Alice 4/19 still constipated | AMPS HI +7 324 PMPS 277 +7 116, +11 finally poop!

AliceMeowliss (GA)

AliceMeowliss (GA)

Member Since 2019
She hurts. I can just tell she hurts. How long should I let her suffer before I take her to emergency to see if they can get out whatever is there, possibly blocking her up.....?
She gets one more day of lactulose later today.

After this I will be adding pumpkin and more water to her ziwi for prevention plus talking about other options....

We didn’t nurse her out of DKA last year for her to suffer like this from stopped up poo. :(

She’s trying to get up because she heard the meter strip canister and she struggled and laid back down. :(

4/17 here she saw vet in the AM, given lactulose and transdermal mirtazapine, missed 4/18 AM shot
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
How many days is it since she has pooped?
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The boys snuck in and used her box over the past week so I am not 100% sure. 3-4 days. I saw her straining and lifting her tail like when she needs to poop sometime on Thursday I believe, she lost her appetite Friday morning and I immediately took her in, it’s early, early Sunday morning for me.
 
I’m probably not much help to you as I’ve not had to deal with severe constipation.
I’d add the pumpkin sooner rather than later though. It can’t hurt and might add some moisture.
See what others think.
I do know how hard it is to wait though for a poop. One of my cats ate some stretchy string and I was so worried it might get caught up inside and do damage. I was so glad when they both pooped and I found the string.......never did find out which one it was though.
 
Bron and Sheba (GA) said:
I’d add the pumpkin sooner rather than later though. It can’t hurt and might add some moisture
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The issue here is that we have shelter in place orders and I am waiting for my grocery pickup time slot Monday morning. I used to keep some stocked but I had to move and travel across the country so much the past few months. I’ll ask someone I just thought of who tends to regularly store extra food, maybe I can porch pickup.
 
There are some cat food that have pumkin in them already. Like weruva steak frites and some bff flavors.
 
I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well..and hope that both you and Alice get on the mend soon. I'm sorry I don't have any words of wisdom for poopy problems. You may want to put a call into the vet and ask them what they think...perhaps an ultrasound is in order just to see what's going on in there...?
 
JanetNJ said:
He may need an enema.
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I’ve been wondering if something needs to be extracted with assistance of some sort...! I’m so lost as to how to tell when it has reached emergency point. It’s Sunday. I have about 30 hours before I could get her to the regular vet when they reopen. Torn between is there something safe I can do to help her and does she need a professional...?
 
I put in a target drive up order for pumpkin as I remembered I can do that with shelf-stable goods there. Hopefully that will be ready in a few hours. How much can you give per day? So I know how to parcel it out.

she still wants to eat. She gets up out of her basket in the closet for little snacks. I’ve made her space functional in a smaller area, extra litter box closer (no use), testing and sleep spots and food and water all near enough she doesn’t have to move too far.
She’s dragging her body around and keeping her head low when she is up, I just can’t imagine how awful she must be feeling.
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
I put in a target drive up order for pumpkin as I remembered I can do that with shelf-stable goods there. Hopefully that will be ready in a few hours. How much can you give per day? So I know how to parcel it out.

she still wants to eat. She gets up out of her basket in the closet for little snacks. I’ve made her space functional in a smaller area, extra litter box closer (no use), testing and sleep spots and food and water all near enough she doesn’t have to move too far.
She’s dragging her body around and keeping her head low when she is up, I just can’t imagine how awful she must be feeling.
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I'm so sorry you're going through this :( But I agree with Carla. I don't think I'd wait until Monday. It's different when they are not pooping, but aren't really *showing* their discomfort, but it sounds like she is definitely in a lot of pain.

Another option, some will agree, some will disagree, is to give her some milk. I say this as often it will actually cause diarrhea in cats. That may possible "loosen" things up some? Definitely something to ask your vet about asap.

Hugz :(
 
Ollie has chronic constipation. The key is to prevent it going forward. Ollie doesn't have the motility to push it out and it hurt her to. And the nerve pain in her back end doesn't help.

Here are 2 thoughts. Pain because she isn't going or it hurts to go so she holds it in.

At the beginning of constipation with Ollie, I tried everything. At one point she was getting pumpkin, miralax, lactulose, bone broth every day for weeks. Then it became to much and I started to cut back things or eliminate things all together.

So periods of constipation and diarrhea went on for many more weeks. One day she was in the box just waiting for it to come out. Not pushing or straining just waiting for it on its own.

