Many things going on, currently constipation

[noise]

I'll admit this might partially be to vent, but my 14 year old cat has been going through a series of issues, and we can't afford the vet anymore.

It started around Christmas, she stopped eating, she's done this before, where she was just being picky about her food, so the husband and I may have let it go too long. We got her to the vet on the 27th, and they found her kidneys were the only problem, suspecting eating something toxic. So, subcutaneous water was given, with assist feeding from me with hills a\d.

Next checkup, her breathing was rough, so x-rays, and we find something. We can't afford to do ultrasounds or put her in overnight care, so it's liquid antibiotic, and I think, more subq water.

No improvement on breathing next checkup, more x-rays, whatever's there is still there. So, heck, we try a diuretic to see if it's fluids.

Breathing finally clears up, but I realize I messed up and added extra water into the antibiotics. So dose goes up. She has two tiny poops around here.

Everything looks good, on everything, but the mass in her lungs, which we're told isn't hurting her, and before all this she was doing pretty good.

But now, I'm pretty sure she's constipated and has been, since I've been assist feeding her, while trying to get her to eat, though week 1, we weren't able to get a lot into as I wasn't very good at it and she fought it a lot. Last week, we got her up to 3\4 of a can, and she's being much better about it, but now, her poor stomach is hard.

Yesterday, we called the vet to set up an appointment on Friday to put her down, and asked about constipation, and they recommended more water. So more water in the food, I've been feeding, and a little bit of water on its own. I'll admit, I've been giving 1\8 miralax, tho only once a day the last 2 days. She's actually been drinking fine on her own, tho I know it might not be enough.

I just have no one around me to ask this stuff, one person told me not to worry about it, cause she wasn't eating from the beginning, but am I not right that there can be a new cause in her not eating? My husband is trying, but he's doesn't like dragging things out on stuff like this. He doesn't want her to suffer.

Anyways, I'm just worried it's just constipation, and we're going to put her down over something that can be fixed. Though, I know if it's been so long, it can be really hard to get it going again. It's just even the vet was baffled as she seems so healthy aside from whatever growth is in her chest.

Anyways thanks for reading this long post, I hope it makes sense.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - I'm so sorry you all are going through this.

There may be something here that helps;
When Is It Time?: Making The Difficult Decision On Euthanasia - TheCatSite

 

[noise]

Hello - I'm so sorry you all are going through this.

There may be something here that helps;
When Is It Time?: Making The Difficult Decision On Euthanasia - TheCatSite

I got something like that from the vet, but thank you.

It looks similar to the vet's, so aside from the constipation, and not eating, which I've read is something that happens with it, she's pretty good. She walks around on her own, though with a waddle, cause her stomach is big, she's started navigating upstairs to walk around there, she demands cuddles and pets from us, scratches her cardboard scratcher, is pretty aware, and still going for water and peeing on her own. She has lost some spark like to play, but I don't know how much food has actually gone into her system since all this.

I'm totally aware I could just be being too hopeful, and like I said, we have the appointment already set for putting her down, I just want to try everything I can, before then, as they will let us cancel, if we don't need it any more.

 

[Furballsmom]

asked about constipation, and they recommended more water.

You might ask about an enema, -- I don't know if xrays would show if she has material in her colon or an ultrasound is necessary, but it doesn't sound to me as though her quality of life is awful other than that hard stomach. Whatever you decide, you don't want to wait too long otherwise it could turn into megacolon.

 

[fionasmom]

Cat pooping on floor almost 1 year straight - HELP!!!!
This article which was posted by Furballsmom explains dosage of Miralax, near the middle of the article. It amounts to 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per day, although they say once daily. I have a cat who will be forever on Miralax and I split the dosage into 1/8 teaspoons, but she does get 1/2 teaspoon per day.

I know you have a lot going on here, but if constipation is something that you think could be a major issue, you might try using Miralax a little longer. I mix it in Hartz Delectables which are so liquid that I do not use water at all and it does dissolve completely.

 

[noise]

You might ask about an enema, -- I don't know if xrays would show if she has material in her colon or an ultrasound is necessary, but it doesn't sound to me as though her quality of life is awful other than that hard stomach. Whatever you decide, you don't want to wait too long otherwise it could turn into megacolon.

