Slippery Elm Bark, Wet food, Managing Constipation

Some of you may have read my posts about Max, my nine year old Tabby who has been having problems with constipation on and off for the past two years. Well, I have been trying some different things lately to see what works best for Max in terms of managing and preventing his occasional constipation, but I also wanted to try and get to the bottom if possible as to why or what is making him constipated in the first place. I thought to post about this subject now as Max left a very nice present in the litterbox this morning.

I mentioned recently that this year I was going to start transitioning the cats off of dry food, and got started in the last week to lessen the amount of dry food from twice daily to once daily, replacing the meal of dry for wet food. Given that there is now less dry I thought to add a bit of pumpkin in case Max still needed some extra fiber, only with the pumpkin he's getting more moisture. After 3-4 days, no real change in volume or texture of poop.

Another thing I changed is the cats now get distilled (reverse osmosis) water rather than our well water which is quite hard. We have great well water that is clear of everything except calcium which makes it hard. Reading one day about how some cats can have a malabsorption problem with calcium, made me question whether our hard water could be contributing to Max's constipation. The other reason for the switch was in anticipation of using the distilled water for the cat's new drinking fountain.

I thought with the decrease in dry and increase of wet food that this would if anything surely change the texture of Max's bowel movements to something softer, but it didn't really or maybe I was expecting too much too soon. Next up, I purchased some slippery elm bark to try, hoping that this would help to lubricate Max's intestinal tract which in turn should help make his bowel movements move along more smoothly. Max has been getting about 1/4 tsp diluted in his food once per day since last Thursday.

The other thing that has occurred to me is the wet food that I have been serving which is Wellness grain-free. Wellness is one of the better quality foods but I noticed after it has been in the fridge it takes on a very gummy consistency. I know that Wellness contains the dreaded carageenan and have read that carageenan can instigate IBD in cats and could this be a contributing factor to Max's constipation, I wondered? So, I tried another experiment .. Yesterday I picked up some Nature's Variety canned which contains no carageenan, is grain-free and 90% meat protein. I selected chicken and duck varieties and found the aroma of the chicken to closely resemble cooked chicken which was a positive. Both Thomas and Max had some yesterday and again this morning. Maggie also had a bit this morning but no surprise that she didn't like it that much. She seems to prefer the cheaper, grocery store stuff such as Fancy Feast?

Max's bowel movement this morning was simply quite amazing and unlike anything he has produced in some time. It was substantial, well formed but looked like it was moist whereas his past bowel movements have seemed not sufficient given his size and always a bit on the gummy side looking suggesting to me that they lacked moisture and therefore not optimum.

Its a bit early yet to break out the champagne I realize but I am just so pleased and cautiously optimistic that some or all of the above things in combination may be the key to finally resolving the issue of Max's constipation once and for all. Its been quite a journey from a situation that was once thought to be megacolon.

My cats eat lots of dry food besides their canned food daily. Every two days they are given liver and chicken, Friskies, hard food is IAM's they all have beautiful coats and go like clock work every morning after breakfast. Everybody gets 6 temptations at night as a treat. But my cats love water, we have 1 oversized water bowls in every bathroom and one in the kitchen. So between the canned food, hard food and plenty of water, their liter boxes are just right. Good luck.

Yes, water is really important. Max has always been a really good drinker though which has made the constipation problem that much more of a mystery. Glad to hear that things are working well for your kitties.

I am glad to read about Max .

Having my own cat with constipation issues, I know that monitoring the litterbox is not fun.

For Sophie the slippery elm bark did wonders. She only receives it now twice a week, and everything is still fine.  I also add somewhere between four and six soup spoons of water a day in her wet food.

Some time after I increased the wet food I also noticed a change in  her coat - she always had a soft coat but I thought that shedding like crazy and having cat hair on everything (clothes, pillows, food, toothbrush) is normal. All the time. Now it is so much better.

One thing though, I would watch for "extra fiber". I have no experiences about this, but while I was searching for solutions for Sophie I came across some articles that stated that some cats with constipation need less fiber, as constipation can also be a motility issue, and more fiber just slows the already slow GI tract. But they also said that for some cats extra fiber is ok, so I am guessing it is all a trial and error with each cat.

IrinaSaK said:

 
I am glad to read about Max

.

Having my own cat with constipation issues, I know that monitoring the litterbox is not fun.

For Sophie the slippery elm bark did wonders. She only receives it now twice a week, and everything is still fine.  I also add somewhere between four and six soup spoons of water a day in her wet food.

