Constipation - again

[skylerlark]

My CKD cat has always suffered bouts of constipation (and more recently diarreah (after being persuaded to 'assist feed' him). I'm currently giving him 120 mils of Ringers twice a day as new vet tested his numbers and they were off the charts. She also gave him Mirtazapine for inappetence, which worked first dose but now, no.

I've dosed him with Miralax (too much I think as he threw most of it up, but now sleeping as opposed to walking around yowling and straining in his litter box). Last vet administered an enema which worked spectacularly well, except it's Sodium Chloride and not Fleet, which I understand are very similar. So that's out.

I'm due at new seemingly sensible new vet this Saturday for a check up. I'm worried he won't last that long, if he's constipated he won't eat (despite the Mirtazapine, Lactulose doesn't work and I'm not up to giving him a home enema, so many things can go wrong and he has very sharp claws) and drinking very little, albeit with 240 mils pumped into him per day assuming not so much of a problem leaving it for four more days?

 

[silent meowlook]

Are you sure he is constipated and not blocked? Is he urinating for sure?
As you-now know, you have to be careful with Miralax.
Being concerned about him, why don’t you call your vet in the morning and ask for advice, maybe they can get him in sooner if he isn’t doing well.
Please double check that he is in fact urinating.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

How did you administer the Miralax and how much did you use? Miralax always needs to be dissolved in a little bit of water, and give no more than 1/4 teaspoon at a time (of the actual Miralax) then you can either add it to some wet food, or give it to them like any liquid medication. Since it doesn't have any taste or odor, usually adding it to wet food works out well, but I don't think you feed wet food, do you?

My CKD cats still drank lots of water even right after getting their sub-q fluids, so I would definitely call the Vet and let them know right away what is happening. When a kidney cat stops drinking, it's definitely not a good sign

 

[skylerlark]

Are you sure he is constipated and not blocked? Is he urinating for sure?
As you-now know, you have to be careful with Miralax.
Being concerned about him, why don’t you call your vet in the morning and ask for advice, maybe they can get him in sooner if he isn’t doing well.
Please double check that he is in fact urinating.

The pacing and yowling became so bad yesterday afternoon I took him to new vet with a brain. They x-rayed him and his colon was full to the gunnels. She said there didn't appear to be any 'foreign objects' and advised I leave him with their clinic for two days to be pumped out. He had this before many years ago and most recently the fools at the know nothing Vetmed who had administered an enema (stupidly sodium chloride which could have killed him) and he's had to be anaesthetized years ago to remove it all in one day. He has CKD so anesthesia out of the question no, hence the slowly slowly approach.

He's always had problems with defecation but Royal Canin Fiber sorted that out up until the CKD was diagnosed and he was given renal food, which he hates. The only one he did touch was SmartHeart Gold Renal, which I'm not at all sure actually is renal so will take a bag in with me when I pick him up tomorrow. This brand appears to be the one causing the problem as it's the most recent, (he'd been on Purina One last bout). So what to try next confounds me. The vet will hopefully advise. Thanks.

 

[skylerlark]

How did you administer the Miralax and how much did you use? Miralax always needs to be dissolved in a little bit of water, and give no more than 1/4 teaspoon at a time (of the actual Miralax) then you can either add it to some wet food, or give it to them like any liquid medication. Since it doesn't have any taste or odor, usually adding it to wet food works out well, but I don't think you feed wet food, do you?

My CKD cats still drank lots of water even right after getting their sub-q fluids, so I would definitely call the Vet and let them know right away what is happening. When a kidney cat stops drinking, it's definitely not a good sign

Yes I've used Miralax in the past as Latulose just doesn't do it for him. No he can't/won't eat wet food (I'd been told by my local clinic most cats don't like it, unable to understand why not as he'll eat an entire rat). He had scarfed down a pouch of Fancy Feast I'd picked up at random but then straight to his litter box for a big bout of diarreah. Another poster had the same problem with that brand, maybe just a bad batch but not about to try that again.

 

[skylerlark]

How did you administer the Miralax and how much did you use? Miralax always needs to be dissolved in a little bit of water, and give no more than 1/4 teaspoon at a time (of the actual Miralax) then you can either add it to some wet food, or give it to them like any liquid medication. Since it doesn't have any taste or odor, usually adding it to wet food works out well, but I don't think you feed wet food, do you?

My CKD cats still drank lots of water even right after getting their sub-q fluids, so I would definitely call the Vet and let them know right away what is happening. When a kidney cat stops drinking, it's definitely not a good sign

The reason he's drinking very little water is that it absolutely MUST be fresh rainwater. Even Evian will not do. And it's El Nino this year.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Just as a side note, NONE of my three kidney cats ever ate any renal foods. My Vet was fine with that. So if your guy does best with the Fiber Response, perhaps it would be best to put him back on it. Especially since he doesn't even like the food you've got him on now. I'm thinking quality of life vs quantity of it.

