Slippery Elm Bark, Wet food, Managing Constipation

tdonline said:

 
Thank you all the deities in the universe--Dory delivered!   Poor thing, she had a payload...

Now, I have to incorporate all the advice/suggestions so far to ensure she is more regular.  Unfortunately for the reintroduction process, it looks like we have to go back a step and allow Dory more alone time.  I'm going to discontinue leaving the door slightly ajar all day.  We'll give that a few days and see if that helps with Dory's stress and regularity.  

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I'm so glad to hear Dory finally went, you must be so relieved. I know how stressful it can be waiting for them to go.

tdonline said:

 
Can SEB be given to cats in capsule form?  Or must be it in slurry form?  My cats will eat capsules along with their food--that's how I medicate them.

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I too would like to know how you give the SEB. I heard it had to be cooked and made into a slurry. It would be easier for me to buy capsules and add it to her food. Peaches is now on day 3 of not going and like I said we were just in on January 2 to get cleaned out. She is still eating normal and she is not throwing up yet but does walk around the house crying a lot. I still think she might have IBD and I want to try the B injections but still waiting to hear from the vet. I also got her to eat some canned Wellness as long as I mixed a little Friskies in with it. I have also increased her Miralax so I hope she goes today.

Snugglecat, I know there's debate about petroleum jelly and it's not something I would give everyday.  But in the case of our cats, when it gets into 4 or 5 days without...I think PJ helps.  I haven't had to do it but a friend brought her cat into our vet's office for constipation and his solution was an enormous serving of PJ (tube inserted into mouth).  He followed with another serving the following day and the cat went.  It was a one time deal as this cat doesn't have ongoing constipation.  

Sometimes you just need to grease the wheels.  About 24 hours before Dory finally went, I gave her a teaspoon of PJ about 3-4 times.  She either licked it off my finger or I smeared it along her lips. I tried to make sure it was at least an hour after/before meals/medication.

Dr. Hofve favors using it for constipation.

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/constipated-cats/

oneandahalfcats said:

 
Yah! Dory. Atta girl

Glad to hear that she was able to unload quite a bit versus just a little .. You must be so relieved that she went! .. 

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I see what you did there...

For tdonline and Snugglecat : This is what I do to feed the SEB .. I purchased the capsule form from my local whole foods store. I take one capsule each morning and open it and pour the contents into a dish. I then run a little (1/2 tsp) of cold water and give the mix a good stir to dissolve the powder in the water. Cooking is not necessary unless you are doing the syrup process I believe. Once mixed well, I pour some into Max's and some into Maggie's wet food. I don't see why you couldn't just put a little of the powder into the wet food - About 1/4 tsp (for every 10 pounds). Mind you, it could be that some cats may detect the powder and reject the food? I wouldn't serve a capsule as the capsules are long and oval shaped and potentially a choking risk. Just my two cents there. You can also purchase SEB in bulk which I may do next time if I can locate it. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Petroleum jelly is not good in general and should be used only once in a while to get past tough spots. Instead of regular use of petroleum jelly try coconut oil or krill oil.

I do give Peaches coconut oil daily and it has never helped her but she likes the taste. She does not like treats of any kind so this is her special treat every day.

oneandahalfcats said:

 
Mind you, it could be that some cats may detect the powder and reject the food? I wouldn't serve a capsule as the capsules are long and oval shaped and potentially a choking risk.

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Yes, mainly that's the issue.  SEB won't be much good if they won't eat most of the food.

I have small empty gel capsules which I use to place cut/crushed tablets.  I would transfer the SEB into these capsules as you're right the SEB capsules are slightly too big for cats.

tdonline said:

 
I have small empty gel capsules which I use to place cut/crushed tablets.  I would transfer the SEB into these capsules as you're right the SEB capsules are slightly too big for cats.

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Yes, this could work, or, if she is used to syringe feeding you could also try it that way? For really bad constipation, you will want to give a dose up to 3 times a day. I was just doing the one dose when Max had his record-breaking BM this past Monday but his constipation wasn't as bad as Dory's. I think once a day is good, as SEB is actually good for many things, not just constipation. It can be effective as an appetite stimulant according to Jean Hovfre, so bonus there potentially for Dory! I plan to continue doing the once a day.

Raintyger said:

 
Petroleum jelly is not good in general and should be used only once in a while to get past tough spots. Instead of regular use of petroleum jelly try coconut oil or krill oil.

