My kitty gets poop stuck in his anus :(

prettykitties

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Sep 25, 2015
Messages
6
Purraise
2
Location
Orlando, FL
I'm sorry that this will be quite graphic, but it is necessary to explain what my poor baby Wolfpack goes through.

I came home from work once and as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed he hadn't stopped licking himself for several minutes. I sat by him and when he lifted his head up, I could see that his anus was stretched out over a huge poop. He had licked it so much trying to get it out that it was red and inflamed. I called the emergency vet since it was 2am and they told me to bring him in. I saw him go in the litter box and strain for a bit but nothing came out. First I tried getting a hot washcloth and dabbing it so it would soften it a bit but that was obviously extremely painful for him. I picked him up and took him to the vet. By the time I got there, the poop was gone. The vet stuck her finger in and didn't feel anything. The next day, I found the huge poop on the carpet right next to the litter box and then puke all over the place next to that. I took him to my regular vet anyway for a checkup and his shots that needed to be updated anyway and they did a fecal exam and said he's fine.

It's been a month or so and last night the same thing happened! I noticed it when I was getting ready to go out to dinner. Since he passed it on his own last time, I decided I would just give it time and hope he passes it again. I put a little olive oil around his anus and left for dinner. On our way home, we stopped so I could get some canned pumpkin and milk and an enema in case I needed to help him. When I got home, the poop was significantly smaller but still there. It stretched back to the big size with time though. I tried the milk and the canned pumpkin and he hated both. I woke up this morning to him scratching the carpet and found that he had pooped it out right by my bed, how sweet.

I am not sure what I can do to help him. My vet just said he is fine and didn't do any further tests but obviously I want to prevent this from happening in the future.
He and my other kitty, Jelly Bean, are on the same diet of Blue Buffalo dried food. They have a water fountain that I clean regularly and always fill with clean water. Jelly Bean has never had any digestive problems. I feed them wet food or canned tuna occasionally but not very often. It's more of a treat than a regular meal but they always have their dried food. I don't feed them human food.

Is it possible that Wolfpack has a colon problem or something within his digestive track?

Sorry for the gross image but this is what happens to him.
 

jolie0216

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jun 9, 2015
Messages
299
Purraise
86
Location
Ohio
Poor baby!  That's a large, hard-looking poop!

More water should = softer poop.

I've never had this issue with a cat - but when I myself get constipated or start getting large poop-blocks (omg gross I know, sorry!  but yall know what I mean - those cement-hard rectangle poop blocks that always come out the wide-way first....and it hurts!!) it's during time periods where my consumption of water has lessened.

Maybe being on a mostly-dry diet is not helping his case here.......not sure how to explain why all of a sudden it is happening to him if he was fine before eating a dry diet -  maybe the time has just caught up to him, so to speak..........

If it were me, I would try transitioning him to eating more canned food - and then you can mix the pumpkin in with the canned food and he likely won't even taste it that way.   I tell ya, that canned pumpkin does wonders  for poop issues - whether it's diarrhea or constipation.

Honestly - if a cat is eating an all-dry diet, even if you leave out water bowls and have a drinking fountain, they really still aren't getting the optimal amount of hydration.  They really do need it in their food as well.  Some cats do better than others on all-dry diets.    My cats all eat 90% wet food and just a little kibble - but the reason I do that is to do as much as I can to avoid future urinary blockage issues (I have 3 male cats - no one has ever had a blockage and I'm trying to keep it that way!)

That's just what I think............btw I LOVE the name Wolfpack!!  That is awesome!  
 
 
Last edited:

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,391
Purraise
7,131
Location
Arizona
I TOTALLY agree with jolie0216.   And, BTW, the vomiting after straining with constipation is pretty common, so not to worry there.

Many cats become chronically constipated as they get older if they have been on an all dry diet their entire lives.  Well, maybe many is too harsh, but of my five cats who lived over 10 years of age and were fed strictly dry food, two of them had chronic constipation.  To me, that's not very good odds.  If you feed canned food, not only is it already more moist, but you can add water to it to make it even MORE moist.  AND, if your cat seems to still have issues from time to time, you can add in Miralax, or a little canned pumpkin, usually without issue.

