constipation + sore back?

My 4.5 yr old cat Marvin threw up morning food last Friday 12/30/2011.  His behavior changed from being energetic and exploratative to wanting to sleep the entire day away.  My wife and I give him the benefit of the doubt and decide to wait until the next day to see if his behavior changes.  It does not.  He's lethargic and sleepy for a second consecutive day, plus now he's eating and drinking very minimally while not using his litterbox.  So on Sunday 1/1/2012 we decide to take him to the vet.  He gets put through the barage of testing- bloodwork, urinealysis, and x-rays.  Everything comes back as normal.  The only abnormality is that he's backed up in his intestine, got us thinking constipation?  The vet speculates that possibly he hurt his back somehow (which doesn't show up on the x-ray) and making it difficult for him to use his litterbox.  So the vet gives him an IV for fluids and prescribes an antibiotic in case of some sort of infection that wasn't detected.  So here we are today, day 4, and he's still sleepy and lethargic.  He is eating some, drinking some, and did use his litterbox, although, we detected a little fecal matter with a little blood (straining to go #2 I presume) on the carpet where he sat for awhile.  So here are my questions:

Can constipation cause a cat to be extremely uncomfortable for several days and make him want to just mostly sleep?  Home remedies to relieve him of the constipation?  Been trying hard to get him to drink as much water as he can.

Anyone else ever had a cat that hurt their back?  What kinds of symptoms did that produce?

Just trying to find out what the next step could possibly be.  The vet wants a callback tomorrow night regarding his status and i'm afraid that we'll have no improvement to tell.  It's very frustrating that all the testing that was done came back inconclusive...the vet really isn't sure what's wrong with him.  He mentioned the next step could be an ultrasound, that will mean lots of $$$$

For your Marvin..... I would definitely think that a cat could get a sore back from straining to poop. I would start giving him some canned Pure plain pumpkin. You can syringe this if he won't eat it mixed in his wet food. Give about 2 tsp. My cat Pipsqueak hates the pumpkin so I have to syringe the pumpkin. It really does help with the constipation. What is his diet?? Any wet food ? I am sure other's will also come along soon with some support for you regarding Marvin. Poor guy, it does sound like he is very constipated.

thanks for the feedback Feralvr.  I'm going to make sure to inquire about this with the vet tomorrow when we speak.  While reading some of the older threads on here, sounds like an enima is an option as well, although, that must be an option for extreme cases of constipation...not sure we're there yet.

Diet is mostly dry food- Royal Canin CC + now some Hills I/D (which was just prescribed to us yesterday).  He does get a little wet food each morning- Wellness, maybe a tblsp.  Marvin is a big Norwegian Forest Cat and obviously has weight issues.  Vet is keeping an eye on his bloodwork every 6 months because it sounds like fatty liver disease could become an issue.  He stressed that the tests yesterday did not conclude this was Marvin's current issue...just something we will have to watch for.

The antibiotic he's on is metronidazole, looks like this aims for intestinal issues.

Hi....
Gosh... I am confused how this kitty was so constipated and it was detected at the vet..... Why did the vet not give him an enema? I don't think this is the case of home remedies at this point - not anymore. IF this is in fact constipation, your kitty is in serious pain from it..... He can develop from ablockage (happened to mine) to megacolon..... Not a good thing

IMHO, pumkin will be for maintenance.
Miralax also works great - 1/4 Tsp a day..... there are some kitties here, with more serious cases, that take 1/4 tsp in the morning and 1/4 tsp at night. It is a stool softener and very very safe for cats.... You can just get it at the pharmacy....
IMHO this kitty should go back to the vet and have an enema ASAP.....

I'd also ask about a pain reliever (NOT Metacam).  If it hurts to pee/poop, then he won't want to pee/poop.

Was his tail x-rayed too, and the sphincter muscle area?

And push liquids/wet food.

Hope Marvin feels better.

My wife is calling the vet this morning to give a status update and see what our next steps should be...

I'm not sure he's at the severe constipation point yet; the other day while at the vet neither us or the vet were sure of the cause.  It was noted on the x-ray that he had poo in his intestine, however, at that point it had only been one day since he last went #2.  While observing him since coming back from the vet until this morning, I've noted that he has gone both #1 and #2, although smallish amounts.  He's still drinking water and eating food, however, the quantity is down and we've been bringing both to him so he doesn't have to move as much.  I'd describe his condition as uncomfortable.

I am sorry he is still uncomfortable . I would, also, at this point ask about an enema. I think it really was necessary after that xray showed a back-up of fecal in the intestines. I would bring him back to the vet for that procedure. You also said that he is urinating in small amount's too. Being so very constipated and in pain could cause the bladder to get inflamed just from the stress of the pain and the pressure of the intestine's being so full. OH POOR Marvin - we really need to get thing's moving along in his intestines FAST!!! For Marvin today :rub:

thanks Feralvr   I appreciate it.  This is only the second major issue he's ever had, in his first year he had a bladder infection...boy I wish that were the case again as he was healed easily through antibiotics.  *sigh*

I think Marvin is only urinating small amounts because he's not drinking a ton of water right now.  Yesterday he went a decent amount.  He wasn't as thirsty yesterday so he probably consumed less water, hence, this morning's low amount of urine.