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Absolutely no judgement here for anyone who does use this on occasion, but personally I have never been able to get my head around using PJ or any of the commercial hairball products. I was quite surprised to read that Jean Hovfre suggests this for constipation, but I must say I don't know enough about PJ except that it is derived from the petroleum industry? According to Jean, the molecules in petroleum jelly are too large to be absorbed by a cat's intestines and therefore is what makes it safe for cats. She mentions in her article on hairballs that she gave 'vaseline' to her cat on a daily basis and it lived beyond the age of 20? Jean's comments about petroleum jelly can be found in this article on hairballs : http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/hairballs/

I have also used PJ for hair balls in the past. That's when petromalt was the big vet item to buy for fur ball issues. I used to have a giant tub that the cats could just get what they wanted but PJ also caused diarrhea so now I stopped using using anything and brush my cats real real good a couple of times a week. Plus I think they like the brushing much better.

oneandahalfcats said:

 
Absolutely no judgement here for anyone who does use this on occasion, but personally I have never been able to get my head around using PJ or any of the commercial hairball products. I was quite surprised to read that Jean Hovfre suggests this for constipation, but I must say I don't know enough about PJ except that it is derived from the petroleum industry? According to Jean, the molecules in petroleum jelly are too large to be absorbed by a cat's intestines and therefore is what makes it safe for cats. She mentions in her article on hairballs that she gave 'vaseline' to her cat on a daily basis and it lived beyond the age of 20? Jean's comments about petroleum jelly can be found in this article on hairballs : http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/hairballs/

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I'm aware of Jean Hofve's recommendation for petroleum jelly. However, many vets don't recommend using petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly and products like Petromalt which use petroleum jelly block nutrient absorption. Since there's other options available that offer health benefits, I'd use that instead.

Raintyger said:

 
I'm aware of Jean Hofve's recommendation for petroleum jelly. However, many vets don't recommend using petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly and products like Petromalt which use petroleum jelly block nutrient absorption. Since there's other options available that offer health benefits, I'd use that instead.

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Yes, I would agree, with one caveat. You really have to start with small amounts of coconut oil (and I would think krill as well) particularly as giving too much can cause stomach upset and/or diarrhea. Coconut oil can have a strong detoxing effect that some cats will not handle well. For this reason I don't believe it would be appropriate for a 'serious' case of constipation requiring a fair amount, but could help to keep things lubricated. When it comes to chronic and occasional constipation, we all need to focus on prevention and doing things to prevent cats from becoming constipated in the first place. Good diet, good litter box habits, plenty of water, using supplements to aid in digestion if necessary. This is where things like coconut oil, probiotics and slippery elm can provide the most benefits I feel.

My cats actually ate their dinner with SEB last night.  Hopefully it's not a one time sensation.  

The poop patrol starts again--they skipped a day yesterday and haven't gone so far today.  The last 3 days, they have gotten miralax, coconut oil and SEB so it's not like they have had any assistance...

tdonline said:

 
My cats actually ate their dinner with SEB last night.  Hopefully it's not a one time sensation.  

The poop patrol starts again--they skipped a day yesterday and haven't gone so far today.  The last 3 days, they have gotten miralax, coconut oil and SEB so it's not like they have had any assistance...

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This is good. Hopefully you can continue this way. Did you dilute the SEB or just add the powder straight to the feed?

Let us know how things go with Dory in the coming days.

I added SEB to their wet food which always has additional water (1:1 food to water ratio).  Unfortunately now both my cats aren't going.  Can SEB be constipating also?  They are splitting a 370mg capsule once a day.

tdonline said:

 
I added SEB to their wet food which always has additional water (1:1 food to water ratio).  Unfortunately now both my cats aren't going.  Can SEB be constipating also?  They are splitting a 370mg capsule once a day.

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I wouldn't think SEB is constipating, but it may be that with the combination of the Miralax, coconut oil and SEB there could be a conflict and something is getting cancelled out. I have read that SEB can interfere with the absorption and effectiveness of some medications so in your case, it would be important to give the prozac well in advance of the SEB. If Josie hasn't been constipated, I would make the suggestion to discontinue the SEB with her.

