anyone experienced with Lactulose on cats?

My 12 lbs cat has constipation and he's on Lactulose by my vet, 2ml every 12 hours. It works in 24 hrs, faster than what I expected. (it's said it takes a couple days to work)
I asked if I should reduced the dosage from now (like 1.5ml each time?), the vet said I should keep the same amount for 14 days.

Somehow I think 2ml seems a lot to me and I hope it won't become additive?

 

It's not addictive, however it can be pretty messy since it's so sticky and has sugar in it. My kitty Casey used to be on Lactulose, but thanks to the great people here I found out that Miralax does the same thing, and it's cheaper too (esp. if you get the store brand)! Check out Casey's spreadsheet and you'll see how fast her BG came down once I stopped the Lactulose.

I give her 1/4 tsp. mixed in with her morning and evening meals. Keeps her regular as clockwork!

 

I googled about Lactulose on cats, some people (even on this board)said the sugar is boned in certain way so it will not be absorbed by body.
However, I check my cat's BG 1 hr after having Lactulose, it remains normal (68). ??

But I am interested to switch to Miralax. How long have you been giving it to your cat? You ever change the dosage or miss any?
I am afraid high dosage may cause running stool later...

 

I've been giving to Casey for about a year. I started out at 1/8 tsp, and adjust the dosage a little if her stools become soft. I find it much easier to administer than the Lactulose, which I had to give her orally (she could always taste it in food and wouldn't touch it) The stuff is sticky as heck and would get in her fur and on the edges of her mouth. The Miralax is much easier, I just mix it with her food and she eats it.

If you want to keep to your vet's advice and give your kitty the Lactulose for the two weeks that's up to you - beyond that, though, I'd recommend the Miralax/store brand Miralax as a less expensive substitute.

 

Hello

My cat Andy(GA) was on lactulose for years. He was up to about 5cc twice a day. I think maybe he had megacolon but not sure about that. Andy however was not diabetic, he had other health problems.
I think the Miralax would be better if it works for you. It did not work for my cat but as I said he had other problems. I do not think the Miralax is as harsh as the Lactulose.

Terri

 

Indeed, that stuff is all over my cat's chin and chest when I forced to feed him---- and dry out next morning so I trim the hair off.

So how much water do you feed Casey each day? I just start add more water into his food but then his water bowl is fuller than before.

 

What do you mean by "harsh"?
Because Lactulose draws water into colon in order to soften stools?

I may try a small bottle of Miralax.

 

1. Yeah, the Lactulose got pretty bad around Casey's chin and cheek, she actually wore the fur away trying to get it off. Not only that, but she HATED the force feeding, to the point where she'd run and hide if she saw me coming to pick her up to carry her to the bathroom (the only place I could take her so the Lactulose wouldn't end up all over the carpet - at least I could wipe down the tile!). It became a real battle to get ANY of it into her, and it was stressing her out to the point where I was about to give up. The Miralax is a LOT easier to deal with!

2. I put a fair amount of water in Casey's food bowl, along with the 9 Lives she eats, and she always "drinks" the watery part first before eating. I'd say I add 1/2-3/4 cup of water to each bowl, which usually has from 1/2 to a full can of food in it. However water gets in her, it's a good thing!

 

I have a non-diabetic cat who has been on Miralax for over 2 years for colon issues (2x a day on wet food) and lactulose 2 x a day as needed when constipation starts to act up. When I first started up the lactulose, I started to mix it in (which is fine for diabetic cats too) with a little tuna juice (and tuna) in a bowl. He loved it! He was taking 2-3 ml at that time, because it was really bad. Not megacolon, but bad. Now when I need to, I give him 2 mg, but use a syringe and he is good for me. No mess. But the tuna was great - I would even put the miralax in at that point because he was on dry food at that time. Now he's on wet food, like his diabetic brother. I just have to feed them seperately (different kinds of food). Hope these tricks help

 

http://www.vetinfo.com/lactulose-side-effects-cats.html

According to Vetinfo Lactulose can cause an insulin imbalance in cats. Hope that link copied so you can read it.

Terri

 

My diabetic kitty Brie recently had constipation issues. He had two enemas less than a week apart. The xray before the second enema did show he was constipated but not MC. I have him on miralax twice a day. After his second enema he was on cisapride for a few days. Miralax only really works on new stool. I didn't want to use the lactulose. I've read that a lot of cats aren't very cooperative taking the lactulose.

