Constipation - is it okay to use this?

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Girly

Member Since 2012
Thankfully our girl kitty is able to keep her numbers under control with just a low carb diet. It's been so nice to be able to read all the information on this forum. It has helped us a lot. With the testing, feeding and everything.

However, our other kitty has always had issues with constipation, since he was a kitten.

I've been reading on here about using Miralax as a maintenance for him, giving him 1/8 of a teaspoon daily.

But at the moment, he is totally constipated. I picked up the Miralax tonight and also picked up some baby - liquid glycerin suppositories, called Pedia-Lax (formally called Baby lax).

My questions are:
Is it still considered okay to give Miralax daily as a maintenance hairball/softstool, or should it only be given when the cat is constipated?

And the other really question is: Can I give him the Pedia-Lax Suppository to jump start clearing his constipation tonight?

Thanks!
 
There are a number of us here with cats prone to constipation who add the Miralax routinely. They also make the food rather soupy to ensure adequate water is being consumed.

If your cat is completely blocked, go to a vet first, to have the blockage removed. Putting a laxative in when blocked may result in acute vomiting, and possible tears to the GI tract. I do not know if those suppositories are safe for the cat.
 
Missy has also had issues with constipation, she did get results with one dose, read some dilute the Miralax with water and give via syringe or dropper, so as she tried unsuccessfully earlier I dropper dosed her and we will see.
 
When you say totally constipated when was the last time your cat passed any stool? If it's been more than 24 hours you need to watch him carefully and you'll probably need to get to a vet right away if this continues much more than 36 hours. I've had a couple of trips to the ER Vet with our cat and it's no fun - if the cat throws up more than once, starts pacing and crying, lies on it's side and pulls it's hind legs up or scratches at the wall, floor etc. and cries - or any combo of those things get to a Vet! Robbie has had 3 or more vet administered enemas but you really shouldn't be inserting any kind of suppositories on your own. We've had our cat on Lactulose (it's sugar based so I don't use it with him anymore) and it worked very well on a few occasions - it draws all the water to their bowels and helps soften whats in there and expedite elimination.
If he's in and out of the box trying and straining but can't go it may be too late for this to help - plus I'm not sure it's easy to get over the counter we always had to buy it from our vet - I also wouldn't know what to advise in terms of dosing and would strongly suggest a vets advice on all of this. Constipation isn't something to be casual about as I'm sure you know. Much luck to you and I hope it clears up quickly and easily.
 
I agree with comments not to give her any suppositories unless prior instructed by vet. Dulcolax suppositories (biscodyl) or glycerine which I suspect is pediatric suppositories. I am hoping Miralax kicks in with missy, just been 2 days for her.
 
Thanks for everyones advice. I'm not going to give him the suppositories without checking with his vet first. So, I'm just using the Miralax. I have since given him two 1/8 teaspoon doses of Miralax, one last night and one this morning. So far nothing...

He had a small deposit the day before yesterday. His are usually big. So it was just of yesterday that he hadn't had any movement at all. I am hoping today will produce results. I am going to up his dose to 1/4 teaspoon later this afternoon.

I usually put about 3 to 4 tablespoons of water in with their can of food (they eat fancy feast classic) and they drink/eat it all.

He has been eating good, drinking good, plays, and is his normal self otherwise, except he has a particular way he sits when he is constipated, so I know he is at a full point. He has always had issues with bowel movements and has had a few 'because of no product' enemas at the vets, which have produced well on the first try each time and then he is good for a while.

If he doesn't produce today, I will certainly call his vet. But, at the moment, he isn't in any seeming discomfort, he is curled up in his fav chair sound asleep at the moment, and is eating and drinking normally, and is urinating normally as well. He just needs to do the deed! :roll:

I don't know if the waiting is harder on him or me.... confused_cat
 
Cheryl & Missy said:
I agree with comments not to give her any suppositories unless prior instructed by vet. Dulcolax suppositories (biscodyl) or glycerine which I suspect is pediatric suppositories. I am hoping Miralax kicks in with missy, just been 2 days for her.
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How is Missy doing today?
 
Miralax won't help if your kitty is already blocked and can't pass stool. Lactulose might help a little but the reality is once they are stopped up it's best to get to the vet. The vet can give an enima or show you how to do that.

If the enema doesn't get things moving again then the vet may have to sedate kitty and manually unblock.

My own little man Sam was just diagnosed with Megacolon a few weeks back. He was vetted and they tried an enema. The next day I tried an enema, after that I tried suppositories but we ended up having to put him under and clean him out that way. He is currently on Miralax and pumpkin daily to hopefully keep him going.
 
tuckers mom said:
Miralax won't help if your kitty is already blocked and can't pass stool. Lactulose might help a little but the reality is once they are stopped up it's best to get to the vet. The vet can give an enima or show you how to do that.

If the enema doesn't get things moving again then the vet may have to sedate kitty and manually unblock.

My own little man Sam was just diagnosed with Megacolon a few weeks back. He was vetted and they tried an enema. The next day I tried an enema, after that I tried suppositories but we ended up having to put him under and clean him out that way. He is currently on Miralax and pumpkin daily to hopefully keep him going.
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Awww, Sam. Hope he is feeling better. How do you give a cat an enema at home and what suppositories do you use?
 
Robbie also has Mega Colon (is it a red tabby kitty thing?) thankfully he has never had to be put under for manual unpacking but we've been close to that. The pumpkin didn't work for us but the lactulose and metamucil daily did (now I'm being told here that even though the metamucil is sugar free he shouldn't have it so thinking of switching to miralax, cut way back on the met cause he's drinking so much water he's fine).

