Scooting and constipation problems

My cat is a long haired spayed female approximately four years old. She is inside and we feed her Science Diet sensitive stomach. She is currently at the vet's due to her second severe constipation flareup. I don't know what to do with her and my vet is not being very helpful other than to get her over her constipation and to send me home laxatives to give her periodically. Let me tell you her symptoms: she will scoot across the floor (constipated or not) and acts very sensitive about her hind end (constipated or not). She has a normal appetite and seems to urinate on a normal basis. All the laxatives do is cause her to have diarreha it seems like. I told the vet to take a look at her anal glands but like I said he isn't being very helpful. I want to have every about her looked at not just the constipation issue taken care of because this is just going to occur again down the road. We try to brush her regularly and even get her stomach and hind end clipped three to four times a year. Please help!!! - LaVerne

If your vet is unwilling to help you on your concerned matters, perhaps you should find another vet. I don't know too much on this matter, I'm sure others will respond. Is she on wet or dry food? Wet food will often make stools a bit looser, easier to pass then dry food, talk to your vet about this if she's not on dry food, see what they think, and of course introduce any n ew food slowly.
Hissy also mentioned once about pumpkin being good for diahreah and constipation problems.

Hopefully she'll reply and be able to fill you in more, she's a smart cookie.

Good luck!

I am kind of wondering if she may have infected anal glads. If they are sore, she may be holding it so that it doesn't hurt when she goes to the bathroom. I would try and find another vet, and have her anal glands checked and possibly expressed.
I do not like to give my cats anything they aren't used to eating. So, for constant prevention of hairballs and constipation, I use the omega 3 fatty acid fish oil on thier dry food. I have found that it really helps with hairballs, and the condition of thier skin.

Thanks for the replies. I specifically did ask the vet to check her anal glands and he said he did and that they were not infected. She is on a dry Science Diet because we used to feed her can food and that made her sick. I had her on Sensitive Stomach but am slowly switching her to Science Diet Hairball Formula. Right now she is on an antibiotic (after getting home from the vet) and a syrup that the vet said will help keep her stools soft. We'll see how it goes. Poor little girl has been through the ringer. For the past two nights she has had to have a bath but this morning she seemed to be doing better. Thanks again.

I would also clip her hair, sometimes the hair become lodged inside, causing irritation and other problems. You can try her with canned pumpkin to give her some fiber, and they also now make special cat treats with fiber in them. I need to find the link though.

You can express the glands yourself, it isn't fun, but it can be done. I would find another vet, or even a good groomer near you. Professional groomers know how to express the anal glands. I had one show me how to do it once. Have you had the cat checked for parasites as well? A fecal done? But again, from what you posted, I would be looking for another vet.