Constipation after dental surgery

Difficult dental extraction kept Reagan under anesthetic longer than the vet anticipated. He has had constipation over several months since the surgery. I add water to his wet food and give him Lactulose. Could the anesthetic result in the brain not signaling the body to empty the bowels?

Hi Reagan, and welcome to TCS!

Could the anesthetic result in the brain not signaling the body to empty the bowels?

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IMO, that's a question best put to one, if not two, veterinary specialists....a neurologist and an anesthesiologist. If you have a Veterinary College reasonably nearby, you might want to bring the question there. These schools have Board Certified specialists in feline medicine who should have the resources with which to provide an answer.

For the locations of those schools, have a look here: http://www.aavmc.org/Member-Institutions.aspx

You could also ask your Veterinarian to consult with a specialist on your behalf.

In the meantime, you might consider (with the help of your Vet) switching from Lactulose to Miralax....it works differently and is used extensively by people here. More info on Miralax here http://felineconstipation.org/prevention.html#OsmoticLaxativesPrevent (That's a well informed reliable site where you can get good information about what goes on inside your cat, what can go wrong and how to remedy things.)

Have you made any changes in the foods you've used with him? Exactly which are they?

Same food before and after dental surgery. Instinct by Nature's Variety's rotating cans (beef, lamb, chicken, salmon and turkey formula) is Reagan's diet. TY for the email information, I'll check ASAP.