Cat enema

tickytat · Jul 10, 2007

Has anyone here ever tried to give their cat an enema by yourself (without vet's help?) Mitties is plugged up again and struggling in the litterbox.

Last time this happened my husband and I gave her an enema (didn't go well) and another one about an hour later (per the vet's instructions). This was about 7 p.m. Sometime in the night she pooped all over the floor (luckily I found it before I stepped in it) and it contained **GRAPHIC WARNING** a large terd about 1/2 the size of an egg, and a lot of mushy poop. She was completely fine after that.

Today I have to work an 18 hour day, and I didn't want her struggling and in pain all day, so I gave her an enema. She was lying on the floor and I was brushing her... she was quite content... and I saw a great opportunity to do a "flash enema" while she was still relaxed. Well I did it so fast she didn't even know what happened, and got up and looked at me like, "What the heck?" but then proceeded to make several trips to her litterbox. Nothing so far, but I'm sure it will help a little.

As of yesterday, she's on all wet food, her Vetbasis Hairball gel is on the way, and so is her Petmate Fresh Flow water fountain. Is there anything else I can do in the meantime to make her more comfortable?

Again, sorry all my posts are about constipation. (Enough already, right?)

mooficat · Jul 10, 2007

Oh dont worry - its very easy to be a concerned mom even if its about loo habits

Well it sounds like you've done pretty much all the things you can

meds - well delivered I must say

wet food and the gel stuff, so that should do the trick for her

Maybe some other members will have further suggestions.

aww bless her

poor little Mitties - give her some gentle tummy tickles

you never know that might help too

tickytat · Jul 10, 2007

UPDATE:

Just checked her litterbox about 1/2 hour after the enema and there was a HUGE poop and some smaller nuggets. Hooray! Thank goodness for enemas. I stocked up just in case.

I can tell she feels better... she's eating like a horse right now. Can't wait to try that Vetbasis, I've heard such good things about it. Hopefully she'll like it because she REFUSES to eat the laxatone no matter now much I squish it into her fur.

I'm hoping this new regimine of all wet food, 3cc of Lactulose 2x day, the Vetbasis hairball gel and her drinking fountain will be the right combo.

It's pretty sick when the highlight of my day is knowing that my cat actually pooped.

rang_27 · Jul 10, 2007

The Lactulose should work. My Jordan is on 2 cc 2 x a day and goes every day to every other day. He started out at 3 cc 3 x a day, luckily I've been able to reduce the amount he gets. Has you cat been diagnosed with mega colon or Inflamitory bowel? I'm just wondering why the poor thing is having chronic constipation problems.

tickytat · Jul 10, 2007

X-Rays showed no Megacolon and there was no mention of IBD. I think it's all just finding the right combination of meds/food that works for her. My poor little baby.... I'd do anything to make her more comfortable. At least she's "empty" for the time being. Thanks everyone for your concern.

barbb · Jul 10, 2007

http://www.pvy.com/pcl/articles/c100014/q10000220.htm

My cat had a problem like that too and it cost us a lot of money to get him diagnosed. We call it the $800 enima LOL.

Anyhow the above article says you can use metamucil in his food. I had heard that somewhere as well and so I looked it up. You might want to do a little more research and check with your vet but that might help if these other remedies don't work. Good luck!

bianco maple · Nov 10, 2011

Hello to all;

i just registered to this site and plan to be a regular contributor -The poster who mentioned that the highlight of her day is to know her cat pooped! Well dear, I feel like that too! I do the same , more so as my Bainco is having a lot of trouble being constipated due to fur balls and i plan NOW to do this enema solution-I have tried everything from fur ball laxatives, vet prescribed, pumpkin puree, carrot puree, Cod liver oil and its not really helped . just a wee bit! the dry poop, nuggets small ones filled with brown fur( he is PURE white)& its just every 3 days

Anyways today we are taking him to the vet and to see what he has to say and then I am going to do the enema thing myself and I know how to do it- I used to do it for my kids too!

stephanietx · Nov 10, 2011

This is an older thread, but just wanted to comment on your situation. Adding wet food, or switching to a completely wet diet will help, as will regular brushings. I used to give Callie Metamucil, 1/4 t a day on good days, 1/4t 2x a day if she was constipated. You can also use slippery elm for constipation.

bianco maple · Nov 10, 2011

Thanks Today we took him to the vet-He took some X-rays of his stomach and said He did not have too much fecal matter ,and he gave him an enema ( Microlax) and you guys will not believe this! He was so good and such a quiet guy that the whole clinic said WOW , we have yet to see a cat so well behaved Not a small meow ! Then they put him in a cage of the recovery room with a litter tray so he could go! In the recovery room there were dogs and cats! AND EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THERE FOR HALF AN HOUR HE DID NOT GO , SO THE VET SAID BETTER TAKE HIM HOME AND ALSO GAVE US lactulose liquid with instructions to adminster it -He was also given 200 CC of saline to hydrate his tissues , sub cutenous)

Well Bainco did not want to go in a strange place! So all the way with just a bedsheet on my lap he sat with me in the car ( hubby drove) and when we got home 20 minutes later , in 4 minutes he went to his OWN litter tray and took it out! Oh I was so thrilled ! then he went twice more! its ben 3 hours since we got back and he even ate his canned food! I am SO HAPPY !!

