Cat constipation and vomitting

samanthaddm

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I've been a long time reader of these forums, but never posted.  I've recently had a lot of health problems with some of my cats.  We moved a couple of months ago, and I don't know if it's all the changes or what that's been causing this.  After dealing with a urinary blockage last week, this weekend I have another cat in the hospital.  It started Thursday night I noticed he vomited foamy liquid, then clear liquid about three times through the night.  He didn't eat anything except a couple licks of food during this time. We took him to the vet Friday morning, and he received a shot for nausea.  The vet seemed to think there was a hairball stuck causing him some issues.  

He seemed to feel better once he got home but never ate.  Saturday morning, he vomited clear liquid again.   Back to the vet we went.  After doing an x-ray, they saw he had a lot of hard stool in him.  So, he got an enema and they've kept him all weekend to monitor.  I guess my question is has anyone ever experience sever constipation that it caused vomiting and lose of appetite?  The only time I've ever had something like this happen was when the guy with the urinary blockage ate a suction cup and it got stuck in his intestines.  Thanks for any advice, thoughts, or comments!! 
 

molly92

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Yes, vomiting can actually be a caused by bad constipation when the cat is straining so hard to have a bowel movement that they throw up. It happened to my cat when her constipation was at its worst. She also went through a period of low appetite, lethargy, and a slight fever due to the constipation. An enema is the only thing that will relieve the constipation at that point, and subcutaneous fluids also help because the cat is usually dehydrated from not eating. 

For my cat, it was right after I adopted her that she started having issues, and she had just been moved from a foster home to the shelter the week before that, so I do think the stress of changing environments triggered it. Unfortunately going to the vet for enemas every few days did not really reduce her stress level, so it did take a while to get her back to having at least somewhat normal bowel movements with medication (Miralax and cisapride), extra hydration (wet food only with water added), and frequent brushing to keep as much hair out of her digestive tract as possible. Still, it was another 6 months of tinkering with her dosages and other remedies with mixed results before I started adding probiotics to her food, and now she's wonderful. If I ever cut back on the probiotics, her issues do start again, so they are definitely the key for her. If I had known then what I know now I would have gone to probiotics straight away. Much less stressful than figuring out the constantly shifting ratios of stool softeners and fiber that would help her poop that day.

The key with constipation is to prevent it or head it off early, so you don't have to get the point where you need costly x-rays and stressful enemas. By the time a cat starts having appetite loss and vomiting, lots of hard stool is already backed up in the colon. Miralax is really often recommended and does a great job in my experience in the short term to keep stool soft as it's being formed in the colon. It can't do anything to stool that has already been formed, however, so with your vet's guidance, I would start her on that as soon as you get her home to be safe. Watch her bowel movement habits carefully, and also how dry her stool is. If she's not going once a day and it's drier than usual, something needs to change, like upping the dosage.
 

Antonio65

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I guess my question is has anyone ever experience sever constipation that it caused vomiting and lose of appetite? 
Hi Samantha,

My cat had been suffering from constipation for most of her life, at least three times a year we were in a rush to the vet in search of help.

The last time that this happened the doctor (a different one) advised me to add some psyllium seeds in the cat's wet food.

I bought them and started right away. It never happened again and it was May 2014. I used to add about 20 seeds in the wet food and mix all together.

At the moment I can only syringe feed my cat, the priorities have changed, so I stopped adding seeds to her food.

Hope it helps.
 

artiemom

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Vomiting, lack of appetite and lethargy can all be caused by constipation... things get backed up.

You could try adding extra water to her canned food, trying a bit of miralax mixed with water to her food. I think the starting dose is 1/8 tsp twice a day.. just enough to keep things soft and moving. Once you see a slight change in her stool, it is time to adjust. It takes a couple of days to see the difference; so a log is good in the beginning. 

You can go over this with you Vet for approval. 

I would cut back or try to eliminate dry food. Stress can wreck havoc on our babies.. 

You could even try a probiotic---again run it over with your Vet..

Good Luck... ((hugs))  I know how frantic you feel...
 