Some time after I increased the wet food I also noticed a change in  her coat - she always had a soft coat but I thought that shedding like crazy and having cat hair on everything (clothes, pillows, food, toothbrush) is normal. All the time. Now it is so much better.

One thing though, I would watch for "extra fiber". I have no experiences about this, but while I was searching for solutions for Sophie I came across some articles that stated that some cats with constipation need less fiber, as constipation can also be a motility issue, and more fiber just slows the already slow GI tract. But they also said that for some cats extra fiber is ok, so I am guessing it is all a trial and error with each cat.

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Thanks IrinaSak!  And yes, that is a very good point about more fibre. A lot of vets prescribe more fibre to fix constipation issues but unless there is a motility problem as you mentioned, more fibre can actually make things worse. As I am still going through the trouble-shooting phase, I do incorporate a little pumpkin now and then which is full of moisture, plus Max really likes the stuff. I think in the long run the slippery elm and move from dry to all wet (or raw) may prove to be the most effective.  

The other item that I forgot to mention is I have added is L-Lysine for Max and a small amount of coconut oil for everyone twice a week.

Glad to hear the new diet helped.  I am dealing with constipation in my girl DeeJay but she has been diagnosed with Mega Colon.  She won't eat pumpkin so that's of no help to me.  We are using Miralax on her and a low fiber diet.

cprcheetah said:

 
Glad to hear the new diet helped.  I am dealing with constipation in my girl DeeJay but she has been diagnosed with Mega Colon.  She won't eat pumpkin so that's of no help to me.  We are using Miralax on her and a low fiber diet.

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Thanks! Finding the magic bullet for your cat dealing with constipation isn't an easy thing I know. I've decided that pumpkin is not the right fix for constipation in Max. Just the opposite in fact. Still, Max and Thomas do love to eat it and so when I do give it, it is as a treat and dietary supplement rather than a constipation fix. It's healthy and natural which appeals to me in a big way. Curious to know if you tried slippery elm bark?

oneandahalfcats said:

 
Finding the magic bullet for your cat dealing with constipation isn't an easy thing I know. I've decided that pumpkin is not the right fix for constipation in Max. Just the opposite in fact. Still, Max and Thomas do love to eat it and so when I do give it, it is as a treat and dietary supplement rather than a constipation fix. It's healthy and natural which appeals to me in a big way. Curious to know if you tried slippery elm bark?

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I have not tried Slippery Elm Bark.  Right now DeeJay is having daily BM's and not too hard either so I think we are on the right track with her.  I have a store locally that I can get the SEB if needed though.  I thought it more helped with Diarrhea though? 

cprcheetah said:

 
I have not tried Slippery Elm Bark.  Right now DeeJay is having daily BM's and not too hard either so I think we are on the right track with her.  I have a store locally that I can get the SEB if needed though.  I thought it more helped with Diarrhea though? 

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Good to hear that DeeJay is having good and regular poops. Yes! ..

Jean Hofvre (Little Big Cat) did an article/interview where she talked about giving herbs to cats and the risks involved, the exception being SEB, which she says is good for diarrhea and constipation. I am not sure at this point if the SEB was solely responsible for Max's amazing BM this morning, but it could very well be a combination of that with the increase and change in wet food to the Nature's Variety from the Wellness, which does not contain carrageenan. It could have been a one off (hope not) but I will know more in the coming days when I see his next BM.

Can you elaborate on the dosage and delivery method of SEB? 

I have a cat who flirted with constipation in the past.  Now she is on prozac and along with urinary retention, she is dealing with constipation.  She averages a poop every 3-4 days.  Currently she's on a 4 day drought and I'm really worried.  I have talked to the vet about this but he doesn't seem overly concerned.  Even on 1/8 teaspoon of miralax, she's still not pooping.

I also have a cat dealing with constipation issues for almost 3 years. I have been giving her miralax but it sometimes does not work all that great for her. She can also tell something is in the food and takes her a few hours to eat it. We were going to the vet about every 5 months for this issue but now we are going about every month or two for her to get cleaned out. In December when we went she was put on the Fiber Response dry food  but she only gets 1/8 of a cup of that a day, takes her 2 days to eat it. She mostly gets wet food but I am not having much luck finding one she really enjoys or that she is not allergic too. I did find out that every time I gave her Fancy feast we would end up at the vet for constipation and the problem with that is it's her favorite food.