Here are a few tips on transitioning to wet food:
[article="31129"]Transitioning Free Fed Kibble Kitties To Timed Meals  [/article][article="31138"]Transitioning Your Cat From Kibble To A New Type Of Food Canned Raw Or Homemade  [/article]
 

jennieb

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
6
Purraise
1
Location
Maine
I'm sorry that this will be quite graphic, but it is necessary to explain what my poor baby Wolfpack goes through.

I came home from work once and as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed he hadn't stopped licking himself for several minutes. I sat by him and when he lifted his head up, I could see that his anus was stretched out over a huge poop. He had licked it so much trying to get it out that it was red and inflamed. I called the emergency vet since it was 2am and they told me to bring him in. I saw him go in the litter box and strain for a bit but nothing came out. First I tried getting a hot washcloth and dabbing it so it would soften it a bit but that was obviously extremely painful for him. I picked him up and took him to the vet. By the time I got there, the poop was gone. The vet stuck her finger in and didn't feel anything. The next day, I found the huge poop on the carpet right next to the litter box and then puke all over the place next to that. I took him to my regular vet anyway for a checkup and his shots that needed to be updated anyway and they did a fecal exam and said he's fine.

It's been a month or so and last night the same thing happened! I noticed it when I was getting ready to go out to dinner. Since he passed it on his own last time, I decided I would just give it time and hope he passes it again. I put a little olive oil around his anus and left for dinner. On our way home, we stopped so I could get some canned pumpkin and milk and an enema in case I needed to help him. When I got home, the poop was significantly smaller but still there. It stretched back to the big size with time though. I tried the milk and the canned pumpkin and he hated both. I woke up this morning to him scratching the carpet and found that he had pooped it out right by my bed, how sweet.

I am not sure what I can do to help him. My vet just said he is fine and didn't do any further tests but obviously I want to prevent this from happening in the future.
He and my other kitty, Jelly Bean, are on the same diet of Blue Buffalo dried food. They have a water fountain that I clean regularly and always fill with clean water. Jelly Bean has never had any digestive problems. I feed them wet food or canned tuna occasionally but not very often. It's more of a treat than a regular meal but they always have their dried food. I don't feed them human food.

Is it possible that Wolfpack has a colon problem or something within his digestive track?

Sorry for the gross image but this is what happens to him.
 

jennieb

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
6
Purraise
1
Location
Maine
This is exactly what my kitty is going through. I was able to feel the hard poop behind his hips and push it out of his stretched anus.
( He cried and bit my boyfriend as he held him.) this was the second time we'd had to do this for/to our adult kitty. Tonight I thought to give him some olive oil orally, and he had a little. Then I offered him milk and he wasn't interested. Then I offered him fresh mashed pumpkin, and he didn't eat any of that either. I'm gonna call the vet Monday for further advice. He's eating and drinking normally,,but from time to time this hard ball of poop happens and he is unable to pass it on his own. Me forcing it out is painful for him and dangerous for us. My thought is that this, in his case, is due to old age. I think the olive oil may help him if he will accept it. OMG tho, that hard old poop's smells really gross...and I hate to see my kitty suffer...Never mind the poop stamps he leaves all over the house when this happens. Meow, peace, love, and happiness to you all [emoji]128573[/emoji]
 

talkingpeanut

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 12, 2015
Messages
11,793
Purraise
3,600
This is exactly what my kitty is going through. I was able to feel the hard poop behind his hips and push it out of his stretched anus.
( He cried and bit my boyfriend as he held him.) this was the second time we'd had to do this for/to our adult kitty. Tonight I thought to give him some olive oil orally, and he had a little. Then I offered him milk and he wasn't interested. Then I offered him fresh mashed pumpkin, and he didn't eat any of that either. I'm gonna call the vet Monday for further advice. He's eating and drinking normally,,but from time to time this hard ball of poop happens and he is unable to pass it on his own. Me forcing it out is painful for him and dangerous for us. My thought is that this, in his case, is due to old age. I think the olive oil may help him if he will accept it. OMG tho, that hard old poop's smells really gross...and I hate to see my kitty suffer...Never mind the poop stamps he leaves all over the house when this happens. Meow, peace, love, and happiness to you all [emoji]128573[/emoji]
It's not safe to force him to go this way. You could seriously injure him. He should go to the vet for treatment.

Add the olive oil and canned pumpkin to his regular wet food. If he's not getting wet food already, he needs more moisture and this will help.

Also, what kind of milk are you giving him? Cats can't digest cow's milk and this could make matters worse as well.
 
Last edited:

jennieb

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
6
Purraise
1
Location
Maine
It's not safe to force him to go this way. You could seriously injure him. He should go to the vet for treatment.

Add the olive oil and canned pumpkin to his regular wet food. If he's not getting wet food already, he needs more moisture and this will help.

Also, what kind of milk are you giving him? Cats can't digest cow's milk and this could make matters worse as well.
I questioned the milk issue myself.,but decided to give it a try anyways. It is 2% cows milk and he wasn't interested anyways. He also wasn't interested in the fresh, not canned, pumpkin I offered him. I used a lubricant around the area before attempting to remove the clump. Helping the hard ball out of his anus is what I did because I had done it before with success. He is fine and has obviously felt better since I did. I do, however, understand that it is and was risky, but leaving him in a distressed and stretched to the max bum hole situation on a weekend until Monday would also be risky and very painful for him. I relieved the pressure and strain on it, and while doing so, as I could envision the vet doing the same....as it was poking out and ready to go. I could feel it from the outer side of his hip bones and felt it was going to be painful but also effective. I will continue to offer him the olive oil and follow up with his vet on Monday. Until then, he definitely seems much more at ease and comfortable. He has also stopped licking the area. He has been eating and drinking since as well. I
am confident that I did what was right for him at the time as I considered it a bit of an emergency. He's a happy bum-hole-almost back to normal kitty [emoji]128570[/emoji], and my brave boyfriend injured in the act is doing fine too,,thank goodness!
 

talkingpeanut

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 12, 2015
Messages
11,793
Purraise
3,600
The issue is that you could cause internal damage. You may have helped in this instance, but bleeding is a serious risk, as is internal injury. An emergency vet would be better.

Are you feeding him wet food? You should be to help with moisture intake.

Add the canned or fresh pumpkin (blended) to the wet food. Also add the oil. You can mix it into the wet food so he doesn't mind.

And yes, no more milk. It will likely cause further stomach upset.
 

jennieb

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
6
Purraise
1
Location
Maine
The issue is that you could cause internal damage. You may have helped in this instance, but bleeding is a serious risk, as is internal injury. An emergency vet would be better.

Are you feeding him wet food? You should be to help with moisture intake.

Add the canned or fresh pumpkin (blended) to the wet food. Also add the oil. You can mix it into the wet food so he doesn't mind.

And yes, no more milk. It will likely cause further stomach upset.
Yes, I understand that is was risky, but at the time I could see he was in pain. Also, I believe I took the right actions to help him in the moment. I would never, ever do anything to hurt him. He is part of the family. Seeing him suffer is something I just can't take. I will contact his vet Monday.
 

artiemom

Artie, my Angel; a part of my heart
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 22, 2014
Messages
11,122
Purraise
23,107
Location
near Boston
I had this happen to Artie, once..

He could not walk...it was so much between in and out.

I had to manually squeeze out the poop ball. He screamed, but he was much better. I had to do this because something needed to be done immediately.. I then place some vaseline around his bum, but he licked it off. 

I told the specialist, I never what to have this happen to him again.

I am giving Artie, Miralax, daily. You can find that in the Drug Store. In the laxative area. Start with 1/8 tsp mixed with some water twice a day. 

