? Civvie Allen is constipated again...questions

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Judy and Boomer

Judy and Boomer

Member Since 2014
Our Civvie, Allen, is constipated again.

He is on a diet of canned food only; usually various varieties of Wellness. He still drinks frequently although not as much as when he was eating kibble. I also add about 1/2 tsp of water to each of his meals.

We restarted lactulose last week but it frequently upsets his tummy. We definitely can't give it on an empty stomach or he pukes it up. Even on a full stomach he sometimes pukes it up.

I regularly give him 1/4 tsp clearlax twice a day. And I've been giving some pumpkin twice a day....it's less than 1/4 tsp twice a day because he's not fond of it.

Contacted Dr Larry and asked for some cisapride (which we used before along with the lactulose).

Dr Larry asked what Allen was eating.....I told him various varieties of Wellness but I knew what was coming and sure enough he wants Allen to eat a kibble (that he sells) that helps with constipation. We did use it before when Allen was constipated but that was back when Allen used to get kibble....now we have him on a canned-only diet. So I declined the kibble idea.

So I'm looking for other ideas as it looks like this is a chronic problem with Allen. Does anyone have other suggestions? How much pumpkin does everyone use on a regular basis and, if kitty still gets constipated, how much do you increase it by? Is there a probiotic that you would recommend that might help? Would yogurt help at all and, if so, what exactly do I look for?
 
I use Pet Alive Natural Moves:). We were giving pumpkin , enemas:( and nothing consistently worked til Natural Moves...started at 1/4 capsule diluted in syringe twice daily( Elmo is a super pick and would not eat it on food) and have adjusted from there. He has had a good poop every day since starting it :)....that makes us both VERY happy :)
 
Beth 73 said:
I use Pet Alive Natural Moves:). We were giving pumpkin , enemas:( and nothing consistently worked til Natural Moves...started at 1/4 capsule diluted in syringe( Elmo is a super pick and would not eat it on food) and have adjusted from there. He has had a good poop every day since starting it :)....that makes us both VERY happy :)
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I will check that out! Thanks!
 
Hi Judy! I am using s. Boullardi for my other cat Mulan but she was having soft poops so my goal was the opposite but it's supposed to be a good probiotic. Maybe worth googling to see if it's good for constipation as well. SEB could work as well.
 
Judy and Boomer said:
Thanks @LizzieInTexas. Right now Allen is on cisapride so while he's on cisapride I'll try to find SEB powder.
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Others have said they have found at Whole Foods and GNC so you might try similar there. I think you will be pleasantly surprised has well it works, I know I was :). It is one of those supplements that works on the entire digestive system including stomach acid. I haven't been giving as frequently since I started giving the pancreas booster and glucose ensure. I just have to remember to pull out his PS meal (to add the SEB) before I add the supplements to the rest of the cycle food and I just forget.
 
Beth 73 said:
I use Pet Alive Natural Moves:). We were giving pumpkin , enemas:( and nothing consistently worked til Natural Moves...started at 1/4 capsule diluted in syringe twice daily( Elmo is a super pick and would not eat it on food) and have adjusted from there. He has had a good poop every day since starting it :)....that makes us both VERY happy :)
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I use it too for my boys. I use only 1/4 capsule each day sprinkled on food. My guys arene't as discerning with their food, although the meal with the Natural Moves in it, Bubba does eat a bit slower........ 1/2 capsule was too much and gave softer poo. You will need to play with it. I took Bubba off the miralax when I started the NM. I do still give 1 tsp twice a day in their food also. Pet Alive does buy 2 get 1 free all the time. That is where I get the Glucose Ensure and the Pancreas Booster. All of them get put into this food.
 
Nicole Z said:
Hi Judy! I am using s. Boullardi for my other cat Mulan but she was having soft poops so my goal was the opposite but it's supposed to be a good probiotic. Maybe worth googling to see if it's good for constipation as well. SEB could work as well.
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Yeah, probiotics are supposed to help and I give Bronx RenewLife 1/2 capsule in the morn and may try this in the eve, haven't bought it yet: http://www.allergicpet.com/category/Constipation.html
 
Calcium causes constipation so perhaps whatever is causing his hypercalecemia is also causing the constipation. Have you talked to Dr. Larry about just adding some magnesium to his diet? From feline-nutrition.org:

Magnesium. Calcium can contribute to constipation, while magnesium may be used to relieve it. Magnesium has many functions in the body, including buffering stomach acid and moving stool through the intestines. As an essential mineral it must be present in the diet in sufficient amounts, but due to its connection to urinary struvitecrystals, many diets for cats are low in magnesium. Some cases of constipation could, therefore, be a magnesium deficiency. A larger dose of magnesium can be used therapeutically as a laxative. The laxative property of magnesium has two mechanisms. Magnesium is essential for proper muscle function in that it aids in muscle relaxation in general, but is also responsible for a smooth rhythm of the intestines. Magnesium also attracts water, increasing the amount of water in the colon to help soften the stool.

