Feline Constipation & Ennemas

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Care4Sparks

Care4Sparks

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Hello,

Sparks spent all day Friday at the Vet. Turns out that he was extremely constipated, attributed to the following
1) dehydration Diabetes, in general and especially with wild BG swings, "steals" water from the colon
2) Hair
3) Clumping litter! <- this I feared. With the neuropathy, he was getting a lot stuck to his legs and although we tried to wash it off regularly, he prefers to clean himself and we aren't here 24/7 to monitor.
4) [another thought, not posited by vet] too little fiber?
5) EDITED to ADD - Sparks' neuropathy may have affected his control, both voluntary & involuntary

During the day, they gave him 3 ennemas - 1 to soften, 2 to stimulate, each 2-3 hrs apart. He had 2 good BMs by the end of the day (the last one was a surprise right when I arrived @ 5:45 to pick him up, and so I waited for him & a cleaning :smile:)
The vet thought there was more to come and instructed we keep him in a ... place for that.
We were instructed to see if he continued to do the litterbox shuffle (in/out/in/out). He'd had no other signs of discomfort, like mewing.

He didn't do the litterbox shuffle. Until late this afternoon, after they'd closed, he didn't try.
He's tried 3 times (maybe 4) since then...

So I read all about constipation on felineconstipation.org (thanks to this board's search for the link!)

Instead of taking him to an emergency vet for another ennema series, plus the drive, stress and fear that comes with it -
I'm considering administering an ennema series here, tonight or tomorrow.
I bought the children's pedia-Lax, by FLEET, glycerin. We'd take it very slow and small... use a bathtub with sliding doors, put the new Breeze box and towels inside :?

Has anyone else done this? nailbite_smile Any tips or tricks? ;-)

Is this a bad idea?? :o :shock:
I will do what it takes to provide him the best care, so ... ~O)
 
My guess is that calm and patient will be your key.

Did they give you a set up to do subcutaneous fluids? That can help offset dehydration from the diabetes causing frequent urination.

Canned food, of course, helps provide water to the bowel.

I have noticed that Spitzer can get clumping litter boots if he is peeing heavily. Probably better to use a non-clumping litter in that event. Yes, it is more onerous to clean for you, but it is safer for him.

I only attempted an enema once on a cat that was constipated due to other illness. I was completely unsuccessful.
 
Thanks BJM! Sorry to hear your attempt was unsuccessful.

Sparks is extremely docile and he realizes that our poking and prodding is helping him feel leagues better, so he's been good about it.
The folks at the vet absolutely loved this shy, quiet, gentle giant - even through yesterday's ennemas. I have a good feeling he will be more upset about being in the guest bathroom, than about the ennema itself.

RE: subcutaneous fluids, no. I helped a neighbor's cat w/kidney issues on that scene, though. I think Sparks case is (hopefully) not that far advanced. The vet did not even mention this possibility to me. Do you think it will help and I should ask about it?

Tonight I mixed in water w/ the canned food (FF) so he's getting extra. He was also prescribed a stool softener we started today, but the vet said it's not effective on what's already in the large intestine.

We moved from a natural clumping clay to the Breeze - I just got it yesterday but it seems good so far. I thought about the Smart Cat box, but needed something right away with no delay.

Sparks' neuropathy is pretty bad - that's a big reason why we knew something was wrong and took him in insisting for testing, that plus the huge pees ... I hope your Spitzer is getting around well, even w/occasionally heavy pees!
 
I believe that some of the children's enemas can be toxic for cats, so before you give any, get some confirmation of what is safe or not. I will see if I can find a thread that discusses it, and will post it here if I can find it.
 
Thanks Joanna, that is an important consideration.

I bought the Fleet Pedia-Lax liquid glycerin - active ingredient glycerin; inactive ingredients edatate disodium and purified water.

The vet did use a gylcerin ennema but I'm not sure what brand. From the research I've done it seems ok, but if anyone has experience I'd feel better...

He still hasn't poo'ed and our regular vet isn't open until tomorrow.
 
Another enema sounds like a little excessive at this point and after all that activity, he probably won't have to go for a while. Did you see the stool he passed? Was it hard and dry?

At this point, fluids and diet would probably be the best way to help him. And I am not sure I agree with the stool softener because it is going to pull fluids in to the intestines, which may not be a good thing for an already dehydrated cat. He needs supplemental fluids for a while, that will probably help the most. Plain canned pumpkin is often recommended as maintenance to help with constipation, especially if the vet thinks he needs more fiber.

Also, can we help with the diabetes? Neuropathy is best overcome via blood glucose regulation. You can get him over this hump with the constipation, but if his diabetes continues out of control that can lead to more problems.
 
I don't know about enemas, but my kitty has always been contipated, and my Vet prescribed Miralax for him 1/8 teaspoon twice a day either sprinkled on food or can be given mixed with low sodium chicken broth. She said it may take a day or two to work, but to still use it daily as a maintanence. I started with 1/8 tsp every other day and you can go up from there. He also has neuropathy in his hind legs. She says once his sugar is controlled, the neuropathy will improve and might happen quickly or she says some kitties take a few months to get back to normal. Good Luck.
 
Mary,

Miralax can be used for sure. My mom`s friend has a cat with megacolon and she has him on miralax. He weighs in at about 16lbs I think and she said she gives him an 1/8 too put on food twice a day.
I give my cat( Andy) lactulose but that would not be good for a diabetic kitty as it seems to be mostly sugar. Also if Andy gets to constipated sometimes a good dose of good ole sub cu fluids will help to flush the bowels.

Terri
 
Vicky - I didn't see what the vet had removed but we had progress today!

Sparks, he went! Not a lot (~1 big hard gumball), but I think he's feeling more comfortable and no more litter-box-shuffle! I've been mixing his wet food with water and he seems to like that :)

The vet prescribed, Lactulose (1ml 2x day). But, you say it has sugar?! Aie.
I want to look at other dietary supplements, like pumpkin, too.

I'm pretty embarassed about this whole thing, but I didn't (still don't) know much about poo problems... :oops:
Learned something new below:

The vet did ennemas, and she also gave the sub-cutaneous fluids (and anti-nausea). It's sort of like a colonic... definitely a BIG deal for a cat. Sparks was sore.

The baby Fleet glycerin is a liquid suppository with an applicator, and liquid glycerin is a 'safe' lube for chapped cats vs many other alternatives. [I'm not a vet; consult your vet.]

Thanks everyone for your help!
 
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