Stool with dry, white look?

[Scaredpersianowner]

Hello,
My cat has had some constipation issues for a while now. She is currently on lactulose every other day, but due to her still having dry stools the vet requested we go back to twice a day for seven days.
She poops once every 1.5-2 days, and her stools have this hard, dry look to them. I showed the vet a photo of the white spots (not the litter, the circled part is a dry part of the poop) and he didn’t think much of it.
Any thoughts? She recently had an ultrasound and everything was normal except for enlarged lymph nodes and a thickened bladder.
Thank you!

 

[Scaredpersianowner]

I should add, we’ve had her poop tested multiple times and it never comes back negative for any parasites!

 

[artiemom]

That stool looks really concerning. What food are you feeding her? Dry or canned. What is her age?
How long has this been happening?

The stool is really hard as a rock. The white things are very upsetting. It almost looks as if she is eating something which is drying out her stool. Or could it be from ingesting litter?

I do not think she needs as much lactulose as she does hydration--- by sub-q fluids; given by either the Vet and / or you. How is she acting? is she vomiting? Has she had blood tests? Do you know what her blood tests show? and can you get a copy, of the report, to look at.

Does she act as if she is in pain? I would think she would be, when she has a bowel movement.. but overall, how is her demeanor.. Cats hide pain..

Another thing, which is bothering me, from your post: enlarged lymph nodes and thickened bladder..
These can be a result of many things, and need further investigation.
An x-ray can see if she is constipated.. and some other things.

Where do you live? Are there other vets in your area? Honestly, I am thinking your baby needs a second opinion. If there is a university related Vet hospital, I would take her there. If not, another vet is pretty necessary for a second opinion.

Personally, I do not think this is from parasites. She needs further work up and treatment.

I wish you luck? My last guy was really sick with MegaColon.. could not poop. needed intense treatment.
(((hugs)))

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I agree that I've never seen anything like that, and I have a cat who has chronic constipation if he doesn't get his Miralax twice a day. Plus the size of that piece of stool looks huge! I think hydration really might be key here, along with some stool softener.

Here's an article on how to get them to drink more: Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake - TheCatSite

I add water to my cats food even though I only feed wet food. I probably add at least one full tablespoon to every single meal, and I think a lot of people here to that, because most cats simply don't drink enough. Has your Vet ever suggested doing some sub-q fluids, as mentioned above. Or have you ever checked to see if she's dehydrated by pulling up on her skin to see if it goes back down right away or not? If it doesn't, she's dehyrated. And I would say that dehydration is probably the number one factor for constitpation.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Have you actually taken a poop sample into the vet that contains these white things (vs. just sending a pic)? If your vet won't pursue other avenues, then as anguishing as it can be, you might have to consider getting a second opinion. There are other tests that some vets would be willing to run other than the standard one that looks for parasites only.