Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi all, sorry to raise such an icky subject so early in the year, but Lily hasn't done a poo for a few days now (she's otherwise ok). I know you can use lactulose for this, but I can't remember the dosage. Can anyone remember?

Hi.....I have same issues very regularly with Barney !

Lactulose, I put just a little on the end of a teaspoon, so not too much as it's quite oily and some cats dislike the taste. I also use Miralax which is better for constipation. If Lily can take fish, buy a small tin of fish in oil (tuna etc) or even a little olive oil in her food...

Also it would help to mix some warm water into her food............X

Thanks Julie. Lily doesn't seem keen on the lactulose, so will see if I can get some miralax. How much do you use? Same as the lactulose? Did Barney take to the miralax more successfully than the lactulose?

Hi ...

I got my Miralax powder from e-bay, just a tiny bit on a spoon is fine once a day mixed in his food with warm water, it is tasteless and odourless so they have no idea it is there, he eats it no problem, I also have lax o paste which is an anti furball malt gel which I aLso get on e bay though anti furball gels also sold at pets at home etc and are good as laxatives.....Barney gets really bad sometimes and without these 'aids' he would be in a lot of pain...I also have Psyillium husk ' powder which is a natural herbal addition for cats with constipation.....I always keep plenty now, so if you want to try it, just drop me an e mail and I can post you some of what I have to try.....I can't bear to watch him go through the pain of being constipated, he gets so upset, so I understand.....x

I suspect this is partly caused by Lily being on a decongestant as she s had a nasty sniffly nose for a few weeks, and is has probably dried her up generally. She may have managed to get a bit of the lactulose in her today, so fingers crossed, otherwise I'll give the other stuff a try. Thanks Julie.

Put some warm water in Lilys food too.....this will help.......fingers crossed....let me know how she is.....x

Still no poo. so I have made a provisional vet appointment for Monday am. She's had some more lactulose lactulose for her breakfast, will get some oily tuna in as well. Fingers (but not legs!) crossed this will do the trick....

Its such a worry isn't it ? I have this problem on and off all the time with my fella, if you are out today try and get an anti furball paste, these have mild laxatives too and don't give Molly any dry food at all, try and get her to drink as much as she will, is she weeing ok ? .....

Wahaay, we have poo!! Not much, and small and hard, but it's a start. I'll keep her on the lactulose and see how she does over the weekend.

She's weeing ok, and drinking quite well. I daren't take her off the dried food, as she seems to have gone off her usual wet food, luckily she's decided she likes Hills renal pouches, and the renal dried too, so this is the first time I've had her on a full renal diet in years (I now have 7 boxes of senior food she won't touch, for the moment at least). This might be part of the reason she's got constipated, ie less wet food than usual, plus the powders for her sniffly nose drying up everything else as well, but at least things are (literally) moving in the right direction again. I reckon it was the threat of a vet visit that did the job!

Thanks for your suggestions Julie, I'll let you know how we get on over the weekend.

Hurrah! I've never had this problem, but I know the feeling of anxiously checking litter trays from Daz's urinary problems. Hope she continues to improve. xx

lilynmitz wrote:Wahaay, we have poo!!

Yipee! How sad are we? Good news though. I hope she continues to improve.

No more poo today, have tried fur all paste, tuna in oil, lactulose in her food, she has a tiny bit of each and then loses interest. I think she'll be at the vets tomorrow

Poor lass, she must be very uncomfortable. Is she eating normally?

Oh what a shame, poor Lily, my fella was straining this morning again and just managed a little poo but it was difficult, so I have given him Miralax and some Psylium husk powder....I may well be heading to the vet too....

No, she's not eating much today either, and is starting to look uncomfortable as well. That might be part due to me stopping her metacam while I'm trying to get so many other meds into her. It's getting really hard juggling all these treatments and getting her to eat

Hi......the stopping of the Metacam may be making her feel more uncomfortable than she already is, personally, I would try to keep up with the Metacam....

Is she even trying to use her tray at all and straining ? or is she just not bothered ?.x

I'd be tempted to try her back on the Metacam too

when I had my Trigger on it all his long-standing gut problems cleared up, and he ate really well for the first time for years, so I think it must have been working on some internal inflammation, although that wasn't what it was prescribed for

She's only been off it two days, but yeah, I'll get her back on it this evening. Fingers crossed what little oily stuff I've got into her today will do the job.

Right, that's it, enema tomorrow.

All paws here crossed for her. xx

Oh dear, poor Lily

You never know, she may just pick up tonight, I have these bouts with Barney, which can last for 2 days or so and eventually he just 'goes' usually just before a vet appointment !

She's starting to go off her food and water now, so not looking good for things resolving themselves. I've managed to get some metacam and lactulose into her (via her licking the gravy off her food), and she's had her daily pills for her kidneys, but she's obviously not feeling well, so time for the vet to help out. I've got her through so much over the years, I'm blowed if I'm going to lose her to a common cold and constipation!

Poor lily. Thinking about you and hoping for some improvement.

Oh bless you.....I know how hard it is, believe me, you are doing your very best for Lily.........I truly understand..........thinking of you.......xx

Well, we have another poo (Yaay), but unless have a litter tray full tomorrow am I think I will still take her in for a check up, as she is now generally under the weather and I want to see what we can to do help her pick up again.

Oh Anna, just caught up with this. Poor little girl. Good luck tomorrow. Hope she's on the road to recovery tomorrow evening. xx

I think once you get that first 'plug' out, usually more follows. Did you get my email yesterday Anna?

I have a Microlax enema handy for an emergency, but never had the guts to use it - they are cat safe though.

If it is an ongoing problem, I really can recommend RC fibre response food. They don;t need to eat much of it for it to work. I just mix it with Laz's favourite dry (JWB senior fish) and he picks at it. He probably barely eats 20g a day but it is enough, despite him having Megacolon. We have the odd bout of constipation, but 1/4tsp in a meal normally works by the next day. I can send you some food and Miralax to try if you want to give it a go. Even my vet is surprised how well his Megacolon is managed without meds.

Thanks Mark, I got your e-mail this morning and have replied.

I chickened out on taking Lily to the vet this morning - she did two poos last night, the later one looking normal and healthy, so the emergency seems to have passed. I've asked the vet to give me a ring later today to just talk it through with him. I've given her some more lactulose this morning, but I'll keep a careful eye on things and see how she does over the next few days. She's such a frail old girl now, I really don't want to put her through more stress than necessary, and now that things are moving again I don't think there's much more the vet would have done anyway. She certainly doesn't need the enema at the moment. I'll just see if the vet has any other suggestions.

Iwouldn't have taken her either, in the circumstances. So glad she's 'produced', hope 'production' continues. xx

That's good news! Hope it continues.