Stan's not pooping?

[nerdrock]

We've had Stan for just over a month now and I realized the other day while cleaning out his litter box that he hasn't pooped in awhile. He may have actually pooped and the dogs ate it before I could clean it out, but I'm not positive so I thought I'd ask before I get all freaked out and take him to the vet. That being said, I am planning on bringing him to the vet this coming week for a general checkup (I get paid on the weekend).

He doesn't seem to have much of an appetite either, he is eating, just not a lot. I may also be used to cats (and dogs) that tend to gorge themselves. He will not eat dry food, but he is eating a bit of soft food. He is also drinking fine and is not dehyrated. He has seemed to have lost weight, his ribs have fat covering them and are easily felt, but he seems to have a bit of a pot belly. I just wormed him today, incase that's the problem.

Anyone have any ideas for when we go see the vet on Monday?

 

[carolina]

Well, not eating is NOT good. How old is he? When you got him, how did you transition the food from what he was eating before to what he is eating now? Have you taken him to the vet after you adopted him?
You need to measure the food now everyday to really see how much he is eating... Do that instead of free feeding. Sounds like he he might not like the food...
How much of canned food is he eating? How much of dry food is he eating?
Not eating can lead to liver damage and that is very dangerous. Not pooping is very strange also - he should be pooping once a day... He is probably constipated...

 

[nerdrock]

He IS eating, just not as much as I would expect. He is also not free fed and his food is measured, because we have two dogs that would love to eat his food any chance they got. He is fed around noon - about 1/4 can of wet food and then again around 5-6 (depending on my work schedule), the same amount. He also has about 1/4 cup of dry food that we put out at night when we go to bed. He has been eating about half of the wet food but doesn't seem to be touching the dry, he has never really eaten dry food here but it's what he was on at the shelter. We do not know what he was being fed before at the shelter, they didn't tell us and when we asked the people at Petsmart they didn't know, so I'm assuming his food was whatever they had been given through donations. The people that work with the shelter would come in and feed them, play with them and what not twice a day.

He went into the vet right after we got him, everything checked out fine.

He is about 8 years old. He isn't in any pain and is acting the same as he always has, he mostly lays around in his beds all day, will play with toys if we play with him, does most of his roaming around at night.

 

[catsallaround]

Is it possible hes eating the dogs food? does he go out at all and having any chances at being a "poor stray being fed by neighbors?"
Do you have his vet records and was any bloodwork done on him?

 

[nerdrock]

Nope, no chance he's eating the dogs food... unless he's jumping up and opening up bags, lol. He also doesn't go outside, we live in an apartment so he'd have to slip out the door without us noticing, then get through two more sets of doors and then slip back in through three doors. We are always checking to make sure that everyone is in when we go out, the dogs are small as well (dachshunds). They're also crated when we're not home, so Stan has free roam of the apartment.

We only have records of when his shots and wormings were done, nothing else.

Could it be that he doesn't like his litter and he's holding it in? We recently switched from the regular litter to a pine one that's flushable (because it's much easier for us to clean his box that way). I'll switch his litter tonight and see if he poops.

We just offered him some tuna and it's juice, he loved the juice but didn't eat much of the tuna. Again, that's not really unusual for him - he's never seemed to want any when we offered it to him, just the juice.

 

[catsallaround]

I tried the pine litter while back and cats refused to use it even with a slow intro. Did you mix it with his old or just give all pine one day?

I think your right on target and an exam is your best bet-also be sure the teeth/mouth are examined well. make sure to bring the records and any numbers to the place you got him from in case they can give any additional help to the vet

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Carolina

How old is he? When you got him, how did you transition the food from what he was eating before to what he is eating now? Have you taken him to the vet after you adopted him?
You need to measure the food now everyday to really see how much he is eating... Do that instead of free feeding. Sounds like he he might not like the food...
How much of canned food is he eating? How much of dry food is he eating?
Not eating can lead to liver damage and that is very dangerous. Not pooping is very strange also - he should be pooping once a day... He is probably constipated...

???.................................

 

[nerdrock]

Originally Posted by catsallaround

I tried the pine litter while back and cats refused to use it even with a slow intro. Did you mix it with his old or just give all pine one day?

He will pee in it, but not poop. Or he's pooping and we're missing it because the dogs are getting to it first - but in that case he'd have to be pooping during the day... I clean his box out first thing in the morning when I go to the bathroom and then smooth it all out so that I know when he goes. I'm pretty sure it's been undisturbed throughout the day, unless someone else is cleaning it out which I highly doubt - roommate is hardly ever home and boyfriend wouldn't touch it.

How old is he? When you got him, how did you transition the food from what he was eating before to what he is eating now? Have you taken him to the vet after you adopted him?
You need to measure the food now everyday to really see how much he is eating... Do that instead of free feeding. Sounds like he he might not like the food...
How much of canned food is he eating? How much of dry food is he eating?
Not eating can lead to liver damage and that is very dangerous. Not pooping is very strange also - he should be pooping once a day... He is probably constipated...

