Poop question

[catgal]

One of our cats has had megacolon since June of last year. We had to take him to the vet two weeks ago because he became severely impacted again dispite the use of lactulose. He was given several enemas and antiobiotics to prevent an infection to the needle intervenous for IV fluids. Last week he had severe diarrhea. It was a messy situation because he did not use the litter box and the poop was oozing out of him constantly. I went through MANY boxes of baby wipes.

To make a long story short...his diarrhea is now under control and so is his constipation. The problem I'm dealing with is that he's not using the litter box to poop. It's coming out of his butt by the inch, every now and then, without him even realizing it. I'm picking up little bits of it here and there.

I was at the vets today and he told me that he should return to normal soon and not to worry. Well, I am worried!!! He could tell that I wasn't convinced. When we got home, I checked on him a little later...he was lying down and there was another chunk of it coming out. He's still taking lactulose day and night. Maybe it's normal with everything his inners have gone through...I don't know. The last time he went he went through this, his recovery went smoothly. I've searched the net to find answers and can't find anything on the subject.

I've been confining him to the basement through all this and it looks like the poor big guy is gonna have to spend a few more nights down there.

Has anyone ever experienced this before? I'm pooped out!!! lol!!

 

[denali]

One of our cats has had megacolon since June of last year. We had to take him to the vet two weeks ago because he became severely impacted again dispite the use of lactulose. He was given several enemas and antiobiotics to prevent an infection to the needle intervenous for IV fluids. Last week he had severe diarrhea. It was a messy situation because he did not use the litter box and the poop was oozing out of him constantly. I went through MANY boxes of baby wipes.

AWWW....poor baby - sounds like he has been through alot in the last couple of weeks. I have a girl cat that was diagnosed last month with Megacolon. Has had severe constipation issues since October. She had a similar diarrhea episode at the beginning of her starting Cisapride. The vet recommended too high of a starting dose and she had messy diarrhea for 2 days straight (what a nightmare). But to me your situation sounds like your kitty has had a reaction to the antibiotics. I have heard that giving cats probiotics after antibiotics is best to get their tummies back to normal???

To make a long story short...his diarrhea is now under control and so is his constipation. The problem I'm dealing with is that he's not using the litter box to poop. It's coming out of his butt by the inch, every now and then, without him even realizing it. I'm picking up little bits of it here and there.

I had Lexus on Miralax (called PEG 3350 here in Canada) it is a stool softner that takes moisture from the intestines only to soften the stool whereas lactulose takes water from the entire body. Once I started Lexus on Cisapride/miralax combination and her diarrhea was cleared up (and I started the miralax at a much lower dose) she started to do this exact same thing. She'd be laying on the bed and a poop would be coming out of her bum and she wouldn't even move. The vet said that she may be constipated or her body is adjusting to the cisapride. So, I upped the dose of cisapride slowly. Now she is pooping regularily. No more little poops out side of the litterbox. Your cat has been diagnosed with Megacolon right? Megacolon is when the colon is really stretched and the muscles in the colon can not work to push out the stool. Cispapride helps the muscle to push the stool out. Lactulose is a stool softner and in your case it sounds like your cat may need cisapride to help push the stools out since he is blocking. Are the stools hard when they do come out? How much of the lactulose are you giving him? I used to use lactulose and I found that it started to not work for Lexus. The Miralax softens her stool perfectly. What do you feed him? Sometimes a high fibre diet can make the situation worse. It did in my case....

Has anyone ever experienced this before? I'm pooped out!!! lol!!

Check out the Feline Megacolon group on yahoo group. I am a member of the forum and there are many people going through the same thing as you and I. Their support has been great!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline_Megacolon/

look in the archived messages, files folder, links for much needed info

Good luck!
And know that you are not alone.

 

[catgal]

Thanks Denali for your reply and thanks for the information.

Yes, Max was diagnosed with Megacolon. Even using lactulose, he always continued to have hard stools sometimes taking 3 or 4 days to pass them.

