Longer than usual constipation

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zerovector

zerovector

Member Since 2022
Ongoing thread
https://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/blacks-mystery-liver-affliction.268165/

My cat, black, has been struggling to poop for about an hour now. He passed a ball at around 6, but now has been struggling to get this one out. I assisted a bit with a warm towel - I also tried to check with a glove, this stimulated him enough to move a small pebble out, but from what I can feel the mass he's trying to move is pretty big. How do I help him? I feel really powerless, and I don't think he'd survive anesthesia at the emergency vet for a enema.

Update: He has taken a break from pushing to beg for table scraps, but has not passed that mass yet.
 
Poor baby, do they have to be under anesthesia
to have an enema?
He must be so uncomfortable, I would call the ER vet and ask
You can go up top where it says search and type enema you will see a lot of post about it from other members
I hope someone else replies back :bighug::bighug:
 
Oh I forgot to mention, my grandma use to use unsalted butter for her cats if they had a hairball or constipation. I'm not sure if that really works but she thought it did, nor do I know the implications of a sugar cat having butter. I personally struggle with constipation and will do constipation massages on my belly to help. There's also laying on your back and bringing your knees up to your chest a few times. Maybe that could help too?
 
How much Miralax have you been giving? But anyway if he’s really impacted they will have to do an X-ray to see what’s in there and how much. Then they will have to give an enema. They should not give general anesthesia obviously. I have never heard of a cat needing general anesthesia for an enema. Then after he has passed stool (which sometimes can take quite a while) they should re X-ray to make sure that he’s really clear or to see how much stool remains in the colon. I am really upset to hear about this happening to Black.
 
As for the liver, I still urge you to see if you can get the Denamarin in him. If you can’t, please get powdered milk thistle and mix in food.

Did you start the Lactulose yesterday? I would try it, but unless he’s pooped a whole lot by morning then he still needs to be seen and get the X-ray. I wish they had done it yesterday so that they would have seen the blockage before sending him home. This can get serious pretty quickly unless he poops. If the colon becomes too stretched, then the nerves become damaged and then he won’t be able to pass stool normally. If he does have motility problems then you can add in Cisapride. It can be compounded into a chicken flavored tablets (small) or probably a liquid as well.
 
Would you mind removing the 911 now that people have answered you please?
You can always add it again if needed. Thanks.
I hope things are better in the morning for the poor boy.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
How much Miralax have you been giving? But anyway if he’s really impacted they will have to do an X-ray to see what’s in there and how much. Then they will have to give an enema. They should not give general anesthesia obviously. I have never heard of a cat needing general anesthesia for an enema. Then after he has passed stool (which sometimes can take quite a while) they should re X-ray to make sure that he’s really clear or to see how much stool remains in the colon. I am really upset to hear about this happening to Black.
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1/8 teaspoon a day. It seemed to work and then he's right back to this.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
As for the liver, I still urge you to see if you can get the Denamarin in him. If you can’t, please get powdered milk thistle and mix in food.

Did you start the Lactulose yesterday? I would try it, but unless he’s pooped a whole lot by morning then he still needs to be seen and get the X-ray. I wish they had done it yesterday so that they would have seen the blockage before sending him home. This can get serious pretty quickly unless he poops. If the colon becomes too stretched, then the nerves become damaged and then he won’t be able to pass stool normally. If he does have motility problems then you can add in Cisapride. It can be compounded into a chicken flavored tablets (small) or probably a liquid as well.
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I started him on the lactulose last night
 
zerovector said:
1/8 teaspoon a day. It seemed to work and then he's right back to this.
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That's a very small dose, though. As discussed in the other thread, it has to be scaled up to efficacy: if 1/8 tsp once a day doesn't work, give 1/8 tsp twice a day. If that still doesn't help, give 1/4 tsp in AM and 1/8 tsp in PM. Then you could up to 1/4 tsp AM and PM. If at that dose you still see no impact, then it would seem fair to either give up or check with vet.

Wicket gets 1/4 tsp once a day, and I seem to remember some other members giving more than that.
 
He peed last night, but doesn't appear to have any urgency to poop. Is it at all possible to have a phantom bowel movement? He's eating again.
 
zerovector said:
He peed last night, but doesn't appear to have any urgency to poop. Is it at all possible to have a phantom bowel movement? He's eating again.
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I would keep giving the lactulose and adding as much water as possible to his food. Even if he does end up needing an enema, you'll want that water pulled into the stools to soften them, especially if they are large.
 
Virginie said:
I would keep giving the lactulose and adding as much water as possible to his food. Even if he does end up needing an enema, you'll want that water pulled into the stools to soften them, especially if they are large.
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He has decided recently to eat those Weruva pates, which seem to be mostly water. it's almost a soup. He has two water bowls out as well. So, as of this morning he's eaten half a can and decided to go back to sleep.

This is what he passed yesterday before 7 (before he was running around straining)
 

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zerovector said:
1/8 teaspoon a day. It seemed to work and then he's right back to this.
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You can give more Miralax than that. I would start by giving it twice a day. Miralax is a "dose to effect" kind of thing. Let me catch up on what's happened. I'm having another awful day, this time not cats going to the vet, but my car breaking down (although I had a cat in the car at the time who was supposed to go to the vet!) So I will catch up on everything you have written.
 
zerovector said:
He peed last night, but doesn't appear to have any urgency to poop. Is it at all possible to have a phantom bowel movement? He's eating again.
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My concern here is that his nerves could be damaged and he doesn't feel the urge to poop. This is why I think an x-ray is in order. Did you call vet this morning?
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
My concern here is that his nerves could be damaged and he doesn't feel the urge to poop. This is why I think an x-ray is in order. Did you call vet this morning?
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I wasn't able to get a slot today - re: urgency, shouldn't be really uncomfortable/not eating? I'm hoping he moves this today. I am also still waiting on labs from yesterday.
 
zerovector said:
I wasn't able to get a slot today - re: urgency, shouldn't be really uncomfortable/not eating? I'm hoping he moves this today. I am also still waiting on labs from yesterday.
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Well, since you can't get in... I would increase Miralax and keep doing Lactulose. Yes, you would expect that he would not eat. However, I have heard of cats who would eat even though they were morbidly blocked with hard stool. Sorry. I hate to even say that. I'm not saying this is the case with Black. I just get really anxious about it - not knowing what's in there. He would probably not be able to survive a deobstipation and he can't really undergo anesthesia.
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
Well, since you can't get in... I would increase Miralax and keep doing Lactulose. Yes, you would expect that he would not eat. However, I have heard of cats who would eat even though they were morbidly blocked with hard stool. Sorry. I hate to even say that. I'm not saying this is the case with Black. I just get really anxious about it - not knowing what's in there. He would probably not be able to survive a deobstipation and he can't really undergo anesthesia.
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You're right about that, I'm also incredibly anxious. Everything is stacked against him right now and it isn't looking good to me.
 
zerovector said:
You're right about that, I'm also incredibly anxious. Everything is stacked against him right now and it isn't looking good to me.
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BUT, Black is an amazing cat. If it's not his time to go, then he isn't going to go! He's already beaten the odds. Like we discussed before, if he's happy, eating, etc. it's not his time to go. Keeping all paws crossed here for Black!
 
Bad news - labs back from yesterday actually show improvements on ALP, ALT, BUN, and creatine - but his bilirubin is higher than before, 16mg/dl
 
Sorry for the update. Not too surprising as we know he has some sort of liver disease, I know there's some things they can do for that but I have no experience with it. But for now he's happy, eating, and hopefully unblocked. One day at a time!
 
I found this thread debating this very question - hope it’s helpful. I don’t have first hand experience with lactulose, so can’t really vouch for one over the other. Maybe others will. Definitely give him a good dose of one or the other tonight, though (for miralax I would say 1/4 tsp).
 
Suzanne & Darcy said:
What did vet say about the labs? I mean, continue with the ursodiol? What else.
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This vet didn't prescribe the Ursodiol, but she's doesn't think he has much time left either - it's essentially up to me when that happens. He is declining ever so slightly every day, she even noticed the difference between today and yesterday. She did offer to do subq (this place is very close to me, and they offered it cheap) if I want to keep him from getting dehydrated. She also offered denamrin but, it's not looking good as his bilirubin continues to climb.
 
@zerovector I just want to say, no matter what happens it is clear you have given him a long and happy life with much care and attention, pats and purrs. So many cat owners out there don't even barely know their kitties or have a very close relationship with them, your time with Black stands out as a special bond and that warms my heart even as he faces the possible end of his days.

There is always going to be a time when we have to say goodbye to our fur-friends and if Black is nearing that time I think it is obvious you have given him everything you can and then some. My thoughts are with you. My boy Hendrick is about half Black's age and I can't even keep it together just thinking about how I will have to bid him farewell one day.


"I expect to pass through this world but once;

any good thing therefore that I can do, or any

kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature,

let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again."

:bighug:
 
zerovector said:
This vet didn't prescribe the Ursodiol, but she's doesn't think he has much time left either - it's essentially up to me when that happens. He is declining ever so slightly every day, she even noticed the difference between today and yesterday. She did offer to do subq (this place is very close to me, and they offered it cheap) if I want to keep him from getting dehydrated. She also offered denamrin but, it's not looking good as his bilirubin continues to climb.
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The fluids could really help him to feel better. But you have to weigh that against the stress of vet visit. Too bad one of the vet techs couldn’t come over and do it for you. I can tell you don’t want to do it alone.
 
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Suzanne & Darcy said:
The fluids could really help him to feel better. But you have to weigh that against the stress of vet visit. Too bad one of the vet techs couldn’t come over and do it for you. I can tell you don’t want to do it alone.
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He actually doesn't seem too bothered by the visits, and the tech said giving him subq was "easy".

and a general update, he's eaten 2 cans of food by 9 am today.
 
Well…. That’s good and bad, right? At least the enema was successful. He should be feeling a lot better just because of that.
 
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