18 year old civvie with possible constipation?

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Hello,

I hope it's okay to post a question about my civvie. She has always been a very small pooper (seems really weird to type that). I've noticed lately they seem to be fewer and farther between. I was in her room today and heard her "talking" in her litter box. Of course, when I looked she just sat down and looked at me. She demands her privacy ;-) . She use to throw up every night until I put her on a hairball treatment food. She has started looking a little pudgy. I've been thinking it was because of the wet food she now gets because of Sidney's fd. Now I'm wondering if she may be constipated. Any suggestions?
 
You can always add miralax or here, I get Lax a Day or Reversa lax. Just get a regular laxative type powder at the pharmacy and mix about a 1/4 tsp into the wet food. In a day or so, you should see some action, but be sure to add some water into the food as the powders draw moisture from the body in order to soften the stool for passing.
If you don't get much progress, you can increase the amount. You can adjust the amount if the stool becomes too loose. My Oliver is a big boy and his stool moves slowly, so we just help it along a bit.

I hope it helps.
 
here is a previous thread that discusses constipation solutions:

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=12283&hilit=+miralax

when you say she looks pudgy --- do you mean overall or is her belly distended? is it tender to touch?
If so, that sounds like something for the vet to check out.
can you palpitate her abdomen ? next time you go to the vet, ask them to show you how to do that to check to see if her colon is full and /or blocked.
have things been moving through at all?
or just a little?
is she is completely blocked she needs to go the the vet asap. you can't take care of that situation with any remedies for constipation.

questions for civies are welcome -- they are part of your sugar kitties family too !
 
can you gently palpate her belly and see if there is a hard tube, say an inch or two under the spine? If you are feeling a big thick mass or if the cat objects more than you expect, that can be a sign of constipation -- at least with my Coco, who has a neurologic injury that makes him prone to constipation. The constipation can be really uncomfortable.

Many here find Miralax to be extremely useful in managing constipation. A sprinkle on each meal helps a lot (because it absorbs water from the food and helps keep the poop soft. You will want to ensure that you are mixing a little extra water into the wet food. It doesn't seem to have any taste but if Coco seems lhesitant once I've prepared his food, I'll sprinkle a little Fortiflora on top and he eats it right up.

It's a good idea to get the animal to the vet. They can easily determine if the cat is constipated, and give an enema to help. Or if it's gone too far, they can sedate the cat and decompact its bowel. I think it's much much better to deal with constipation early, rather than waiting and and piling food on top. Then the situation might require sedation, which is more dangerous and expensive. Not to mention, an overstretched colon can result in megacolon which reduces the cat's ability to poop normally. You really want to avoid that. So, I'd say a vet visit tomorrow would be a really good idea.

laur
 
Her abdomen isn't distended. I've palpatated it and don't feel anything and she's not tender to the touch at all. She's passing two to three small pieces here and there. I'll probably go ahead and take her to the vet to be on the safe side. She doesn't act like she feels bad at all. She's had two strokes in the past 3 years so the "talking" or mumbling to herself is something she does quite often as is going into an empty room and "yelling" for me to come get her. Ah, the trials, tribulations and joy of having senior cats :smile:
 
Anything out of the norm probably requires a vet check. She could have impacted anal glands or hypo-thyroidism(rare). I would take her in to be safe and they can help her get "moving".
Also, I only have civies left and I post here because of all of the great advice.
 
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