Two senior cats, one constipated and one with IBD

Pepsi216

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Hi everyone,

I have two old man kitties with opposite problems. Saxon is ~15.5 and suffers from IBD that is decently managed but turns into diarrhea at the drop of a hat if he gets into something he shouldn't. Logan is ~13.5, and after a bout at the vet that resulted in a kitty enema, Logan was diagnosed with old man constipation that's probably chronic. Both are fed exclusively Fancy Feast Classic, no dry food at all. Saxon gets a tablespoon of baby food daily mixed with probiotics, slippery elm, and s. boulardii; Logan thinks baby food and most human food is beneath him.

We've been adding water to the Fancy Feast to try and get extra water into Logan, but his constipation seems to be coming back again and he's straining at the litterbox and scooting across the floor. I've had success in the past with adding miralax to cat food every day (I seem to collect old man cats :) ), but am concerned that that might cause Saxon to have extra soft movements/diarrhea. Has anyone dealt with this problem? Would something like fiber both cause Logan's poop to soften and Saxon's poop to remain stable? Is my assumption that miralax will cause Saxon diarrhea wrong? Have I become a victim of Murphy's Law to have two cats with opposite problems? :)

The obvious answer is to feed them separately, but these two cats would happily starve rather than eat their own food and to do so in one sitting. Alas.

TIA!
 

Furballsmom

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Hi! Would you consider an automated feeder for one of the cats that is activated by the ID microchip?
 

mrsgreenjeens

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The short answer is Yes, miralax can definitely cause loose stools if given when not needed, or if too much is given. How about using pumpkin? That works both ways. And would it work if you gave Logan something like Laxatone on your finger a few days a week? Maybe you could give Saxon some sort of different treat that works with his IBD so he doesn't feel left out.

I have to give one of my guys Miralax right now, and I simply give it to him before dinner. I use fancy feast broths and give him 1/2 of a packet with the miralax mixed in. It's his appetizer. Maybe you could do something like that? Just get him away from Saxon for a few minutes and see if he'll lap it up quickly (the entire packet is pretty small and only 18 calories total) Be sure to shake up the packet well before you open it if you want to use only half each time you serve it up. Or you could serve it to Logan in just a teeny bit of his own food first, then give him the rest of it and they can share food bowls. OR, you could even syringe it into his mouth once you dissolve it in a little water and avoid it being in food altogether. It's better than getting an enema, no?
 
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