Constipated, very dry stools after going 100% homecooked

Hi (Very long, I'm sorry )

I'm not sure to put this here or in home cooked but at the moment it's a health concern. About 1.5 weeks ago I put my male (2-3) year old on 100% home cooked food. He was on half Halo Spots Stew and half home cooked plus the supplement, Balance-it in his home cooked food. Before that he was on Halo and Tiki Cat Chicken Stew which had tapioca and a gelatinous sauce that he really liked.

A few things. I have been really ill over the last 2 weeks, having 2-3 days of vomiting and headache. I took care of my cat, fed him, etc but I really couldn't play with him much and he kept lying near by me. So it occurs to me that he has been a lot more still and quiet than normal. We normally play and run around bits every day. Could this have contributed to being constipated?

I went 100% home cooked just cause I felt that it was best for him and I had been wanting to to that. Plus he's gotten a few sores lately (this has happened in the past) and I worried that it was the canned food. He has been having it for over 6 months though so if it was it was something different about the food. Maybe I changed over too fast. In retrospect maybe it was a bit dumb to do that.

He went yesterday and until 2 am this second day before pooing. He's been acting REALLY  hungry and he gets plenty of fluids because I cook the meat with water in the oven. He has been urinating normally as far as I can tell. Maybe I am putting too much water in the food. I have been feeding him organic chicken breasts, organic chicken thighs, and duck. (less duck than the chicken) I tried ground bison 2 weeks ago but it was after that that I noticed some sores so I was worried that upset him, could that have started the constipation? It was ground at Whole Foods but that means it could have gotten more bacteria. I only fed it one or 2 small servings one day.

I'm thinking if I should get the Tiki Cat and give him some small bits of that. I have read that tapioca can help with constipation, it's given to children to help soften their stools. I wasn't certain about the tapioca as a daily thing but I'm wondering if it will help soften his stools over the next few days. Or else I can give him some small amounts of the Canned Spots Stew Halo. The Tiki Cat was in the pouches. Something like this did happen once before when I fed him canned cat food - ground beef. I fed it over a week with his other canned food/pouches and he got very constipated and dry stools like this. As soon as I stopped it went back to normal in a few days. That's why I wondered about the ground bison starting this.

He has FIV and he is kind of sensitive in many ways, though hardy and  strong and energetic in others. That's why I wondered too if I upset him a bit with being so sick (really moaning and all that). He was extra quiet and and when I felt a bit better he started meowing in his normal way more. But I was sick twice in 1.5 weeks for 2-3 days at a time.

If anyone has any advice about what to do with his food or anything else please do let me know. RIght now I'm happy he finally went and I've made sure to put fresh water. I feel like I shouldn't feed him now for a few hours. (Well it's the middle of the night anyway and he ate more than his normal amount the last 2 days). I'm just unsure what to feed him later on. If it's from having all home cooked then I just don't know. He hasn't had the Tiki cat for about a month or a bit more. He had the Halo spots stew up until a week and a half ago.

I don't mix veggies in with the home cooked meat. I was originally putting a small amount of organic tapioca (it's very fine) to copy the Tiki Cat he loved and it was working okay but then I wasn't completely sure about tapioca for a cat. But that is what made the stool quite soft, in fact sometimes too soft.

Thanks.

Correction, It's Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Pumkin Licking Chicken in pouches. Also he did not poo for 2 full days. I'm not sure I was clear about that. Thanks.

Should I give him some of the canned food that I have next time he eats? I'm chatting with a vet online and she thinks it's because he was getting a lot more fiber and suddenly he wasn't.

I'm confused about adding veggies for cats but that's not so important right now for me to understand.

The vet also suggested a hairball lubricant for a few days. Is this very safe? Do you guys know any brands that you've used that seems okay?

What recipe are you using? A common cause of constipation in homemade diets is too much bone. Now, I know you won't be feeding cooked bones, but if you're using ground bone as a calcium source I guess that could be a possible culprit. Check out the [thread="263751"]​[/thread] for balanced recipe ideas.