One vet told me she probably has IBD and that is why we are trying the Fiber Response food, she will not eat the canned in it. We were at the vet again and now this vet thinks she probably was born with something wrong with her colon because when they get her going it is not dry and has lots of moisture and she goes when they do her anal glands. Yes she has to have them expressed about every month. The one vet wanted to try Vitamin B injections but now they don't think it will help so won't even consider it. I still think she has something wrong with her stomach because she cries in pain and runs around the house sometimes for 2 hours and it's heartbreaking to watch her. She will run into litter box and run out just crying until she goes poop and it can be normal not hard when she does this. Okay sorry so long but will you let me know where I can purchase the Slippery Elm bark and how much to give?

Keep us updated on how well it's working. I'm at the point I will try anything, that's why I gave in and am trying the Fiber Response dry food. The vet wants to try another medication because she is not able to take lactolose but she told me it's very expensive. I just want Peaches to start feeling better.

Hi tdonline .. Poor kitty .. 4 days is a long time for a cat to go without pooping. I am very surprised and a little annoyed that your vet is not more concerned about this. Besides the discomfort that your kitty must be feeling, accumulated poop in the colon creates a very toxic, unhealthy environment.

Have you talked to your vet about increasing the Miralax? 1/8 tsp doesn't seem like enough in this situation depending on how many times a day you are giving it. I used Lactulose in the early days of Max's constipation and the dose was 1ml or cc three times a day to get things going, then once the stools were regular I backed off to once a day. 

With the Slippery Elm you would give a small amount to start which is 1/8 tsp or 1/4 tsp depending on the size of cat (I use 1/4 tsp on Max as he is a large cat) diluted in a small amount of cold water, enough to make a light paste or gruel and add this to wet food. Slippery Elm Bark comes in capsules and as a bulk powder which you can purchase at health food stores, whole food stores and sometime at pharmacies that carry a lot of natural supplements. You open up the capsule and pour the contents into a dish, and then add your water. Not more than a teaspoon is necessary.

It your kitty is not pooping by the end of the day, I would take her into the vets and see about getting an enema done. Not pleasant or ideal, but she needs to get cleaned out. The vets will also be able to check for a blockage. Please let us know how thing turn out.

Edit: Forgot to ask if your kitty is eating her normal amount of food, despite not having a bowel movement? If not, this can be a sign that she could be blocked. If she is eating okay, then things are not as dire. Max's bowel movement was so substantial yesterday, that he hasn't gone yet today so this is normal. He could very well go in the next hour or overnight which often happens. His longest was 48 hours but fortunately this hasn't happened too often.

Snugglecat said:

 
I also have a cat dealing with constipation issues for almost 3 years. I have been giving her miralax but it sometimes does not work all that great for her. She can also tell something is in the food and takes her a few hours to eat it. We were going to the vet about every 5 months for this issue but now we are going about every month or two for her to get cleaned out. In December when we went she was put on the Fiber Response dry food  but she only gets 1/8 of a cup of that a day, takes her 2 days to eat it. She mostly gets wet food but I am not having much luck finding one she really enjoys or that she is not allergic too. I did find out that every time I gave her Fancy feast we would end up at the vet for constipation and the problem with that is it's her favorite food.

One vet told me she probably has IBD and that is why we are trying the Fiber Response food, she will not eat the canned in it. We were at the vet again and now this vet thinks she probably was born with something wrong with her colon because when they get her going it is not dry and has lots of moisture and she goes when they do her anal glands. Yes she has to have them expressed about every month. The one vet wanted to try Vitamin B injections but now they don't think it will help so won't even consider it. I still think she has something wrong with her stomach because she cries in pain and runs around the house sometimes for 2 hours and it's heartbreaking to watch her. She will run into litter box and run out just crying until she goes poop and it can be normal not hard when she does this. Okay sorry so long but will you let me know where I can purchase the Slippery Elm bark and how much to give?

Keep us updated on how well it's working. I'm at the point I will try anything, that's why I gave in and am trying the Fiber Response dry food. The vet wants to try another medication because she is not able to take lactolose but she told me it's very expensive. I just want Peaches to start feeling better.

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Hi Snugglecat .. Yes, I think at some point laxatives must reach their effectiveness, just the same as with people. If the body comes to rely on laxatives instead of the natural rhythm of the colon, the colon becomes lazy. This is why I have been trying to find alternative, natural solutions for Max, because I feel that at some point, the conventional medicine will cease to work but also, in Max's case, I have just couldn't accept that he had megacolon so much as the need for a different diet.

