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- Mar 17, 2018
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B's 16 years old this month and has been struggling with constipation for a while now. I thought I had it under control but I don't.
Up until last week he had been on a Rx urinary food due to a blocked urethra years ago + a 1/4 can of Fancy Feast Classic Pate so that I could mix in 1/4 tsp of Miralax. Every month or so he would have these episodes where it was like the Miralax hit him at once and he'd be in the litter box up to 7 or 8 times, howling all the while, zooming around like a maniac, and then after an hour he would calm down and things would get back to 'normal'. He'd usually skip a day of pooping but then resume like before, which honest has never been 'normal'. He has also been slowly increasing the amount he vomits and it had become more clear and frothy. A bit of Pepcid would usually do the trick. I figured it was his kidneys since the vet has said he's on his way to kidney disease.
Two weeks ago he had one of these poop episodes and this time he had a bit of prolapse (poor guy). Life has been crazy and when I realised after a week he was only producing tiny little poops - pea sized - I took him to the vet.
They did blood work and an Xray and he was really constipated and his colon a little larger tho not megacolon, but his blood work was fine. They gave him an enema, sent him home, and suggested I switch his food to Royal Canin Fiber Response Dry and increase the Miralax to 1/4 tsp twice a day, so I did.
Post enema: the enema worked while he was at the vet. They did not warn me that he would be pooping chocolate covered stool all over the bathroom and himself for an undetermined amount of time. I had to keep him trapped in the bathroom over night (the only room I could). He was not happy about any of this. His poo was still mush most of the next day. The following day he pooed once and it was a tiny bit more formed. Meanwhile I'm weaning him onto his new food. He doesn't poop again for 3 days. I start to worry. But then he goes and I'm thrilled! Two healthy-sozed poos. But then he doesn't go the next day. Okay, fine, his system is adjusting. He's on the new food full time at this point because he decided he only wanted the new food. But then the following day he has another poop episode where he's in the litter box 5 to 7 times, howling, zooming, etc. That was over 48 hours ago and no more poop.
Naturally the vet will want to see him. The problem is the trauma that he (and I) experience. It usually takes him like 3 to 4 days to get back his normal behavior after a vet visit. I did call the vet and they suggested give it another week on the food and to reach out to an Internist. I'm not working right now. The recent visit cost $700. It's a hard decision to make to take him to another vet, especially a specialist that is going to want to run tests, imagery, potential biopsies (from what I'm reading online) and then I don't even know what would happen as far as care. I've taken him to ERs and to the vet a few times and they just say he 'could' have IBD but then don't really help beyond that and slap me with a massive invoice.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Up his Miralax? Is a week on the new food long enough? Could the new food be making things worse? Try Lactulose that I asked the vet for as a backup with Miralax or instead of it? Try to move to more wet food and if so how do you recommend? I'm feeling completely lost and worried and would hate to not be able to give him the quality of life that I want him to have + give myself the quality of life that I deserve (I'm doing this alone).
Thanks!
Up until last week he had been on a Rx urinary food due to a blocked urethra years ago + a 1/4 can of Fancy Feast Classic Pate so that I could mix in 1/4 tsp of Miralax. Every month or so he would have these episodes where it was like the Miralax hit him at once and he'd be in the litter box up to 7 or 8 times, howling all the while, zooming around like a maniac, and then after an hour he would calm down and things would get back to 'normal'. He'd usually skip a day of pooping but then resume like before, which honest has never been 'normal'. He has also been slowly increasing the amount he vomits and it had become more clear and frothy. A bit of Pepcid would usually do the trick. I figured it was his kidneys since the vet has said he's on his way to kidney disease.
Two weeks ago he had one of these poop episodes and this time he had a bit of prolapse (poor guy). Life has been crazy and when I realised after a week he was only producing tiny little poops - pea sized - I took him to the vet.
They did blood work and an Xray and he was really constipated and his colon a little larger tho not megacolon, but his blood work was fine. They gave him an enema, sent him home, and suggested I switch his food to Royal Canin Fiber Response Dry and increase the Miralax to 1/4 tsp twice a day, so I did.
Post enema: the enema worked while he was at the vet. They did not warn me that he would be pooping chocolate covered stool all over the bathroom and himself for an undetermined amount of time. I had to keep him trapped in the bathroom over night (the only room I could). He was not happy about any of this. His poo was still mush most of the next day. The following day he pooed once and it was a tiny bit more formed. Meanwhile I'm weaning him onto his new food. He doesn't poop again for 3 days. I start to worry. But then he goes and I'm thrilled! Two healthy-sozed poos. But then he doesn't go the next day. Okay, fine, his system is adjusting. He's on the new food full time at this point because he decided he only wanted the new food. But then the following day he has another poop episode where he's in the litter box 5 to 7 times, howling, zooming, etc. That was over 48 hours ago and no more poop.
Naturally the vet will want to see him. The problem is the trauma that he (and I) experience. It usually takes him like 3 to 4 days to get back his normal behavior after a vet visit. I did call the vet and they suggested give it another week on the food and to reach out to an Internist. I'm not working right now. The recent visit cost $700. It's a hard decision to make to take him to another vet, especially a specialist that is going to want to run tests, imagery, potential biopsies (from what I'm reading online) and then I don't even know what would happen as far as care. I've taken him to ERs and to the vet a few times and they just say he 'could' have IBD but then don't really help beyond that and slap me with a massive invoice.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Up his Miralax? Is a week on the new food long enough? Could the new food be making things worse? Try Lactulose that I asked the vet for as a backup with Miralax or instead of it? Try to move to more wet food and if so how do you recommend? I'm feeling completely lost and worried and would hate to not be able to give him the quality of life that I want him to have + give myself the quality of life that I deserve (I'm doing this alone).
Thanks!