I will continue giving him the Hartz's fur ball paste to regularize him !

He is such a diginifed guy its just amazing!

Thanks once again

Bianco's mom

punky1478 · Jul 8, 2013

Hi, I do coffee enemas myself when i need them or once a mon. and i want to do one on my baby SO BAD bc she has a respiratory condition. Throat defect activated by Toxins. I got her off the corticosteroids in 6mons. to where her body rejects the medication by using natural anti-infectents but shes still only half way there. I cant stand seeing her suffer ANYMORE but im scared, Shes my life!

Iv seen 2 videos of people doing it to 1 cat. They (the cats) seem to take it VERY well!

PLEASE tell me more. What do I do? Can I do this alone? (I dont have anyone to help me) if so, How?

I will get her as relaxed as possible on towels (cuz idk if shes going to go right away or not) and do the “flash enema” like “TickyTat” said and is talking about but im stiiill scared!

vball91 · Jul 8, 2013

Maybe I'm missing something, but how will an enema help a respiratory condition?

white shadow · Jul 8, 2013

punky1478 said:
Hi, I do coffee enemas myself when i need them or once a mon. and i want to do one on my baby SO BAD bc she has a respiratory condition.

Hi punky1478 and welcome to the forum!

You SHOULD NOT use coffee as an enema for a cat. PERIOD.

Caffeine...can be fatal for a cat. And there is no antidote.

WebMD * Foods Your Cat Should NEVER Eat

So, it's a very good thing you came here to this cat community - where you will find thousands of years of collective knowledge about cats - BEFORE you actually tried something like this!

That link I gave you is a short slideshow primer that I recommend you take right away - it will give you a good basic foundation for what's OK and NOT for a feline diet.

Now, you said that she has a respiratory "condition".........first, enemas are useless in treating/managing respiratory conditions.

Second, this thread is very old......could you start a brand new thread and tell us the story of what's going on with your own cat? That way, we won't be confusing your kitty with the original poster's cat - and, we might be able to suggest some very natural things to help your kitty.

See you on your new thread!

-WS

maewkaew · Jul 8, 2013

Wait -- you want to give your cat a COFFEE ENEMA?!    If I am understanding you correctly, you SHOULD be scared and so should she. Caffeine is toxic to cats. putting it into her bloodstream this way via an enema, you could throw her electrolytes out of balance could cause heart arrhythmia or seizures. Not a good idea.   http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/caffeine/

Remember, cats are not little humans and just because something has worked OK for you does not mean it is safe for your cat.

I can tell you sometimes giving an enema to a cat can be difficult for one person, and can be VERY messy if the cat get upset. I was able to do it with a constipated cat in advanced kidney disease since he was not very strong. and was very trusting of me. He still was not so happy about it but in his case he NEEDED it to be able to defecate. . But my vet knew I was doing it and had instructed me on how much to give for his weight ; in fact the enema from the vet.

I don't think you mean a commercial enema for humans like 'Fleets' . but just want to make sure you know NEVER to give that stuff to a cat either, you could poison the cat with an overdose of phosphorus.

If the cat has a respiratory illness, then rather than an enema, what about steaming?

  But please discuss alternative treatments incl what to use in the nebulizer with an holistic veterinarian with an actual vet school diploma and license.

maewkaew · Jul 8, 2013

maewkaew said:
Wait -- you want to give your cat a COFFEE ENEMA?!    If I am understanding you correctly, you SHOULD be scared and so should she. Caffeine is toxic to cats. putting it into her bloodstream this way via an enema, you could throw her electrolytes out of balance could cause heart arrhythmia or seizures. Not a good idea.   http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/caffeine/

Remember, cats are not little humans and just because something has worked OK for you does not mean it is safe for your cat.

I am so glad that you came by here and asked about this before you tried it. ( Welcome to TCS by the way!)

I can tell you sometimes giving an enema to a cat can be difficult for one person, and can be VERY messy if the cat get upset. I was able to do it with a constipated cat in advanced kidney disease since he was not very strong. and was very trusting of me. He still was not so happy about it but in his case he NEEDED it to be able to defecate. . But my vet knew I was doing it and had instructed me on how much to give for his weight ; in fact the enema from the vet.

It would be best if you discuss alternative treatments with an holistic veterinarian with an actual vet school diploma and license rather than just trying things based on what you use yourself.

