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Can anyone help? I have a 6 year old Birman, rescue, he has been being treated fro megacolon for almost a year. Like all of you who have posted it is a nightmare! In and out of the vet for a lot of money which I no longer have. He is on Cisapride 3x's a day, Lactulose 3x a day, he hates it. Ducolax at night. I have tried pumpkin, Miralax, tuna oil with his food, sardine oil, he still ends up needing enemas and fluids. I don't know what else to do for him. They gave me some info on the surgical procedure to remove the colon has anyone done this? IT is expensive but it is also sounding like it may be he only thing left to do for him! Any ideas! Great site.. we need a mega-colon support group.. this can be crazy for the cat and owner! None of my friends want to hear about my cats rear end problems anymore and I have great friends!
My cat, about the same age, had the operation. Things were great until the last few months - all bound up again. We've been through a few enemas. My vet is very kind and very reasonably priced, but it still adds up, not to mention the constant watching and worry.
From reading this thread, I'm definitely going to stop the dry food.
I have--too late--been reading these forums. I gave a fleet pedi-lax saline enema to my cat this weekend and she was dead within an hour. The mergency clinc that I rushed her tor eports no enemas are safe for cats but any made with saline and sodium benzoate are deadly for cats and dogs. The vet reports they do not even use mineral oil enemas for dogs or cats.
Please be careful and take your pet to the vet. My cat paid the price for my stupidity.
Hi every 1 this is my first time on the site. It is to say the least very informative and entertaining too. I am having the same problem with my 7 year old cat Boots. What I was wondering is how come this problem with cats after 200 years of prowling around in alleys is suddenly coming up???? Is it a money maker for the Veternary community or is it because we feed out cats the very best food we can afford? I have had 15 cats over a 40 yr. spanse and this issue is a first for me. Getting back to the problem I have given him pumpkin furball meds Lactalose soft food and benifiber nothin is working he dose go after a time but the stole is so large he crys when he goes. I am going to have to put him down if this continues, because I am not employed and the Vet wants to do a $600. proceedure to scrape the colin. Thank you all for your in put.
I have used Miralax 1/8 tsp daily to help keep fecal material soft. LaxAire orally to help keep fecal material soft. Cisapride works great for stimulating colonic contractions. Sometimes a combination of all of the above need to go together to keep a cat defecating normally.
Get real no salt butter let him eat it! That will keep him moving. It is what an old vet told me. The cat will eat what he needs when he needs.
Butter passes through the digestive tract too quickly to be of any use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mossbe and Boots
Hi every 1 this is my first time on the site. It is to say the least very informative and entertaining too. I am having the same problem with my 7 year old cat Boots. What I was wondering is how come this problem with cats after 200 years of prowling around in alleys is suddenly coming up???? Is it a money maker for the Veternary community or is it because we feed out cats the very best food we can afford? I have had 15 cats over a 40 yr. spanse and this issue is a first for me. Getting back to the problem I have given him pumpkin furball meds Lactalose soft food and benifiber nothin is working he dose go after a time but the stole is so large he crys when he goes. I am going to have to put him down if this continues, because I am not employed and the Vet wants to do a $600. proceedure to scrape the colin. Thank you all for your in put.
I am very sorry to hear about your kitty. Your cat very likely has developed a megacolon by now, judging by the size of his stools. An
x ray will diagnose megacolon
The treatment for megacolon is usually:
cisapride, a motility agent which keeps the muscles of the bowels moving
laxative (mineral oil is better than lactulose, and hairball remedy is useless) many people are finding miralax to be helpful
canned grain free diet. ALL canned, GRAIN FREE diet.
adding fiber is counterproductive as it bulks up the stool making it even larger. LOW fiber, grain free canned food.
All this...and by the way the cisapride and laxative doses will need to be increased as time goes on.
Surgery is the only cure.
If blood work hasn't been done it should be, as constipation problems can be a sign of other health problems such as kidney disease or hyperthyroid.