Sandy

 

In what condition an enema is needed?
My vet mentioned enema but I wanted to try stool softener first.
However my cat doesn't have problem with Lactulose in his food.

 

Thanks. I will ask my vet before I switch to M.

 

M and L can be used in the same time?

 

[quote="
Brie was standing in the litter box trying to go and he would reposition himself and nothing would happen. At first I thought it may be a urinary blockage but then I saw him urinate a good amount. The vet did an exam and felt he had some hard stool. She did the enema and thought he was done pooping. He was sitting in his carrier and we were just about to leave and he went in the carrier before we left. They cleaned him up and we went home. I started him on miralax the next day. I don't remember the exact time frame but maybe three days later he seemed to be uncomfortable so I took him back in. I asked the vet to do an xray and he still had a good amount of stool in there. She was able to see where the stool looked better further up. Miralax works on new stool so my vet was encouraged that the stool further up looked better. She did another enema and he had good results. The first enema just didn't get all the hard stool out. This was on New Year's Eve day and the vet was closing at noon. Brie pooped in the carrier on the way home and it was a mess. I took him into the bathroom as soon as we got home and the bathroom ended up being a mess. If you do ever do an enema see if your kitty could maybe stay there for atleast an hour or else you could have a mess. After both enemas Brie's PM sugar was a bit lower than usual and I had to give a lower dose of insulin. After the second enema she had me give him a few doses of cisapride. There is a yahoo feline megacolon/chronic constipation group you may want to check out. The stool softener may help new stool forming but if your kitty has a lot of hard stool toward the end of the colon your kitty may need an enema. I'm really glad I had the xray done.
Sandy[/quote]

Thank you Sandy, for these good advices, I wish I have more aware of my cat's problem before.

 

If the lactulose is working that quickly, you don't need to use it.... miralax and extra water in the food should be sufficient.

You can easily put 1/2 tsp miralax into am and pm meals, plus lots of water added to every meal, and you should have some regularity....that's provided the Xray shows any previous blockages has cleared with the help of any enema and the lactulose you have been giving.

Lactulose is good for help to clear bigger constipation issues, but if not any megacolon issues in the picture, you should really consider reducing then stopping the Lactulose.

My Oliver gets miralax in each meal, 3ml lactulose BID, .5ml cisapride TID, 1 senakot 2x a week, and 100ml fluids every 2nd day for megacolon. Attempts to decrease some of these meds resulted in a returned blocking.

If you start giving the miralax daily, adding water to the foods, you may not need the lactulose at all.

 

It's a hard decision because giving too much can make a huge mess (which is what I am currently dealing with) but not enough can cause more blockage. I started giving Misty 1mg 3 times a day but after a couple of days I started reducing and eventually got down to 1/2mg a day. I have to increase when her poop starts to look hard.

Miralax does absolutely nothing for her. And I am lucky that she doesn't mind the lactulose it in her food. I was getting upset because it kept getting in her hair so I tried it in some food and she didn't care. I gave her too much today and she is leaking diarrhea everywhere but is still blocked. I have her locked in the laundry room, hopefully it passes. I feel terrible. I keep going in there to wipe up the diarrhea and the vomit.

I am really conflicted about it because I can't afford to keep bringing her to the vet for enemas. I just put one of my cats to sleep this week, I wish this wasn't happening right now. At least my diabetic is still doing great in remission.

 

Actually, it only worked for first day, now I don't see any poo. I added water into his food bowl, but then he didn't drink his water bowl.
Last night I keep thinking why second one doesn't work? The difference is first two doesages are 8 hrs apart, and the second day's dosages are 12 hrs apart.
Could it be possible that my cat need 3 times a day (every 8 hrs)?

I didn't do x-ray, the totally cost (plus tests) will be $600 which my family member strongly againsts to spent.... :-| "Why doesn't human need a x-ray when he/she is constipated?"
I cried in my bed these nights...

 

so one or two or three enemas may not work. That's what I am afraid of....
Can you do enema at home?

 

There is no reason why you can't give enemas at home; the expense for you and the trauma for the cat are not necessary.

Miralax WILL help but you must add the water to the food. The miralax draws moisture from the body to soften the stool for passing.

I would not give lactulose 3 times a day... if you are giving 1/2tsp miralax twice a day and the 2ml lactulose twice a day, and you aren't seeing any decent output, you may have some blockage.... giving meds to push hard when there is a blockage could be dangerous....