 

[skylerlark]

Yes, that had just crossed my mind. Some vets (most) will push renal food as soon as a diagnosis of CKD is made. He did like the Royal Canin Fiber Response so will mention that to my vet today. The only alternative is psyllium (which is a component of Fiber Response), but added to what if he will not eat wet food? And it'll clear up his diarreah too. Nothing to lose at this stage. Thanks

 

[Mac and Cats]

Is he eating the dry food or the wet food or both? Have You tried the Hills Biome to see if he likes that/if it helps? Looks like it has a lower phosphorous content than the RC Gastro. How is he doing now?

 

[skylerlark]

Is he eating the dry food or the wet food or both? Have You tried the Hills Biome to see if he likes that/if it helps? Looks like it has a lower phosphorous content than the RC Gastro. How is he doing now?

How's he doing now? Where to start. Picked him up from 2 day stay on IV which turned out to be Acetar, contraindications of which are 'avoid with kidney disease'. This I already knew from local clinic when vet persuaded me it was same as Ringers Lactate and he threw up.

Growling (never growls) all the way home, wouldn't come out of his basket, eat, nor drink. After watching him huddled in a spikey ball for several hours, thought I'd give him some Lactate, he paced growling incessantly. I'd called local clinic earlier and had some anti emetic btw. Just in case. He was acting as though he wanted to poo/pee but couldn't, eventually gave up and went to his bed (in my mind to die).

This morning saw him still alive, gave him a tiny dose of Hale's and he managed to drag himself to litter box, and urinate everything out. Which to my mind is a good thing, but still not eating nor drinking. Immediately took him to local clinic (she's known him since I found him 8 years ago). She advised against any more subQ until last night's had dissipated. She also asked me to get him to eat, the only way is by syringe (another thing disappointment new vet had been doing). I told her NO. I would wait until he felt like it, I didn't want the diarreah back and neither did he. So she gave me a tube Felovet Gell containing Lysine and Taurine to smear on his mouth two times per day to make up for the loss of vitamins. I have Mirtazapine but not giving that until he's rested either.

So yet another disappointment in a land full of them. I'm thinking of going home. Except my sister told me they're just as bad there. Thanks for asking. Where's the whiskey ..

 

[skylerlark]

Beloved cat died this morning. He hadn't eaten anything and was afraid to drink as he went straight to the litter box afterward. I insisted local clinic do something and she gave him 100 mils yesterday evening. I was awoken at 4 am by loud meowing/growling to find him curled up in his litter box. I had a pre arranged appointment at the clinic to 'give him one dose only' of some pain killer to help him with his sore throat?? I was told to give him more subQ as soon as I returned home. He wasn't happy about it, I should have listened to him as he was always a good cat. He then ran to the entrance way and fitted. It was horrible. I took him back to the clinic and vet tried heart massage, which didn't work. I keep calling his name, God this is hard.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Your beloved little one is now at peace and pain free. No more suffering for him, only for you

Many people find solace in paying tribute to their little ones in our Crossing the Bridge forum here Crossing the Bridge

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Beloved cat died this morning. He hadn't eaten anything and was afraid to drink as he went straight to the litter box afterward. I insisted local clinic do something and she gave him 100 mils yesterday evening. I was awoken at 4 am by loud meowing/growling to find him curled up in his litter box. I had a pre arranged appointment at the clinic to 'give him one dose only' of some pain killer to help him with his sore throat?? I was told to give him more subQ as soon as I returned home. He wasn't happy about it, I should have listened to him as he was always a good cat. He then ran to the entrance way and fitted. It was horrible. I took him back to the clinic and vet tried heart massage, which didn't work. I keep calling his name, God this is hard.

I am so very sorry for your loss. He will forever be in your heart. He knew you loved him and just know he is now running around pain free. Try to hold onto all the good memories you had with him. Keep those memories close to your heart.
Again I am so sorry. I know this is hard. He is with you just know that... He will always be with you.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[skylerlark]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Your beloved little one is now at peace and pain free. No more suffering for him, only for you

Many people find solace in paying tribute to their little ones in our Crossing the Bridge forum here Crossing the Bridge

I see many people feel guilt about putting their cat out of it's misery too soon. I feel guilty I didn't. My gut told me I should have done it at least weeks if not months ago. A friend in England said I should have, another here in Thailand an emphatic 'NO'. I had a gut feeling whilst standing next to the vet, who knew both of us from when I took him in' to ask her to euthanize, and feel tremendous guilt I didn't. They say your spirit leaves your body just before physical suffering occurs. There was no life in his eyes, so, I pray that's true.

 

[skylerlark]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Thank you. It's so hard. He was such a character. Irreplaceable.

 

[skylerlark]

I am so very sorry for your loss. He will forever be in your heart. He knew you loved him and just know he is now running around pain free. Try to hold onto all the good memories you had with him. Keep those memories close to your heart.
Again I am so sorry. I know this is hard. He is with you just know that... He will always be with you.

Thank you.

 

[AbbysMom]

I'm so sorry for you loss.

 

[fionasmom]

Once again, I am very sorry for the loss of your friend. When a cat passes on, we close the thread out of respect. If you would like, you are welcome to post a tribute to him in our Crossing the Bridge forum.

Crossing the Bridge