Constipation

[shadycat]

I was wondering if many of your kitties have problems with constipation. Most of what I read is that cats on canned food usually have softer stools, one site even said that said they had "never" seen a cat who ate solely canned food get constipation... Well, Shady is apparently the opposite, because when I changed his diet to all canned, low carb, I noticed his stools getting harder and straining to poo. I assumed it was due to switching from a high fiber diet to low fiber? Have any of you had that problem when you went low carb?

Last week I saw him straining and straining in the litter box, to the point he cried out, and was not able to produce anything, and he threw up twice the same day. So I took him to the vet, who was able to feel material in the colon, and they gave him an enema to clean him out. Since then, I gave him Lactulose the vet prescribed (no increase in BG- Shady is still OTJ) for 3 days, then switched to metamucil- the clear, flavorless kind, the label says it is inulin (made from chicory root), along with some water mixed with his canned food, and added some Hills TD dry back into his diet because it is high fiber (with no increase in BG so far). I saw him poop yesterday and it was normal/soft-ish, and I am trying to keep an eye on things, but I'm not sure he went today, I work FT and have 2 cats so it's hard to monitor the litter box. I am getting kind of anxious about it because I am leaving for a 12 day trip at the end of the week, and I don't want anything to go wrong with his BG or get severe constipation while I am gone.

What do most of you use for constipation, and is it common in low carb kitties? I have read miralax mentioned on some threads here. Are there any advantages or disadvantages of miralax vs metamucil? Any reason I shouldn't keep using the metamucil? I know about the canned pumpkin remedy too, but I think a powder will be easier for the people taking care of my cats than pumpkin, since it is perishable. BTW, if it makes a difference treatment-wise, Shady is still OTJ, officially in 2 days (fingers crossed), it will have been 2 weeks. Vet thought his diabetes was caused by glucose toxicity resulting in insulin resistance, from prolonged stress related hyperglycemia while undergoing cancer treatment, and after insulin treatment was able to break out of it and is back to normal now, but could be prone to relapse.

 

[max&emmasmommie]

Hi. I had the same horrible experience with my cat crying out while he tried to poo and having to have an enema at the vet. This was the same day (and only time) that my cat's BG went down to 50. So, to me it seems especially important to avoid it although there may be no connection.

I use Miralax -- just 1/4 teaspoon once a day, and we haven't had that problem again. (I should mention that I also give 100 cc of subcutaneous fluids about once every week or two.) I haven't had a hairball problem this Spring either, and we are having quite warm days all ready.

Miralax is recommended by many people on this forum. So, I have never gone back to Metamucil even for hairballs. According to www.charliefoundation.org (an epilepsy site) Miralax is carbohydrate free. You can download a list of carb free and low carb products from this website by hovering over "Resources." You will see "Articles," and one is this list. Miralax is at the bottom of page 8 of the list. I notice that Metamucil has 6 g of carbohydrates in only one teaspoon.

I suppose as long as your cat stays OTJ, you can use the Metamucil, but switch if you see his BG rise.

 

[tuckers mom]

I remember one cat a few years back got constipation after switching to canned, "Pam and Spike" is what I think they posted as in 2008-09 on the old board. She gave Benefiber to Spike and ended up added dry food back into his diet, I'm not sure she really needed to do that, she stopped posting soon after.

I use Miralax. My non-diabetic little man Sam was recently diagnosed with MegaColon, to hopefully avoid constipation again he gets 1/4 tsp every single day and he takes it at lunch time in Weruva pouch food that is a pumpkin formula. I don't know if it's enough pumpkin to help but it makes him happy.

I prefer Miralax to Lactulose due to ease of use. It's tasteless and odorless so Sam has no clue he's getting it. When he was more constipated and the enemas weren't helping the vet gave us Lactulose, she said it targets the colon better, doesn't get absorbed in the GI tract but goes straight to the colon. I have not researched that myself yet so I can't say definitely that's true. He hated the Lactulose. Giving either it's important to increase the fluids. The way they work is they draw fluid into the colon to keep things moving, that draws the fluid away from other organs that need it, so to avoid dehydration I add water to Sam's food.