Just keep giving the miralax and lactulose, and you can give the enemas at home yourself.
Vomiting when constipated is not a good sign, so if your cat starts to have vomiting issues, it's very likely time to see the vet and having the blockage handled.

 

I am sure it works for lots of cats but Miralax does not work on my cat. She has been on Wellness canned for most of her life and drinks tons of water but still gets blocked. Miralax does nothing for her. I have done several enemas at home but it just doesn't work every time. There comes a point where you should really evaluate what you are putting your cat through. If it's once or twice a year it's fine but if it's more like once a month then it's just cruel. Usually when she goes to the vet she gets around 3 to 4 enemas. Whether the enemas are at the vet or at home it will still be very traumatic for your cat. I don't care what anyone says, an enema will be traumatic no matter who does or where it's done. But if an enema will help right now and you can manage it in the future then it is definitely worth a shot. Just please make sure you use the right kind. There are many kinds that you should not ever use. Use this page to help find one http://www.felineconstipation.org/acutetreatment.html

 

I'm lucky that the miralax is helping Brie. He also has kidney disease. I give him subq fluids every other day. I add water to his wet food. I call it Brie soup. Some people on the yahoo megacolon group give the kitties subq fluids too. You should really think about joining. I think you will find it very helpful. I haven't checked all the links and files on that group but I'm sure there is some good info there.
Sandy

 

Stormy Blue, 17 y/o, diabetic and CRD + Sugar Cat, (NOT diabetic), CRD, 22 y/o both get daily Miralax in their canned food. Since they share food and a room, I put 1/4tsp in their canned food BID. Works very well to keep constipation at bay.


~M

 

If you are finding that miralax is not working, you may want to look into megacolon issues. Needing 3 or 4 enemas would indicate a problem that should be investigated.

My cat has megacolon and miralax does help him, along with senakot, fluids, cisapride and lactulose. A reduction of the miralax in his mix IS noticed in his 'output difficulties'. I know that miralax works if given at a proper dose and with a sufficient complimentary amount of fluids.

It may be an idea to talk your vet, get some ideas how to manage intermittent constipation issues.
Miralax and lots of water in the food is a better initial way to treat and keep constipation away. Lactulose is more for cats who have chronic constipation.

 

I tried two nights but not be able to get to this message board(?).Thank you all for replying my topic.

I add water in his food, but I found him stop drinking, he's never like this before. The amount of water I added in his food is far less than he usually drinks.
I am not using Miralax. In first 24 hour (2 doesages of Lactulose) , my cat produced soft and straight stool. But next stool didn't show up until 2days later, and it's harder and darker. Then third poop came after another 2 days. So far 3 times of stool production in 6 days. And what worried me the most is I don't see him taking his water from his water bowl since he started on Lactulose.
He also takes less food.

After trying many tricks to make him drink water.I forced him water by a syringe, somehow I made it for first couple days, nowhe is getting angry , screaming, hissing and trying to push me away. So that doesn't give him the water he usually get.
I think I am going to skip Lactulose tonight (should I?)

 

I just joined last night.

And I think I really have to see my new vet-- my cat clinic keeps changing their vet so I got three different vet since I moved to this neighbor 4/5 years ago--- non of them stay long... :-|

 

I'm glad you joined. There are a few knowledgeable people on that group. I'm lucky that Brie doesn't have megacolon and hopefully never will. His constipation really scared me. I learned a lot about constipation recently. Now I'm poop obsessed. With four cats it can be kind of hard to see who is doing what. I have to actually catch them in the act or put someone in lock down.

Sandy

 

Don't know how to give an enema to cat (or human). I guess I need the vet to show me first.
Is giving enema the only way to clear blockage?

 

An enema will help evacuate the stool. It worked for Brie. He did have to get two of them before he started pooping better. Before his second enema I asked my vet to do an xray. She only did one lateral view and I could see the stool. When was the last time your cat pooped and what did it look like? Your cat may benefit from some cisapride. If your vet does give an enema ask if you could watch. Brie had results pretty quick. Have your cat stay there for awhile too or you may end up with a big mess in your carrier on the ride home. Are you sure there is nothing else going on with your cat? Have you had any recent blood work done? Cats with kidney disease can get dehydrated and can become constipated. I think I remember you writing that your cat isn't drinking much. Most cats with kidney disease will drink a lot and pee larger quantities. If your cat has pooped in the last few days you are probably fine. The worst case scenario would be emergency surgery for a bowel resection. I only mention this because you asked if an enema was the only way to get rid of a blockage. I really didn't want to mention this.

