once I figure out how to get him to eat some pumpkin or some other fiber alternative then I won't put the kibble down anymore. This is tricky!

My cat, Conan, who has always had a raw/cooked diet (homemade, vet recipe) recently had a problem with constipation..... enema @ the vet, who recommended Miralax. Worked for awhile, then it seemed we had to up the dose every 3 days or so... go from constipated to diarrhea. In reading the threads, we saw the pumpkin recommendation...We tried pumpkin... he absolutely would not eat it, even mixed with meat or tuna. So, to the recipe (which is approx 6 cups of raw & cooked meat with additional nutrients & organ meat.. 1 month supply, we freeze it) I added 2 cups of watermelon... Seedless, but I made sure of no seeds, watermelon seeds are toxic to cats. Food processed it in with the meat, not as strong of a flavor, some, but not as much fiber, but lots of liquid & he doesn't seem to know it's there. Back to his old goofball self, seems to have achieved the balance with 1/8 tsp of Miralax daily (1/16 in am, 1/16 in pm.) Hope I can continue to get watermelon, though! Problem started in July, he's now been on the 'new' recipe for a month & no probs. The Miralax, from the start, though, seems to make his skin dry & he is itchy... anyone else have this happen? This was before the updated diet, but since Miralax pulls water from the cat' s system into the colon, it seems likely the skin would be drier...any solutions out there for the itchiness?

 

[orange&white]

This was before the updated diet, but since Miralax pulls water from the cat' s system into the colon, it seems likely the skin would be drier...any solutions out there for the itchiness?

Are you adding an Omega-3 fish oil supplement, or feeding a little oily fish per week?

Also I'm not sure watermelon is really healthy for a cat on a daily basis, but 2 cups a month is about a tablespoon per day, so maybe it's ok. Use your best judgment.

 

[Catamaran]

Yes, the Omega-3 is part of the recipe. Watermelon seeds are toxic to cats, but the flesh is low in calories & low in sugar/calories for a fruit...also has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. There's even a modest amount of potassium. So, similar, though not identical to, the nutrients in pumpkin, but somewhat less fiber... It's 92% water, so getting the water he needs into his system, as he is not a big water drinker. Oddly, I used to have a cat that was crazy for watermelon & honeydew melon, which is what made me think of adding it, in approximately the same amount recommended for pumpkin. Wish he'd eat the pumpkin...sooo much easier!

 

[orange&white]

Oddly, I used to have a cat that was crazy for watermelon & honeydew melon

I've read that cats can't smell "sweet" and melons smell just like meat to them. Not sure how anyone researches something like that, or how they could come to any definitive conclusion...unless they found a talking cat.