Update On Lily!

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stacydc83

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Well its been a challenging past few days, Lily is stopped up pretty badly. I just cleaned out the cat litter and got a few balls so at least "something" is coming out of her. I tried raw egg yolk, twice last week, still balls/chunks. I got it in her with some pumpkin mixed in. Now she's back on her hairball treats. She's shedding like crazy, thanks to the flip flop weather. Zoe is losing her hair too crazily, but she doesn't get bunged up like Lily. I'm finally going to try the egg yolk lecithin. I almost placed an order on Amazon, but it won't be here till around the 30th, and we "ain't got time for that". It's available at the Vitamin Shoppe, for $22.00 so I'll just go get it tomorrow on my day off. It's a lot cheaper on amazon, but oh well. I've been trying to get more water in her too. Instead of waiting for her to want her "shower" I've been placing her in the utility sink and just encouraging her to drink. I've tried adding water to her food, but once again, she won't touch her food if anything is in it. So my question is, can I mix the egg lecithin into a little bit of pumpkin, since that's the easiest way to get stuff in her?
 

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I didn't go back and re-read all the posts, but did you ever try/use Miralax? It could be given to her just to get her back to fairly normal poops and in the meantime you can work on more long-term solutions with products that are more 'natural'. The thing with pumpkin is that it can be used for both diarrhea and constipation, depending on the cause, so I am always hesitant to recommend it since it could actually have the opposite effect. I also think pumpkin, if it is going to work on constipation, it is likely more effective on mild cases. I am not sure Lily's constipation can be considered 'mild'. Lily won't eat the egg lecithin if mixed in food - without the pumpkin?
 
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I haven't tried the miralax, I think somewhere on here, I read that miralax won't help the "clog" if its caused by hair balls, but just to get her moving I'm ready to try it, and that the egg lechitin breaks up the hair in her intestines to help move it out, thats why I'm more inclined to try that. And the pumpkin I had mentioned, I need a base to mix it in, if its lecithin or miralax, Lily will not eat ANYTHING mixed in her food. And will not accept any type of supplement, and I've found pumpkin to be a great base, it goes on my finger easily and into her mouth easily.
 
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Still nothing. I just don't get it though, she's acting like nothing is bothering her this morning. Last night she was cranky. This morning she happily wanted her treats, drank good from her "shower", and ate a little bit of her wet food. (neither of them ate much wet food because it was not tuna and duck, how dare I?!) and over night she did her "hunting bit", I found a towel that she had dragged out from somewhere. So I think we're going to start with the egg lecithin. I truly believe she's got a lot of hair in her, just from how much she's shedding right now, and how I'm finding cat hair EVERYWHERE. I even had a little in my mouth because it was all over my sleeve (eww). I'll also get some miralax, and use that in a few days, right now I want to break that hair up and hopefully move it out of her. I'm going to pick up some pate food, instead of using pumpkin as the base to mix it in, get a thick pate and mix the lecithin/miralax with that and stick it in her mouth with my finger.
Everything I've read though, this is a medical emergency. but she doesn't show signs of distress. she's eating, drinking, not hiding. And I'm so angry with myself, I thought after I started working, I'd be able to afford more, but getting her to a vet to see if there is a blockage is out of my price range. And I don't have care-credit anymore, ruined that last year. So I'm praying that this approach will help. I don't think its a true blockage, because she's still getting something out. Yesterday it was a few balls, and maybe two/three days before that there were balls then along with one chunk. So wish me luck. I will update again this afternoon. Going to the vitamin shoppe, and pet stores once I wake up a little more and get moving. Oh! And how much of the first dose of lecithin should I use?
 
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Ok! I got some lecithin in her. Fingers crossed! I'd say about a quarter of the capsule, maybe less? I mixed it in some Fancy Feast classic turkey pate, and stuck my finger in it, and stuck it in her mouth, and it went down very easily. It's like she likes the pate flavor but won't eate pate, if that makes sense? Should I give her more tonight? I also bought some miralax, well walmart's brand-ClearLax-polyethylene Glycol 3350, is this the right thing? And no, I don't plan on giving her both at the same time, right now I'm working towards breaking that hair up, and moving it out.
And the plus side being with the pate, I got a little extra fluid in her.
 

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I don't know about the lecithin dosage, it all depends on if there are multiple strengths. You can always look it up on the internet to see what seems to be the presiding dosage based on strength. And, as far as Miralax vs. what you bought - same deal, look each up on the internet and see if they contain the same primary ingredients. Hopefully, the lecithin works and you won't have to worry about the other!!
 

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Ok! I got some lecithin in her. Fingers crossed! I'd say about a quarter of the capsule, maybe less? I mixed it in some Fancy Feast classic turkey pate, and stuck my finger in it, and stuck it in her mouth, and it went down very easily. It's like she likes the pate flavor but won't eate pate, if that makes sense? Should I give her more tonight? I also bought some miralax, well walmart's brand-ClearLax-polyethylene Glycol 3350, is this the right thing? And no, I don't plan on giving her both at the same time, right now I'm working towards breaking that hair up, and moving it out.
And the plus side being with the pate, I got a little extra fluid in her.
The lecithin could make things very messy on the other end. I'd give it at least twelve hours before giving more. If you give too much, it could be very uncomfortable for her. Lecithin will dissolve fat. Too much and she'll be pooping a river of fat. 🙀 🤦‍♂️
 
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stacydc83

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ok. no more lecithin till morning then. I'm so anxious to get her moving, and its so weird it doesn't seem to be bothering her that she's obviously constipated. She went to the bathroom a few minutes ago and I watched her, lol, it was just pee but she was looking at me like "what are you doing in here, do you MIND?"
 

