Cat Constipation

Constipation is characterized by straining to move the bowels or by having infrequent bowel movements. If your cat is not straining.is alert and active, and is eating well but has not defecated in two or three days, don’t panic. Not even Amtrak is always on time, so why should your cat’s bowel movements be on such a strict schedule?

Ingesting bones, wood, or other indices-tables is the leading cause of constipation. Less common causes are the ingestion of hairballs from cats cleaning themselves and the slower intestinal movements of older animals.

A cat that has impacted feces (hard feces in the colon) makes frequent, straining attempts to defecate. The animal may be listless or anorectic (without appetite) and may vomit or pass small amounts of blood-streaked, foul-smelling feces. Some long-haired cats get feces stuck and matted over their anus. Consequently, they cannot defecate. This is calledpseudocoprostasis.

Male cats strain with a urinary blockage that many owners confuse with constipation.

Cat Constipation Home Remedies

You can try to relieve mild constipation by adding over-the-counter laxatives such as Metamucil or Mucilose to the food. Adding water to a dry-food diet may also be helpful. Also try adding mineral oil, which lubricates and softens the stools, to the food. Add one teaspoon per ten pounds of body weight, but don’t give mineral oil for more than three days prolonged use decreases the absorption of vitamins. Do not administer it directly into the mouth. as it is very bland and may pass into the respiratory system before your cat can cough. Mineral oil in the lungs will cause pneumonia.

If your cat is straining to pass small amounts of blood-streaked, foul-smelling feces, you can try a pediatric Fleet mineral oil enema if your veterinarian recommends it. Follow the directions on the package and stay in touch with the veterinarian.

Pseudocoprostasis is cured very simply by trimming the hair and matted feces from theanus using scissors. Bathe the area and apply a soothing cream if it is irritated.

Cat Constipation Treatment

If your cat has impacted feces trapped in the colon, your doctor will perform a complete physical. He or she will palpate the impacted feces in the colon and do a rectal exam. In addition, your doctor may suggest a radiograph or ultrasound. or endoscopy to study the extent and cause of the impaction. Sometimes a piece of bone is found lodged in the rectum.

• Repeated warm-water enemas will probably be necessary to relieve the blockage.
• Keep your cat’s water bowl filled. Dehydrated pets can have hard, dry feces.

When cats groom themselves, their barbed tongues can capture large clumps of hair, which are then swallowed. This hairball can contribute to constipation. Oil-based gels such as Laxatone, Kat-a-lax, or white petroleum jelly can prevent problems.

As your cat ages, so does the muscle in the intestine. It becomes lazy and moves the feces through the intestines much more slowly. The longer the feces stay in the intestine, the more water is removed from them, making the stool much drier. Give an oil-based gel and mixstewed or raw fruits and vegetables in the food prunes to live up to their reputation! Be sure that an old cat’s water bowl remains filled, because adequate fluid intake is very important.

To help prevent pseudocoprostasis, keep the anal area of your long-haired cat clipped of excess hair.

See more: Cat Circulatory System