Friday, August 13, 2010

Cat constipation: A Crappy Conundrum

Constipation in Cats is one of the most common geriatric problems presented to Veterinarians.  At our hospital (www.scaredycats.com) we see up to 5 cases weekly.
A constipated cat exhibits infrequent or difficult evacuation of the stool.
The feces are usually hard and dry, occasionally with mucus or even blood.
There are many causes of constipation in cats.  Some are less serious while others can be life threatening.  Correct treatment depends on identifying the cause of your pet's constipation.  Constipation can be caused by dietary issues, hair accumulation, and medical conditions such as arthritis or even chronic feline renal disease.
Environmental
Common environmental causes that may lead to constipation are changes in the cat litter, the litter box type or even litter location.  Occasionally stress can play a part such as getting a dog, or having guests visit.
Other Causes of Constipation
One of the most common causes of feline constipation is chronic kidney disease.This occurs subsequent to the dehydrated state of cats with CRD and can be helped by changing to a canned food diet, adding water to the food, or even talking to  your vet about giving subcutaneous fluids at home.
Hair balls
Arthritis
Rectal lesions, infections, or tumors
Spinal cord problems
Colon disorders
Anal gland problems
Home Care Management
Diets rich in soluble fiber can be used to aid in the control of constipation, just as with people. At  our hospital (www.scaredycats.com), we recommend diets such as canned Hills WD to help provide an increase in fiber to constipated cats.
The fiber increases water retention in the stool and softens it.  The increased bulk also increases propulsive movements of the intestines to help with eliminations.
Twice daily, feed your pet a diet containing at least 10% fiber.  Recommended foods for both dogs and cats include Prescription Diet or w/d®. These diets can significantly reduce mild constipation.
Keep your pet well groomed.  This reduces excess hair that is consumed due to the pet's normal licking.
Regular exercise, especially about 1 hour after a meal will help stimulate the bowels to empty.
Keep the cat's litter box clean.
Use mild laxatives or stool softeners as recommended by the veterinarian.  Lactulose is a product available at the clinic that works well for both dogs and cats that tend to have problems with mild constipation.  Occasionally, pumpkin pie filler added gradually for your cat's canned food will help to prevent recurrence.  At the Scaredy cat Hospital, we routinely use Miralax and Benefiber to help prevent constipation.

1 comment:

Erlend Hildur said...

Dr itua herbal medicine is mighty and genuine,I use to use Melissa oil and Lavender Healing herbs but result were just still the same.But using Doctor Itua herbal medicine cured my herpes & Hepatitis C final and I have being living for 3 years now No Sores.My herpes is truly gone.Contact him if you interested of his herbal medicine too Dr itua can as well cure the following....HIV...HERPES,,,,HEPATITIS,CANCER,Neuro-infectious Disease,Neuromuscular Diseases,Diabetes,Depression,Anxiety,Hemorrhoid,Yeast infection,Lupus,Shingles,Psoriasis,Back Pain,ALS, Get ex back, Tinnitus.drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com Or Website www.drituaherbalcenter.com