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Help turtle is constipated!!!!

post #1 of 20
8/7/11 at 12:38pm
Thread Starter 
I noticed a distended belly this morning. Then I saw an accumulation of poo right at her rectum. I took a warm rag and managed to remove most of it before she showed her great disapproval and ran under the bed. Now I'm looking at it and it looks like an impaction(?) Is that the word?
She hasn't been her active self for the past couple of day. Her appetite is still like a truck driver's AND she has been pooping a little bit here and there. Not her usual huge T-Rex bowel movements, but much smaller.
I panic at the smallest thing and cried at world all day. I can tell her is uncomfortable. What can I do for her? Butter? Mineral Oil? WHAT????
We are going to the vet first thing tomorrow--should I just wait??
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post #2 of 20
8/7/11 at 1:24pm
!!!!!! Poor Turtle!

If it's actually an impaction, she may need an enema, and that's done at the vet. But if she's just constipated, you can buy some canned pumpkin (best if organic, and definitely not spiced! It's still located in the cooking isle at our supermarket, not the canned veggie section) and mix it in with wet food. About a teaspoon with wet meals.

If you have vaseline, that's better than mineral oil. The molecules in vaseline are too large to be absorbed by a cats' intestines, so they completely pass it. It can inhibit nutriet absorption, which is why you don't want to use it daily. It's also best to give it an hour or more after and before she's eaten, but that's really only if you're going to be using it every few days for hairball maintenance. For as an "emergency" help with constipation on those rare occassions, you don't really need to worry so much about that.

With such an attentive mommy, she's going to be just fine!
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post #3 of 20
8/7/11 at 1:26pm
I think Laurie pretty much covered it, but I wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you and little Turtle girl!
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post #4 of 20
8/7/11 at 1:30pm
To add to Laurie's post, I have better luck finding Pumpkin on the baking isle - right by the pie crusts.... Just make sure it says 100% pumpkin (unsweetened).
You can give 1 Tbsp a day for constipation, on her case, you can give it with a syringe too....
for momma
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post #5 of 20
8/7/11 at 2:02pm
Hi hun,
sorry I have no advice but just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and Turtle,plesae keep us updated x
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post #6 of 20
8/7/11 at 2:31pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks to everyone!!!! I'm on my way out to get pumpkin!! Then we will be on Poop Watch....
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post #7 of 20
8/7/11 at 3:25pm
Its already been nailed, but just wanted to add that I'd wet the dry food or withhold it in favor of wet to get that extra bit of hydration if you're feeding any.
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post #8 of 20
8/7/11 at 3:41pm
Hi Cheryl!!! You ARE so attentive and Turtle will be just fine, don't worry. I am just adding that I had a terrible time finding 100% canned pumpkin. I ended up finding it at Walmart as suggested by a friend on the site awhile back. I bought up two cans, but unfortunately Squeak REFUSED to eat it after two days of eating it . SO I went and got some Metamucil for Squeak (who gets constipated too) and add it once a day, about 1/4 tsp. his wet food. Works just great and he doesn't even notice it in the canned food.
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post #9 of 20
8/7/11 at 3:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post
Hi Cheryl!!! You ARE so attentive and Turtle will be just fine, don't worry. I am just adding that I had a terrible time finding 100% canned pumpkin. I ended up finding it at Walmart as suggested by a friend on the site awhile back. I bought up two cans, but unfortunately Squeak REFUSED to eat it after two days of eating it . SO I went and got some Metamucil for Squeak (who gets constipated too) and add it once a day, about 1/4 tsp. his wet food. Works just great and he doesn't even notice it in the canned food.
Hi Lauren, My lucky had a blockage due to hairball and severe constipation - her vet told me absolutely NO metamucil.... She said it absorbs the liquid from the gut and it can get stuck in the folds in the intestines, drying up and making the situation worse.... She said pumpkin is much better, change her to a hairball diet, and if it doesn't work, I can try some Miralax... Just an FYI... For Bugsy, Metamucil (I use a veterinarian one) works wonders for his IBD
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post #10 of 20
8/7/11 at 6:11pm
We used Miralax with Callie for her constipation. We gave her 1/4 t a day.
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post #11 of 20
8/8/11 at 6:26am
We used Metamucil for Banshee, about 1/4 teaspoon a day, at breakfast, sprinkled onto her wet food. I tried pumpkin and she looked at me like I was crazy. And walked away.

Good luck with Turtle!
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post #12 of 20
8/8/11 at 11:10am
Just checking in to see how the "poop watch" is coming along .

Also will add that no cat in this household will come near pumpkin, nor metamucil, but Sven does get 1/4 teas. of Miralax (actually store brand)twice a day for his chronic constipation, and it works like a charm! He's been on it now for a couple of years.
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post #13 of 20
8/8/11 at 11:37am
I hope Turtle's doing ok, and pooping again!! Good luck!
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post #14 of 20
8/8/11 at 12:14pm


So what did the vet say?
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post #15 of 20
8/8/11 at 1:25pm
Thread Starter 
Ok guys it's been a crazy day.
I went out last night and got 100% pumpkin (unsweetened). Turtle loved it!! She ate it right off the spoon. It only took a couple hours until I needed a shovel!! I was so happy to see poop!!!
Every time she pooped I'd say, "Good girl Turtle Dove. Mama's girl is a good Turtle" and then I'd gag.... this went on for a couple hours.
We both needed to sleep in a little later this morning after all that excitement. She wanted to sleep with her butt on my shoulder. Although I loved the closeness; this position made me nervous.
I still planned on keeping my vet appointment just to make sure all systems were working properly. My vet called me about 9:30 and said she was going to have to reschedule. Some #@$%* had broken into her vet clinic and vandalized it!! I'm so angry about it!! Of course, they took her computers and a lot of medications and syringes.
You know I've been taking all my cats to her for the past 25 years!! So I feel a great sense of loyalty to her. I just hope they find the punks!!
Anyway I rescheduled Turtle's appointment for Saturday. That's the first day of my vacation. If she doesn't have her office open by then, she said she was going to work out of her house for a while.
So Turtle is fine. she's back to her busy, funny little spaz self now.
And that was my day, how was yours?
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post #16 of 20
8/8/11 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bellaandme View Post
Ok guys it's been a crazy day.
I went out last night and got 100% pumpkin (unsweetened). Turtle loved it!! She ate it right off the spoon. It only took a couple hours until I needed a shovel!!

Love it! Yep, it would make me nervous to sleep with her butt on my head too
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post #17 of 20
8/8/11 at 3:05pm
OH SO glad the pumpkin worked . And I had to laugh , I wouldn't want that butt in my face while sleeping, you might get a rude awakening . Sorry about your vet's office! What a bunch of jerks , who would do that !! Well, hope she is up and running again by Saturday. It sounds like Turtle is on the mend and pooping
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post #18 of 20
8/8/11 at 3:11pm
WAHOO Turtle, so glad she is pooping again

I agree, I definately would have been nervous with her bum that close to my face

And I'm so sorry about your vet's office being broken into, what in the is this world coming too?!?!

Our SPCA was broken into a few years ago and VERY vandalized, it's so heartbreaking
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post #19 of 20
8/8/11 at 5:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post

Love it! Yep, it would make me nervous to sleep with her butt on my head too
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post
OH SO glad the pumpkin worked . And I had to laugh , I wouldn't want that butt in my face while sleeping, you might get a rude awakening . Sorry about your vet's office! What a bunch of jerks , who would do that !! Well, hope she is up and running again by Saturday. It sounds like Turtle is on the mend and pooping


Let's do the poop dance!

YAY TURTLE!!!! (And what a brave meowmy!!!!)

I am REALLY sorry to hear about the break-in. I really hope they catch the ...... unmentionable words!!!!!!!
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post #20 of 20
8/8/11 at 6:06pm
I'm glad the pumpkin worked
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