10 week old kitten has constipation (or something worse?) (Warning: Pics of kitten's anus inside)

baator

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Hey everyone.

My 10 weeks old kitten has trouble pooping for the last couple of days. In the last 48 hours he tried going to the litter box a few times, but didn't manage to poop normally, he's obviously straining. A few (6-7) small, really hard poops came out eventually during those 48 hours, at random times and outside the litter box.

Even though he isn't his usual self, he is still energetic, playing, chasing the others around, etc.

His butt looks like that: 




and that is what's worrying me most right now, that looks bad to me. If you try touching him anywhere near there, he complains.

Is it just constipation or something worse? 

He pees normally and hasn't had any drastic changes in his diet recently.

Anything I could do to help him at home or is a trip to the vet unavoidable? So far I simply switched him to wet food from dry food and tried gently cleaning his

butt with some cotton and warm water.

Thank you.
 

pushylady

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As it's been two days I would be getting worried if that was my cat, and I would make a vet appointment. He could be quite impacted in his gut and need some meds to sort him out, poor wee boy.
If he eats his wet food happily, you may want to consider keeping him on an all-wet or mostly wet diet. That could go a ways to helping with future constipation issues.
 

talkingpeanut

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Poor guy really needs to see a vet. He's got some prolapse going on there.
 

Sarthur2

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baator baator

I suggest you apply a warm damp compress several times a day, and add several drops of olive oil to his food.

What are you feeding? Wet food has more moisture and is recommended along with kitten chow. You can moisten the kitten chow with water too. A tablespoon of plain, canned pumpkin mixed into his food will put fiber in his diet.

Right now his bum is sore and swollen. The compress will offer relief, but he needs more fluids in his diet. Once he's no longer straining his bum will heal. Vet check is advised.
 

SeventhHeaven

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Take him to the Vets ASAP. Yes it's serious. it's also a kitten please

care for it!
 
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baator

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@Baator

I suggest you apply a warm damp compress several times a day, and add several drops of olive oil to his food.

What are you feeding? Wet food has more moisture and is recommended along with kitten chow. You can moisten the kitten chow with water too. A tablespoon of plain, canned pumpkin mixed into his food will put fiber in his diet.

Right now his bum is sore and swollen. The compress will offer relief, but he needs more fluids in his diet. Once he's no longer straining his bum will heal. Vet check is advised.
I called the vet yesterday and those were exactly his words. More fiber in his diet (already done that), a couple of drops of olive oil, wet food and warm compresses several times a day.

Right now I am giving him wet food specifically for gastrointestinal problems, mixed with something that the vet recommended that has fiber in it (not canned pumpkin though).

The compresses seemed to have helped a bit too, I think his bum looks better today than yesterday. My concern is if it will heal by itself or not, if simply more fluids in his diet will do the trick.

Thanks for the help and advice.
 

Sarthur2

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It should heal by itself with fiber, fluids, compresses and time. I've been through this before with a cat. It's not prolapsed - it's just swollen from straining due to hard poops.

You can give him syringes of clear pedialyte to increase his fluids as well.
 
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baator

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Take him to the Vets ASAP.  Yes it's serious it's also a kitten please

care for it!
This happened 48 hours ago. I noticed he had trouble pooping and that his bum looked sore and swollen.

Since it was Sunday, I couldn't take him to the vet immediately. Yesterday he seemed to improve and he looked better. He's acting normally, he's playing, running around, eating, peeing.

I called the vet and you can see above what he said. I went out and bought everything he told me, cutting money out of my own food budget.

I've done nothing but worry and care about him those last 48 hours and if he isn't ok tomorrow, I still WILL take him to a vet even though I cannot afford to pay him.

I am extremely offended by you telling me that "this is a kitten, care for it", that I am in denial about how long this has been going on for and that I should give my cat away to someone

who can actually care for it.

He is one of 5 oprhaned kittens that I found and raised all by myself and I went without food so that I could help them and keep them alive.
 
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foxxycat

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canned pumpkin or olive oil=and more moisture. Do you have a local vet? Sorry just wanted to answer-warm compress will help but he may not like it. if he is not pooping you can try childrens glycerin suppositories. And he would need a tiny sliver to help pass whatever is still at the end of the colon.

canned pumpkin only need less than half a teaspoon in food. or olive oil directly into milk or wet food. takes time to get better.

are you feeding wet or dry food? If dry I would suggest swtch to wet food until this clears up-the dry may not have enough fiber and water in it.
 
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Sarthur2

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baator baator

I think following the vet's recommendations, as you are already doing, will solve the problem in the next couple of days!

Thank you for caring for these orphans! [emoji]128522[/emoji][emoji]128077[/emoji]
 

SeventhHeaven

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This happened 48 hours ago. I noticed he had trouble pooping and that his bum looked sore and swollen.

Since it was Sunday, I couldn't take him to the vet immediately. Yesterday he seemed to improve and he looked better. He's acting normally, he's playing, running around, eating, peeing.

I called the vet and you can see above what he said. I went out and bought everything he told me, cutting money out of my own food budget.

I've done nothing but worry and care about him those last 48 hours and if he isn't ok tomorrow, I still WILL take him to a vet even though I cannot afford to pay him.

I am extremely offended by you telling me that "this is a kitten, care for it", that I am in denial about how long this has been going on for and that I should give my cat away to someone

who can actually care for it.

He is one of 5 oprhaned kittens that I found and raised all by myself and I went without food so that I could help them and keep them alive.
Although everyone's intentions are for the best sometimes it can be overwhelming, daunting it's allot of work feeding cleaning caring for kittens with no mom, you were just experiencing urine burns not long ago
(not holding that against you) -knowing it's not that hard to clean a kitten's butt it's shocking for me to see this 
  it's obvious you are trying so I totally apologize accusing you of being in 'denial' about circumstances.  If it's going to cost allot for Vets visits/ meds by surrendering the litter this would alleviate any burden.....I hope the suggestions advice from sarthur2 helps this little one. To me it looks more serious than just a dietary issue. Would love to hear an update
 
 

snowballmomy

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U can also add coconut oil, and it's still a kitten if he is separated from his mother give him goat milk and add a pinch of prebiotic over his food.. he will be just find in 2 days.. give him lost of water.. if he doesn't drink musch give it with a syringe..
 
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baator

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Pretty much the same.

I took him to the vet, she examined him. His anus is not prolapsed, it's like that from all the straining, he's simply constipated a bit.

She gave him an enema with just a lubricant and said to continue giving him wet food and add a a few drops of olive oil.

I kept worrying about how his butt looks and she said it will heal as soon as he starts pooping normally. She applied an (antibiotic?) cream just in case,

because I kept insisting that we should give him something.

Meanwhile, the kitten doesn't seem too concerned itself. He's playing with the others all day long, running, jumping, etc.

Eats normally too. Every few hours, he passes a small, hard stool with a bit of trouble though.

It's not a life and death situation, the vet kept reassuring me. His belly wasn't hard, she massaged it for a long time, she said there

aren't any huge masses inside that he can't pass. Wet food, try to see if he drinks any water, the usual routine.

If nothing changes in a couple of days, I'll take him again to her to give him a pharmaceutical enema.
 

Sarthur2

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The vet and I are on the same page. Eating wet food should turn his poops softer eventually, and his bum will heal.

Is he eating much wet food? Try mixing KMR into it for more moisture. Make it soupy. Also try Gerber turkey or chicken baby food. I don't know if he's eating kitten chow, but if so, wet that with KMR too for now since he needs fluid.
 
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