olive oil for kitten costipation

mrsgreenjeens

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Zazzles is a fairly young cat, right?  What I would call a toddler? 

I would NOT treat the constipation, but rather take him (or her) to the Vet to be checked out as kittens are prone to getting in to things and this could be a result of ingestion of a foreign object
  Not saying it is, but before you do anything to "fix it", I would at least run it by a Vet.  Or perhaps it's fixed itself by now
?

What do you feed them?  Plenty of water helps avoid constipation, as does plenty of exercise, but I'm guessing the latter is not a problem
 

stephanietx

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I've never heard of using olive oil for constipation, but you can use plain pureed pumpkin (no spices added).  Sometimes even a bit of psyillium husk helps.  Unless this is a chronic problem, I would get to the vet for a check up to rule out any medical problems first.
 
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abby robertson

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Zazzles is a fairly young cat, right?  What I would call a toddler? 

I would NOT treat the constipation, but rather take him (or her) to the Vet to be checked out as kittens are prone to getting in to things and this could be a result of ingestion of a foreign object
  Not saying it is, but before you do anything to "fix it", I would at least run it by a Vet.  Or perhaps it's fixed itself by now
?

What do you feed them?  Plenty of water helps avoid constipation, as does plenty of exercise, but I'm guessing the latter is not a problem
Zazzles is around 5 months old now i think and NOOOOOOOO  he defintely DOESNT  have a prob with exercise.He and his bro Doom were running thrugh the house at super sonic speed chasing each other all last night til they ran themselves down.The little terrors spilt my coffee on me twice in the process!LOL!!!!!!! Drove me crazyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Damn it i cant afford the vet right now and now im kinda freakin out! :(

He doesnt reallly drink alot compared to Doom ive noticed actually! I feed him whiskas wet  food canned 
 
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abby robertson

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I've never heard of using olive oil for constipation, but you can use plain pureed pumpkin (no spices added).  Sometimes even a bit of psyillium husk helps.  Unless this is a chronic problem, I would get to the vet for a check up to rule out any medical problems first.
Thanks,i will try it!
 
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abby robertson

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He is still having trouble and i CANT afford to take him to the vet.I tried the pumpkin but he flat out wont eat it :(
 
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pinkdagger

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I would definitely want to rule out a foreign object or blockage first, especially because he's young enough that it's very possible he may have wanted to just check something out and eaten it by mistake. Put the bill on a credit card, dip into savings, borrow or lend from a friend or family member, call vets and ask if they take payment plans. Some over-the-counter laxatives can be safe, but particularly for younger and smaller cats, I certainly would not recommend them without consulting a vet for a safe type (there are a few different types of laxatives that all work differently), brand, and dosage. If this is a foreign object, a laxative may not even help and time would be of the essence.

When You Can't Afford a Veterinarian

 
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abby robertson

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NONE  of the vets here will let you do instalment payments and i dont really have family i can borrow from to take him but i have just read that i could possibly try canned tuna in oil from  a vet so i will try this ( it certainly cant hurt and he will def not turn away from it cos he loveeeees tuna lol!)but i may have no choice but to take him if he doesnt get over it as i dont want to possibly lose him.
 Not that i can really afford to honestly when they charge $100 just to SEE  the animal you bring in.. let alone any treatment they may need.Not to mention just how blatantly  RUDE  they are when you ask a simple question,like you are an idiot cos they assume you should know already!!! i just  CANNOT  afford it when i live on only $400 a f/n BUT if it needs to be done i will  do it, id just prefer to help him at home if i CAN help it but i WILL take him if i absolutely have to.
 
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mrsgreenjeens

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Has he had ANY bowel movements in the last six days (since you started posting)?  Or are they just not on a regular basis?  What EXACTLY is happening with him?  Is he still acting like a normal 5 month old kitten (eating ravenously, drinking well, running around like crazy), or he becoming lethargic? 

It's not surprising that he doesn't like the pumpkin.  I think it's 50/50 for cats to like it.  What are you feeding him?  Wet or dry food? 
 
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abby robertson

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Has he had ANY bowel movements in the last six days (since you started posting)?  Or are they just not on a regular basis?  What EXACTLY is happening with him?  Is he still acting like a normal 5 month old kitten (eating ravenously, drinking well, running around like crazy), or he becoming lethargic? 

It's not surprising that he doesn't like the pumpkin.  I think it's 50/50 for cats to like it.  What are you feeding him?  Wet or dry food? 
YES he has used the litter tray since the post but its not on a reg basis and he can be heard straining when he is using it.

He is acting like normal apart from that as he always has ,like his brother who doesnt have this problem but i WILL say hes never been a real big drinker even though i top up the bowl twice a day with fresh water and his food intake has lessened slightly as to what it norm has been but he IS still eating.

DEFINATELY not lethargic, he runs around like a crazy kitty ALLL the time all through the house,so much so that i actually get to the point of wanting to spray em with the squirt bottle to settle both of the lil terrors to get em to stop them knocking things over lol..i dont do it but i wanna lol!

I feed both of my kittens canned wet food and ocassionally dry food but neither of them seem to like it much but i put it out for them both anyway but they usually leave it there but that gets changed daily too.He isnt vomiting and the ONLY he time he spat up a bit was when i took him outside for a play and he ate some grass.