I've explained this to my vet but he's increased the lactulose instead of switching to another kind of stool softener.(It's obvious that it didn't work the first time around...he blocked up again) Not to mention how expensive it is to de-block him every time and the stress it puts on him. Today I talked to him about a medication I had read about (probably the one you are referring to) to help the muscles push the stools out. He doesn't believe he'll need it and that the increase in lactulose will be sufficient. He's now taking 3 cc's morning and night. The vet said that if I really insisted in the stool pusher, he would order it for me because they don't keep it in stock.

As for the food I'm feeding him. The vet also pushes the fibre food and I've also read that a fibre diet is not always best. I feed him canned mixed with water and I'm still giving him Medi-cal Fibre formula. I try to give him more canned but he's a picky eater. What kind of food do you feed your cat?

For the next weeks, I'm going to be really watchful of the stool consistency and the frequency. If I'm not satisfied with the results, I'm going to talk to him about trying the Miralax.

And thanks for the link to Feline Megacolon group. I'll definitely check that out.

I also wish you good luck with your kitty.

 

[dojo]

My older male kitty had terrible constipation problems. I suffered through two or so years of giving him Lactulose and Cisapride. He still had to visit his favorite vet every six to eight weeks for an enema, he would get so backed up.

Then a new vet suggested I try Miralax. It worked like a charm, and within a day my guy became a near-daily visitor to the box. Miralax is much cleaner--no sticky goopy mess-- flavorless (I think, he never acted like he was tasting anything but a little oral syringe of water), and cheaper, too. I bought it at the drug store, over the counter, for six or seven dollars.

I would check with your vet. It may not be the solution for your kitty, but for mine it was a little miracle! I kind of wonder if I would have ever needed the cisapride if I had heard about Miralax sooner.

--dojo

 

[denali]

Yes, Max was diagnosed with Megacolon. Even using lactulose, he always continued to have hard stools sometimes taking 3 or 4 days to pass them.

I second Dojo's suggestion about giving Miralax (PEG 3350 here in Canada) first before you start Cisapride. But if he is in the Megacolon stage it may not work on it's own after a little while. But I have heard stories where people's cats were diagnosed with Megacolon and once started Miralax the problem was manageable with just Miralax. In Canada you can get it over the counter at a pharmacy. It is so much cheaper. Your vet may not know about it but mention PEG 3350 as well. Most vets do not know about it and like to push lactulose on patients. Go to the Feline Megacolon group and in the files there is articles that explains what Miralax is that you can print off to take to your vet. The Holistic vet I took my cat to for her chronic constipation issues is the one who introduced me to PEG 3350. If he is humming and hawing about it he can give her a call??? This is also a tasteless crystal that you could add to his wet food/water combination. Really simple and less stressful then the sticky lactulose.

The vet said that if I really insisted in the stool pusher, he would order it for me because they don't keep it in stock.

Cisapride can be compounded into a liquid form. Some pharmacies here in Canada will do this for patients. You can get different flavors but Lexus does not like the chicken so next month I will get the flavorless liquid form. The vet I took her to that did the xray that confirmed she had Megacolon subscribed the Cisapride for Lexus. He has performed about 6 surgeries to correct Megacolon. But the vet that owns the clinic has performed many many more.

As for the food I'm feeding him. The vet also pushes the fibre food and I've also read that a fibre diet is not always best. I feed him canned mixed with water and I'm still giving him Medi-cal Fibre formula. I try to give him more canned but he's a picky eater. What kind of food do you feed your cat?

It's great that you are feeding him a wet food with added water. Is the wet food only the Medi-cal formula? I would ditch this. The added fibre is obviously not working and may be causing some of his constipation. I would find a grain free, low fibre content wet food. I am feeding Lexus Wellness grainfree/Core and EVO 95% meat right now.

For the next weeks, I'm going to be really watchful of the stool consistency and the frequency.

If they are not rock hard then the lactulose is doing its job - but if they are not being passed for 4 days then from my experience he may need help pushing the stool out.

If I'm not satisfied with the results, I'm going to talk to him about trying the Miralax.

And thanks for the link to Feline Megacolon group. I'll definitely check that out.

This group will help you know that you are not alone. It is more common then we think. But always remember that every cat is different and you may have to play with medications and doses until you find the right dose for your kitty. I know I had to....

I also wish you good luck with your kitty.

Thanks!