Raw liver and fat. Raw liver can act like a mild laxative. Increasing the fat content of the meat used to make the diet can encourage a faster transit time of matter through the digestive tract and can encourage more frequent emptying of the bowel. Mild-flavored vegetable oil like canola or sunflower oil can be added to the food as well or instead of using fattier meats. Some cats really enjoy olive oil and will lap it up pure. Vegetable fats are not as easily digested by the cat and may help hasten things along in a similar manner as oral petroleum jelly remedies would.
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Marje and Gracie said:
Calcium causes constipation so perhaps whatever is causing his hypercalecemia is also causing the constipation. Have you talked to Dr. Larry about just adding some magnesium to his diet? From feline-nutrition.org:
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Thanks Marje; no I didn't know that magnesium might help (nor did Dr Larry suggest it).
 
Marje and Gracie said:
It might be worth a try. If not for the hypercalecemia, I would suggest SEB but an alternative to it is marshmallow root powder. It works much the same as SEB. Dosing is 1/2 tsp per 10 lbs given bid.
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I've been trying to find out how much calcium is in the SEB. Allen is receiving meds which are keeping the calcium within normal range so a trace of calcium in SEB may not be an issue.
 
Judy and Boomer said:
Our Civvie, Allen, is constipated again.

He is on a diet of canned food only; usually various varieties of Wellness. He still drinks frequently although not as much as when he was eating kibble. I also add about 1/2 tsp of water to each of his meals.

We restarted lactulose last week but it frequently upsets his tummy. We definitely can't give it on an empty stomach or he pukes it up. Even on a full stomach he sometimes pukes it up.

I regularly give him 1/4 tsp clearlax twice a day. And I've been giving some pumpkin twice a day....it's less than 1/4 tsp twice a day because.....

....So I'm looking for other ideas as it looks like this is a chronic problem with Allen. Does anyone have other suggestions? How much pumpkin does everyone use on a regular basis and, if kitty still gets constipated, how much do you increase it by? Is there a probiotic that you would recommend that might help? Would yogurt help at all and, if so, what exactly do I look for?
Click to expand...

Hi Judy,
Haven't tried the Natural Moves so have no experience with it.

But SEB has been a staple add-in here. About 1/4-1/2 tsp per serving size.
Here's where I get mine online:
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/slippery-elm-bark-powder/profile

Also I do plain pumpkin or baby food winter squash and/or plain or gluten-free oat bran for fiber. The squash or pumpkin about 1/2-1 tsp daily per serving size, the oat bran about 1/4-1/2 tsp per serving size.

Also probiotics once daily, alternating one kind or the other every few weeks or so. Lately it's been Jarrow eps 5 billion or 25 billion, renewlife ultimate care 15 billion. Azalea was on Vrs entero (which is dental) but has been on the jarrow lately. I'll probably be bumping up to Jarrow 30 or 5o billion when one of the current selections runs out.

I do add omega-3's in the form of sardine & anchovy oil but I'm not sure if it specifically helps with regularity.

I add the SEB to meals that don't have the probiotics in it. And add extra amounts of water to food that includes the SEB or the oat bran.

I don't know if any of these would be contraindicated for Allen's hypercalcemia.

Hope this helps and that Allen will be feeling better soon.
 
Judy and Boomer said:
I've been trying to find out how much calcium is in the SEB. Allen is receiving meds which are keeping the calcium within normal range so a trace of calcium in SEB may not be an issue.
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Just read marje's about marshmallow root powder as an alternative to SEB
Just did a quick look-up about SEB composition. Here's link to the first article that came up, that might be of interest?
http://www.jbc.org/content/104/1/163.full.pdf
 
HWright said:
Just read marje's about marshmallow root powder as an alternative to SEB
Just did a quick look-up about SEB composition. Here's link to the first article that came up, that might be of interest?
http://www.jbc.org/content/104/1/163.full.pdf
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That’s pretty old info. One would hope the info on something like SEB would still be valid but I don’t think I’d count on it.

I don’t know how much calcium is in SEB but since Helen, on Tanya’s, said she’d use something else if hypercalcemia was an issue, that’s probably what I, personally, would do. Especially since there are alternatives.
 
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