My wife says our normal vet is out until tomorrow.  I think we're going to take him in first thing as opposed to doing a "drop off" with him today (I guess they check him out when they have time in between appointments when you do a "drop off").  I'd rather have him comfortable at home than being stressed out sitting in some cage.  Plus, there is no guarantee they'll get to him today.  The other vet knows nothing about Marvin so if I need a second opinion, I'd rather do it while I'm there with Marvin with my primary vet present.

My wife has a friend who's got access to a vet via a rescue shelter she volunteers at.  The vet there offered to take a look at Marvin's blood test results as well as suggested an ultrasound could show a foreign body obstruction when an x-ray might not.  I'm probably going to push to have Marvin get an enema tomorrow and then possibly do an ultrasound.  I just want to see his behavior if he's all emptied out back there

for those of you who've had cats with constipation issues, at the onset did it just come out of nowhere?  and when your cat was healed did he/she immediately resume normal activity or did he/she slowly return to normal?  just trying to get a better understanding of behavior...

Marvin was literally fine one day, the next day he throws up in the morning and lethargy seemed to set in...I was hoping if his constipation is resolved, and that indeed is his issue, that he'll just be his normal self again quickly

jman_in_MN said:

thanks Feralvr   I appreciate it.  This is only the second major issue he's ever had, in his first year he had a bladder infection...boy I wish that were the case again as he was healed easily through antibiotics.  *sigh*

I think Marvin is only urinating small amounts because he's not drinking a ton of water right now.  Yesterday he went a decent amount.  He wasn't as thirsty yesterday so he probably consumed less water, hence, this morning's low amount of urine.

My wife says our normal vet is out until tomorrow.  I think we're going to take him in first thing as opposed to doing a "drop off" with him today (I guess they check him out when they have time in between appointments when you do a "drop off").  I'd rather have him comfortable at home than being stressed out sitting in some cage.  Plus, there is no guarantee they'll get to him today.  The other vet knows nothing about Marvin so if I need a second opinion, I'd rather do it while I'm there with Marvin with my primary vet present.

My wife has a friend who's got access to a vet via a rescue shelter she volunteers at.  The vet there offered to take a look at Marvin's blood test results as well as suggested an ultrasound could show a foreign body obstruction when an x-ray might not.  I'm probably going to push to have Marvin get an enema tomorrow and then possibly do an ultrasound.  I just want to see his behavior if he's all emptied out back there

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Is there another vet you can take him just to give some fluids and an enema?
Your cat HAS to eat and drink.... It can get very sick if it doesn't..... that is a big problem there..... Not only it is not pooping, but it is not eating - that can result in the liver failing.... and a HUGE problem.
He will only eat when he is unblocked.
This happened to me..... And an enema and fluids resolved (I had to syringe feed mine for several days after the enema)..... Before the enema, not only she was not pooping, but she would throw up as well....
I would seriously not wait.
I would feed this cat something.

My Sven has chronic constipation, and has as far back as I can remember (he's 16).  He would throw up after straining so hard to poop.  This went on for years (on and off) it seemed like, and we would give him Lactulose (prescription) when it got really, really bad.   Finally, the Laculose quit working, so I starting reading everything I could about other things that might help, and found out about Miralax.  Our Vet had never heard of it being used on cats, but she checked into it, and gave us the AOK (since he's also now a CRF cat), and we've never looked back !  He takes it twice a day, every day, and  it works like a charm to keep him regular.  Plus it's odorless, tasteless and not sticky like Lactulose.  He doesn't even know he's taking it

Good luck with finding out just what is wrong with your boy.  Hopefully it's just that he's a little plugged up at the moment and an enema will help him out.  We used to have a cat (before Sven), who had to get the occasional enema, and we eventually did them at home in our bathtub.  Oh, thank goodness for Miralax.  Too bad we didn't know about it way back then!

@Carolina- Marvin hasn't stopped eating or drinking.  In fact, he still has a decent appetite considering his ailment.  This morning he woofed down some wet food, albeit, a smaller quantity than usual.  Say he normally ate 1 cup of food a day...now he's eating say 1/4 cup.  Still eating but alot less.  Drinking water has never been his strong suit.  He's still getting thirsty and still drinking water.  I held his water dish to him this morning and he drank and drank and drank.  I might try using the eyedropper with him- i'd like to see him drink a little more, even when he's not thirsty.

Marvin hasn't thrown up anything since Friday A.M.  So five days now he's been keeping his food down fine, just doesn't always like walking over to his food/water dish to get it because of his pain.  We've been helping him out some by bringing the food + water to him.  When it's right in front of him he's going to town on it.

I have another vet appt. for tomorrow at 9am with our usual vet.  The vet tech reminded my wife that since he's not eating alot of food his stool size will also be less.  Less going in = less coming out.  They also told her that they didn't recommend we do anything to change the digestion at this point.  They want to preserve his condition so when he gets another x-ray (I presume) or an ultrasound, they can see what's going on and maybe diagnose his ailment better than they did on Sunday 1/1/2012.

