Diabetic Alternatives to Laxatone

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JenJee

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Saul seems to be constipated, and i would normally give a cat Laxatone but I see that it has molasses in the ingredients. He also tested at 202 yesterday, after testing normal for the last month and a half since I brought him home and changed his diet.

He's still pooping but straining and just a small amount each time. He also gets a lot of hairballs so something I can use on a regular basis would be great. I will keep testing him and am hoping it's his tummy problems that are causing his levels to rise and once taken care of they will fall back down to normal, if not then I guess we'll start the sugar dance. :(

Any suggestions?
 
Most people here use Miralax for constipation. The dosage is 1/8-1/4 teaspoon orally twice a day with food.

For a hairball lubricant, I use plain old vaseline (white petroleum jelly). I just dab a bit on Bandit's paw, and he licks it off. It's the exact same thing as Laxatone, but minus the sugary flavoring.
 
Thanks! And I just read that Miralax is OTC. That's excelelnt. I really appreciate your help.
 
Question on Adding fiber

Well, Saul is going to the vet tonight for his constipation. I think he might have a partial blockage. He's still pooping but not much.

I realize that I am feeding him a very low fiber diet when reading about ways to help a kitty with hairballs, one of which is to add fiber to their diet. Read vaseline is not good to give on a regular basis as it prevents nutritional absorption.

My question is about adding fiber, like psyllium husk to his food. Will this negatively impact his blood glucose? I'll ask the vet tonight but they aren't supportive about him being on non-diabetic specific food (surprise, surprise) so I'd rather ask you all. Also suggested was canned pumpkin but looks like that's also a little high in carbs.

This is really frustrating trying to find a good solution that won't affect his sugar levels. His old owner told me he has always had hairball issues.

Thanks for any help!
 
Re: Question on Adding fiber

JenJee said:
Read vaseline is not good to give on a regular basis as it prevents nutritional absorption.
Click to expand...

Where did you read that it's bad? I've seen no evidence that supports that statement and started using it with my vet's recommendation. Mineral oils can deplete cats of Vitamin A, so you don't want to overdo it, but at the recommended dose it's perfectly safe.

http://www.pawpathlittermat.com/Articles/a-constipated.html

http://www.vetinfo.com/how-effective-is-vaseline-petroleum-jelly-for-cats-hairballs.html

Vaseline's molecules are too large to be absorbed by the intestines, but it does not block other nutrients from being absorbed. Most otc hairball remedies are vaseline with sugar and malt flavorings added.

However, you don't want to use miralax and vaseline together at the same time. Miralax for constipation, vaseline as a preventative lubricant once the constipation is gone.

If you're looking for a fiber source, I've found canned pumpkin works really well (100% pumpkin, no sugar added).
 
Re: Question on Adding fiber

JenJee said:
Well, Saul is going to the vet tonight for his constipation. I think he might have a partial blockage. He's still pooping but not much.

I realize that I am feeding him a very low fiber diet when reading about ways to help a kitty with hairballs, one of which is to add fiber to their diet. Read vaseline is not good to give on a regular basis as it prevents nutritional absorption.

My question is about adding fiber, like psyllium husk to his food. Will this negatively impact his blood glucose? I'll ask the vet tonight but they aren't supportive about him being on non-diabetic specific food (surprise, surprise) so I'd rather ask you all. Also suggested was canned pumpkin but looks like that's also a little high in carbs.

This is really frustrating trying to find a good solution that won't affect his sugar levels. His old owner told me he has always had hairball issues.

Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

Go with the Miralax with every meal, and be sure to add water to the wet food, 1 part water, 1 or 2parts food. if you don't add water, you will end up with a dehydrated cat who poops fine.
You don't want to stop adding it to food because you don't want to end up with megacolon issues.
You have to keep things moving.
 
Thanks everyone!

I am going to continue to give him canned pumpkin for his digestion but wanted to update (and appreciate the links for the vaseline and advice on Miralax which I wwill definitely use if I feel he's having any hairball issues later):

I guess this is definitely an example of one of those times layman's diagnosing isn't very accurate. I'm so glad I took him to the vet.

He was xrayed and found no blockage or constipation. Instead, his lungs were filled with fluid. They removed an entire cup of fluid from his lungs and sent it into the lab. I'll get the results back later.

His body felt kinda taut, he was breathing funny and wasn't pooping, which she said was likely because he just wasn't eating much.

I feel very chagrined about this experience and am angry at myself for not taking him in sooner at the first sign something was wrong.
 
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