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samanthaddm

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Thank you all for your advice.  I talked to them earlier, and he had to have another enema.  He pooped a little after the second enema, but still was not eating hardly anything.  They asked if he was a picky cat, but I've never known him to be picky when it comes to wet food.  He also threw up again.  The vet know thinks it could be pancreatitis now.  But blood work has to be sent off for that.  I'm just blown away to go from him being fine Wednesday and out of the blue Thursday night this to all start.  She may let him come home to see if the stress at the hospital is getting to him also.  I'm just at a loss for my precious little Paws.  He's been a healthy cat his whole life.  Please send good thoughts, prayers, and healing vibes to my sweet guy.
 

artiemom

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((((HUGS)))))  

I honestly feel for you.. I have been there...and still there...

I know how you are feeling--helpless..

Your baby, Paws, really needs to have a lot of Veterinary intervention... 

Ok, I may sound like a know-it-all, but here goes...just from own experience..

If your baby is not eating.. then he needs an appetite stimulant. and something for the constipation.. if enemas, please make sure they are re-hydrating him with some sub-q fluids or an IV, if they are keeping him.... 

He probably needs to have some type of laxative.. either miralax, mixed with water and added to his food or/and lactulose.. You Vet should be advising you...

I know this is heartbreaking.. please know that you are not alone...we are all here for you..

((hugs))
 
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samanthaddm

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Thanks again for the thoughts and comments.  We are on a little different path with him now.  Yesterday morning, when I checked on him, the vet gave him another enema as he was still backed up a bit.  By the end of the day, she did another x ray that showed he was completely cleaned out.  She did say he was starting to show interest in food.  But on the 2nd x ray, there was a unusual shape in the same spot as the x ray from Saturday.  She opened him up, and he had a lot of fat in his abdomen.  This spot on the x ray looked like a four leaf clover.  When she got in, it was fat like cottage cheese.  She said it was odd, but nothing that concerned her.  Thankfully, she looked at all his little organ, including his liver that I was worried about fatty liver disease with him not eating, and said all looked good.  She got a urine sample directly from his bladder and his wbc was really high.  So he's got a pretty bad UTI after clearing out the constipation.  I checked in just a little bit ago, and he had not eaten and is pretty mad at all of them.  I would be too.  So, hopefully as the day goes on, he will get to eating and his medicines will start clearing up the infection.  I was really hoping to get him home today, but I know him being there is what's best.  This has been insane to deal with.  I just hate my little guy being in pain and not himself.  It's really strange though, in the last 2 weeks, this is the 2nd UTI/blockage in our house.  We moved back in November, and it's like since the move something is going on with my cats.  Thanks again for your thoughts and comfort.  Continue sending them to us 
 

artiemom

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fat? like cottage cheese?  that sounds so strange.... I have very little veterinary knowledge, but that sounds weird... and your Vet is not concerned about it? Is she sending it to the lab for analysis?  wonder what it is...

Whatever it was, it was acting as a blockage... Glad it is out, and now your baby can begin recovery. 

Take it easy, breathe, the worst is over... ((hugs))

wonder if it was anything like packing material, since you just moved.. or the spray foam insulation? 

Stress is related to UTI.. 
 

molly92

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I'm so sorry you and your kitty are dealing with so much! I don't know what's going on either, but for both the UTI and constipation extra hydration in whatever form can only help.

Some sort of clot or benign growth is what comes to mind with that description...did the vet mention the additional fat in his abdomen as being a source of concern? If he's overweight then that could contribute to issues, and maybe altering something about his diet is something to research when he's home and healthier again. For now, it sounds like all you can do is wait for the veterinary measures to clear things up. I hope he starts eating soon, poor thing! 

Another thought...maybe the tap water in your new home is different enough in composition that it's caused or exacerbated these UTI issues. You can try giving them only filtered water to be safe.
 
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samanthaddm

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She said he did have a good bit of fat in his abdomen. Nothing concerned her other than beingon the tubby side. So we are going on a diet. He is home now. He's hiding a lot and just doesn't want to be around anyone. I was concerned with his quick breathing, but the vet said his anesthesia is still wearing off. He hasn't eaten yet, but he ate really good for them at the vet. Hopefully he is just drug out and will start feeling like himself soon. Poor guy has had a really rough 5 days. I sort of wish I would have left him there one more night to monitor, but I hoped being home would calm him down.
 
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