Re. the fibre response food, this does work and saves many a cat from needing to go the cisapride route for megacolon. With Max, I just found that he got really bloated on this stuff, which suggested to me that he wasn't processing or retaining much from the food. It was just helping him to poop. How are your kitty's stools on the Fibre Response food? Max's were really big and soft. Re. the crying before pooping, this was Max at one point too. A lot of dramatic vocalizing before pooping. With the changes that we have made, he no longer cries when he is about to go. With your kitty, It could be diet or something that is twisted somewhere which could be causing some pain when she is having a bowel movement. It might be an idea to have some x-rays done to see if there is something wrong somewhere.

Edit : Re. wet food, you might want to look into getting a wet food that does not contain carageenan which has been found to instigate IBD. I had all of my cats on Wellness grain-free which has carageenan, and I have just switched to Nature's Variety canned which does not contain carageenan. The thing about FF is that is contains wheat gluten, but then so does the Royal Canin Fibre Response. The wheat, soy and corn content is another reason why I wanted to get away from this food. My female too, really likes the FF Grilled Chicken and I am at a bit of a crossroads with her as she does not like the Wellness or Nature Variety much, which I would prefer she be on.

One, thank you for the detailed response.  Dory has always been the fickle one when it comes to food and digestive issues.  I wonder if I should ask the vet to do an overall check on her digestive system.  Otherwise she always comes out with a clean bill of health during our annual visits.  

I'm also mindful her constipation may be a combination of her natural disposition towards it, medication and stress (she is being separated from her sister for redirected aggression).  My cats are separated but I have recently initiated open sighting and contact thru barriers.  Due to her anxiety about seeing another cat in the home--I wonder if she's holding out.

I have SEB capsules on hand and just gave her a bit in her wet food.  I feed Wellness primarily--it's about the only wet food they both consistently eat.  Is there a site that lists canned food without carrageenan?  Here, I thought I was feeding them a really good food...

Lastly, since miralax isn't an osmotic laxative, would we need to be as concerned about habit-forming issues?

If the constipation is sudden and not a chronic thing, it could be behavioral, but could it also be that the Prozac is constipating her? Apparently constipation is one of the side effects for humans when taking Prozac. Something to consider. I know with Max, he is a pretty laid back cat but is very particular about his litter box. Even though I scoop right after everyone goes through the day, sometimes I have changed the box if its been took long since Max's last BM thinking that he might be holding out, and a couple of times that did it, as he went in right after. Changing the litter sometimes results in a BM, sometimes not.

Wellness is a good quality food .. Better than a lot of wet that contains by-product, but then again, wet food that contains by-product is going to be better than dry food for some cats. Some cats can eat almost anything and do really well. It just depends. For me and the trial I am doing, I decided to try a food without carageenan to see if this makes a difference for Max. Early days yet to know for sure.

I know there is a post here in which someone listed all of the wet foods that don't contain carageenan. Off the top of my head, there is Newman's Own, Nature's Variety, Natural Instincts, and a few others. If I can find it, I will post the link.

Re. Miralax, it is one of the osmotic laxatives which works similar to lactulose. One important thing I learned in my journey with Max, is that more fibre does not help with severe cases of constipation. Just the opposite in fact. Fibre is effective if there is a problem of motility in helping to create more bulk which it turn it is thought, to create more of a sensation of fullness in the colon. But in general, fibre is not a part of cat's natural diet and so they don't need this as much as some vets and the pet food companies, suggest.

Good that you have the SEB. I hope this works, or that your kitty has a BM real soon. Whichever comes first will be fantastic.  

oneandahalfcats said:

 
Hi Snugglecat .. Yes, I think at some point laxatives must reach their effectiveness, just the same as with people. If the body comes to rely on laxatives instead of the natural rhythm of the colon, the colon becomes lazy. This is why I have been trying to find alternative, natural solutions for Max, because I feel that at some point, the conventional medicine will cease to work but also, in Max's case, I have just couldn't accept that he had megacolon so much as the need for a different diet.

Re. the fibre response food, this does work and saves many a cat from needing to go the cisapride route for megacolon. With Max, I just found that he got really bloated on this stuff, which suggested to me that he wasn't processing or retaining much from the food. It was just helping him to poop. How are your kitty's stools on the Fibre Response food? Max's were really big and soft. Re. the crying before pooping, this was Max at one point too. A lot of dramatic vocalizing before pooping. With the changes that we have made, he no longer cries when he is about to go. With your kitty, It could be diet or something that is twisted somewhere which could be causing some pain when she is having a bowel movement. It might be an idea to have some x-rays done to see if there is something wrong somewhere.