I laughed my *** off too reading your story, Clawson!!! I have tons of similar stories regarding one of my three felines (Domino is 13 also, but he is black and white). Domino also loves to eat everything, including plants, and even if they are high, he gets to them...UGH!
He is almost constantly tearing through the house in and out of the "box".
I give him 6mil of lactulose daily; HE is the "posterchild" for Benefiber (daily) and we even have him on miralax (the colon stuff)...it's a real joy mixing that up...just don't give too much or you will have to lock him in the potty like we did for about 3-4 days LOL!
Well, good luck...we still are trying to find the best combo...just don't give all of this in the same day!!!
Clawson, you have just made my day! my cat hasn't pooped in 3 days and me n the hubby just had our first enema experience (on the cat , not each other) He had surgery 3 months ago to remove the "stuff", is was awful. We also give him parafin oil down the throat with a syringe. Also, a lump of vasaline on his tongue works and causes no harm. We are now just waiting for the poop....good luck
We give our cats petromalt or laxatone by smearing a dab on the back of their paw when they aren't looking. They can't help but to lick it off. Anything that can be made pasty, or thick and oily could be given this way. It's not too messy if you smear it on.
Our cat, Leonard, a 6-yr old female, is having constipation issues, so I'm surfing the net for constipation preventatives that they will willingly eat. Once again, our vet prescribed 10 shots in the mouth with a 1 ml syringe every day. Talk about a recipe for killing cats. How many people would have the patience and fortitude for that? I do and I won't do it.
I completely identify with your story Clawson! I spent 11 months giving our other cat, a Trenton NJ street cat daily subcutaneous saline injections for kidney failure. After two months of bloody hands, we finally arrived at an acceptable agreement.
Our cat, Leonard, a 6-yr old female, is having constipation issues, so I'm surfing the net for constipation preventatives that they will willingly eat.
Cats fed a decent quality canned food seldom get constipated. Are you feeding dry kibble?
We give our cats petromalt or laxatone by smearing a dab on the back of their paw when they aren't looking. They can't help but to lick it off. Anything that can be made pasty, or thick and oily could be given this way. It's not too messy if you smear it on.
Our cat, Leonard, a 6-yr old female, is having constipation issues, so I'm surfing the net for constipation preventatives that they will willingly eat. Once again, our vet prescribed 10 shots in the mouth with a 1 ml syringe every day. Talk about a recipe for killing cats. How many people would have the patience and fortitude for that? I do and I won't do it.
I completely identify with your story Clawson! I spent 11 months giving our other cat, a Trenton NJ street cat daily subcutaneous saline injections for kidney failure. After two months of bloody hands, we finally arrived at an acceptable agreement.
10 shots of what in the mouth?
As for having the patience and willingness to do it, hopefully most people are willing to take care of their cats in anyway that is needed. I have a cat who takes three medications a day, and has for 9 years. I have another gone to the bridge now, who took medications 8 times a day, plus sub q fluids, for many years. They are worth it after all?
Anyway, I agree with the above poster about changing the diet, before looking for other "treatments". If putting the cat on a high quality low fiber all canned diet (preferably grain free), with water added to the canned for added moisture, doesn't help, then it's time to look for other help.
By the way, daily grooming will help.
And be sure to give the laxatone or other hair ball remedy on an empty stomach at least two hours before any food.
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enemas for cats not safe!!!!
I am having the same problem with my 7 year old cat Boots. What I was wondering is how come this problem with cats after 200 years of prowling around in alleys is suddenly coming up???? Is it a money maker for the Veternary community or is it because we feed out cats the very best food we can afford?
I have had 15 cats over a 40 yr. spanse and this issue is a first for me. Getting back to the problem I have given him pumpkin furball meds Lactalose soft food and benifiber nothin is working he dose go after a time but the stole is so large he crys when he goes. I am going to have to put him down if this continues, because I am not employed and the Vet wants to do a $600. proceedure to scrape the colin. 
Thank you all for your in put.