If your kitty had a small deposit that can often take some of the "pressure" off but hopefully he passes more today. Otherwise the vet and an enema - make sure it has "propellent" in it not just the "soap water" I once paid like $800 at an ER vet at 2am to get him an x-ray (proving what I'd told them that he's constipated) and an enema and it didn't work when my vet looked he said "it's just soap water this was stupid of them" UGH.

Good luck and keep us informed - I hate it when we are going thru this with Robbie makes me NUTS.
 
Girly said:
Awww, Sam. Hope he is feeling better. How do you give a cat an enema at home and what suppositories do you use?
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Thank you, Sam is feeling better right now and I'm hoping he never gets impacted again but Megacolon is difficult, it can be neuro in origin or just old age related.

My little man is the easiest cat in the world, I was able to take him outside on the grass and use a Pedia-Lax enema. He walked around the yard after a few minutes and relieved himself of the enema quite a bit. After he was done I took him in and washed him up in the sink. The suppositories were also pedia lax brand for infants. Very tiny and easy to insert when your kitty is not feeling well and wants to feel better. You can't use adult or Fleet type enimas on kitties. I suppose most people can't take their cat outdoors, if it were a different cat of mine I'd probably do this in the bathroom with a litter box next to me.

This was done with my vet's knowledge, we thought since she gave him an enema one more might do the trick, but unfortunately it didn't.
 
oh, didn't read all the info - it's Sam with Mega Colon - glad he's feeling better. Very impressed you gave him the enema - my vet looked at me like I was nuts when I said I wanted to learn how to do this myself and didn't charge me for that visit (even though he stayed open past hours and met me at his back door and did it all with me holding Robbie on the OR table.) Robbie's NOT really very cooperative about having this done - usually he's a very good boy but man he doesn't like those. I think I might ask again about being taught. It's frightening to not be able to help him and the ER Vet is just so expensive.
 
tuckers mom said:
Girly said:
Awww, Sam. Hope he is feeling better. How do you give a cat an enema at home and what suppositories do you use?
Click to expand...

Thank you, Sam is feeling better right now and I'm hoping he never gets impacted again but Megacolon is difficult, it can be neuro in origin or just old age related.

My little man is the easiest cat in the world, I was able to take him outside on the grass and use a Pedia-Lax enema. He walked around the yard after a few minutes and relieved himself of the enema quite a bit. After he was done I took him in and washed him up in the sink. The suppositories were also pedia lax brand for infants. Very tiny and easy to insert when your kitty is not feeling well and wants to feel better. You can't use adult or Fleet type enimas on kitties. I suppose most people can't take their cat outdoors, if it were a different cat of mine I'd probably do this in the bathroom with a litter box next to me.

This was done with my vet's knowledge, we thought since she gave him an enema one more might do the trick, but unfortunately it didn't.
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Glad that Sam is doing better. My Bud is still a no go. I'll be calling the Vet in the morning to see what he advises. I got the Pedia-Lax enema, but I'm getting mixed signals as this is called Pedia-Lax for kids, but it is made by Fleet. Is this what you use? This is in liquid form in a tiny little bulb (child rectal applicator).
 
Yea! We have touchdown! :lol: My Bud finally produced a bowel movement this morning! The conveyor belt is moving again! cat(2)_steam
 
RobbiesMom said:
Thank God - I'd keep up the miralax and plenty of water in the food.
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Will definitely keep him and his sister on miralax with added water in their food. He has since gone two more times today and is acting so proud of himself. It went from huge, dry and hard, to huge and still pretty firm, to soft and nicely formed. I think we reached the Miralax doses from yesterday. Now, to keep it that way!

Thanks for the information!
 
So glad we can all talk about this here - the first time I heard Mega Colon I thought the vet was joking
 
Girly said:
Yea! We have touchdown! :lol: My Bud finally produced a bowel movement this morning! The conveyor belt is moving again! cat(2)_steam
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:smile: as to touchdown. Missy went a little the day you had asked if we can count little as pea shooters? :?
Last night she really went, after vasoline and prior to that small canned pumpkin icicle lol had small snack bags of canned pumpkin and had chipped some off, slurped down fast.
Not sure time wise found it in am, sometimes wall to wall carpet is really not a good thing. :cry:
Made a mess of her too as she's still not doing standing squat to poop. Sometimes sits like she's doing peeing now, then exits litterbox and lays on side to complete it poor girl, I cleaned her off this am a bit but still was cleaning her on and off during day.

Back to vet tomorrow, labs to check sugar, as well as liver function. Will ask for fructosamine test also to see glucose over time.
Held Miralax this am, she ate her canned like normal, tried adding some tonight with aloe juice and hasn't eaten much.

Doing better on peeing in box, or I am better on carrying her into bathroom before she pees after eating. :oops:
Gaits better sometimes, not as flat footed, do think arthritis is factor as well. Otherwise all normal.

Just trying to hang in and figure what's what. Going to have them check her too make sure not impacted with explosion of poop around hard stool but think she's ok there. Never stopped eating at all. Never vomited or appeared uncomfortable other then when I was cleaning her up this am.
 
Back from vet, didn't see our vet as he was in surgery but will talk to him tomorrow about labwork including fructosamine :RAHCAT and urine. Had someone check belly for impaction and all felt ok yay.thanks for tips. Tired and overwhelmed but hopeful will show sugars even lower then last, still no insulin.
 
Girly said:
Yea! We have touchdown! :lol: My Bud finally produced a bowel movement this morning! The conveyor belt is moving again! cat(2)_steam
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Girly was your poop formed errmm cats poop that is. Your just using Miralax?
 
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