Spooky's constipation

OK, rather than write it again, I'm just going to basically repost from her cystitis thread:

OK. VERY, very interesting news to report.

Spooky had another freak out this morning - in and out of boxes, squatting everywhere. But interestingly, it started with her trying to poop. She's constipated. I suspect this is what happened earlier (given almost no inflammation of her bladder, neutral urine pH, and no crystals at all). I guess she incorporates trying to pee .... out of frustration at being unable to pass stool? :dk: But today clearly the problem was constipation.

So given this has happened so often on the raw diet (well, three times to her extreme discomfort in one year and 1.5 months of raw feeding, and several less extreme issues), apart from needing to address her stress issues, I have to figure out how best to manage her constipation issue long term.

She did have a bowel movement this morning in the middle of this freak out (so I guess there's more to go?). And it was not hard or dry, and does not look like it "should" have been difficult to pass. :dk: I've been really attentive to her calcium levels since this last happened, and basically took her down to a Ca ratio of 1.0:1, and I won't go any lower. And given her stool was normal sized and moist, but not pasty or anything, I don't think she needs a stool softener like miralax (which would be my preference to use), but a little bit of fiber, like pumpkin. :dk: She really doesn't like pumpkin, so I'm thinking rather than a larger amount 2 - 3x a week, I'm leaning towards 1/2 a teaspoon or so once a day.

I do wonder about the bioavailability of calcium in the ground eggshell.... but why would it be any different than calcium carbonate used in canned foods? She never had constipation issues on dry food, then when I fed canned food but left dry out., and then only canned for over a year before the transition to raw. The canned foods I used prior to raw were very low fiber. Could it be that small amount of fiber made the difference for her? She's the only one of the 8 with this problem. :scratch:

Any thoughts from anyone with kitties with ongoing issues with constipation if untreated? What did you use and why?

Thanks.

:lol3: Well, I just posted this in Spook's cystitis thread. But, I have found that the only thing that works for Pipsqueak IS pumpkin. I like pumpkin anyway and feel it is a good natural way to relieve constipation in cats. I have been forgetting to give him the pumpkin and am now paying for it or should I say, my poor baby is paying for it. He was constipated today. In and out of the box and carrying his tail in that upside down U. I give him 1 tsp. every day and as long as I keep up with that daily for three weeks or so then I can go to every other day to maintain his mobility. 1 tsp. is the perfect amount for him. Works very well and is just enough. I do have to syringe him the pumpkin but he gets a very special treat afterwards so now he looks forward to the pumpkin syringe. He LOVES his junky treats. :lol3:

I wonder if that was part of Spooky's in and out of the box episodes? Maybe not all bladder related problems. Pip will do that when he is constipated but again, the telltale sign is the way he carries his tail. Vibes for darling Spooky who couldn't have a better momma. :heart3:

Oh I'm sure this is what happened that week-ago Friday night now. :nod: I just saw her trying to pee, not trying to poop. This morning she was doing both. But since the vet found no cause for a peeing issue, I'm now assuming this morning was the same as the 22nd. I think it's just her... expressing her discomfort.

Yeah, I'll just have to syringe her with it for the next few weeks. Then I'll see what works for maintenance. Thanks!

If the stool shouldn't have been difficult to pass but she did have difficulty could Spooky have megacolon???

Good question. I'll call the vet tomorrow. But she's been x-rayed up and down over the last year, and had three bladder ultrasounds. I'm assuming if there were any reason to suspect it, it would have been mentioned, and an ultrasound directed at her intestines/colon. But always better to ask than assume!!!!

I just took Patches to the vet for constipation.  This is their procedures day so she is just going to work him in.  He did this the same time last year.  I started with the Miralax yesterday but he was worse this morning so he will probably get an enema today and he won't be happy when I go to get him.  

for Patches. Hope you'll keep us posted!

Lots of for Spooky and Patches!

Well, Spook seems to be doing just fine. I don't know if she's pooped or not, but she's not in distress. :cross: I started the pumpkin today, and will probably give her 1 teaspoon daily for a few weeks, see how that goes. I scooped out teaspoons of pumpkin, put them on aluminum foil, and have them freezing up. I'll dump them in a bag so they're ready to go for daily use. :lol3:

Well, Spook seems to be doing just fine. I don't know if she's pooped or not, but she's not in distress. :cross: I started the pumpkin today, and will probably give her 1 teaspoon daily for a few weeks, see how that goes. I scooped out teaspoons of pumpkin, put them on aluminum foil, and have them freezing up. I'll dump them in a bag so they're ready to go for daily use. :lol3:

Because of Patche's IBD she kept him overnight and did bloodwork.  He also got an enema which I am sure he was not thrilled about.  She said that this is common in cats with IBD because of the loss of motility which is made worse by his being overweight.  He used to be underweight but not anymore.  His bloodwork came back fine except for high triglycerides which I didn't even know they checked on cats.  Alice is also overweight.  She gave me the prescription weightloss food which has lousy ingredients so I went to the pet store where I always got the California Natural to get different food.  They won't eat canned food only kibble.  I got the Natural Balance reduced calorie food because it is chicken and brown rice which they are used to and it has 8% fiber which is higher than the other food they had.  I also have to get out of the habit of feeding the bowl rather than the cats.

Actually, to get a cat to lose weight, the best method is to use a high protein food, not a high fiber food. The protein makes them feel satisfied, so they eat less food. You're probably better off with EVO if you're going to use kibble, and feed a touch less than recommended (because manufacturer recommendations are almost always too much food for our sedentary indoor kitties).

There are methods of transitioning cats from kibble to canned. It just takes some work on your part. You'll find transition info link on the right side of this website, written by a vet: http://www.catinfo.org


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As to Spooky, I finally got to see her go poop since starting the pumpkin. She was straining and growling. She otherwise hasn't been acting constipated - eating fine. I think I'm going to bump her to a tablespoon of pumpkin for a few days. (A teaspoon with each meal). :cross:

Continued vibes for Spooky. I hope increasing the pumpkin works for her.