I am giving my guy 1/4 tsp twice a day, on the Vets orders. It helps keep him regular.

Also I feed wet food only, and add some water to his food. 

As for the Miralax, I add the dissolved potion to his wet food. 

Miralax is a bit pricey but it is really good stuff. I get the generic form of it. I also use it myself.
 

Your buddy is having this happen because he is so constipated. His stools have literally dried out the moisture from being in the colon that long. The water has been absorbed, leaving these hard clumps..

The vomiting is because constipation, backs things up ~ resulting in vomiting. And the pain of the constipation causes vomiting also..

Pumpkin is a very good natural source of fiber...it really helps some cats. My guy just flat out refused any of it, in any way shape or form....fussy boy.

Please keep us updated..

Hope any of what I said makes sense....

Please do not allow this to be a 'repeated' issue.. There could be so much internal damage done..things you would not be able to see, but painful to your baby.
 

peagreenboat82

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Messages
81
Purraise
17
Location
Philadelphia
Looks like you already received some excellent tips about food and water for your kitty's constipation issues. Poor Wolfpack! [emoji]128532[/emoji]

My cat Phantom has had this same issue. I just wanted to add that if your vet simply said he was "fine" and didn't offer any further advice for his care, it might be a good idea to find a different vet. Did your vet clean out his anal glands? If he's a boy cat with constipation issues, he may also need his anal glands cleaned. If the wet food and extra water isn't enough and he still doesn't like the pumpkin, there are also things like laxatone for kitties, which comes in different flavors like tuna or chicken. It's a lubricant and contains mineral and olive oil I believe. My cat thinks it's a treat. Good luck! I hope he feels better soon.
 

zed xyzed

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 10, 2015
Messages
3,786
Purraise
3,740
Location
Toronto Canada
Poor little guy, not sure if this has been mentioned, but you need to be careful with enemas. I read somewhere that the enema can't be the type people use as it can be toxic to them. 
 

ruthm

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
397
Purraise
95
Location
Washington State USA
I'm sorry that this will be quite graphic, but it is necessary to explain what my poor baby Wolfpack goes through.

I came home from work once and as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed he hadn't stopped licking himself for several minutes. I sat by him and when he lifted his head up, I could see that his anus was stretched out over a huge poop. He had licked it so much trying to get it out that it was red and inflamed. I called the emergency vet since it was 2am and they told me to bring him in. I saw him go in the litter box and strain for a bit but nothing came out. First I tried getting a hot washcloth and dabbing it so it would soften it a bit but that was obviously extremely painful for him. I picked him up and took him to the vet. By the time I got there, the poop was gone. The vet stuck her finger in and didn't feel anything. The next day, I found the huge poop on the carpet right next to the litter box and then puke all over the place next to that. I took him to my regular vet anyway for a checkup and his shots that needed to be updated anyway and they did a fecal exam and said he's fine.

It's been a month or so and last night the same thing happened! I noticed it when I was getting ready to go out to dinner. Since he passed it on his own last time, I decided I would just give it time and hope he passes it again. I put a little olive oil around his anus and left for dinner. On our way home, we stopped so I could get some canned pumpkin and milk and an enema in case I needed to help him. When I got home, the poop was significantly smaller but still there. It stretched back to the big size with time though. I tried the milk and the canned pumpkin and he hated both. I woke up this morning to him scratching the carpet and found that he had pooped it out right by my bed, how sweet.

I am not sure what I can do to help him. My vet just said he is fine and didn't do any further tests but obviously I want to prevent this from happening in the future.
He and my other kitty, Jelly Bean, are on the same diet of Blue Buffalo dried food. They have a water fountain that I clean regularly and always fill with clean water. Jelly Bean has never had any digestive problems. I feed them wet food or canned tuna occasionally but not very often. It's more of a treat than a regular meal but they always have their dried food. I don't feed them human food.

Is it possible that Wolfpack has a colon problem or something within his digestive track?