A little canned pumpkin is a gentle way to get things moving, too. Usually, 1-3 teaspons a day is plenty. Increased fat intake can really help with constipation too - that's why the online vet is suggesting a hairball remedy. They're usually fat based

I would say though, that you really need to speak to your own vet about this, especially if it continues. No amount of internet advice can equal a physical exam.

Lastly, no diet works equally well for all cats. If your boy was doing better on canned food, then do consider switching back to that - particularly in view of his FIV. The most important thing is that he eats food that he thrives on, and right now he's clearly having issues of some sort.

I've given him a few spoonfuls of the Halo Spots stew and he seems very much happier. He's having a bath and seems more himself though he only just ate it. I feel guilty now as I read a lot about veggies and thought they were not really necessary for a cat. Now I feel like I hurt him. I only care right now that he will be okay and get back to normal.

The vet didn't think stress or laying about would cause constipation. That it would really be the lack of fiber. Crap. Why can't I get this right? I'm tying really hard but feel I keep making the wrong choices. I was feeling really happy about giving him the home cooked.

I did try once to add I think sweet potato and he spat that part out but in the canned food it's all blended in mostly. I guess I'll explore making pate for him with veggies in it.

The vet didn't mention the tapioca.  It's 4 AM and I've not slept. Guess I'll try and watch tv for a little and then try to sleep.

Ugh. Thanks again.

Thanks Columbine,

I read your post after I posted again. I agree that what's best is what keeps him the healthiest. I'll discuss this with a vet in person also. For the moment I'll feed him the canned and get the pouches also, and the lubricant. I wasn't grinding the bone, I was feeding boneless plus the supplement. But I guess that just meat was too much for him.   Thanks for explaining about the lubricant! Thanks so much for your response,

I really appreciate it.

You have NO REASON to feel bad The truth is, there is a lot that is still unknown (as in unproven through clinical studies) about feeding cats, and there opinions differ hugely about the 'best' diet. A homemade diet is absolutely a valid choice, and can work wonderfully well. The thing you have to remember is that cats, just like people, are all different, and what suits one perfectly may not be quite right for another.

Ease up on yourself. You're doing great , and I'm sure you'll get this sorted out very soon
[article="33544"][/article]

On the contrary, I think you're doing a great job with your cat's food, because you're thinking about it and paying attention to his needs. Definitely try a bit of canned pumpkin. I feed my kittens chicken thighs and turkey thigh and breast mince with Felini Complete mix-in, bound with the meat cooking liquid and a bit of pumpkin puree. This week I'm going to try adding a bit of duck as well. They are free fed a high protein dry food because they're still growing, but my Hugo sometimes has digestive issues and the home cooked food and especially the pumpkin seems to keep his tummy happy. 

Stop beating yourself up. You're a good cat mom and I'm sure your kitty appreciates what you do for him

Hi Alissa !

There's a wonderful, reliable (trustworthy) website that I frequently suggest as a "must-read" for all of us 'cat people'.

It's solidly science-based...and written in plain English.

Here's a snippet:

Dietary FiberPumpkin or Other Winter Squash – A traditional vet recommendation and a good one, plain unspiced canned pumpkin can help relieve either constipation or diarrhea as it normalizes the situation. The beneficial gut bacteria, when properly fed, are good at normalizing the bowel environment. Some cats report that Libby's plain canned pumpkin is the preferred brand but canned pumpkin does not agree with all cats. Baked winter squash can be fed and your cat may have preferences as to type of squash, or baby food winter squash can be used. Use small amounts mixed into several of the daily meals, a small amount being 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Then monitor the results. Remember this is food for the gut bacteria, not the cat himself.

Click to expand...

BTW......have another read of that last sentence. One of the 'learnings' many people discover from that website is that, not only do we have to feed our cats, but we also need to feed the cat's gut bacteria with an appropriate source of fiber......and, pumpkin is perfect for most cats !