Edit : Re. wet food, you might want to look into getting a wet food that does not contain carageenan which has been found to instigate IBD. I had all of my cats on Wellness grain-free which has carageenan, and I have just switched to Nature's Variety canned which does not contain carageenan. The thing about FF is that is contains wheat gluten, but then so does the Royal Canin Fibre Response. The wheat, soy and corn content is another reason why I wanted to get away from this food. My female too, really likes the FF Grilled Chicken and I am at a bit of a crossroads with her as she does not like the Wellness or Nature Variety much, which I would prefer she be on.

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I don't really think the fiber response food is helping all that much. She does not really care for it and that's why it takes 2 days to finish an 1/8 cup. I too have noticed she is very bloated since she started it and when I just recently took her to the vet for constipation she had gained a little weight. She went poop for the vet when her anal glands were being expressed and the vet told me a lot came out but it was not dry. Peaches also came home and kept crying for hours and going to her litter box and trying to go again. She finally went and it was a lot for having just went at the vet office. She continued to run around and cry and going in and out of the litter box. She finally went again but this time it was very runny, she has never had that happen after coming from the vet for constipation issues.

I talked with the vet about this and that is when she told me that maybe something is wrong with her colon and that it probably isn't IBD. I have had x-rays done and nothing showed up abnormal. The vet wants to try Cisapride and see if that helps but I was told it's very expensive. She would also like to have a test done where they can watch the food going through her colon but again it's very expensive. I just don't know what to do anymore. Peaches is so picky when it comes to canned food and she is allergic to anything with fish in it. She does not like chicken and will only eat turkey canned foods. It takes her a couple of hours to eat the canned food she gets twice a day. I can't find a food that will excite her and want to eat it.

Since the Fiber Response food seems to make her bloated do you think I should stop that? She has hardly put a dent in the bag and I could return it to get my money back. She still only goes every 2 or 3 days even with this food and runs around crying. She stared it December 11 and we have already been back to the vet for constipation since she started that food. I think I will look into the Slippery Elm Bark, what have I got to lose at this point.

Hi,

I had a cat with chronic constipation and would like to make a few comments --

First of all, I am glad you are already aware that with cats more fiber doesn't necessarily help. In fact, some owners believe that because they fed high fiber, their chronic constipation kitties got moved into megacolon. But with some kitties fiber does help; it is all very individualized since constipation can have many causes. Most people in the Yahoo! feline megacolon and chronic constipation group felt their cats did better on low fiber diets. The one thing that is agreed upon is wet food with as few carbs as possible (starches can act as binders). Some people in the Yahoo! group would even give sub-Qs.

oneandahalfcats - Nature's Variety is a high fiber canned food, 3% fiber compared to 1%-1.5% recommended for a low fiber diet. The clay that they use can also be a constipating factor.

tdonline - Your vet should be concerned about 4 days without poop. The most we'd let it go for was 3 days. At 3.5 days we would schedule a vet appointment. I gave my kitty 1/4 tsp. Miralax 2x daily, and it seemed to be about average.

snugglecat - We gave vitamin B and it did help. I think our kitty had issues with nerves, as an ultrasound showed "diminished" colon/bowel movement activity. Not sure why your vet thinks it won't help, but vitamin B is a relatively cheap, safe treatment.

@Snugglecat: From what you have explained, it sounds as though the problem with the constipation could possibly be attributed the anal sacs being very full or possibly impacted. If you say that she went for the vet when he expressed her anal sacs and then again when she was home, then the anal sacs should definitely be taken into account as the possible cause for the constipation. Some cats produce an overabundance of anal secretions which can become sticky and if they don't get expressed through normal bowel movements, will back up in the anal sacs and cause impaction. Anal sacs that are blocked or badly impacted will be painful and would explain the vocalizing and running back and forth to the litter box. That said, you say that Peaches has had a problem with constipation for 3 years, so there is obviously more to this than just the anal sac problems. How often have you had to get Peaches' anal sacs expressed?

If Peaches doesn't like the fibre food and it isn't making a difference, I would take it back. Rather than the Cisapride route, I would opt for the diagnostic route as I find vets tend to prescribe Cisapride too readily for constipation-related problems without the benefit of finding out if there is in fact a problem with motility versus one that may be related to diet, some other medical condition or possibly behavior.

