Wet food causing CONSTIPATION for my cat! Need recommendations please.

ragmuffin

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Hello everyone, first post here!

Ok well I have switched my 7 y/o cat over to wet food(2 months ago) . I found two brands of food that he liked(he is extremely picky when it comes to wet food) -Nature's Variety Rabbit Formula and BFF Tuna. Well recently he has been very constipated so much so that we had to give him dry food to ease up the constipation. I then again transitioned him back to the same wet food(mostly the Rabbit formula) and once again VERY constipated. I  know its not the dry food because this is the same brand that we've been giving to him for years now. Although the dry food seems to cause stinky poo but the wet food seems to back him up terribly so!

I tried multiple Wet food brands with him, including

Wellness(5 flavors),

Wellness Pouch(3 flavors),

Tiki Cat(2 flavors),

BFF (3 flavors),

Natures Variety(2 flavors) and

ADDICTION(5 flavors, HATED ALL!).

He hated mostly every thing but all of the Tiki cat, all of the BFF, Natures Variety Rabbit and Wellness Salmon & Trout.

*Deep sigh* He also dislikes turkey, duck, beef, most chicken flavors and pate textures..he hates pate!

....So any recommendations? 
 

abbyntim

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Are you sure the cat is constipated? How can you tell? I ask because I have been dealing with a cat prone to constipation for a while now and have noticed some interesting things as I switch food.

We always fed our cats a decent dry food and they pooped a couple of times a day, good size poops and pretty stinky; the smell extended beyond the room with the litter box. But after the male cat got so constipated on two separate occasions that he required multiple enemas, and after hearing it was like clearing concrete, we transitioned the cats to wet food.

The first brand of canned food we fed was Wellness grain-free, and we fed mostly that with some Weruva and Tiki Cat for about six months. We saw a decrease in volume and frequency (and smell) with the wet food. At first I was alarmed, but both cats seemed fine and settled into a roughly 24-hour schedule. Additionally, the male cat had a follow-up exam and the vet said everything looked great.

We recently switched to Nature's Variety Instinct canned food, some limited ingredient and some regular, and the cats are still on their roughly 24-hour schedules. However, on this food, their poops have become much smaller and a little harder, which concerned me at first. But again, both seem fine and the male cat has seen a vet twice since being on this food and there is no sign of constipation. As an added bonus, we cannot smell anything unless we're right next to the box.

If you are feeding your cats a decent quality canned food, they will be using more of the food and pooping less waste. This might look like constipation. But if your cat is truly constipated, you are correct to worry. I am not sure what to suggest, as my cat so far is doing wonderfully well on canned food and I won't ever go back to dry. Constipation, sadly, seems to be a common problem and I think you might be able to find some ideas in other threads. One I've relied on is this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/270597/slippery-elm-bark-wet-food-managing-constipation. My own cats are currently on daily probiotics and I add homemade turkey bone broth to their morning meal to add moisture (and help with the male cat's suspected intestinal issues). I am going to purchase some slippery elm bark powder to have on hand, just in case, as I am weaning the male cat off a dependency-forming constipation medication.
 
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mrsgreenjeens

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I agree  completely with AbbyNTim.  Frankly, I've never heard of canned food, particularly two separate brands, causing constipation.  Normally dry food will help ease up diarrhea, simply because it has a drying effect.  Constipated cats are often helped when put on canned foods. 

Do you WANT to feed your guy canned foods?  If so, and if you're convinced that those foods you're feeding him are causing constipation, then keep looking for other wet foods.  I have two of the most picky cats in the world (ask almost anyone on this site
) and I have finally found something that one of them REALLY likes, and the other one likes sometimes:

      Weruva, (Mideast Feast, Paw Lickin Chicken and Mack/Jack, and I add quite a bit of water to the 2nd two)

      Nutro Natural Choice almost any flavor, but particularly Minced Chicken and Catfish.  I also add water to these, simply because mine also eat freeze dried raw as treats and I want them to be plenty hydrated

Fancy Feast is even a decent food (Fancy Feast CLASSICS, that is), and most cats go crazy for it.  Of all the foods you listed above, my two pickies didn't like any of them, including the ones yours likes


BTW, you should see what poop looks like if you feed them raw
 
.  They only go every few days, and it's teeny tiny.  (makes cleaning the litter box oh so easy....no muss, no fuss, and literally no smell)  One of mine eats raw and it's a dream come true
 
 
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ragmuffin

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I am not 100% sure he is constipated but I looked up the chart of constipated cat feces and his was like round pebbles, is that normal for wet food fed cats? A couple of times he dropped poo out from the litter box I picked it up and it was pretty rock hard(it was "fresh" as he just went to the box). Hes a ragdoll and I now just purchased the big Petmate litter box yesterday so hopefully that will help him feel more comfy.

So going every couple of days is normal for wet fed cats? I really want to get him on 100% raw food eventually so I hope it is not the wet food. I am going to be trying more brands and a better quality of dry food to hold him over.

Sorry if that sounded a bit rambly, I have all of these thoughts but with no one else to talk to since every I know with a cat uses 100% dry food.
 

vball91

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Round hard pebbles are definitely not normal. What does his poop look like/feel like when he's eating dry food? While I agree with mrsgreenjeens that I have never heard of wet food causing constipation, something is going on. I wonder if he is allergic/intolerant to an ingredient in canned food, like a gum?

Most cats on a wet diet poop about once a day. Most raw fed cats poop about every two days. While every cat is different, that seems to be the average based on anecdotal reports here.
 

abbyntim

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I think what's normal can vary by cat. One thing that seems to be normal across cats, though, is a reduction in feces when going from dry to canned, and even moreso when going to raw. You're feeding pretty decent brands of wet food, in my opinion. Depending on what dry you were feeding, you could be seeing a huge decrease in volume and frequency.

I don't think pebbles are normal. But my cats take much harder poops now on Nature's Variety Instinct. I was watching my male cat in the box for a while because I was paranoid about him backing up again and I noticed that most times it came out in one or two smooth, long pieces, but then broke up into smaller pieces as he covered things up. That might be what you are seeing. But if you are at all worried, you should consider taking your cat to the vet to make sure he's not constipated. If he's not, keep watching closely as this might be a new normal for him. But, seriously, don't hesitate if you're worried - cat constipation is nothing to mess around with.
 

abbyntim

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Round hard pebbles are definitely not normal. What does his poop look like/feel like when he's eating dry food? While I agree with mrsgreenjeens that I have never heard of wet food causing constipation, something is going on. I wonder if he is allergic/intolerant to an ingredient in canned food, like a gum?
 
vball91 makes a good point. There might be something in one or more of these foods that doesn't agree with your cat. A bit of a tangent but to provide additional information, we switched from Wellness to Nature's Variety Instinct because my male, the one with the constipation, was having all sorts of issues that I believe are related. I am still trying to figure this out, but right now we are avoiding chicken, carrageenan, guar gum, and xantham gum, as foods with one or more of those ingredients caused him either intestinal problems or triggered coughing/hacking. I like the NVI canned food because they have varieties without chicken and they don't contain any of those other things. Once I get him off the constipation medication, we'll be adding raw.
 

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I think you are talking about a Type 1 as rated on the Bristol Stool Chart. I would consider this constipation. Stool should be soft so that it can pass easily.

The NV does have a constipating effect on some cats, I remember looking up this brand and finding comments from owners that say their cat got constipated right after eating Nature's Variety Instinct. Am I correct in thinking that you were feeding him Nature's Variety when the constipation episodes happened? I don't think BFF has a rabbit flavor.

I would try other foods. If the constipation continues, then you should see a vet. Don't let your kitty go over 3 days without solid output. Kitties can develop a condition called megacolon if they don't go regularly.
 
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ragmuffin

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Yeah it was round hard pebbles. I too believe it is just the food since he has never had constipation before. Could it may even be the sudden change of diet is a shock on his stomach or system? He is 7 and has never eaten much wet food. This is my first time being consistent with his wet food diet.

I am starting to believe it is Nature's Variety wet because when he was eating just the B.F.F. he was not constipated or stinky.
 

oneandahalfcats

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Yeah it was round hard pebbles. I too believe it is just the food since he has never had constipation before. Could it may even be the sudden change of diet is a shock on his stomach or system? He is 7 and has never eaten much wet food. This is my first time being consistent with his wet food diet.

I am starting to believe it is Nature's Variety wet because when he was eating just the B.F.F. he was not constipated or stinky.
I have three cats, one of which has had a history of constipation as documented in the thread AbbyNTim referenced. Through diet change and trial and error, this seems to now be a thing of the past. My tuxedo has had rabbit-like stools at times and I believe some of this has been food-related but also attributed to the switch to more wet food which can result in less water drinking if a cat has been used to drinking more. When you switch diets there will be a period of adjustment as your cat gets used to new foods with different ingredients and nutrients. Cats do not generally get constipated on wet food and so I am inclined to think this is related to the change in diet.

