Luke is VERY constipated, to vet 3x

[kaycountrygal]

Hello, I've taken Luke to the vet three times this week for severe constipation, the last time was today Fri Dec 10.

I took him Monday & got xray (very backed up) & enema & got fluid put under his skin & lactulose & Prescription Diet W/D canned food...(no bm on Mon or Tues)..................
took him Wed & got another enema & fluid under skin(no bm on Wed or Thurs) The vet manually got alot out of him after enema (as far as she could reach). He feels better................
took him today Fri & got another enema, put fluid under skin, xray & vet can see lots of bm inside but she cant reach it. He finally thankfully had a small bm on his own this afternoon. I sure hope this is the start of normal bm's.

So far it has cost over $350 (not counting gas, car trips, my time and worry about him) & Luke had his first bm (just a small one) an hour ago probably due to the enema. He does have an appetite. I'm feeding him the canned W/D with a small amount of salmon water/juice to flavor it mixed with a small amount of Wellness canned cat food. Until the constipation I was feeding him mostly dry food but have stopped.

Has anybody else gone through something like this with their cat? I read online that Miralax was good to sprinkle on cat food. Anybody tried it? Any suggestions? Thanks.

Kay

[Catty1]

First, does Luke get fed only dry food? If so, add some wet food to his diet, maybe about 1/4 can once a day with a bit of warm water mixed in.

Ask your vet about dietary stuff - maybe he needs a different kind of food?

I forget if he is long-haired or not, but there are a few products that can be put on a cat's food to move hairballs along.

[Karen]

Have you tried adding some canned pumpkin to his diet? It may help, and some kitties like it.

[Freedom]

I was going to suggest the pumpkin as well.

Praying for Luke that this is all in recovery now.

My what a week you've had!

[Craftlady]

Even a small amt of cat can food gives all my gang diarrhea, so maybe giving Luke some can food will do the trick starting the potty on normal routine.

[columbine]

MIRALAX IS A GLYCOL! Do NOT use it. I mix psyllium fiber (Metamucil) into Smudge's canned food. It's been proven safe in cats. He gets a half capsule twice a day, but he's BIG.

Love, Columbine

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that you and your cat have been having a such a rough week.:( I've only experienced this with my RB Pepper and he only needed 1 kitty enema. He was then put on lactulose and it kept him regular. I think I only fed him dry at the time. My vet never told me to change his diet.

I agree that canned pumpkin or even squash if you can't get pumpkin is a great way to keep your cat regular. I've noticed that since I've been feeding more canned food to my cats, that they now have fewer hairballs and my oldest cat Storm,he'll be 15 in Jan., doesn't get constipated like he sometimes used to. They are on a grain free diet and eat canned Wellness and a few other grain free canned foods and also some Wellness Core dry food. Good luck.:)

[kaycountrygal]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Luke had a bm today but not a big one which concerns me... so much still in there. He is eating though but picky.

I got some Wellness canned food--expensive stuff but so is taking cat to vet so I'll try Wellness- no grain & I guess I'll use the W/D also, maybe mix it together.

I also got some metamucil capsules. There is just no way I can get a capsule in Luke so I think I'll cut the end off the cap & sprinkle in his food. It's just that he is so particular; he turns his nose up at anything unusual. He is a big cat at 22 lbs (was 27 lbs but we have been cutting back over the past year)

Pumpkin... I had some that I processed a few months ago & froze... love pumpkin myself... tried it last night, by itself & mixed in food & Luke will not eat it at all.

Peeps, I am tired... I am trying to give him what he needs--even though he doesnt want it. Thank you for responding. I'll keep you posted. I dont feel confident yet that he will be ok. Kay in NC, Sat night

[katladyd]

I am now a firm believer in feeding grain free. Since I have started feeding Blue Wilderness dry and Royal Canin and Wilderness wet, both of my cats have a lot more energy, their eyes are brighter, and they just act half their ages (their 12 and 7 respectively). Try it, it couldn't hurt!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Did your vet ever mention megacolon disease? He may have this problem and sometimes surgery is needed. Here's more info about it: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2122&aid=3471.

[mrspunkysmom]

I am now a firm believer in feeding grain free. Since I have started feeding Blue Wilderness dry and Royal Canin and Wilderness wet, both of my cats have a lot more energy, their eyes are brighter, and they just act half their ages (their 12 and 7 respectively). Try it, it couldn't hurt!

Hear, Hear!

Ever since my now now RB females, Rose and Maggie, were feeling sick, I have been feeding some sort of high quality, grain-free or rice only dry food. I've stuck with it even when unemployed because it causes less problems than having a sick cat.

Right now I feed Blue Wilderness Dry along with various Blue canned foods and some Nutro canned. I would feed VF dry, but Jane won't eat it.

At 9 years, Spunky still earns his name. He romps regularly with Jane who will be two in the Spring. AT 7.5 Sam does well too, although he is the lazy sort.


Try it! Blue is a PetSmart, but VF is sold only through independent pet supply stores.

[Cataholic]

Kay- I would purchase pumpkin- from the canned food section of the grocery store. I would use half a teaspoon, room tempature, mixed in with his wet food, first thing in the am- when cats seem the hungriest.

I find that food processed at home doesn't have the same creaminess a commercial grade has. Worst case? Syringe feed it.

[columbine]

I also got some metamucil capsules. There is just no way I can get a capsule in Luke so I think I'll cut the end off the cap & sprinkle in his food.

That's exactly what I do. Smudge wouldn't touch food with pumpkin mixed in, but psyllium (metamucil) has no flavor. I also mix in extra water.

Please keep us posted!

Love, Columbine

[momcats13]

I too am dealing with a cat who became constipated and had to be taken to the vets twice this spring. He has dental issues so an all canned diet won't work. This is what I do--my guys are fed twice per day I don't just fill up the bowls when empty, in the morning after putting the dry food in the bowls, I take a second bowl and put in about 2 tablespoons of water, then add 1/4 teaspoon of metamucil (he weighs about 12 lbs), 1/2 capsule of a joint supplement. If you are a baker this is similar to "blooming" powdered cocoa. Stir this, then mix in about 1-2 tablespoons of canned cat food. The mix should be wet, but not soup. Hopefully Luke will eat this before eating dry food so he gets the full allotment of metamucil. Just sprinkling it on his food creates a gluey mess and you will find yourself throwing out portions of food. Some cats don't have movements every day as they get older so I wouldn't panic if he skips a day.

Good Luck