Some cats will have a softer stool if given a little milk every day. We can also use DSS capsules, which contain the same stool softener we use in enemas. Biscolax is a tiny pill available in drug stores for humans that can be used for cats if giving a tablet every day is easier than a liquid. Many cats will take lactulose mixed in canned food and some will even lick it off a spoon. We start with a lactulose dose of 1 ml twice a day and gradually increase the amount until we have a normal to soft stool consistency. It’s a syrupy liquid that attracts water as it moves through the intestinal tract, so it pulls water into the colon and thus into the stools. The one we use most commonly is called lactulose. ![]() There are lots of medications we can use for constipation to soften the stool. The other way to get more water in a cat is to feed canned food or even watered down canned food. Many cats like drinking fresh, cold running water and will drink more from a fountain than they will from a bowl. To get a cat to drink more water you can try a water fountain. We may need to try a few diets to see what works best for a particular cat. Older cats usually do better on a low fiber food such as Hill’s I/D or A/D, Purina’s EN or Royal Canin’s low-fiber gastrointestinal diet. ![]() Diets with extra soluble fiber include Hill’s Metabolic, which is also a weight management diet, Hill’s Gastrointestinal Biome diet and Royal Canin’s Gastrointestinal Fiber Response. Most cat foods contain very little soluble fiber. We want more soluble fiber, which keeps the microbiome (the good bacteria) happy. There are two types of fiber: insoluble, which passes through undigested and provides bulk to the stool and soluble, which is what the bacteria in the intestines utilize. In young cats, feeding a high fiber diet often will work to keep the stools soft. Most of the time, however, constipation is a long term problem that requires dietary management and medication. In these cases a single enema may be all we need to do, besides treating the underlying problem. Sometimes constipation has occurred because some other illness made the cat dehydrated or there is hair or fibrous material in the stool making it hard. Most cats will tolerate these procedures awake but occasionally we have to sedate or anesthetize a cat to treat it. It’s best to keep your cat confined to a bathroom or utility room until you are sure it’s safe to let him or her back onto carpeting or furniture. We will do our best to send your cat home clean but he or she may continue to pass a small amount of diarrhea after going home. Most cats that need enemas also need subcutaneous fluids for dehydration.Įnemas usually cause at least a small amount of diarrhea. It’s best if your cat can stay in the hospital for a few hours, until all the stool has passed. If not, we generally administer enema(s) to affected cats to clean out the colon. Sometimes we can manually remove hard stool from the colon with a gloved finger. They usually come in to see us in a dehydrated state, which makes constipation worse. Affected cats are usually straining to pass stool, not eating well and are often drooling or vomiting. Any of these can make it difficult for stools to pass. Signs and symptoms: Constipated cats may have small, hard stools large, hard stools or clay-like, sticky stools. Most of the time, though, the typical constipated cat is older and the intestinal tract seems to be slowing down with age. In these cats the colon can eventually become so dilated and damaged that it has to be surgically removed. Some cats are born with a deficiency in the nerve connections to the colon, which then doesn’t contract properly to move stools along. Cats who have had a broken pelvis are prone to constipation because the nerves to the intestines or the pelvic canal the colon passes through can be damaged. ![]() Constipation is a common problem in older cats and is seen occasionally in younger ones as well.
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