If she strained or pushed she vomited. So she just waited. Told vet. Right away she ordered cisipride. It helps the muscle contract so she can push it out easier. So little by little the lactulose was stopped. Pumpkin during the day and miralax at night every day, no missing a dose. Bone broth I kept giving couple times a week because it's good for many things. But I used it all up now. So then pumpkin and miralax was to much. She stopped eating the food with pumpkin so that stopped. Then the miralax nightly became to much, so did every other night to eventually stopping all together. Then didn't go for awhile and back to miralax. It went like this back and forth. Fast forward, she had an anal glands episode a month or 2 back. Took her to wrong vet by accident. He said give fiber, bulk up the stool. Started adding psyllium husk to her pmps meal. She started going. With the cisipride, I could see her pushing it out pretty easily. The bulk puts pressure on the glands to help them drain each time. After some trial and error. Her routine now is cisipride 2x a day, psyllium husk 2 nights on 1 night off. She pretty much goes everyday now. Might miss a day but I don't worry about one day here and there. And I can tell hers because it's the big fat stool in the box.

She does get subq fluids twice a week which helps. And she gets pain meds daily.

I have tried to avoid enemas at all costs because I don't want her sedated and if they become routine, they can lose all natural ability of normal function.

Just some things to ponder.
 
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The vet office gave me a call back, continue lactulose, start fasting at 9, bring her in right when they open. Ugh I don’t want her sedated either. But she needs past this episode then I will alter her food plan for prevention.
Thanks for sharing that exhausting-sounding journey, @Olive & Paula ! Goodness. What about bone broth helps in this situation? I know it’s supposed to be so good for all the health, and I have been thinking about getting some to make for Alice, probably have to wait next month because money.

So for now I guess I should see if adding pumpkin and water changes things and I will know to monitor and add miralax if she doesn’t go each day (after her enema tomorrow morning).

She is still getting up to eat. It’s good to see she has interest in things.
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
The vet office gave me a call back, continue lactulose, start fasting at 9, bring her in right when they open. Ugh I don’t want her sedated either. But she needs past this episode then I will alter her food plan for prevention.
Thanks for sharing that exhausting-sounding journey, @Olive & Paula ! Goodness. What about bone broth helps in this situation? I know it’s supposed to be so good for all the health, and I have been thinking about getting some to make for Alice, probably have to wait next month because money.

So for now I guess I should see if adding pumpkin and water changes things and I will know to monitor and add miralax if she doesn’t go each day (after her enema tomorrow morning).

She is still getting up to eat. It’s good to see she has interest in things.
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Miralax can take up to 3 days to work. Keep that in mind.

Bone broth I make my own. It has a bit of greasy fat which helps move things along. I used a slow cooker. Beef bone, chicken backs, necks. Cooked it until the marrow, cartilage comes out easy. I don't use the bone so didn't need to cook that long. Remove bones, let it cool a little, skim off fat that floats to top. Freeze in ice cube tray then put in ziplock baggy. Take it out night before it's needed. 1 cube lasts me 3 days. Now I use a kids paint palette I got at Dollar store and freeze in that. Each paint well is one tsp. Perfect size per serving.

https://www.ibdkitties.net/bone-broth/
 
She’s got her pumpkin now and surprisingly she is still eating. At least she likes pumpkin. She’s been an easier patient through this journey than some of the cats would be.

So is there a small daily dose of miralax I could give her? I had noticed over time the ziwipeak lamb was causing her larger poops but didn’t know what to think of it then. In the future, how frequently should I be expecting her to go?

<3
 
After her enema tomorrow she should be pretty cleared out. I certainly wouldn't give any tomorrow.

For miralax start with 1/8 tsp. It's easier to mix in small amount of water then mix in the PMPS meal. You are going to have to try it for awhile to see if it will make her go regularly. You can go up to 1/4 tsp daily.

I always gave pumpkin in morning meal. It could be all she needs. You have to try and see.

As far as how often she should go. Ideally everyday. Ollie will skip a day every week. She went a lot last night so I don't expect any tonight (she usually goes overnight). And she didn't get psyllium husk last night.

It's all trial and error to see what works. Then when you find it, they change it up on you.
 
She got up and had a small pee (I think). She has been fasting since about +4.6, she’s 116 @ +7, how frequently should I check... I need mental health sleep but I’m so so nervous. When she stands up she hangs her head really low.... she reminds me of Eeyore. 9-10 more hours seems like so so desperately long for her to wait. Can I give corn syrup on the inside of the cheek if she gets low? And still do anesthesia in AM?
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
Can I give corn syrup on the inside of the cheek if she gets low? And still do anesthesia in AM?
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I believe that the concern with anesthetic with animals is if they vomit while they are under they could choke. My personal thought would be if a cat goes too low, that becomes the number one concern and needs to be addressed ASAP - so if they need sugar, they need sugar.

Let's see if others who have more experience are on and if they can chime in..

@Wendy&Neko
@Marje and Gracie
 
She pooped! I just woke up and there she was still lying by it. I thought I woke up to a faint sound of kitty puking, but didn’t see any.

