Constipated Cat. Please help!

[MauisMom20]

Good Morning ya'll! I am new here and really hope I have come to the right place. I need help.

A few days ago I took my cat to the vet because she was walking really slow and hiding and not going in her litter box. So the diagnosis was constipation. I have never had a cat before this nor know how to deal with a constipated one or how long cats are mad for. They did x-rays of her abdomen and you can see the back up, they took blood work and everything seemed fine some counts were a little elevated but the vet said it was nothing to worry about. I took her to the vet and they gave her a pain medication that is supposed to last for a few days.

Since then she has gone to the bathroom 3 times and it still acting scared and afraid, hiding, not wanting to eat now and won't let us love on her.

I cannot afford to take her to the vet again as I had to do Care Credit he first time anyways and that's almost maxed out. I am really starting to worry here and I cannot imagine my 2 year old cat being this ill. Has anyone dealt with a constipated cat before and can you please help me put my mind at ease that she is just uncomfortable and still freaked out from the vet visit and the pain.

Thank you all.

Lacey--Maui's Mom

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. What else besides pain meds was given to your cat for constipation? And tbh, why was she given pain meds? That isn't very common for constipation, not to mention many paid meds can attribute to constipation.

First thing I would do is call the vet and let them know what is going on - that should be considered a follow up to your previous visit and shouldn't cost you a dime to talk to them. If nothing was given to your cat to help with the constipation, ask them if they think Miralax would be OK. A lot of folks on this site will give their cats Miralax to help with constipation. But I would not do this until you've talked to the vet.

 

[louisstools]

They can provide laxatives and enemias to help get kitty going. Whenever I've taken my cat in for constipation, that's what was done.

 

[MauisMom20]

Hi. What else besides pain meds was given to your cat for constipation? And tbh, why was she given pain meds? That isn't very common for constipation, not to mention many paid meds can attribute to constipation.

First thing I would do is call the vet and let them know what is going on - that should be considered a follow up to your previous visit and shouldn't cost you a dime to talk to them. If nothing was given to your cat to help with the constipation, ask them if they think Miralax would be OK. A lot of folks on this site will give their cats Miralax to help with constipation. But I would not do this until you've talked to the vet.

They had me purchase Laxatone (which I think helped a little bit). They gave me pain meds in hopes that would help any pain she was having when trying to pass a stool. I have called the vet since then and they said the vet was out until Monday (UGH). I ordered a Pet-Ema from Chewy and read all the reviews. I am super nervous to use it as I don't want to hurt my girl. We are leaving out of town in a little over a week and I am desperate to get her some relief.

 

[MauisMom20]

They can provide laxatives and enemias to help get kitty going. Whenever I've taken my cat in for constipation, that's what was done.

I bought a Pet-Ema from Chewy. I may actually call up there and see if they can give it to her if I bring her up. I don't want to cause more trauma for her putting her in the car but I really don't want to mess up and hurt her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I would not do an enema by yourself. Ask the vet's office if they can help with the enema, but if they won't, ask if you can up the dose of Laxatone, or instead add a small amount of Miralax. Usually, most start with 1/8 tsp of Miralax, mixed with a bit of water, and then add it to a bite or so of canned cat food, or a lickable treat. Laxatives might not resolve the problem in just a day, but should start working soon thereafter.

 

[MauisMom20]

I would do the Miralax but she isn't eating or drinking. Won't even eat her lil soups. and she LOVES those

 

[louisstools]

If she's not eating or drinking then you probably need to take her to the vet and have them do the enema and give the laxatives. Especially if she's acting not like herself. Kinda surprised they didn't do that the first trip.

 

[FeebysOwner]

So, I take that to mean you are not getting Laxatone down her either? Get some baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut) and see if she will eat that. Let her have a few bites before trying to give her Laxatone (or Miralax) mixed with some more. If not the baby food meat, try the Lil Gravies or Lil Shakes.

Not eating, if it is due to the constipation, means it is a bit more than just a mild case, and, just like said above, I personally think the vets should have taken more steps to help, such as having suggested an enema on their own.

 

[MauisMom20]

If she's not eating or drinking then you probably need to take her to the vet and have them do the enema and give the laxatives. Especially if she's acting not like herself. Kinda surprised they didn't do that the first trip.