I will say though he has become a bit extra cuddly since this started though, coming up to snuggle with me at night time which he never really did before but my daughter has been sooking him up alot so im not sure if i should really be concerned bout it,if anything hes become more social that way but apart from this everything else hasnt changed at all since he was born 
 
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pharber-murphy

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I was going to suggest the Laxatone, too. I used it for Bertha last week when she hadn't been to the toilet for two days. She's usually regular as clockwork, so I acted quickly. She's back to normal now.

I don't know if they're available where you live, but I also give Bertha three Fiber Formula dry cat treats before I feed her. She's on a quasi-diet and this helps to reduce her appetite. But, it also helps to keep her regular. As far as I know, they are only available through a vet, unfortunately.

You might consider providing cat grass and fresh catnip for him. Both are fibrous, and most cats love them. You can buy packets of seeds to start at home, or you could buy sprouted plants at the pet store.

Finally, I've read that some people use Slippery Elm Bark to improve their cat's digestion. Here is an exhaustive discussion of cat constipation:

http://www.felineconstipation.org/prevention.html

Finally, here's a link to a website that may give you more information:

http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/...pation|pmt|b&gclid=CNT9-7mArMUCFYaTfgodQSYAew

Good luck!

Best regards,
 
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abby robertson

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I was going to suggest the Laxatone, too. I used it for Bertha last week when she hadn't been to the toilet for two days. She's usually regular as clockwork, so I acted quickly. She's back to normal now.

I don't know if they're available where you live, but I also give Bertha three Fiber Formula dry cat treats before I feed her. She's on a quasi-diet and this helps to reduce her appetite. But, it also helps to keep her regular. As far as I know, they are only available through a vet, unfortunately.

You might consider providing cat grass and fresh catnip for him. Both are fibrous, and most cats love them. You can buy packets of seeds to start at home, or you could buy sprouted plants at the pet store.

Finally, I've read that some people use Slippery Elm Bark to improve their cat's digestion. Here is an exhaustive discussion of cat constipation:

http://www.felineconstipation.org/prevention.html

Finally, here's a link to a website that may give you more information:

http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/...pation|pmt|b&gclid=CNT9-7mArMUCFYaTfgodQSYAew

Good luck!

Best regards,
Thanks so much :) Im not sure about the brands you suggested, if i can get em in australia but im definately gong to look into it while at the mall tomorrow!!! Ive not bought catnip as yet but i was in fact thinking of getting them some this morning actually but i dont get money til next wed so i guess i will try the oily tuna in the meantime but ty so much for the links.im going to read em now 
 
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abby robertson

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Do you think if i give zazzles more dry food..if i can get one he likes..it would give him more fibre and therefore help this prob?? 
 

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Do you think if i give zazzles more dry food..if i can get one he likes..it would give him more fibre and therefore help this prob?? 
some dry foods will contribute to constipation due to the low moisture. you could try one of the hairball dry foods or the weight-control ones. they are often high in fiber. just read the bag. or you could add psyllium, wheat bran, or pumpkin to wet food. but if you add fiber, make sure your cat is well hydrated before you start. you don't want the fiber to become impacted. 

Feline Greenies Smartbites Hairball Control treats work for my indoor cat, but they are for ages 1 and older. 
 
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mrsgreenjeens

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Personally, I wouldn't add in more kibble, because as mentioned above, dry foods often contribute to constipation, especially if he doesn't drink that much anyway..

I would like to ask again about the pumpkin though.  How much did you add to his food, now that I know you mainly feed canned food.  Did you start with just a tiny amount, like 1 TEASPOON per meal?  And you are using just plain canned pumpkin, right?  Not pumpkin pie filling, but plain pumpkin?  If you mix one TEASPOON really well into his food, he really shouldn't be able to taste it.  Or try using half that and see if you can get away with it, then slowly increase it. 

When you say you can "hear" him straining in the litter box, what exactly do you mean?  Does he cry out?  What are his stools like?  Are they rock hard or are they normal?  How often does he have a bowel movement?
 
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abby robertson

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Personally, I wouldn't add in more kibble, because as mentioned above, dry foods often contribute to constipation, especially if he doesn't drink that much anyway..

I would like to ask again about the pumpkin though.  How much did you add to his food, now that I know you mainly feed canned food.  Did you start with just a tiny amount, like 1 TEASPOON per meal?  And you are using just plain canned pumpkin, right?  Not pumpkin pie filling, but plain pumpkin?  If you mix one TEASPOON really well into his food, he really shouldn't be able to taste it.  Or try using half that and see if you can get away with it, then slowly increase it. 

When you say you can "hear" him straining in the litter box, what exactly do you mean?  Does he cry out?  What are his stools like?  Are they rock hard or are they normal?  How often does he have a bowel movement?
yes one teaspoon and plain pumpkin... 

by hearing him .. i meant hes standing in the litterbox panting and making noises like a woman in labour lol.. only way to really describe it. They are hard. and he seemed to be gettin better for a few days but i think im going to HAVE  to take him to the vet as hes doing it again :(.he doesnt seem sick..still eating and hes very active bounding all over the place so im really at a loss 
 
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