Marvin was stable when my wife visited him at lunchtime.  Hiding in the closet though.  He ate a little food and enjoyed some pettings.  I hope we can fix his ailment soon as I really don't like seeing him this way.  It's worn me down over the last couple of days.

@mrsgreenjeens- I really hope its just constipation and stool that is stuck.  Nothing would make me happier for him to get cleared out tomorrow and see him improve just a little with his behavior

Ritz is prone to constipation and was given an enema once.  It is very quick acting (she pooped in the carrier on her way back home).  The only side effect Ritz had was drooling and she was a little unnerved by the whole process.

If it is "just" constipation, then Marvin should be fine after he goes/given the enema, certainly the day after.

thanks for giving me hope Ritz!!!!

Ritz said:

Ritz is prone to constipation and was given an enema once.  It is very quick acting (she pooped in the carrier on her way back home).  The only side effect Ritz had was drooling and she was a little unnerved by the whole process.
If it is "just" constipation, then Marvin should be fine after he goes/given the enema, certainly the day after.

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this is true..... Same for Lucky.... Problem was that she was not eating..... so I had to force feed her for several days.... Glad not the case with your baby

little update- Marvin just used the litterbox, both #1 and #2.  A little blood in the stool (I expected to see this from the straining) and a little bit of blood leaked on the surrounding carpet as he walked from the litterbox in the bathroom.  Another sign that he's indeed constipated.  A little bit of food I gave him when I got home must have set the wheels in motion.

He even walked around for about 10 secs with his tail up...haven't seen him do that in 5 days

MAJOR UPDATE

Well I now know the source of Marvin's ailment.  Tonight one of his anal sacs ruptured.  Luckily the ER vet was available and we got him in to be treated.  So, for the next two weeks he'll get to wear a cone periodically and we'll be blotting the carpet and anywhere he sits.  One one other potential problem...he has some tissue in the anal sac area that is probably going to die.  On Sunday we'll know if we'll be bandaging him up for 2 months or not (i'm guessing we will)

Getting over the grossness of his wound tonight while Marvin wears off his sedative.  Will be my first experience handling a difficult wound in a pet.  *sigh*  I'm so glad he's going to be alive with us

OMgosh - this explains also why he is holding his poop in too. AWWWWWW my goodness, how terribly painful this must have been for Marvin. AND to you for all of your worry about Marvin. At least NOW we know what is going on with Marvin and you have a plan to manage this. At least he will be feeling better soon - I just wonder if the vet is going to give Marvin something to soften his stool so he can start to have confidence to try and go again without much pain. What about any pain medication during the next two week's? My thought's are with you, your wife and Marvin

Feralvr said:

OMgosh - this explains also why he is holding his poop in too. AWWWWWW my goodness, how terribly painful this must have been for Marvin. AND

to you for all of your worry about Marvin. At least NOW we know what is going on with Marvin and you have a plan to manage this. At least he will be feeling better soon - I just wonder if the vet is going to give Marvin something to soften his stool so he can start to have confidence to try and go again without much pain. What about any pain medication during the next two week's? My thought's are with you, your wife and Marvin

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thanks Feralvr, we appreciate it   yes, the ER vet prescribed a stool softener, pain meds for 3 days, and gave him an antibiotic shot which should last 2 weeks.  He's doing ok, although, I could use any advice on how to get him to relax and not do the butt dragging.  He doesn't feel like napping which is tough for me because I'd like a nap LOL stayed up most of the night watching over him.

Our regular vet today said those abscesses can come on quickly, even in a 24 hr time period.  Or in our case, 48 hours.  The theory from both vets who've looked at him the last couple of days is the other cat Izzy may have bit him and the chomp on his butt got infected, then festered awhile.  I'll buy that, it definitely explains like Feralvr said why he wasn't pooping.

Wish us luck as we clean his abscess daily and make him wear the cone periodically for 2 weeks while he heals!  Thanks everyone for the well wishes!!

I do wish you luck with this :nod: I wonder if it might be best to confine Marvin for a few day's? I know he won't be happy about it - but it might keep him more quiet and at least contain him from dragging his rear all over the floor - thus not helping with the healing .... I had to confine a cat now and again - to either a small bathroom or in my large/tall cat playpen. Although, if the cat had to wear a cone - the cage would not work so the bathroom it was. That way you can get some rest just knowing Marvin can't hurt himself during these next few day's of healing. I know he won't like it - but just something to consider. I am sure this is an uncomfortable situation for Marvin. I really hope that the pain meds and stool softener will make him more comfortable in the next 24 hours :cross:. I don't know of anything else to suggest for the butt dragging other than to confine him to a smaller area for a few day's so he can heal quickly. You can also pick up a Plug-in Feliway diffuser - that will help calm him if you confine him too. Feliway might just help even if you don't confine him - to relax him. You can also try Rescue Remedy - put a few drops behind his ears and on the base of his neck and above his tail a few times a day...... Keep updating - we care :heart3: