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How To Help Cat Constipation

What Are The Symptoms Of Constipation

How to Relieve Cat Constipation

Constipation is the inability of your bowel to move and empty waste matter from your body. This can lead to discomfort, which may include painful bowel movements, a bloated stomach, weight loss, headaches, and fatigue. This can make everyday tasks more difficult, so its important to consult your doctor if you notice that your bowel movements are unusually hard. When visiting your doctor, be sure to tell them about any changes youve noticed in your bowel movements. Some signs include: watery diarrhea, unusually small stools, a bloated stomach, and pain during bowel movements.

Treatment Of Constipation In Cats

Once your veterinarian has determined the underlying cause of your cat’s constipation, he or she can determine the best course of treatment. For minor or acute cases of feline constipation, your vet may recommend treatments like:

  • Increased hydration: You may increase your cat’s hydration by providing more water at home. Your vet may also use intravenous hydration to treat your cat’s constipation.
  • Stool softeners: Stool softeners may be given orally to help your cat defecate normally.
  • Laxatives: Laxatives help your cat defecate normally and more often.
  • Increased fiber intake: Your vet may recommend switching your cat to a high-fiber cat food. You also can add high-fiber foods like canned pumpkin to your cat’s diet.
  • Enemas: Severe cases of feline constipation or cases caused by underlying diseases like cancer or tumors typically require surgical intervention. Surgery may be needed to manually evacuate the bowels or to remove obstructions in the intestines and stomach.

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Treatment For Cat Constipation

Treatment for constipated cats depends on the cause and severity. Constipation that is left untreated can lead to megacolon, a form of constipation that is not responsive to medical treatment and can be fatal.

The first step in treatment is to remove the obstructing feces, which sometimes requires administration of fluids or an enema at the clinic. Never give an enema to your cat at home, as human enemas are not safe for cats.

If the constipation is moderate or severe, your cat will need to be sedated for the enema or deobstipation .

The next step is to determine the underlying cause of your cats constipation and address it. You may need to make changes in your cats environment, like moving the litter boxes, cleaning the water bowl or litter boxes more often, or trying a cat water fountain or a different type of water bowl.

The vet may also recommend switching your cat to low- or high-fiber food and adding medication specifically for constipation.

But more often, treating any underlying disease, such as kidney disease or arthritis, is the most important treatment to prevent a recurrence.

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Tips For Helping Constipation At Home

Water intake

If your cat is experiencing a bout of constipation, one of the most effective things you can do is increasing their water intake. Ensuring that their hydration is as good as possible will help prevent the stools from drying out and lubricate their passage through the bowel. There are many ways that you can encourage your cat to drink more water, including using water fountains, extra water bowls, and running taps. However, if your cat wont be persuaded to drink more, you can try feeding them wet food and even adding extra water to their food.

Litter boxes

Cats are very clean creatures, and if their litter box is dirty or they have to share it with other cats, they may choose to hold their feces. To avoid constipation, its essential that your furry friend feels free to go whenever he needs to. Therefore, keeping litter boxes clean and providing more than one litter box per cat is important to keep your cat toileting stress-free.

Reduce stress

Your cat might also avoid passing poop for as long as possible if they are feeling stressed. This could be from other cats, building work, a new baby, or anything that impacts your cats normal routine. Using anxiety-reducing sprays, diffusers, or plug-ins can help keep your cat feeling calm.

If your cat is prone to constipation, you can increase their water intake and reduce their stress to help stop flare-ups.

Ask Your Vet About Over

Cat Constipation: Signs Your Cat Is Constipated &  How To Help

The following over-the-counter products may treat symptoms of constipation, but make sure to consult your veterinarian before giving any new supplements or medications to your cat.

There are several types of laxatives that work in different ways. Most over-the-counter options work by causing the body to pull more water into the intestines, which helps soften the stool so its easier to pass.

Because they pull water into the intestines, laxatives can make other symptoms worse for cats with underlying chronic diseases, causing dehydration. You should ask your vet if theyre a good option for your cat.

Miralax is commonly used in cats with constipation, and Colace is also an option. Other laxatives that are designed for people can cause issues for cats.

Oil- or grease-based laxatives like Laxatone should only be used if a vet recommends them and should not be used long-term, as they can affect a cats ability to absorb nutrients from their food.

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What Is Constipation In Cats

Most cats will poop approximately every 24 to 36 hours. If your cat is pooping less frequently, strains when she attempts to poop or doesnt leave any deposits in the litter box, constipation is likely the issue. Its a common problem in cats thats usually mild enough to be remedied with at-home treatments.

If it happens infrequently, theres no need to worry, but you should contact your vet if it becomes a common problem or if its been more than 48 to 72 hours since shes had a bowel movement. Constipation can sometimes be a sign of serious health issues, not to mention be uncomfortable .

Can You Prevent Cat Constipation

Prevent your cat from future constipation complications by monitoring their water. Provide them with clean water even better if its moving. A water fountain can encourage drinking, preventing future problems like constipation. If your cat is comfortable with the traditional water bowl, make sure youre changing their water daily to ensure its fresh and free of parasites!

If you are feeding your cat wet food, make sure youre checking on its shelf life. Your cat will thrive best with fresh, healthy food. Even dry food can provide them the right nutrients if you choose a brand that has all of the protein and vitamins they need.

Always keep an eye on your cats litterbox as well. Its important to make sure they are regularly passing bowel movements. Its also important to stay on top of litterbox cleanliness. A fresh litterbox can encourage cats more than a dirty one, which they may avoid even if they do have to go.

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Enemas And Laxatives May Be Administered

After hydration, laxatives may be prescribed to help the cat begin to pass the stool. Enemas can be used to directly hydrate and lubricate the stool that is stuck in the colon.

Over-the-counter enemas available in pharmacies should not be used in cats, since many contain ingredients that are toxic to cats. Many cats will tolerate enemas with minimal sedation, but a full disimpaction will require general anesthesia and is pursued only when other methods have failed.

Some cats with severe megacolon may require a surgery called a subtotal colectomy to remove the affected area of the colon to prevent painful recurrences. This is a major procedure that is reserved for only the most severe cases.

Once the constipation is addressed, your veterinarian will discuss measures you can take at home to prevent your cat from becoming constipated again, including encouraging more water intake, dietary changes, supplements, and possibly medications like stool softeners, laxatives or motility drugs .

How Vets Diagnose Cat Constipation

Is Your Cat Constipated? A Vet Explains How to Help

First, your veterinarian will get a history of the problem. Youll describe the symptoms, when they started, and other factors that may be related to your cats constipation.

Providing a full history is very important because straining in the litter box can also be a symptom of lower urinary issues and diarrhea.

After getting your cats history, your veterinarian will perform a physical exam. In constipated cats, a vet can often feel the hard stool, but not always.

Next, your veterinarian will recommend X-rays to evaluate the extent of constipation to determine the best initial treatment for your cat. Bloodwork is often required to assess underlying diseases that may predispose your cat to constipation.

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Treat Your Cat With Canned Cat Food

Canned cat food is a great way to treat your cat, because its simple and easy to use. Canned cat food also doesnt contain many of the foods that can cause health problems for your cat. You can use the nutrition facts label on your canned cat food to help you choose the best food for your cat. Look for information about protein and fat content, calories and carbohydrates. Cats are carnivores, so canned cat food should be high in protein and low in carbohydrates. As a rule of thumb, the more protein your cat eats, the lower the amount of carbohydrates. The overall protein and fat content of your cats food should also be high. Canned cat food can be a great way to help your cat if you have constipation. According to an article published in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, dietary changes can be an effective way to help cats with constipation. Add some cooked or moist food to your cats diet to help with constipation. There are a variety of canned foods that have been formulated to help cats with constipation. You can also add a teaspoon of canned cat food to your cats food to help them with constipation.

Best Way To Help A Constipated Cat Poop Again

Take him to your vet. There! Easy! The Cornell Feline Health Center indicates a vet will evaluate your cat’s hydration levels, assess overall health, and eliminate other possible clinical causes.

Another reason why a professional exam is the best remedy for cat constipation is if the condition is more serious, the vet team takes immediate action. “Constipated cats may need an enema at the vet clinic to help them defecate. This is a liquid that softens and lubricates the passage of feces,” Anthony says. “Some cats can get so ‘blocked up’ that they are unable to move the stool. This is called obstipation and requires fecal extraction by a doctor under sedation/anesthesia.”

There are home remedies for cat constipation that you’ll probably find online, and your vet will likely recommend the safest and most effective options. “Often, adding fiber such as pumpkin or psyllium and/or stool softeners can help, as will increasing dietary moisture with canned food or low-sodium broths,” Anthony says. “No changes should be made prior to visiting a veterinarian, however, as dietary recommendations should be made with the whole cat in mind.”

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How Is Constipation Treated In Cats

Though some constipation issues are mild and can be treated with changes to diet and lifestyle, along with at-home remedies, some may be severe and need the attention of your vet. Serious issues may become emergencies.

Constipation must be treated as soon as possible to decrease the risk of permanent damage as a result of prolonged distension of the colon.

To treat constipation in cats, the underlying disorder must be identified and if possible, corrected.

Impacted feces should be removed and recurrences prevented. The inability to pass urine or feces, or pain when passing urine or feces, is considered a veterinary emergency. Your veterinarian may first run any applicable diagnostic tests, then provide fluids or an enema for immediate relief, and prescribe medications or recommend over-the-counter meds.

A qualified veterinary professional can safely and effectively perform an enema for your cat – NEVER attempt to do this yourself – some types of enemas designed for humans are toxic to cats.

If your cats constipation is long-term or if your kitty is suffering from obstipation , they may have megacolon, which is an enlarged intestine due to a defect in the colons muscle strength.

Cats with chronic constipation or megacolon that do not respond to medical treatment may need to have the section of the large intestine thats affected removed.