I was a little worried that might be an answer, due to finances, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask the price. Yes, her being good is what makes this so hard. Thank you.

Cat pooping on floor almost 1 year straight - HELP!!!!
This article which was posted by Furballsmom explains dosage of Miralax, near the middle of the article. It amounts to 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per day, although they say once daily. I have a cat who will be forever on Miralax and I split the dosage into 1/8 teaspoons, but she does get 1/2 teaspoon per day.

I know you have a lot going on here, but if constipation is something that you think could be a major issue, you might try using Miralax a little longer. I mix it in Hartz Delectables which are so liquid that I do not use water at all and it does dissolve completely.

Oh, thanks! I wasn't sure, I had read another post on here, but couldn't find it again. I'll do another 1\8 today then. Thankfully, I've been adding a lot of water to her food as is, so I've put it in there.

 

[noise]

I called the vet, and it is out of our budget, as there are x-rays needed. He did show us you can see the poop on that first one.

I have a little worry, as her breathing seems elevated, which I told him, so this might be it. The final sign for me.

I'm still going to go with his recommended higher dose for miralax (realized it's called restoralax for us in Canada), and hope for the best.

Thank you for listening to me and the suggestions, I'll update if there's improvement or on Friday for her final appointment.

 

[iPappy]

I called the vet, and it is out of our budget, as there are x-rays needed. He did show us you can see the poop on that first one.

I have a little worry, as her breathing seems elevated, which I told him, so this might be it. The final sign for me.

I'm still going to go with his recommended higher dose for miralax (realized it's called restoralax for us in Canada), and hope for the best.

Thank you for listening to me and the suggestions, I'll update if there's improvement or on Friday for her final appointment.

I know there are other issues going on, but, the optimistic side of me wonders if her breathing is a little elevated from the discomfort from the constipation. I've known cats with chronic constipation problems and usually their breathing does look a little off if they're experiencing a flare up.
IME, miralax works. And it's gentle on them, but, in some cases it can take a few days to work.
Is she a heavy shedder? Some cats that are long haired or thick coated and shed a lot can groom enough that they get a bit of a hair plug in there that causes some problems.
I really hope she rallies and feels better soon. Miralax can be used in very small doses as a prevention if this is a chronic problem, too.

 

[noise]

I know there are other issues going on, but, the optimistic side of me wonders if her breathing is a little elevated from the discomfort from the constipation. I've known cats with chronic constipation problems and usually their breathing does look a little off if they're experiencing a flare up.
IME, miralax works. And it's gentle on them, but, in some cases it can take a few days to work.
Is she a heavy shedder? Some cats that are long haired or thick coated and shed a lot can groom enough that they get a bit of a hair plug in there that causes some problems.
I really hope she rallies and feels better soon. Miralax can be used in very small doses as a prevention if this is a chronic problem, too.

See, I was wondering that, too. I think, because of her previous elevated breathing, and that odd spot on the x-rays, I didn't quite get a response on that. It might've also been my communication skills, I admit I'm not the best at that. It's good to know about other cats sometimes having the same issue, that eases my mind a bit.

I am just trying to find a balance, between being hopeful and defeatist. Hence, her appointment being on Friday instead of sooner, though I'm still not sure if that's enough time. Especially, with the Miralax taking a bit, everything feels so rushed, but at the same time, I don't want her to hurt.

Ah, above average shedding, I'd say, and she's quite meticulous on cleaning, usually, that's slowed some since she got sick.

Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it, and that prevention tip is good for the future, whatever it may hold.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm not clear, they can't use the first set of X-rays, where they're able to see the poop?

In either case, would there be anything here?
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life - TheCatSite

 

[noise]

I'm not clear, they can't use the first set of X-rays, where they're able to see the poop?
[\QUOTE]

Ah, sorry for the confusion, I was trying to say that you can see what's going on in there with x-rays. Those first ones were a couple weeks ago, it looked normal then. She's had a couple more since then, but they were more focused on the lungs. So maybe that's why? There was, also, less food going into her at the time, as she was fighting me more then.

In either case, would there be anything here?
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life - TheCatSite

I am in Canada, so I'm not sure if it'll be as easy, but I'll search around with the help of that list, thank you.