I stopped feeding Peaches the Fiber Response and she mostly gets wet food. She is a kibble addict so she still gets 1/8 cup of dry a day. I increased her Miralax but she is having more trouble going this week then last week . Since last Saturday she has only pooped twice. I guess she will need to go see the vet again. She just walks around the house crying, walks to her litter box and then walks to the back door crying. I was not able to find the SEB anywhere but will keep looking.

tdonline, how long has it been since both went? When did you start the SEB? I don't want to give Peaches anything that could possibly make things worse.

Snugglecat said:

 
I stopped feeding Peaches the Fiber Response and she mostly gets wet food. She is a kibble addict so she still gets 1/8 cup of dry a day. I increased her Miralax but she is having more trouble going this week then last week . Since last Saturday she has only pooped twice. I guess she will need to go see the vet again. She just walks around the house crying, walks to her litter box and then walks to the back door crying. I was not able to find the SEB anywhere but will keep looking.

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What brand of dry food is she getting and had she been on this before? If new, it could be that this is what is constipating her?

Just throwing this out there but, does your cat go outside during the winter months? All of my cats become more sedentary in the winter months but do go outside in winter when the weather is nice. Quite often when I 've let Max in from being outside, he will head straight for the litterbox and have a BM. Exercise being a part of the equation in regularity it seems more than a coincidence that going outside or just increased activity can sometimes result in more regular BMs.

oneandahalfcats said:

 
I wouldn't think SEB is constipating, but it may be that with the combination of the Miralax, coconut oil and SEB there could be a conflict and something is getting cancelled out. I have read that SEB can interfere with the absorption and effectiveness of some medications so in your case, it would be important to give the prozac well in advance of the SEB. If Josie hasn't been constipated, I would make the suggestion to discontinue the SEB with her.

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Yes, I medicate them in the morning and give SEB at night.  You're right though, I should just use one item at a time and see how it goes.  I was hoping SEB would move Josie from going every other day to going daily--her old schedule.  

BTW, she did the business so I'm pleased.  Now for Dory...

I agree, activity is a big factor.  Dory's always been rather sedentary and that has further reinforced by the separation process.  She spends most of her day on my bed.  And again, stress is also a big deal.  My cats are no longer aggressive with each other but they do display agitated signs whenever they see each other (staring and then running away/hiding, puffed tail).  I play with both every night but I suppose that doesn't quite make up for the loss of the entire apartment and the zooming sessions they would have with each other a few minutes daily.

 tdonline, how long has it been since both went? When did you start the SEB? I don't want to give Peaches anything that could possibly make things worse.

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Josie just did the business.  She and Dory both went on Wednesday.  I gave them SEB Thursday and Friday nights.  

oneandahalfcats said:

 
What brand of dry food is she getting and had she been on this before? If new, it could be that this is what is constipating her?

Just throwing this out there but, does your cat go outside during the winter months? All of my cats become more sedentary in the winter months but do go outside in winter when the weather is nice. Quite often when I 've let Max in from being outside, he will head straight for the litterbox and have a BM. Exercise being a part of the equation in regularity it seems more than a coincidence that going outside or just increased activity can sometimes result in more regular BMs.

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Well, she is not on a good dry food I will say that. She will only eat the Purina Cat Chow. I was surprised when she was willing to eat the Fiber Response dry food. She only gets 1/8 of a cup a day and I don't add more until it's gone and sometimes that amount will last 2 or 3 days. She just likes to have a bite here and there. I have tried changing her dry to a better one but she won't touch it and then I guess because she is stressed out from that new piece of food in her dish she gets constipated and we end up at the vet. Really all I do all day long is try and get her to eat canned food, she is so picky or could be she does not feel well but I have a lot of trouble finding a food she will eat. Last time at the vet she had asked if Peaches had a lot of rumbling going on in her stomach but I had not noticed. I have been paying attention and she does have a lot of rumbling going on.

She does cry to go outside but she cannot go out alone. She hates other cats and I have neighbors with 2 cats and she will try to get them if she sees them through the fence. She has always used a litter box even when we take her out in the summer she comes in to use the litter box. The only thing Peaches does when we take her outside is eat a bunch of grass and then throw up. She does this every time we take her outside, not sure what is up with that.

I am so frustrated and my family keeps telling me to get rid of her but I love her and won't do that just because she has some issues. I have to get rides from my mom to go to the vet and she is tired of taking us so much. She keeps telling I'm wasting money. Sorry that's another topic altogether.