Maybe you can start your own thread in Health about your cat's health issue and tell what has been tried so far to treat her. I bet there are other people who may have had cat with similar problems

If the cat has a respiratory illness, then rather than an enema, what about steaming?

PS. I don't think you mean a commercial enema for humans like 'Fleets' . but just want to make sure you know NEVER to give that stuff to a cat either, you could poison the cat with an overdose of phosphorus.

monasig · Sep 13, 2013

TICKYTAT...YOU DID NOT SAY WHAT ENEMA YOU USED. MY CAT IS HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS GOING TO THE BATHROOM. SHE IS ALWAYS CONSTIPATED AND 3 WEEKS AGO WE PAID 800.00 FOR ALL KINDS OF TEST AND 3 ENEMAS LATER. SHE WAS DOING GREAT FOR A WHILE. NOW BACK TO NOT BEING ABLE TO GO AGAIN. SHE HAS SPURTS OF DIARREA AND I HAVE TO CONFINE HER TO THE BATHROOM.

SO MY QUESTION WAS WHAT DID YOU USE ON YOUR CAT FOR THE ENEMA?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP!

THANKS

mani · Sep 13, 2013

Monasig, Tickytat posted this back in 2007 and is not around to answer your question.

I suggest you start a new thread to ask those who are around.

white shadow · Sep 13, 2013

Monasig, Tickytat posted this back in 2007 and is not around to answer your question.
I suggest you start a new thread to ask those who are around.

Not only does TickyTat's issue go back to 2007, but TickyTat has not been 'around' the forum since 2008........so, you're very unlikely to get a direct reply.

I also encourage you to start a new thread.....tell us the story of your cat's problems and how constipation is affecting her.

Part of the discussion with you can involve diet as well as some practical things you can do.

There is a superb website dealing with feline constipation........I'll give you part of it dealing with enemas here: Feline Constipation - Enemas

BUT - if you want to understand what's going on 'inside' your cat......how things work, what goes wrong, what causes constipation and remedies, here is the homepage of that site: Feline Constipation.org

Meantime, could we hear your story?

cocheezie · Jan 6, 2014

Greetings. My 16-year-old cat has been having problems with severe constipation for the last 5 weeks. About every three days she strains and vomits and struggles, sometimes with success, sometimes not. Inbetween times, she's in a great mood (happy, healthy, eating, energetic) with no symptoms. In the past month, have done the emergency vet thing twice -- lactulose and subcutaneous fluids. Have since tried adding pumpkin, limiting dry food, adding water to her wet food. Ended up at the vet again today (fortunately during daytime hours) - no movement for 6 days. He estimated that there was 8 inches of material that needed to be evacuated. Vet gave her cisapride, a larger than I've been giving dose of lactulose, and an enema. After we brought her home from the vet, we gave sub-q-fluids to make sure her hydration levels were up. She started doing the vomiting/straining thing. That has stopped but now she's pooping little moist amounts in her two litter boxes but mostly everywhere else! I realize that an enema is designed to soften and not to flush out. And it's GREAT that something's coming out but ...

My question is: how long do the effects of an enema last? and am I going to be up all night doing laundry? and wiping her bum? and smelling poop? This is a cat who has spent the last 4 years (that's how long I've had her) living mostly in my bedroom. She's a scaredy-cat and has always been one according to her previous owner. Putting her in another room, shutting the door, and letting her go about her business is not an option. Not looking forward to this evening. We've put a shower curtain on top the the bed and covered it with old sheets and blankets. On my fourth laundry load of old sheets, blankets and towels, and should really be changing them more often. Due to my own exhaustion, staying up all night may not be an option either.

Thanks for any advice/wisdom anyone on the forum has.

cprcheetah · Jan 6, 2014

The effects of an enema can last 24-48 hours. Although my kitty was back to normal after 12-24 hours Have you tried Miralax? I have a kitty who has constipation issues, I give her 1/4 teaspoon twice a day and it has helped her become regular. I don't give lactulose or anything else. I also try to keep her fiber content under 1-1.5%. Lower fiber = small poops which are easier to pass.

cocheezie · Jan 6, 2014

Wow, that's a long time, and a lot of laundry. Thanks for this.

Miralax is not available in Canada. Restoralax (polyethylene glycol 3350) may be the same thing? Haven't tried it. Not one of the vets (3 so far) have mentioned it. We don't quite know what we are dealing with, constipation-wise. It could just be old-age, or a mega-colon issue, or a possible tumor (not very clear or defined on xray; and no ultrasound available in the area) that is preventing the intestinal system from doing its job. The lactulose/cisapride/enema is to see if the constipation is a symptom of this tumor, even though the tumor is higher up, or an issue of its own.

Will certainly do some reading and look for it (Restoralax) in the drug store tomorrow. Thank you. -- Time for more laundry and bum wiping. And time to give other cat insulin injection.

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