SO WAS I. Trust me. Had I not been so frazzled and stressed out I would have said something. The kids are so sad and I am just trying to do everything I can to get their kitty back to her normal zoomy belly rubbin loud meowing non stop talk loving self.

 

[NekoM]

If it helps I’ve seen XRays a lot worse than that. Everything in her large intestine has lots of little gaps so what your giving her will be able to go through those gaps allowing everything to move down. You just have to be patient and let it take its course.

 

[MauisMom20]

If it helps I’ve seen XRays a lot worse than that. The large intestine

That does help a little I guess. I just have never owned a cat. I've always had dogs and you can pretty much give them anything and they will poop and then be fine in a matter of a few hours. Cats are so delicate and dramatic creatures. Not too mention stubborn. I have all the patience in the world but I am not about to be clawed to death. I called another vet office so hopefully someone calls me back and can help me. Anyother advice and tips are greatly appreciated.

 

[louisstools]

I totally understand you M MauisMom20 . Dog caretaking is a joke in comparison to the difficulty of taking care of a cat. I've owned cats for the past 13 years but it wasn't until one of my furbabies got cancer that I learned this lesson the hard way with the surviving cat. It is a daily struggle to get her cat to eat and hydrate in order to avoid starvation and constipation. I don't plan on having any more cats as pets after her...they're just too difficult. (I could potentially see having an outdoors mouser for the purposes of pest management.) And I'm a cat person.

 

[NekoM]

I would do the Miralax but she isn't eating or drinking. Won't even eat her lil soups. and she LOVES those

Use a syringe, touch it to the corner of her mouth and she’ll automatically open, just put in a few drops at a times and she’ll automatically swallow it, Miralax is flavorless which will help.

 

[MauisMom20]

So after a syringe of water (a whole bowls worth) she started to play. And we played kibble hockey in the bathtub and finally got her to eat a serving of wet food and half a bowl of dry food. I’d say that’s a win. Also got a dose of Laxatone. So we shall live another day!

 

[NekoM]

So after a syringe of water (a whole bowls worth) she started to play. And we played kibble hockey in the bathtub and finally got her to eat a serving of wet food and half a bowl of dry food. I’d say that’s a win. Also got a dose of Laxatone. So we shall live another day!

That’s definitely a win! Proper hydration for a Cat is about 1 fluid ounce per pound. For reference 1 pint (us) = 16 ounces. Water Intake is one of the best indicators of health, if they’re drinking excessively or very little it’s time for a checkup. I’ve lost 2 cats in my past to FKD and I wish I’d known about this.

 

[MauisMom20]

Well. Little update. She pooped. Got a hard stool out followed by some pudding poops. So the constipation is no more. However she’s still hiding. Could this be because of the now loose stools and she still doesn’t feel well?
Woohoo for no more hard poops!!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

The Laxatone might be the reason for the pudding poops. Was she hiding before her trip to the litter box? Maybe the change in stool - and the feeling that could have gone with it - shocked her a bit. It could also be from the changes her little body have been through in the past few days - no eating to eating again, no pooping-to-pooping soft stool.

It seems to me she was just playing not even 24 hours ago, so her change in behavior - among any additional ones that appear - is something to monitor. You still haven't gotten to the reason for the constipation in the first place, so this might be a back-and-forth situation. Recent food changes might be a good place to start in terms of looking for reasons behind the constipation.

 

[MauisMom20]

Well. We had some issues where I wasn’t giving her any wet food at all and I don’t think she was getting enough water. Which is my fault. I’ve never owned a cat before and assumed a bowl of water was enough. Which it was not. She now has a pantry section of delicious dry and wet foods and we have a water fountain on the way for her. I am trying my best to get her better. As a first time Cat mom this has been a very stressful experience. I hope she’s on the up and up. I’ll call her vet Monday just to make sure.

 

[louisstools]

Cats come from the desert and were built to get the majority of their water from their food. Some indoor cats can do well with kibble and a bowl of water but others really do better with a diet of wet food and a bowl of water. Just depends on the cat and their thirst drive.

Sounds like your kitty is in good hands though. And yes, owning a cat can be very stressful and difficult (compared to a dog).