When I initially looked at feeding NV, I was concerned about the clay content causing constipation, but all three of my cats are eating this with no issues. However, I do add a bit of water to the food. NV is slightly lower for moisture content at 75% than other foods, and so this could be making the difference with your cat. I don't think he is constipated so much as he may be lacking in sufficient moisture with the result that his stools are dry. Constipation is when they are straining to poop or not able to poop at all.

The NV is quite a good food and so if he likes some of the varieties, rather than switching to something else, my suggestion would be to mix a bit of warm water into his wet food and see if this can make a difference.
 
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mybestfriends

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I was feeding my cat Nature's Variety canned LID turkey formula, and he got constipated with very dry stools as well. The vet and I thinks it's the clay in

the food.  Not he's on Tiki canned chicken. He now has softer less frequent stools. She said to just wait and see, but I haven't seen him poop in 5 days now again.
 

lokhismom

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 She said to just wait and see, but I haven't seen him poop in 5 days now again
Poor thing.  My cat went thru this issue.  That's a long time to go without pooping.   Is he straining to go a lot?    Sounds like he needs to see a vet again. 

My new kitten eats a lot of the NV Instinct and Pride which has the clay.  I hope its not an issue.  I went thru constipation issues with my last cat who only ate dry.  It would devastate me to have to go thru it again. 
 

raintyger

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I was feeding my cat Nature's Variety canned LID turkey formula, and he got constipated with very dry stools as well. The vet and I thinks it's the clay in

the food.  Not he's on Tiki canned chicken. He now has softer less frequent stools. She said to just wait and see, but I haven't seen him poop in 5 days now again.
My kitty had constipation, so I would check out the food before I bought new brands. I found some reports online of cats getting constipated on Nature's Variety. Possibly because of the clay.
 

bonepicker

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My cats eat wet only and sometimes poop every other day small amounts. I also add a shot glass of water to make the food more soupy. The rabbit you feed is very dense, I would add more water to that and mash it in. If your cat does not like pate but likes the rabbit try pride by same company they have a sliced or minced rabbit. Also try nutro natural choice minced chicken or sliced turkey or chunky chicken loaf (pate)
 
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bonepicker

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My cats eat wet only and sometimes poop every other day small amounts. I also add a shot glass of water to make the food more soupy. The rabbit you feed is very dense, I would add more water to that and mash it in. If your cat does not like pate but likes the rabbit try pride by same company they have a sliced or minced rabbit. Also try nutro natural choice minced chicken or sliced turkey or chunky chicken loaf (pate)

I am not 100% sure he is constipated but I looked up the chart of constipated cat feces and his was like round pebbles, is that normal for wet food fed cats? A couple of times he dropped poo out from the litter box I picked it up and it was pretty rock hard(it was "fresh" as he just went to the box). Hes a ragdoll and I now just purchased the big Petmate litter box yesterday so hopefully that will help him feel more comfy.

So going every couple of days is normal for wet fed cats? I really want to get him on 100% raw food eventually so I hope it is not the wet food. I am going to be trying more brands and a better quality of dry food to hold him over.

Sorry if that sounded a bit rambly, I have all of these thoughts but with no one else to talk to since every I know with a cat uses 100% dry food.
Try to educate your friends, I give my friends my cats cast offs and they see how much they like real canned food and then buy it for them.
 

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I know this thread is not that new, but I thought I would mention that I have a cat that exhibits the same symptoms, even with poo getting stuck on him after using the box once, and I am pretty sure it is from Nature's Variety canned.  I am guessing it is the clay or that some have less moisture than others.  I have fed chicken, beef, and duck, and one of my other cats had the small pebbles with it.  I also have to avoid carrageenan, as it causes daily hairballs in 2 of my cats.  I can only feed say 1/4 can of Nature's Variety to all three cats at a time with the rest of any meal being another brand.

Having said that, my cats only want pate foods, but I have done fine with Nutro Chicken Loaf, Weruva (several of the flavors are liked by all 3 cats), Beyond (chicken and sweet potato and rarely trout and catfish pate), and the occasional can of Fancy Feast turkey classic.  If your cat doesn't like pate, some of the flavors of the Beyond have pretty good ingredients, and they come in slices.  I thought I would mention it if you have not tried it, since it is a grocery brand, and some of the pet chains don't even have it, but Purina has at least taken the bi-products out. You might try some of the Nutro varieties.  Some don't have carrageenen, which is good if you are avoiding it, and they add a bit of pork broth to their foods, which I think is enticing to some cats.  I thought it might help your picky eater try some chicken or some other flavors they have. It would be good if you could do a trial with maybe two canned foods that were not Nature's Variety to see if the stool was less hard. I was thinking that boredom on one flavor could be a sabotage in a transition, so I thought I'd mention a few brands that were working for my three. The female is sort of picky and starts that burying motion if she hates a food.

Anyway, I hope your kitty is doing well since it has been several months since this thread ended.
 

bonepicker

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I know this thread is not that new, but I thought I would mention that I have a cat that exhibits the same symptoms, even with poo getting stuck on him after using the box once, and I am pretty sure it is from Nature's Variety canned.  I am guessing it is the clay or that some have less moisture than others.  I have fed chicken, beef, and duck, and one of my other cats had the small pebbles with it.  I also have to avoid carrageenan, as it causes daily hairballs in 2 of my cats.  I can only feed say 1/4 can of Nature's Variety to all three cats at a time with the rest of any meal being another brand.

Having said that, my cats only want pate foods, but I have done fine with Nutro Chicken Loaf, Weruva (several of the flavors are liked by all 3 cats), Beyond (chicken and sweet potato and rarely trout and catfish pate), and the occasional can of Fancy Feast turkey classic.  If your cat doesn't like pate, some of the flavors of the Beyond have pretty good ingredients, and they come in slices.  I thought I would mention it if you have not tried it, since it is a grocery brand, and some of the pet chains don't even have it, but Purina has at least taken the bi-products out. You might try some of the Nutro varieties.  Some don't have carrageenen, which is good if you are avoiding it, and they add a bit of pork broth to their foods, which I think is enticing to some cats.  I thought it might help your picky eater try some chicken or some other flavors they have. It would be good if you could do a trial with maybe two canned foods that were not Nature's Variety to see if the stool was less hard. I was thinking that boredom on one flavor could be a sabotage in a transition, so I thought I'd mention a few brands that were working for my three. The female is sort of picky and starts that burying motion if she hates a food.

Anyway, I hope your kitty is doing well since it has been several months since this thread ended.. Turds are small when canned food is feed, I add a lot of spring water and make the food very wet and soupy, this helps.
 

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Our 12 year old tabby, Rocky, has had great results (minus a bout of constipation after anal sac removal surgery) on Hounds and Gatos wet food.   Try avoiding any brands that have veggies and grains.  Cats are obligate carnivores.  I suspect cat food companies put veggies to mainly cut costs and appeal to the misconception that cat digestion is a lot like ours. Low residue and low fiber is the best way to go, but some vets still haven't caught up with the latest info. 

As snacks we boil chicken breasts, mince them up on the cutting board and store them either in the freezer or fridge - which lasts about a week. 

Also, we have been mixing 1/4 teaspoon of Miralax with his food twice a day, and Rocky has been having regular bm's.  This has been necessary unfortunately because we didn't know any better and fed him dry food for too many years.  

One last thing is that Rocky isn't very fond of drinking water and we have tried many types of fountains. Recently we have been mixing about 3 tablespoons of unsalted swanson chicken broth with his wet food and snacks as well.  Microwave the broth  until warm and mash the wet food evenly into it.  Rocky and our younger kitty lap it up. 

Good luck!
 

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I know this is an older post, but I am having the same problem with my cat.  Canned food only for years, but now she is constipated.  I've spent so many hours researching the problem, I thought I'd share one good starting place for folks wondering whether the poop looks normal:  http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/constipated-cats/  Good chart that confirmed the bad news that the hard stuff and infrequency of elimination meant constipation.  I am now working my way through whichever carageenan and grain free canned foods that she will eat.  I have learned that carrageenan can be a carcinogen and/or just simply irritate the bowel or digestive track, which can lead to cancer over time.  It's a common element in many otherwise healthy canned foods.  My cat is 10 pounds, and I have just started giving her 1 ml of lactulose once a day, which definitely is improving bowel quality and frequency massively.  I didn't want to give her as much as the vet recommended because I am extremely cautious on giving medication of any kind, and I will also try taking her off of it if I can settle on a food that she'll eat that works.

I really, really want to know what is in so many of the canned foods that is causing constipation.  Canned food is supposed to be the holy grail of healthy food for our kitties, and I'm at a loss (and scared).
 
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