My female is very picky and much of the time prefers dry food to the quality wet food I am serving the boys but I have to keep trying to convert her. Getting off of dry foods can be difficult with some cats but it is possible .. I know one thing that makes a difference with my female is the temperature of her food. She will seldom eat wet food if it has been chilled. Warming wet food revives the aroma and make its more appetizing. If it takes your girl a couple of hours to eat, don't worry too much as long as she is getting what she needs through the day.   

Raintyger said:

 
Hi,

I had a cat with chronic constipation and would like to make a few comments --

First of all, I am glad you are already aware that with cats more fiber doesn't necessarily help. In fact, some owners believe that because they fed high fiber, their chronic constipation kitties got moved into megacolon. But with some kitties fiber does help; it is all very individualized since constipation can have many causes. Most people in the Yahoo! feline megacolon and chronic constipation group felt their cats did better on low fiber diets. The one thing that is agreed upon is wet food with as few carbs as possible (starches can act as binders). Some people in the Yahoo! group would even give sub-Qs.

oneandahalfcats - Nature's Variety is a high fiber canned food, 3% fiber compared to 1%-1.5% recommended for a low fiber diet. The clay that they use can also be a constipating factor.

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Yes, I saw the 3.0% fiber content .. Not so concerned about this at this point .. It was the absence of the carageenan in this food that attracted me to it, plus its a pretty good quality food for the trial that I am doing. We will see how Max does in the coming days, and will let everyone know. I agree that this issue is so very individualized .. Wouldn't it be so nice if there was one fix for all. Less wear and tear on kitties and worry and uncertainty for pet owners.

My goal for this year is to transition all my cats away from dry food to a good all wet or raw diet. These latest adjustments are the first phase  

oneandahalfcats said:

 
@Snugglecat: From what you have explained, it sounds as though the problem with the constipation could possibly be attributed the anal sacs being very full or possibly impacted. If you say that she went for the vet when he expressed her anal sacs and then again when she was home, then the anal sacs should definitely be taken into account as the possible cause for the constipation. Some cats produce an overabundance of anal secretions which can become sticky and if they don't get expressed through normal bowel movements, will back up in the anal sacs and cause impaction. Anal sacs that are blocked or badly impacted will be painful and would explain the vocalizing and running back and forth to the litter box. That said, you say that Peaches has had a problem with constipation for 3 years, so there is obviously more to this than just the anal sac problems. How often have you had to get Peaches' anal sacs expressed?

If Peaches doesn't like the fibre food and it isn't making a difference, I would take it back. Rather than the Cisapride route, I would opt for the diagnostic route as I find vets tend to prescribe Cisapride too readily for constipation-related problems without the benefit of finding out if there is in fact a problem with motility versus one that may be related to diet, some other medical condition or possibly behavior.

My female is very picky and much of the time prefers dry food to the quality wet food I am serving the boys but I have to keep trying to convert her. Getting off of dry foods can be difficult with some cats but it is possible .. I know one thing that makes a difference with my female is the temperature of her food. She will seldom eat wet food if it has been chilled. Warming wet food revives the aroma and make its more appetizing. If it takes your girl a couple of hours to eat, don't worry too much as long as she is getting what she needs through the day. 

 

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She has had problems with her anal glands for some time now. We usually go in every month to have them expressed, I can usually tell that she needs to go in when she starts running around and screaming. They are usually not real full or impacted but still painful. There has been a few times that one side is full and the other doesn't have much. It has just been about the last year that she would do the running around and screaming and she would be constipated without her anal glands needing expressed. This is where the problem is sometimes she can be going poop normal every day other every other day and come to find out she is still full of poop. I never know what the problem is until we get to the vet so sometimes she is running around in pain because of constipation and sometimes it has to do with the anal glands, sometimes it is both at the same time.

What foods would be considered low fiber? The only canned foods I can get her to eat is some Friskies without fish and Wild Calling Turkey. She loves FF but she has gotten constipated every time I have given it to her. I have tried giving her Nature's Variety limited ingredient but she will only eat that mixed in something else and she ended up constipated after eating one can and that was the recent vet visit we just had.

I think I will call vet and tell her I want to try the vitamin B injection as some others on here said to give it a try when I asked about. I just hope she will do it now. I really don't want Peaches going on Cisapride, the vet has been trying to get me to try that for over a year now and I keep saying no. Vet also recommended trying the Sub Q fluids so I think I will try those first. Peaches refuses to drink any water at all but I add lots of water to her canned food. Thanks for every ones advice, I'm just going broke and so frustrated with all her issues.