Since she had a big poop I thought I would try to feed her, just a little, instead she’s so listless and wouldn’t take the food, so now I think she is nauseous. Gave her some Cerenia. I’m going to delay shot time though because I want to see her hungry again.

I may also still bring her to the vet when they open and ask if she can get some more fluids. She has not been inclined to drink much like her usual self.


....so I sat down with Alice and I told her earlier in the evening I would get her well if she just hung on for the night. Enema in the morning, I said. I suppose the thought of that was enough to scare her bowels into action. :facepalm::p
 
@AliceMeowliss&Cassandra
Poor, sweet Alice! I’m so glad she finally was able to poo. Paws crossed on the vet visit.

I know I’m a bit late but I do have another recommendation for you moving forward. Raw egg yolk can also help with constipation. Go easy at first....1/8 to 1/4 tsp.

Although my cats are on a raw diet and they have no pooping or hairball issues, I still give them egg yolk powder every day as it helps with motility and it’s easy to give. My cats love it. It has so many other benefits that pumpkin doesn’t have and certainly lactulose and miralax don’t have.

Sending extra vines for Alice!
 
Hey guys sorry I haven’t started a new post for today but I’m worn out and having a pain flare today too now. I’m barely holding myself up....

So Alice hasn’t been lifting her head up... still!! And I finally got around to looking it all up and it is suggestive of hypokalemia. She has been like that for a day at least. Should I be calling the vet and rushing her in ASAP?? I mean I’m still going to call. Is there anything I can give her from home? Probably not.


*eta: called vet, going to bring her in in a couple of hours for some subq fluids and potassium stuff to take home
 
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I forgot about the egg yolk. Did you cancel the appt you had this morning? Will they do labs before giving potassium?
 
AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
Hey guys sorry I haven’t started a new post for today but I’m worn out and having a pain flare today too now. I’m barely holding myself up....

So Alice hasn’t been lifting her head up... still!! And I finally got around to looking it all up and it is suggestive of hypokalemia. She has been like that for a day at least. Should I be calling the vet and rushing her in ASAP?? I mean I’m still going to call. Is there anything I can give her from home? Probably not.


*eta: called vet, going to bring her in in a couple of hours for some subq fluids and potassium stuff to take home
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I'm glad you are going to bring her in!
 
Vet visit:
So the thing she was doing with her head where it was sort of hanging, unable to support it up all the way, was indeed hypokalemia. The did another 100mL subq and gave her a b12 injection because the vet thought she looked like crud. I agree. This was a harrowing 4-5 days for Alice.
Edit to add: they also prescribed one of those sweet gels for potassium. I have no idea what the carb content is.

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Here is a picture from yesterday early AM of her stance. This was before she had her bowel movement but the head hanging was the same before and after.

“In more severe cases, the most noticeable sign of hypokalaemia is the development of muscle weakness. Usually the first and most obvious sign of this is an inability for the cat to hold its head up in a normal position – the neck remained drooped, so-called ‘ventroflexion’ of the neck. While other causes of muscle weakness can also cause ventroflexion of the neck, low blood potassium is the most common cause.”
Source: https://icatcare.org/advice/hypokalaemia/
 

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AliceMeowliss&Cassandra said:
Vet visit:
So the thing she was doing with her head where it was sort of hanging, unable to support it up all the way, was indeed hypokalemia. The did another 100mL subq and gave her a b12 injection because the vet thought she looked like crud. I agree. This was a harrowing 4-5 days for Alice.
Edit to add: they also prescribed one of those sweet gels for potassium. I have no idea what the carb content is.

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Here is a picture from yesterday early AM of her stance. This was before she had her bowel movement but the head hanging was the same before and after.

“In more severe cases, the most noticeable sign of hypokalaemia is the development of muscle weakness. Usually the first and most obvious sign of this is an inability for the cat to hold its head up in a normal position – the neck remained drooped, so-called ‘ventroflexion’ of the neck. While other causes of muscle weakness can also cause ventroflexion of the neck, low blood potassium is the most common cause.”
Source: https://icatcare.org/advice/hypokalaemia/
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so glad you brought her and she's now getting treated. I hope she feels better soon.
 
Oh poor girl! I was so focused on her constipation that I wasn’t even thinking of her muscle weakness. What a great mom you are for thinking of it and getting her right in.

Many more vines for her.
 
Marje and Gracie said:
Oh poor girl! I was so focused on her constipation that I wasn’t even thinking of her muscle weakness. What a great mom you are for thinking of it and getting her right in.

Many more vines for her.
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You know I didn’t even think to look it up for at least a day or two and that stinks, I wish I had (although I couldn’t do a lot on the weekend except ER vet anyway).

But I shared a photo of her on an IBD kitty group and some info on the clinical symptom, maybe it is an experience that can help someone else learn and prevent worse from happening. I realize Alice forces me to learn a lot of new things!
 
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