My cat suffers from constipation

Hi all,

I have a cat that suffers from constipation. He's 10 years old and has been having this problem for the last year. We've tried several things: he lost weight, we gave him Laxatone, later the vet gave him Lactulase, we reduced the amount of food, eliminated dry food. At one point the vet even gave him an enema. Poor kitty. Finally, she prescribed Iams Low Residue. I bought a few cans from the vet's clinic and I'm waiting for the prescription, as it's required for purchase at the store. In the meantime, do you know any alternatives to Iams low residue? Is there any natural food I could give my cat?

Thank you,

Claudia

Has a Senior blood panel be run ... this would include or exclude many many common senior issues...

what brands of food have you tried ?? have you tried a higher or lower fiber food??

I agree with the above, also I've read on here that plain pumpkin in a can will help... but you have to check the ingredients and make sure it's 100% pumpkin.

The vet ran a blood test back in August and she said he's healthy. Max used to be chubby so we cut down on the food. But the problem persisted. The vet said to change the diet since he's over 10 years old now, so we tried adult cat food (Iams) and Friskies Senior. That didn't solve the problem completely, meaning that he'd get well for a couple of days and then he wouldn't be able to go to the litter box for a couple of days. We've also added fiber to the diet.

I'd heard about pumpkin before but I haven't tried it. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

Thank you

I would try a higher quality cat food, probably a senior formula since he has been chubby.
Use the pumpkin to get him going and try adding plain yogurt 2-3 times a week to keep him regular.
I use plain Dannon Activia as it is made for digestive health and give that to my senior girl 2 a week.

Pumpkin usually works very well and most kitties like the taste. Make sure to get plain, canned pumpkin (not the pie mix with spices). Use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mixed into each meal of canned food. You should see results in a day or two.

You can also try a little (1/4 teaspoon) olive oil mixed into the food - not all cats like it, so try a few drops in a bite of food and see if he's ok with it.

A little, finely grated raw carrot can also be helpful. It also can't hurt to add some probiotics - use 1/2 capsule mixed into food am and pm.

I would switch him to a higher quality canned food. You can definitely improve on the Iams, and it's good that you're no longer feeding dry.

Hope your little guy feels better soon!

KTLynn has given you some excellent suggestions - the best of which, IMO, is this:

Originally Posted by KTLynn

...I would switch him to a higher quality canned food....

Click to expand...

I would recommend that you first get yourself educated in feline nutrition...I think you'll quickly learn the source of the problem your kitty's experiencing. Take a short, free Feline Nutrition 101 from Dr. Lisa Pierson, a feline Veterinarian and Nutritionist.

Her recommendations for higher quality canned foods can be found right here.

Oh, and...Dr. Pierson is no fan of the so-called "prescription diets" (prescriptions for more problems, IMO!).

Hi all,

Thank you for all the great advice. I'll try one thing at a time for a few days (or weeks), starting with the pumpkin and see how that goes. I wasn't too sure about the prescription food that's why I decided to ask you guys. And I'm glad I did.

Blaise, thank you for the links, I've already read most of the basics about cat nutrition. The other link about premium canned food is great information. I'll review it thoroughly before choosing a brand.

Thanks again and I'll keep you posted!

Claudia

Just to be sure, you had a urinalysis done for him in addition to the blood test, right? The reason I mention this is that it is EXTREMELY common to misinterpret a urinary blockage (or crystal problem) as constipation. This is particularly true for male cats where it is actually a urinary problem like 90% of the time, and where it is really serious to look into it because a blockage could kill them in a matter of days. So what is in the box? Little pee clumps (or none at all) suggest a urinary tract problem. Small stool droppings (like a rabbits) rather than the regular tootsie rolls of cats suggest constipation.

My max only had the blood test done. He does pee normally (big puddles), and drinks lots of water. His stool is usually small. However, I'll ask the vet for a urinalisys as suggested just to be on the safe side. Thank you furbum for the heads up.

It sounds like it is probably not a urinary issue if the pee clumps are big, but it is good that you are doing the urinalysis to be sure. Monty also appeared constipated last spring but it turned out his urinary tract was irritated from crystals! and he was trying to pee when he didn't need to because he was in pain. He was in the box every 30 min sometimes.

To do the urinalysis the vet needs a urine sample. The easiest way to do this is give little mister some really watered-down food, then bide your time until he runs to the box (won't be long). Have a small plastic container handy, follow him to the box, and slide it under him when he pees (they really don't mind, and you won't need all of it). Then transfer it to something that won't spill.

Good luck!

I made an appointment with the vet for this Saturday. I'll keep you posted.

Originally Posted by CatLover603

I made an appointment with the vet for this Saturday. I'll keep you posted.

Click to expand...

Fingers crossed that everything checks out ok!

Hugs to Max