How to treat constipation in cats: At-Home Remedies

These at-home remedies may help to relieve your feline friends constipation:

Supportive Remedies For Constipation In Cats

Cat Constipation Home Remedies. Most complete info, exact amounts to ...

Dietary fibre supplements can help reduce the frequency of constipation episodes. Both soluble and insoluble fibres are beneficial soluble fibre is metabolized by colonic bacteria and provides nutrients for gastrointestinal cells, while insoluble fibre adds bulk to feces and encourages movement through the intestines. Some common options for dietary supplementation include psyllium husks or wheat bran, both of which should be taken 1-2 times per day and mixed with food. Canned pumpkin can also be used but isn’t as effective as either wheat bran or psyllium husks. For cats specifically, there is a dry diet available from Royal Canin that is enriched with psyllium and has been shown to manage constipation effectively.

Prokinetic drugs can be used to help with chronic constipation, though they should not be used in cats who have gastrointestinal obstruction. Some prokinetic agents that work by affecting colonic motility include cisapride and ranitidine. In one study, mosapride citrate was found to effectively prevent recurrent constipation when used as a single treatment.

While probiotics and prebiotics can be helpful for chronic constipation, synbiotics may be even more effective. One study showed that the use of a multi-strain probiotic resulted in clinical improvement in cats with chronic constipation and megacolon.

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How To Tell If A Cat Is Constipated

As stated, a cat should empty its bowels daily. If your older cat goes 24 hours with pooping, its likely to be constipated. Signs of a constipated senior cat include:

  • Not visiting the litter box
  • Swollen, distended abdomen
  • Hunched posture and reluctant movement
  • Releasing small, hard feces
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss

Ensure that your cat is unable to defecate. It may be able to go to the toilet but is unwilling to do so. This may be because your cat has developed a fear of its litter box, so it chooses to eliminate elsewhere or holds in its waste.

What Are The Remedies For Constipation In Cats

If your cat is constipated, the severity will dictate what kind of treatment they need. If possible, your veterinarian should try to identify and treat the underlying cause. Additionally, your veterinarian may recommend rehydration if dehydration has contributed to constipation. In severe cases, where there are metabolic abnormalities, hospitalization may be required so that these can be corrected and impacted feces removed in order to reduce stress on the bowel wall.

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Change The Litter Box

It’s always a good idea to keep a litter box clean, more so if you’re worried that it could be causing cats to hold their poop. A quick fix here is to ensure your cat’s litter box is placed in a pleasant place. That way you can be sure that your cat at least feels comfortable trying to poop but if a feline already has constipation then this remedy is unlikely to resolve the issue in and of itself.

How Is Constipation In Cats Treated

How to palpate for constipation megacolon to help a cat that is constipated

Though some constipation issues are mild and can be treated with changes to diet and lifestyle, along with at-home remedies, some may be severe and need the attention of your vet. Serious issues may become emergencies.

Constipation must be treated as soon as possible to decrease the risk of permanent damage as a result of prolonged distension of the colon.

To treat constipation in cats, the underlying disorder must be identified and if possible, corrected. Impacted feces should be removed and recurrences prevented. The inability to pass urine or feces, or pain when passing urine or feces, is considered a veterinary emergency. Your veterinarian may first run any applicable diagnostic tests, then provide fluids or an enema for immediate relief, and prescribe medications or recommend over-the-counter meds.

Lets stress that veterinary expertise is needed to safely and effectively perform the enema – these should not be done at home as some types of enemas designed for humans are toxic to cats.

If your cats constipation is long-term or shes suffering from obstipation , she may have megacolon, an enlarged intestine due to a defect in the colons muscle strength.

Cats with chronic constipation or megacolon that does not respond to medical treatment may need to have the section of the large intestine thats affected removed.

How to treat constipation in cats: At-Home Remedies

These at-home remedies may help to relive your cats constipation:

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Products To Help Constipated Cats

In a perfect world, feline constipation is nipped in the bud before it can progress. However, like people, cats can suffer from occasional to frequent bowel issues.

If your cat isnt pooping regularly, always seek veterinary attention. Keep her spirits up and her gut motility healthy by keeping these products on hand at home.

All featured products were chosen at the discretion of the Great Pet Care editorial team and not directly recommended or endorsed by the author of this article. Great Pet Care may make a small affiliate commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Support your cats gut with Great Pets Great Poop chews for digestive support. Finicky cats delight in the catnip and chicken liver flavors that make this treat in disguise highly palatable. Ongoing constipation may lead to megacolon. Great Poop Digestive Support delivers fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics that may combat chronic constipation. Your cat is more likely to play and explore if she feels good from the inside out.

Highlights

  • Can be given daily in a soft, chewable version cats love
  • Proudly made in the United States
  • A generous 60-chew supply lasts a long time
  • No more mixing separate fiber, pre, and probiotics with this all-in-one formula
  • One billion CFUs to help good gut bacteria thrive
  • No more struggling to get your cat to take a pill or liquid

Things to Consider

  • Use only when constipation symptoms appear
  • Drops can be placed on the tongue or diluted with water
  • Made in the United States

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