8 Week Old Kitten Screaming While Trying To Defecate

[Sylvester2803]

Hi, i'm new here. I recently just got a new kitten and she is struggling to defecate. Her original owner noticed the kitten was constipated and tried everything she could to help the kitten.(she didn't try the vet though) As soon as we got the kitten we took her to the vet and he said to give her dry food only and give her plenty of water.( we fed her wet food with extra water to try and help her) but she was still failing to defecate. The kitten would scream and we tried massaging her stomach and anus with a warm washcloth. It helped a little but she was still having trouble. We are trying to see if the vet would suggest something to us when we show a video of the poor kitten. Has anyone else experienced something like this? If so what did you guys do?

 

[Sarthur2]

Poor little kitten!

I wonder why the vet suggested dry food only?

Kittens need wet food several times a day. Add a few drops of olive oil to each feeding. This should soften her poops and make it easier for the kitten to poop.

Please let me know if this helps!

 

[Sylvester2803]

I will try that thank you. I'm not sure why the vet would tell me to give her dry food only. She never was able to defecate while eating wet food either and he was concerned about her having diarrhea. We were able to help her defecate at least once a day but she would scream and be in pain. I'm hoping she will get better. All in all she is playful(when not in pain), eats and drinks normally, sleeps fine and shows no sign of pain urinating nor her being sickly or anything. Shes a very loving kitten. I just don't exactly know the cause of this.

 

[Willowy]

Try some Laxatone. I'm surprised the vet didn't suggest it. Well, you could use Vaseline too (pretty much the same thing), but it's not flavored so she might not take it willingly. Most pet stores should have Laxatone or a similar product (it may be labeled as hairball remedy instead of laxative, but it does the same thing). A little olive oil in her food might help, but I think Laxatone would be better.

She may need an enema to unblock her, at least once. I'm surprsed the vet didn't recommend that :/.

 

[Neo_23]

I would go to a different vet.

 

[Sarthur2]

I would too!

 

[Kieka]

I'd get a second vet opinion. Dry food only seems counterintuitive.

 

[Sylvester2803]

Well another vet told us the same thing except to add 1/3 tsp of miralax to the meals. If that didn't work then mineral oil. He also suggested enema if both didn't work. She was defecating a little bit and became a little gassy with the miralax but she is still having trouble trying defecate normally. Im gonna take her to the vet Monday if she doesn't recover.

 

[ArchyCat]

If you use Vaseline(petroleum jelly) instead of Laxatone, bread it lightly -- and not a lot - on top of her paws. she will lick it off. I've used it as a hairball remedy way back in the day.

 

[Ceracera]

if laxatone doesnt work, you could try lactulose.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Did the vet check to see if the kitten had ingested a foreign object? string? plastic? other? that could cause a blockage??!

 

[ArchyCat]

Updates please!