Answered here:

He IS eating, just not as much as I would expect. He is also not free fed and his food is measured, because we have two dogs that would love to eat his food any chance they got. He is fed around noon - about 1/4 can of wet food and then again around 5-6 (depending on my work schedule), the same amount. He also has about 1/4 cup of dry food that we put out at night when we go to bed. He has been eating about half of the wet food but doesn't seem to be touching the dry, he has never really eaten dry food here but it's what he was on at the shelter. We do not know what he was being fed before at the shelter, they didn't tell us and when we asked the people at Petsmart they didn't know, so I'm assuming his food was whatever they had been given through donations. The people that work with the shelter would come in and feed them, play with them and what not twice a day.

He went into the vet right after we got him, everything checked out fine.

He is about 8 years old. He isn't in any pain and is acting the same as he always has, he mostly lays around in his beds all day, will play with toys if we play with him, does most of his roaming around at night.

 

[nerdrock]

Update: Just changed his litter back to the other kind and put him in it, he peed right away. No poop yet, but hopefully tonight.

 

[nerdrock]

Another update: I just tried heating his food up in the microwave (actually a mixture of his wet food and some tuna that we had tried to give him earlier). He's eating it right now like a champ. He loves it. So I think we have the food problem figured out, so hopefully the poop will follow

Still taking him to the vet on Monday for a general check up.

 

[carolina]

Sounds like he doesn't like the food - what is he eating? For dry and wet?
you said he licks the juice of the food, leaving the meat... Have you tried pate food?

 

[nerdrock]

We had gotten a bunch of dry food samples when we first got him, the only one he would eat was Oven Baked, so we have a small bag of that here for him. It's resealable and we keep it in the freezer with the large bag of dog food so that it will last longer. The wet food is just Friskies because it was the only wet food that he would eat out of the 4-5 different ones we got him. We would give him 1/4 of a can and once it was open keep it covered in the fridge. He ate the wet food fine up until about a week ago, the he started getting picky with it. I think he was having trouble smelling it because once I heated it up and it was all stinky he ate it fine. Same with the tuna.

He hadn't pooped this morning yet, but he is looking a bit happier. Like I said, he will go to the vet on Monday.

 

[carolina]

Tuna, unless you are giving Tuna Flavored cat food, is not good for cats on a constant basis, it can lead to a serious disease... I would advise you stop feeding him tuna for humans. If he eats fish and likes it, maybe he would like a good fish flavored dry food... Have you tried Any? Orijen 6-fish, EVO Salmon and Herring, and the Brand New Taste of the Wild fish, are all very good choices.

 

[nerdrock]

I was just trying to get him to eat something yesterday so I put tuna in with his food, he ate it and the wet food once it was heated.

He won't touch any of those brands, I bought the Orijen sample and Global gave me samples of the other ones. The Oven Baked is fish flavoured.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by nerdrock

I was just trying to get him to eat something yesterday so I put tuna in with his food, he ate it and the wet food once it was heated.

He won't touch any of those brands, I bought the Orijen sample and Global gave me samples of the other ones. The Oven Baked is fish flavoured.

Taste of the Wild in fish just came out this last week or so - you can try that one... It is one more and in case he likes it, it would be very good... Since it is brand new, I am not sure all stores are carrying it yet - call your store and ask...
Also, when you take the food out of the freezer, do you warm it up?
Have you tried Nutro? I am not really a fan, but it is a ok food and cats like that brand quite a bit...

 

[nerdrock]

I was at Global two days ago to get dog food and didn't notice it there, we're in Canada so it will probably be a bit longer before it comes here.

We are warming his food now when we take it out of the fridge/freezer. He seems to be eating it fine now, more so then he was when it was cold.

I can't remember if we had a sample of Nutro or not, I know there was a TOTW (green), Orijen, Over Baked, Merrik and something else.

 

[catsallaround]

Till he gets seen as long as something is going in your good

You many want to try to seperate him and get a stool sample for vets and also to know for sure he goes between now and then(if your not sure the vet may want to keep him a day or two to check). Cats have a good preference for room temp/warmed food so thats great your warming it up

If you ever have a cat with a cold(or a dog

warming the food helps them eat a bit on own.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by nerdrock

I was at Global two days ago to get dog food and didn't notice it there, we're in Canada so it will probably be a bit longer before it comes here.

We are warming his food now when we take it out of the fridge/freezer. He seems to be eating it fine now, more so then he was when it was cold.

I can't remember if we had a sample of Nutro or not, I know there was a TOTW (green), Orijen, Over Baked, Merrik and something else.

ok, good... I would try Nutro too... It is well liked. Purina Proplan is another one that he might like it a lot... Not the very best, but good, and if he eats well, it is going to be good for him...
good luck on the vet Monday!

 

[nerdrock]

No one is going to be home most of the day - I have to go to work in an hour and a half and my boyfriend is going out in a few minutes until when I come home from work at 11:30pm, so Stan will have the place to himself and there will be no chance of woofers nipping up the poop before I see it if he does go. He's sitting in pounce position right now looking at my knitting basket - I have no idea what he's going after, lol.

 

[darlili]

IMO, if you cannot confirm he pooped by now - don't wait til Monday - call the vet (or e-vet) and get in now. My vet says no poop for three days means an urgent visit. If I'm reading this right, you're coming up on three days, right? Or at least call the vet and see if the vet things waiting til MOnday is ok. Good luck - it's worrisome when they get off track