Cat Constipation

Constipation is characterized by strainingto move the bowels or by having infrequentbowel movements. If your cat is not straining.is alert and active, and is eating well but hasnot defecated in two or three days, don't panic.Not even Amtrak is always on time, so whyshould your cat's bowel movements be on sucha strict schedule?

Ingesting bones, wood, or other indiges-tibles is the leading cause of constipation. Lesscommon causes are the ingestion of hair ballsfrom cats cleaning themselves and the slowerintestinal movements of older animals.

A cat that has impacted feces (hard fecesin the colon) makes frequent, straining at-tempts to defecate. The animal may be listlessor anorectic (without appetite) and may vomitor pass small amounts of blood-streaked, foul-smelling feces. Some long-haired cats get fecesstuck and matted over their anus. Conse-quently, they cannot defecate. This is calledpseudocoprostasis.

Male cats strain with a urinaryblockage that many owners confuse with con-stipation.

Cat Constipation Home Remedies

You can tryto relieve mild constipation by adding over-the-counter laxatives such as Metamucil or Mucilose to the food. Adding water to a dry-food diet may also be helpful. Also try adding mineral oil, which lubricates and softens thestools, to the food. Add one teaspoon per ten pounds of body weight, but don't give mineral oil for more than three days prolonged use decreases the absorption of vitamins. Donot administer it directly into the mouth. as it is very bland and may pass into the respiratorysystem before your cat can cough. Mineral oil in the lungs will cause a pneumonia.

If your cat is straining to pass small amounts of blood-streaked, foul-smelling feces,you can try a pediatric Fleet mineral oil enema if your veterinarian recommends it. Follow the directions on the package and stay in touch with the veterinarian.

Pseudocoprostasis is cured very simplyby trimming the hair and matted feces from theanus using scissors. Bathe the area and applya soothing cream if it is irritated.

Cat Constipation Treatment

If your cat has impacted feces trapped inthe colon, your doctor will perform a completephysical. He or she will palpate the impacted feces in the colon and do a rectal exam. In ad-dition, your doctor may suggest a radiograph,ultrasound. or endoscopy to study the extent and cause of the impaction. Sometimes a piece of bone is found lodged in the rectum.

Repeated warm-water enemas will probably be necessary to relieve the blockage.

Keep your cat's water bowl filled. Dehydrated pets can have hard, dry feces.

When cats groom themselves, their barbed tongues can capture large clumps of hair,which are then swallowed. These hair balls cancontribute to constipation. An oil-based gelsuch as Laxatone, Kat-a-lax, or white petro-leum jelly can prevent problems.

As your cat ages, so does the muscle in the intestine. It becomes lazy and moves thefeces through the intestines much more slowly.The longer the feces stay in the intestine, themore water is removed from them, making the stool much drier. Give an oil-based gel and mixstewed or raw fruits and vegetables in the food prunes live up to their reputation! Besure that an old cat's water bowl remainsfilled, because adequate fluid intake is veryimportant.

To help prevent pseudocoprostasis, keepthe anal area of your long-haired cat clipped ofexcess hair.