 

He pooped this morning with some kind of hard stool in brown. Then another bit this noon in brown, softer. I've seen darker and drier one before.
He drank about 3/4 cup of water before starting Lactulose.

My hissing-king-in-office cat needs to be sedated in order to do x-ray or blood work, or someone can get hurt.
That's why I asked my "new" vet the hold these tests. (Plus I am a bit of scared of "new doctor face") Plus I heard someone said don't do an enema unless really have to.
Anyway it seems I have no choice now. I should have done that in the first place.

The megacolon group seems great, I am just more familiar with writing messages here since I talked about my cat here most of time in the past, so I pop back to here more often.
But thank you for letting me know about yahoo's group, I will check with them as well when I can.

 

Your cat may not need an enema if he or she is pooping. The dry hard stuff you saw is the older poop. I know miralax works on the newer stool but I'm not sure how lactulose works. Cats can sometimes get diarrhea and still have hard stool inside. That is where you may have to change the dosing of what you are using. I guess you will have a lot to discuss with your new vet. At least you have a lot of info.

 

I ask myself: If I were in my 80s, do I want to have these treatments to keep alive? What will my cat want?
It's just difficult to watch him to be hold under thick leather gloves, screaming and kicking like flighting for his life, but all the vet wants is just touching his belly.
Maybe that's why I'm so scared to hear, enema, test and sedation...

But how I can just "let it be"? When I adopted him, he's only one month old.

I called my "new vet" this morning and they said they're pretty booked today, plus they can't sedate him without blood work because of HIS AGE--- (how come they didn't say so that last week)?

Called another clinic and they are going to see him. So I am going to see a even newer face, I hope my cat likes her/him better. (yes, I've seen a vet who's be able to comfort my cat a bit better for some reason... )

 

The enema went quick both times. Brie never had to be sedated. He's pretty good about exams.

 

Mimi got sedated and x-rayed, my vet said she didn't feel much feces in Mimi's belly and she didn't see much in x-ray neither, no enema is needed, which is a lease. His blood work is fine, excepts creatinine is 2.5.
The suggestions for Mimi: more fiber, more water.
Fiber: add wheat barn in his food. I said Mimi's diabetic, although he's not on insulin, I don't want to give him high carbs. The vet said the wheat barn is not digestible so not to worry.
Water: boil chicken. Feed Mimi the water that's used for boiling.

I went to supermarket's cereal shelf and looked for barn flakes. I found its ingredient contains sugar and corn syrup. Carbs is 8%. This is making me uncomfortable. Canned pumpkin is 3% or so.
Tried to mix some pumpkin in his food but he doesn't like it.

 

Not bran cereal from the cereal isle.

Wheat bran is an 'ingredient". Ask a grocery store
to help you find it. Sometimes it's with the flour and sugar, sometimes
in the health foods area.

BUT..... I would rather see you use Miralax (polyethylene glycol = generic) .
1/4 tsp of tasteless powder mixed into wet food 2x /day, and add about 1 Tablespoon
water to the food also and mix well.

 

You got me. I don't feel like to have any wheat stuff for my cat.
You know I've been itchy to ask: Why don't people use Metamucil instead of Miralax? There' must be a reason that Miralax has been mentioned a lot but not Metamucil(tasteless one).
And what does "polyethylene glycol = generic" do to body... I know generic medicine means no-brand drug.

 

Metamucil is fiber-based, just like wheat bran.

Miralax works by drawing water from the body tissues into the
colon, thus softening it without adding the bulk of fiber.

Too much fiber in a cat's colon could lead to elimination
problems, maybe even mega colon"

Most big chain stores (Walmart, CVS, Walgreen's, Costco ) have
their own house brand of Miralax. Cheaper.

 

After spending thousands of dollars...yes thousands!!!, we finally switched from Lactulose and Cisaspride and almost got our 5 year old cat surgery...paid for the consultation. Paid for hospital stays, enemas and putting him under to remove fecees, and still had a problem every few months! Bought PEG 3350 in Canada Wal-Mart which is Miralax in the United States...give him 3/4 teaspoon daily in one can of wet dissolved in the gravy and add some water (split in 2 portions) and he goes nice and soft every day! Our stupid vet had not heard of it! Thank God the animal hospital told us about it!! TRY IT RIGHT AWAY>>>WILL BE FINE IN A DAY OR TWO

 

This is an old thread but glad to see your cat got relief. Miralax is a good constipation remedy. Some cats do well with it, some don't. Each cat is different.