my Mo kitty has megacolon.he is on cisapride and lactulose 3cc's of each med 3x daily.trouble is Mo still cant poop unless i administer. a dss/glycerine enema. he has been on these 2 meds for 6 weeks.I dont believe this treatment is ever going to produce a cat that poops.miralax is my next avenue, and unfotunately surgery may well fix his problem we just cant afford to have it done.does anybody have any helpful advice/ similar experience with lactulose and cisapride not working and have had success with other methods? it breaks my heart to know my buddy mo may need put down. thanks all.
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Mo has megacolon, i have a question
- Thread starter varmint
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I would go ahead and try the Miralax. My cat has IBD with constipation issues, he isn't at the point of megacolon, and my vet recommends Miralax. I have seen others here with cats that have this condition and they have used the Miralax. I don't know what kind of diet that he is on but I know many vets recommend adding fiber. I have talked to my vet about this condition just kind of a what if discussion. She said that adding a little fiber does help with kitties that have the chronic constipation issues but when they go into megacolon it is actually better to cut as much fiber out of their diet as possible.
With the Miralax since your kitty is having major problems I would start with 1/4 teaspoon twice a day and add to that dosage. It is a powder with no taste so it can be mixed in with the wet food. It doesn't work like a traditional laxative, it works by drawing water into the colon.
With the Miralax since your kitty is having major problems I would start with 1/4 teaspoon twice a day and add to that dosage. It is a powder with no taste so it can be mixed in with the wet food. It doesn't work like a traditional laxative, it works by drawing water into the colon.
How old is your cat?
I agree with Denice in trying the Miralax. It keeps the stools soft and easier to pass. My Boo has chronic constipation and is on Miralax long-term. They do grow accustomed to it, so you may need to increase the dose over time.
There are varying opinions on the use of fiber in cats with megacolon. I've heard people say it helps or makes it worse. Work with your vet to determine what might be best for your cat. IMO, never use a bulking fiber, such as psyllium husk. I think it would fill up the colon too much.
Depending on the severity, some people administer sub-q fluids at home on regular basis so that the body stays hydrated and therefore more water gets drawn to the colon. If you're able to maintain soft stools using other treatments, this may not be necessary.
I found this old thread here on TCS where people attest to Miralax and pumpkin as being helpful:
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/247733/alternative-for-propulsid-cisapride
There are many other threads that talk about this condition. Do a search for "megacolon" and they'll come up.
I agree with Denice in trying the Miralax. It keeps the stools soft and easier to pass. My Boo has chronic constipation and is on Miralax long-term. They do grow accustomed to it, so you may need to increase the dose over time.
There are varying opinions on the use of fiber in cats with megacolon. I've heard people say it helps or makes it worse. Work with your vet to determine what might be best for your cat. IMO, never use a bulking fiber, such as psyllium husk. I think it would fill up the colon too much.
Depending on the severity, some people administer sub-q fluids at home on regular basis so that the body stays hydrated and therefore more water gets drawn to the colon. If you're able to maintain soft stools using other treatments, this may not be necessary.
I found this old thread here on TCS where people attest to Miralax and pumpkin as being helpful:
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/247733/alternative-for-propulsid-cisapride
There are many other threads that talk about this condition. Do a search for "megacolon" and they'll come up.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
thank you both from the bottom of my heart."Mo"is approx 3 1/2 yrs old and was our first cat we had found dumped near our property. we are very attatched to all of our furry friends but he has my girlfriends heart. i bought miralax today and will give it a go.our vet is about to lose us as customers and Mo as a patient.he would not even discuss other meds with us.we are up in the air over the surgery if its needed.we have quite a few abandoned cats that we care for, and $2,000 would take away from the vet fund we have put aside in case the others may need medical attention.it would mean spending the funds for all the other cats on good old mo.hard decision to make.im going to the cisapride site you showed me.thank you both so much.i hope i made sense as i had a pain pill an hour ago and its kicking my rear.your help is greatly appreciated.
I third trying Miralax. Many people have found it more effective and easier to dose than lactulose. I would also consider joining the Yahoo megacolon group. There are a lot of people there who are dealing with this issue, and their collective knowledge and experience are usually more current than a general vet practitioner.
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MY POOR LITTLE KITTY CHOO CHOO WAS JUST DIAG. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, SHE IS IN THE HOSPITAL AGAIN, SHE WAS DOING FINE FOR A WEEK OR SO KNOW NOT SO GOOD, SHE HAS A FEVER AND THEY THINK HER COLON HAS BEEN COMPERMISED, (SORRY ABOUT THE SPELLING I AM HART BROKEN) SHE IS HAVING BLOOD WORK, URINE AND ANTIBOTICS, BUT SHE IS IN BAD SHAPE.
I am so sorry bout Choo Choo. This sounds like more than simply megacolon
Was she on cisapride and miralax, or what, or did they do the surgery, or just what?
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GOT CHOO BACK SHE WAS TAKEN OFF CISAPRIDE AND SHE IS ON JUST LACTULOSE UNTIL THE VET CAN GET HER REGULAR AGAIN, WET FOOD ONLY NO HIGH FIBER, POOR LITTLE KITTY, AT LEAST HER BLOOD WORK AND URINE CAME OUT OK FEVER WAS DUE TO THE COLON BEING SO FULL OF TOXIC POO. I WISH THERE WAS MORE INFO ON MEGA COLON.
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THE YAHOO MEGA COLON GROUP IS VERY HELPFUL, BEING NEW TO THIS AWFUL PROBLEM, THE GROUP HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL
JOEI,CA
JOEI,CA
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
@joei our mo was in bad shape.our kitty comrads here and the yahoo group got me on the miralax idea and great news...mo is pooping.we have been blessed by these great people here.cisapride and lactulose just didnt make mo poop.we had to give him dss/glycerine enemas when his tummy was hard and distended.our vet didnt want to hear about miralax.now i believe it was just him wanting to sell us $200 of meds a month.now we are trying to figure out the dose of miralax mo needs to keep regular.hang in there, and have faith that your choo choo will be ok.mo was a very sick kitty and not too long ago we were in exactly the same shoes yall are in.our hearts go out to you and choo choo.bless the folks at this site.they saved mo's life.
I am so glad that Mo is going on his own again. It takes time to get the Miralax dose right but it's not a medication with dangerous side effects. The most that will happen if you go to high with the dose is diarrhea that will clear up when you stop the Miralax.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #13
great news about mo.1/2 tsp miralax 3 x daily keeps his bowels regular.our vet wants nothing to do with the whole miralax thing.he had mo on cisapride 1cc 3x daily and lactulose 3cc 3x a day.it just wasnt working.so...he sold us dss/glycerine enemas at $4.50 a pop just so poor mo could poop.needless to say mo wasnt very happy recieving enemas.i wear scars to bear witness to the fact.lol.thank you all so very much for the advice.you literally were a very large part of saving a very special cats life.we now have 2 more feral cats around, and the money we saved by not getting mo the surgery has got miss jingles and pretty gal the calico spayed, a wellness checkup and all their shots.im an official cat junkie now.thank you all and bless you.
I am so happy you have found what works for Mo. Fortunately it is also the best thing to use long term.
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- #16
My ex and i are kinda upset with our closed minded vet. we are housemates, she tries teaching me cat stuff and i do my best to learn.our ferals cohabitate with texas longhorn cattle, horses, sheep, goats and a dog.for me cats are the most complicated animal we have around.they see me as their hired hand and it tickles me to death.we are changing vets dec 1st. seems a vet would be more open when folks share info on an over the counter product that works wonderfully AND IS SAFE..again thank you all.
Cats do maintain their independence in a way that dogs don't. Even when they have been with people since they were born and have been well socialized, there is a little part of them that remains wild. I think that is why so many of us dearly love our cats.
Good luck with changing vets! I hope you find someone you really like and trust.
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- #19
we have many vets around.finding one is the tough choice.i dont know how i came to be so fond of my feral friends but i have, and bet i will be choosing one as i would a pediatrician when my children were little.im asking around and will make a decision as soon as my dearest dodie tells me which decision to make.have a wonderful evening.time for this old varmint to tend the livestock.
