If your cat hasn’t passed any feces at all for two days, you should contact a veterinarian. However, because constipation can quickly become a vicious cycle, it’s essential to seek veterinary advice sooner rather than later. Mild cases of constipation may resolve with over-the-counter laxatives, especially if you try to reduce your cat’s stress and increase their water intake. With laxatives and stool softeners available over the counter, it might be tempting to try treating your constipated cat yourself without a veterinarian. Laxapet contains fish oils, vitamins, and lecithin and is used for hairballs as well as constipation. Like Katalax, it is helpful for hairballs and acts as a stool softener, and it can also be bought over the counter. Cat MaltĬat Malt is a combination of liquid paraffin and malt extract. It can be used in cats under veterinary supervision but is ‘off license’ because it’s not been approved by the licensing authority for use in cats. Lactulose is a human laxative that contains a non-absorbable sugar, and it draws water into the bowel through osmosis. Katalax is an over-the-counter medication, so it doesn’t need to be prescribed by a veterinarian. It’s handy for easing blockages caused by hairballs, but it also softens the stools, which can help with constipation. Katalax contains soft paraffin, cod liver oil, and malt extract. It is only available on prescription, though, so you’ll need to speak to your veterinarian if you think your cat might need it. It loosens any blockages and lubricates the bowel so that stools pass more easily. Microlax contains Sorbitol and is administered as an enema into your cat’s bottom. If your cat is prone to constipation, you can increase their water intake and reduce their stress to help stop flare-ups. Using anxiety-reducing sprays, diffusers, or plug-ins can help keep your cat feeling calm. This could be from other cats, building work, a new baby, or anything that impacts your cat’s normal routine. Your cat might also avoid passing poop for as long as possible if they are feeling stressed. Therefore, keeping litter boxes clean and providing more than one litter box per cat is important to keep your cat toileting stress-free. To avoid constipation, it’s essential that your furry friend feels free to go whenever he needs to. Litter boxesĬats are very clean creatures, and if their litter box is dirty or they have to share it with other cats, they may choose to hold their feces. However, if your cat won’t be persuaded to drink more, you can try feeding them wet food and even adding extra water to their food. There are many ways that you can encourage your cat to drink more water, including using water fountains, extra water bowls, and running taps. Ensuring that their hydration is as good as possible will help prevent the stools from drying out and lubricate their passage through the bowel. If your cat is experiencing a bout of constipation, one of the most effective things you can do is increasing their water intake. Tips for helping constipation at home Water intake They might also strain, pass hard, dry balls of feces, or even pass some blood. You can do some things to help at home, but you might need to speak to your veterinarian about laxatives.Ī constipated cat might go in and out of the litter box without passing anything. The key to easing constipation is to prevent the stools from drying out and get them moving as soon as possible. This causes it to become even harder to pass, and the blockage becomes more significant. Feces that has been waiting in the colon or rectum for too long will become drier and drier as the body reabsorbs water from the stool. What can help your cat’s constipation?Ĭonstipation tends to become a vicious cycle quite quickly. Occasionally, constipation can be caused by gut tumors or a condition called ‘megacolon’ where the bowel becomes very large and weak so it cannot push the stools through. Blockages are sometimes caused by hairballs, worms, dry feces, or even foreign material that they have eaten, which can make a cat throw up as well. Constipation can be caused by your cat being a bit dehydrated or having a blockage. The dry or firm consistency of the feces will cause your cat to strain when they go to the toilet, and they might even pass a bit of blood. If your cat is constipated, they will be passing poop less often, and their poop may be harder or drier than normal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |