The Good And The Bad of Miralax

[tamsynstead]

Took cat to vet yesterday as he hadn't been eating much the past week and was losing weight. The two previous evenings I'd given him Miralax as I know he won't eat if constipated (now on renal diet as has CKD). He ate heartily before we set off (catsssss) and the vet did a blood test to find he's numbers had increased from 4.5 to 5. The vet said to minimise the Miramax as much as possible 'as it draws water from his intestines'.and if he won't eat, to bring him back for another bout of IV ) I won't stress him more by applying SubQ, did that with two of my dogs and short term benefits do certainly not outweigh the stress and inevitable outcome, they both died shortly anyway. Question: I feel it would be better to give him the Miralax so he eats instead of carting him off to vet for IV every week and I don't see how just two small applications of Miralax could have made his numbers jump in so short a time - last test only a month ago. Thoughts?

 

[KittenAppliance]

My understanding of Miralax is that it simply keeps the water it binds to, in the stool... but it doesn't draw water into the intestines that wasnt already there.

 

[tamsynstead]

My understanding of Miralax is that it simply keeps the water it binds to, in the stool... but it doesn't draw water into the intestines that wasnt already there.

Thanks for this. The vet is always banging on about water being drawn from intestines, whether it be psyllium (which I can't mix in with his food if he doesn't eat it anyway) and now Miralax. I'm in Thailand and he's taking courses half the week, he certainly appears to know a lot about physiology, but your comment suggests he's wrong on this point. I've heard of cats being on Miralax for very long periods of time. Thank you. I'll continue with the Miralax and keep mum

 

[KittenAppliance]

My vet said that the only thing to be wary of with miralax is that whatever water stays in the colon bound to the miralax, isnt absorbed into the body so you want to make sure youre adding water to the food you are putting miralax in, so your cat is drinking extra water with it.

 

[tamsynstead]

My vet said that the only thing to be wary of with miralax is that whatever water stays in the colon bound to the miralax, isnt absorbed into the body so you want to make sure youre adding water to the food you are putting miralax in, so your cat is drinking extra water with it.

I dissolve the Miralax in water and syringe it into his mouth. He won't eat it in his food and he won't eat his food without it. I also give him Krill capsules, Methycobal, a Vitamin B Complex liquid (syringe) and CBD oil every morning. Oh, and I've grown wheatgrass which he nibbles at. So a little watered down Miralax in the evening no biggie for me. Also, he constantly drinks water. I've bowls of it everywhere.

 

[tamsynstead]

Thanks for this. The vet is always banging on about water being drawn from intestines, whether it be psyllium (which I can't mix in with his food if he doesn't eat it anyway) and now Miralax. I'm in Thailand and he's taking courses half the week, he certainly appears to know a lot about physiology, but your comment suggests he's wrong on this point. I've heard of cats being on Miralax for very long periods of time. Thank you. I'll continue with the Miralax and keep mum

Oh just a mo, I misread, so it draws water FROM the intestines? That's what vet said. But There's no option but to give it to him if he won't eat. He'll die sooner rather than later. And he drinks water ALL the time.

 

[Furballsmom]

From ;

Miralax for Cats: Is it Safe? | Great Pet Care.

Miralax is an osmotic laxative, which means it draws water into the intestines to soften stools, stimulating bowel movements and easing constipation. The active ingredient in Miralax is polyethylene glycol 3350, or PEG 3350.

Many vets are prescribing miralax rather than lactulose.

 

[tamsynstead]

From ;

Miralax for Cats: Is it Safe? | Great Pet Care.

Miralax is an osmotic laxative, which means it draws water into the intestines to soften stools, stimulating bowel movements and easing constipation. The active ingredient in Miralax is polyethylene glycol 3350, or PEG 3350.

Thanks. But there's no alternative. He still hasn't eaten today because I didn't give him Miralax last night. As I said, he drinks a LOT of water.

 

[Furballsmom]

His eating or not eating isn't based on the miralax, that's only to help with constipation.

I apologize if you said above, but are you talking to your vet about this? Does he need B12? An appetite stimulant?

 

[tamsynstead]

His eating or not eating isn't based on the miralax, that's only to help with constipation.

I apologize if you said above, but are you talking to your vet about this? Does he need B12? An appetite stimulant?

Yes. He's just messaged me asking about his appetite today, I told him he hasn't eaten anything and that I must give him Miralax this evening/afternoon. He hasn't replied so assume he too accepts no alternative. I can't keep him in the hospital on IV. The B Complex was his idea as was the Krill. He agreed with the methycobal, I take it every day anyway. I can't see it's an appetite stimulant, it doesn't stimulant mine. He's looking into stimulants 'from overseas'. But who knows? No time to lose. He's a lovely guy.

 

[tamsynstead]

His eating or not eating isn't based on the miralax, that's only to help with constipation.

I apologize if you said above, but are you talking to your vet about this? Does he need B12? An appetite stimulant?

If he's constipated, he will not eat. Hence the need for a laxative. Miralax appears to be the only one that works.

 

[nanniecat]

there is a med to increase appetite. when my cat wont eat, i sprinkle a tiny bit of FortiFlora on her food. it has something cats like. it works ev time. i try not to give her meds. i am always afraid i wont know if the med is causing the problem? fortiflora is my goto!

 

[tamsynstead]

It's getting him anywhere near his bowl that's the problem. He literally runs away when I show it to him. My guess is he'd rather starve than vomit. He's okay with defecation though 0.o I can get Fortiflora here and see it's a probiotic recommended for cats and dogs with diarrhea. The opposite of constipation

 

[Furballsmom]

You need to get food into your cat, and I really think you need to talk to your vet some more, regarding the lack of appetite, the increased thirst and the constipation. Trying to handle this on your own is not only frustrating for you, it can be dangerous for your cat.

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ I give my cats an eyedropper of olive oil to pass a hairball. Seems to have a laxative effect ...

 

[tamsynstead]

You need to get food into your cat, and I really think you need to talk to your vet some more, regarding the lack of appetite, the increased thirst and the constipation. Trying to handle this on your own is not only frustrating for you, it can be dangerous for your cat.

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

He ate some wet food last evening and went back to his bowl for more. I was ecstatic. However, shortly after, he kept running in and out of his litter box, just two tiny stools. So I gave him a tiny bit of Miralax mixed with water and syringed it into his mouth. Then left him looking decidedly down in the muzzle on the couch nearest his box. Came down this am and there were three small stools.
I have been gleaning a LOT of information from felinecrf.org which has a piece on Slippery Elm Bark. I'll try to get some today. In the meantime, I have read vets do not pay much attention to this aspect of renal (fiberless) diets and many CKD cats suffer constipation. It seems pretty obvious to me. But when I suggested psyllium husk I got the usual 'but it draws water from the intestines'. Yes well they must get the waste out somehow and if it's not one end it will inevitably be the other, hence the vomiting, which Slippery Elm is also good for. Look it up. The pet big pharma (and food) is just as bad as the human one, imo.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I tried my Daisy, who seems to have early megacolon, on Slippery Elm, but it didn’t really help with her constipation. She’s now on Cisapride to get her bowels moving and 1/4 teaspoon twice daily of Osmolax (same as Miralax) to soften the stool. She likes the Osmolax enough to drink it out of the mixing spoon most of the time!

 

[tamsynstead]

I tried my Daisy, who seems to have early megacolon, on Slippery Elm, but it didn’t really help with her constipation. She’s now on Cisapride to get her bowels moving and 1/4 teaspoon twice daily of Osmolax (same as Miralax) to soften the stool. She likes the Osmolax enough to drink it out of the mixing spoon most of the time!

Well that's disappointing. It's incredibly difficult to get anything here. The Miralax and Luctulose (spl) are just about all there is and the latter doesn't work and incredibly messy. My vet is always saying he wants this or that med 'from overseas' but never seems to acquire it and none of the other clinics have it either. The most I give my cat is less than 8th teaspoon in the evening. I don't see how that amount could've caused his numbers to jump from 4.5 to 5? And your giving this Osmolax every day twice a day? As the saying goes 'treat the cat, not the numbers'. There's no way I'm leaving him on IV (which appear to have little long term effect) one week out of every month. Thanks for your post.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Well that's disappointing. It's incredibly difficult to get anything here. The Miralax and Luctulose (spl) are just about all there is and the latter doesn't work and incredibly messy. My vet is always saying he wants this or that med 'from overseas' but never seems to acquire it and none of the other clinics have it either. The most I give my cat is less than 8th teaspoon in the evening. I don't see how that amount could've caused his numbers to jump from 4.5 to 5? And your giving this Osmolax every day twice a day? As the saying goes 'treat the cat, not the numbers'. There's no way I'm leaving him on IV (which appear to have little long term effect) one week out of every month. Thanks for your post.

I completely agree about Lactulose, I tried Daisy on that - horrible sticky stuff, she didn’t like it at all and getting it into her was difficult.

Her needs are likely to be different from your boy’s, because she has a lifelong issue that will eventually stop responding to medication and require surgery.

I so hear you about the difficulty of getting things! It’s not as bad here in Australia, but our market for food and medical supplies for animals is minuscule compared with the US.

 

[tamsynstead]

I completely agree about Lactulose, I tried Daisy on that - horrible sticky stuff, she didn’t like it at all and getting it into her was difficult.

Her needs are likely to be different from your boy’s, because she has a lifelong issue that will eventually stop responding to medication and require surgery.

I so hear you about the difficulty of getting things! It’s not as bad here in Australia, but our market for food and medical supplies for animals is minuscule compared with the US.

The vets here are a bit of a mixed bag also. He's gone from 'everything normal' to high CKD in a matter of months with no change in diet, which I believe to be the cause of all this. Wild cats don't get CKD. It's all the crap they put in the stuff for domesticated (did no favours for them there) ones. There was a blog by a guy who refused subQs, as do I (2 of my dogs died shortly after so the stress was for nothing) and kept his cat on a protein diet but added phosphorous binders to counteract the effects of the protein. Can't find the bookmark now but sounded reasonable to me. This renal food is pap. Anyway, we must just keep on and avoid the fleecers which here in Thailand are many.