Sorry for the gross image but this is what happens to him.
Litter box problems signal a problem.  You did the right thing taking him to the vet, however since he had somehow passed the stool, I'm sure this is why your vet said he is fine. I do think your kitty may have a problem or else he would not be having so much trouble with his bowel movements. The dry food is likely not helping him to get enough moisture, cats rarely drink as much water as they need.   Pumpkin may not be the right choice for all kitties, there could be an underlying reason for the hard stools. When did he last have bloodwork done?  If he was mine, i would want at least an xray to make sure there is no obstruction, and ask the vet about a diet change and if it would be safe to add miralax or lactulose, but i would not just try to self medicate without your vet's input.-I agree with @talkingpeanut   this needs to be handled by a vet.
 

Yanaka

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 20, 2017
Messages
461
Purraise
282
Location
Philadelphia
I’m digging this thread up because both my cats seem to be having these issues... on wet food. It started with raw food which I stopped. They eat cans with the occasional dry and they have this stuck poop issue on a regular basis. The vet has been running tests and isn’t finding anything. I’m really worried and embarrassed!
 

furangel

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
4
Purraise
2
It could be Mega-colon but it may not be

1- there is a youtube video from a vet on it (even if they don't have mega colon - it might be helpful to watch) - this is the title : "Constipation in a cat with megacolon. How to monitor, treat and care for your cat at home."

2 - even if they don't have mega colon - Tom Lyn Hairball gel will help move the poops through. Read directions on it.

3 - You could purchase : Psyllium Husk - which is the main ingredient of metamucil without the extra additives. "Now" brand has a good price for it. Too much of this will cause dia. . . you know what.

4 - There is a product called Pet-Ema - pet enema for constipation - I bought it but thankfully never needed to use it.

My cat had a few large hard to move stools - after using the hairball gel it no longer has been a problem thankfully.

I do provide my furangel probiotics too - after tons of time researching, Genesis Bifidobacterium Complex seems to be a good combo - however, there are others too - but that is a good place to start IMO.
 

jinxybean

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 26, 2015
Messages
189
Purraise
146
Location
Hudson Ohio
Oh dear! Both cats, you say? Since you are dealing with two cats with constipation, I think paying attention to environmental and dietary issues is a good place to start.

Access to *fresh* water is important. Water tastes and smells less appetizing once it goes stale (and dirty), so offer a fresh change of water several times per day. This is one reason why kitties love to drink out of the faucet and from your glass. Your water is fresher and the glass is cleaner than theirs! I use nothing more than Corelle bowls that I can toss in the dishwasher. My cats get a water change with every meal. I do not recommend supplementing their diet with fiber until you are certain the kitties are consuming enough water to meet the additional fiber intake. Fiber helps with motility but it can make constipation worse without enough water to go with it.

Clean litter pans. This one is not mentioned as often but cats can develop constipation from holding it in, because their litter pans are smelly and they don't like the experience. Your cats might benefit from extra-large open pans with no lids to concentrate odors. And clean out their turds and pee balls at least 2x per day, and change the litter once it starts to show wear and tear.

Brushing. Fur can build up in the intestines and slow down motility.

Multi-strain probiotics help with constipation. Think of pet probiotics like Activia for cats - it can help regulate their bowel movements. It takes several weeks to see full effects, so consider it a maintenance product rather than a treatment for acute constipation. One *awesome* effect of probiotics is low-odor poop! You will not need a dome on the kitty pans because probiotics cut odor back at least 90%. I adopted a new cat three weeks ago and she went from pungent poop that filled the cat room with foul odor to a room that smells like cat food more than cat pan (and her poop is sitting right on top of the litter). I give her VetriScience Vetri-Mega Probiotics in her food daily.

But what to do about their hard constipation NOW? Laxatone. Give them Laxatone in-between meals to lubricate their digestive system.
 

Yanaka

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 20, 2017
Messages
461
Purraise
282
Location
Philadelphia
Thank you all. I think the issue might be that they're losing too much fur. It's insane how much cat hair there is everywhere and when I do brush them it's wild
 
Top