 

[noise]

Oh sorry, about the formatting there, I'm on mobile, so I didn't realize it was the wrong slash.

 

[lisahe]

Anyways, I'm just worried it's just constipation, and we're going to put her down over something that can be fixed. Though, I know if it's been so long, it can be really hard to get it going again. It's just even the vet was baffled as she seems so healthy aside from whatever growth is in her chest.

Yes, constipation can definitely be difficult to deal with but it can certainly be eased! One of our cats has constipation that gives her very similar symptoms, particularly pickiness. Learning to ease constipation consistently can take time and patience, but it's well worth the effort. Although I don't quite understand about your cat's lung symptoms, I'd take the fact that she's using her scratcher and looking for affection as very, very good signs! When our cat gets constipated, she gets incredibly cranky. Scratcher (which she loves) and affection (which she craves) come later, when she's feeling better.

Maybe you could speak with your vet again about other remedies, including small amounts of egg yolk, which can help speed up digestion a little by moving the bowels? Some cats love egg yolk. This page has information about egg yolk:How Best to Manage Hairballs
The recommendation is 1-2 egg yolks per week, so starting small, at something like 1/16 of a yolk a day, might be a good start. Some cat foods have egg in them, too. In any case, I'd check with the vet on this first, given that your cat is already taking other remedies. Maybe something is already starting to take effect? I hope so!

This might sound pretty odd but it might also help to pat your cat a lot (stroking or even lightly massaging her back/spine) and talk to her. You could even tell her a story! I heard this technique in a holistic vet talk about pet stress -- this works very well for our cats, they love the attention (particularly when the stories have their names in them) and seem to find it very calming. As do I! I mention this because stress and anxiety can apparently contribute to constipation.

Crossing my fingers that something will help your cat through this very soon!

 

[noise]

Yes, constipation can definitely be difficult to deal with but it can certainly be eased! One of our cats has constipation that gives her very similar symptoms, particularly pickiness. Learning to ease constipation consistently can take time and patience, but it's well worth the effort. Although I don't quite understand about your cat's lung symptoms, I'd take the fact that she's using her scratcher and looking for affection as very, very good signs! When our cat gets constipated, she gets incredibly cranky. Scratcher (which she loves) and affection (which she craves) come later, when she's feeling better.

Maybe you could speak with your vet again about other remedies, including small amounts of egg yolk, which can help speed up digestion a little by moving the bowels? Some cats love egg yolk. This page has information about egg yolk:How Best to Manage Hairballs
The recommendation is 1-2 egg yolks per week, so starting small, at something like 1/16 of a yolk a day, might be a good start. Some cat foods have egg in them, too. In any case, I'd check with the vet on this first, given that your cat is already taking other remedies. Maybe something is already starting to take effect? I hope so!

This might sound pretty odd but it might also help to pat your cat a lot (stroking or even lightly massaging her back/spine) and talk to her. You could even tell her a story! I heard this technique in a holistic vet talk about pet stress -- this works very well for our cats, they love the attention (particularly when the stories have their names in them) and seem to find it very calming. As do I! I mention this because stress and anxiety can apparently contribute to constipation.

Crossing my fingers that something will help your cat through this very soon!

Thank you, the people around me just keep thinking this is the end for her. I dont think anyone else sees the signs I do as positive, but I kind of don't expect her to instantly improve, nor do I think it was just one thing affecting her. I'm the only one with her all day currently.

The lungs have a mass, we can't afford to find out what it is, as it requires an ultrasound, which we were told was about $8000cdn. It's the only thing that gives me hesitation on fighting this much for her.

I am going to pick up some hydracare, so maybe I'll see if there's a bit of time for hairball questions, from the sounds of the symptoms, she's been having problems for awhile, we just didn't realize, we thought she was eating too fast. I really hope they don't mind, I've bugged them 2 days in a row with them, and that maybe, I can start with it as well.

I'll add a bit more of the petting, she loves laying on my lap, from the last year or so, and I, kind of, naturally do a bit of stuff like that, not so much talking though.

 

[lisahe]

Thank you, the people around me just keep thinking this is the end for her. I dont think anyone else sees the signs I do as positive, but I kind of don't expect her to instantly improve, nor do I think it was just one thing affecting her. I'm the only one with her all day currently.

The lungs have a mass, we can't afford to find out what it is, as it requires an ultrasound, which we were told was about $8000cdn. It's the only thing that gives me hesitation on fighting this much for her.

I am going to pick up some hydracare, so maybe I'll see if there's a bit of time for hairball questions, from the sounds of the symptoms, she's been having problems for awhile, we just didn't realize, we thought she was eating too fast. I really hope they don't mind, I've bugged them 2 days in a row with them, and that maybe, I can start with it as well.

I'll add a bit more of the petting, she loves laying on my lap, from the last year or so, and I, kind of, naturally do a bit of stuff like that, not so much talking though.

Ah, now I see why the lung mass is such a concern, given the price of an ultrasound.

If she's vomiting, that could be a symptom of constipation. Of course even vomiting isn't always easy to sort with differences between regurgitating undigested food or vomiting up partially digested food or vomiting "empty" stomach acid or bringing up a hairball.

I hope the staff at the vet's will help you when you go to pick up the Hydracare.

 

[noise]

Ah, now I see why the lung mass is such a concern, given the price of an ultrasound.

If she's vomiting, that could be a symptom of constipation. Of course even vomiting isn't always easy to sort with differences between regurgitating undigested food or vomiting up partially digested food or vomiting "empty" stomach acid or bringing up a hairball.

I hope the staff at the vet's will help you when you go to pick up the Hydracare.

Yeah, and that's not even going to tell us if it's cancerous or not, I believe. So surgery, etc, would have to happen for that.

She has done all those things in the past, so yes, I'm not sure which it would be either. I mean, it could even be the mass, as we think it's in the lungs, but maybe it's could be along the esophagus.

Thank you, I hope so, too.

 

[noise]

Apologies, I may be wrong on the cost of the ultrasound, that may have been the hospital stay price, along with ultrasound? It's been a bit hectic.

 

[white shadow]

.
On the (far) east coast, my clinic's range is $250-500. My (experienced) guess is that the range relates to the time involved.

Try calling....but you'll need one of the Vets or experienced techs ("RVTs") for an informed answer.

You're using more Miralax today, right? I'd be upping it to 1/4tsp.

BTW, I saw "HydraCare" in there......many cats turn up their noses at that.......so, don't buy a case! (it also dilutes the urine, lowers the specific gravity, thereby eliminating an otherwise valuable diagnostic measurement)
.

 

[noise]

.
On the (far) east coast, my clinic's range is $250-500. My (experienced) guess is that the range relates to the time involved.

Try calling....but you'll need one of the Vets or experienced techs ("RVTs") for an informed answer.

You're using more Miralax today, right? I'd be upping it to 1/4tsp.

BTW, I saw "HydraCare" in there......many cats turn up their noses at that.......so, don't buy a case! (it also dilutes the urine, lowers the specific gravity, thereby eliminating an otherwise valuable diagnostic measurement)
.

I think it was also he was referring us to someone else, so he doesn't fully know the prices. So I will call, thank you.

Correct, the vet did tell me 1\4tsp two times, so I did one this morning. I did one of that amount yesterday evening as well.

I just got two for now thankfully. I have been assist feeding her still, but oddly, she took a lick of this one when I offered the bowl ahead of time. She's only done that with a couple licks of Churu so far, and a catnip treat that she couldn't quite actually get in her mouth. Well, dang they didn't mention that, hopefully 5ml won't be so bad, I was kind of thinking this might be better than watered down food tho, as her stomach is still distended.

 

[lisahe]

.
On the (far) east coast, my clinic's range is $250-500. My (experienced) guess is that the range relates to the time involved.

Try calling....but you'll need one of the Vets or experienced techs ("RVTs") for an informed answer.

You're using more Miralax today, right? I'd be upping it to 1/4tsp.

BTW, I saw "HydraCare" in there......many cats turn up their noses at that.......so, don't buy a case! (it also dilutes the urine, lowers the specific gravity, thereby eliminating an otherwise valuable diagnostic measurement)
.

Agreeing with white shadow about the ultrasound prices and information. I think we paid (also on the (far) east coast) $275 for one in summer 2022. Our cat's was very worthwhile, particularly at that price.

Again, fingers crossed!