Here's where that snippet came from: http://felineconstipation.org/prevention.html

Here's the homepage: http://felineconstipation.org/index.html    The site is organized so that you can take Feline Constipation 101 in a short or a longer 'course', or, just drop in for quick answers. I will say that even the short version is an eye-opener for most people - right from the start, with "Inside the gut really is outside the body !" - have a look at the image here: http://felineconstipation.org/thefirstlesson.html

That's just reminded me of our own article on constipation. You might find that helpful too [article="33339"][/article]

Columbine,

I read your second post that night/morning and it is what made me finally stop beating up on myself and be able to sleep. I'm really sorry I didn't get on here till now to say a warmhearted thank you. I was so burnt out the next few days and then started feeling signs of a UTI myself. But that's fine now I was just emotionally and otherwise exausted!. Wow, I feel like you were some angel while I was in distress though!

And yes I agree that like people cat's are all different with different needs. Also, I still think he may have been at least a little affected by inactivity while I was sick. So I got him back on the canned pate Halo Spots stew and really mushed it up (there are peas and beans he usually eats around but I mashed them in) and he seemed really happy about it. He went poo a second time the following evening after the hard dry one and it was much softer and he was HAPPY! Running around like a mad thing. And I felt so relieved. He went again probably half a day later and it was slightly less soft but the next time it was really soft. I also gave him the Weruva Chicken and Pumpkin pouches with a little warm water and cut it up so that all the chicken was in tiny pieces. (He loves that stuff).  He seems much more himself now and I took him outside today (in my arms) and we walked around in the sunshine. I think it did us both good.  So I'm happy with this for now but haven't given up entirely the idea of at least a small amount of home cooked food, but maybe 1/4 or eve 1/8 of his total food intake. (Later, much later).  I also plan to read up on recipes and possibly making a pate with veggies and maybe try it as a supplimental type food. We'll see.

I was first using chicken breast but then just before he got this way I thought he wasn't getting enough fat and tried chicken thighs and duck. I think the breast can be a bit dry. And you made me think of this too in your information about the fattyness of the lubricant hairball remedy helping to move things. Well, I have more research to do again but that's fine. For now I'm sticking with the canned/pouched for some time to give him time to settle down and feel well. He seemed to understand I was standing on the sidelines tentatively while he was thinking he was going to have a poo. lol. I sang a happy song when he did! Sorry for this wall of words but thanks so much again for the encouragement - wow I really needed that! (((Hugs)))  

Hi profdanglais!

This is really helpful to know how you feed your cats. I have ordered pumpkin and hope to have a go at the home cooked again in the future. I do love the idea of it and enjoyed cooking it for him. I hope to experiment with the pumpkin when I try again.  Thank you so much for the encouragement.  I was not in a good place with my self & coming on here made such a difference. I think I will hang out here more and read more of what everyone is up to. I've gotten such great advice on this thread and will read a lot more on the home cooked section. I'm really extemely gratful. I feel so much better now.  

White Shadow,

Again I'm so sorry I only got on here now to respond to this. I was just completely flaked out.  This sounds like a great idea and will defitely be reading this and taking the online course. I've read so much about the human gut and even did a free online course about that. It is really fascinating and shows how we need to be cautious with antibiotics. I will love to read about it in relation to cats and also because Pi has FIV so I am really aware about his immune system. I try to keep him happy and warm and play with him and then give him quiet time. Because I think it all affects their immune system as well as ours. I've been learning how much of our immunity is in our gut because of these little critters in there. Yeah, I will for sure read that. So interesting about the gut being "outside" the body. Also this is helpful to read about how pumpkin (like Columbine has been saying about all foods) may not be right for every cat but that there are other things you can try like the squash. I'm going to bookmark that and start looking at it tonight.

It's so funny the other night I felt so upset & like I couldn't figure out or see what to do, but again as Columbine said ~ things settle down, I have  figured things out,(with lots of help!) ~ there are still other possibilities and today is a new day. I now feel both relieved and optomistic and even a bit excited to learn more. And as I've said ~ really really gratful. Thanks so very much!  

Columbine,

Wow, that looks excellent & just what I need to read! I'm bookmarking it now! 

I'm so glad I was able to help you Very glad to hear your boy is doing better now :high5: