A poop question

Hi All,
I have been noticing that Squamee's poops often have a part which is rather white looking---as if it is all dried out (?) even though she has just pooped. And maybe the poops are smaller than they used to be? I am wondering what this means and if I should be giving her something to soften them. I have seen references to Miralax, which Dr. Lisa recommends for constipation, but I am not sure if this is constipation. I would appreciate any thoughts and suggestions.

 

remind me what you feed please?

if raw, drier whiter looking poop is to be expected. if not raw, i am clueless

 

hmm, interesting question.
I have no answer on that other than what does she eat? does she seem uncomfortable?
can u place a call to ur vet for a phone in question?

let's see what others might suggest.

 

I feed canned gluten free--Fancy Feast, Wellness, Evo, etc. Thanks for your responses. She has been doing some meowing, but I don't know that it is related to pooping. I think I will put a call in to the vet.

 

My first suggestion would be to try getting her to drink more water, or adding water to her wet food. That often helps a lot.

My second suggestion, if she's over 9, would be to get a kidney panel run. Lowered kidney function is common in older cats (mean age of diagnosis = 9), lowered kidney function can lead to various degrees of dehydration, and any degree of dehydration can contribute to constipation.

I *do* like Miralax, but feel that sometimes we're too quick to reach for the bottle when other things should be tried first.

 

I do mix water in her wet food. I had a kidney panel a few months ago that showed some elevated levels, my vet did not think significant. Then I pushed him, and he did an Early Renal Test, which came back normal. (oh, she is 15 1/2) Thanks for the suggestions. I think I am going to try to talk to the vet tomorrow.

 

I am not a vet by any means but I do know that white poop in humans can mean gallbladder or liver problems. I do not want to scare you with this but just wanted to give some other ideas. How long has this been going on?

 

I am not sure. Probably a couple of weeks, on and off.

 

In my Cat Owners Veterinary Handbook it mentions that pasty, light colored stool can indicate a lack of bile. I would call your vet (like you said were going to anyway) and also take in one of those samples.

 

Thanks for checking that out for me! I will call the vet in the morning.

 

SPoke to the vet, who is not particularly concerned about the whitish poop. He wants me to bring her in to get her weighed and if she is losing weight says he will start treating her for intestinal disease. (she has been eating and drinking more for a few months now, but had not been losing or gaining weight). To recap, a few months ago her blood work showed some elevated renal values, but her recent EArly Renal Test was normal. Her thyroid levels were also normal in the last blood work.