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ok. no more lecithin till morning then. I'm so anxious to get her moving, and its so weird it doesn't seem to be bothering her that she's obviously constipated. She went to the bathroom a few minutes ago and I watched her, lol, it was just pee but she was looking at me like "what are you doing in here, do you MIND?"
Are you sure she’s ingesting the hair? Krista didn’t groom as much when she wasn’t feeling so well. It’s possible you are seeing more hair everywhere because she’s grooming less.
 
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stacydc83

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Oh yeah definitely still grooming a lot. I've never had a cat before her with hair like this. I've had short haired and one other long hair, but not thick like Lily's. Layer upon layer of thick angora type fur. My cross eyed thick furred wonder
 
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:poop:Ok! Not completely blocked like I was worrying! This morning before work, I cleaned it out. Still balls and a couple little chunks, but WE GOT SOME POOP! You have no idea how happy I was to see that. I was up half the night worrying and imagining the worse case scenarios, that she had a massive impassible wad of hair/poop getting bigger and bigger inside of her and she was going to die,and I have no money to pay for surgery. Yes we have a long ways to go, but the fact that she can go, and is going some, is fantastic. I gave her some more lecithin this evening so hopefully I'll see a big shapely one soon. Maybe in a few days I'll give the miralax a go, I just want the hair out of her. And shedding season hasn't even officially started yet.
 

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Lecithin will help her pass the fat. The fat is what binds the hair. But if she has hard poop to pass as well, Miralax will bring moisture into her stools. It may take an extra day or two to dislodge the harder bits. But you will likely need both water (Miralax) and lecithin to get it all out.
 
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Morning! Ok, we had some miralax this morning. I dont think I got very much in her, it was very watered down and she was very uncooperative but I did the best I could. Poor girl. She doesn't understand why I keep shoving food on her and she doesn't like it. I dont want her to be scared of me and avoid me :( please let this work. I'm about to leave for work, I gave Mom a head up and shes gonna try to get her drinking more while I'm gone.
 
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Lecithin this morning. I had a couple little balls to clean out yesterday. I mixed the lecithin in with a little bit of pumpkin bc that's the easiest to get down her. Then back to miralax tomorrow morning. I think your right daftcat75 daftcat75 gotta have the lecithin to break up the hair, and miralax to move out the blocked up hard stuff. Hopefully in a few days she will be cleaned out and feeling a lot better.
Now I head to work, I hate shoving stuff on her and then just leaving for the day:(
 
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Morning, well afternoon now. Shes had a break yesterday and so far today from miralax and lecithin. I cleaned out the cat litter this morning and there was some poop. Lots of little chunks, a few balls so I think this is working some. I just dont know how backed up she is and how much she has still in her. I'd like to see some logs and then I'd really know shes cleaned out finally, and then we'd try to keep her regular naturally. I brushed her this morning too, boy is she shedding. I really need to get her stomach and back legs, but I'm only "allowed" to brush her back, and around her head. Anywhere else I'd get yelled at. Shes still acting fine, she even played with Zoe for half a second, without growling and then Zoe was hiding in a box and Lily went and checked the box out and touched noses with her. I'm out and about now, getting them more food, I got smaller cans of pumpkin because I waste the big cans so quickly. Then off to Walmart for some pates to mix the miralax in with and finally petco to get more tuna and duck varieties
 

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If she'll let you stroke her belly, you might have an easier time putting your hand in a nylon stocking and use that for those places she won't allow a brush. Or you may just take her into the vet for a belly shave. That should cut down greatly on the ingested hair.
 
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Quick Lily update- no poops for me this morning so she got some lecithin mixed with pumpkin this morning. Tonight if there's still nothing I'll give her miralax mixed with the pumpkin. Is it ok that I'm mixing miralax and pumpkin together? I've got an open can of pumpkin and dont want to waste it by opening up a can of pate. She ate pretty good this morning, licked all the moisture from her plate.
 
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::Singing the no poop song:: "no poop, no poop, that makes me sad Lily, No poop, no poop" Yes, I was singing that to her while I was cleaning the pee in her box. So once she comes back in from the porch, (she and Zoe are both sitting so peacefully out there together I don't want to disturb her) I'll give her some miralax today. Urgh. You would think the Lecithin I gave her yesterday would do something, but no, nada. I think she has enough fluids in her, Mom said she had her shower this morning and she licked the moisture out of her tuna & sardine this morning. I'm just gonna mix it with a bit of pumpkin since I have the open can from yesterday. Wish us luck. Man I hope soon she'll be pooping on her own. I'm not even worrying about the weight these days I've been so concerned over this constipation.
 
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