Help Needed ASAP Cat Sick

I am returning to this board for help. I have not been on in awhile. 16 year old diabeteic cat, 1 unit of Lantus 2x a day. Came down from 2 units a while ago, is blocked and doesn't poop. His numbers sugar numbers are fine, he is eating, doesn't drink except for watered down food, is peeing but not the same amount. is otherwise acting the same as usual for 16. Sleeping etc. Still gets on the table for his shot and treats when I go in and out.

He has always had a problem with constipation, learned to give him Miralax on this site. It has worked well but I do use the CVS brand. Exact same ingredients.

Monday, August 30th I called the vet because he had not pooped in 4 or 5 days. It was not unusual for him to poop only every 3 or 4 days and then do a big one. I took him to the vet, they put him on an IV and kept him overnight and gave him an enema. He pooped some that night and emptied Tuesday morning. I took him home Tuesday. Upped Miralax to 1/4 teaspoon 2x a day. Today, Saturday, he still had not pooped again even though eating regularly. He gets 1/2 5.5 ounce can of Evo duck for breakfast and then 1 3.0 ounce can of BFF tuna and shrimp or tuna and salmon for dinner. His treats are Halo dried chicken and salmon. He gets nothing else to eat. Occassionally a small piece of low fat string cheese.

The vet took another xray today and said he was not as blocked as on Monday and the stool appeared softer. He recommended that I double the Miralax to 1/2 teaspoon per meal and gave me 5mg tablets of Cisapride 2x a day,which he says should help stimulate the muscles in his large intestine to push out the stool. Gave it to him at 11:45 am so far nothing but one tiny little piece. The cat has been on the litter pan 2x and only peed once and once nothing. His anus seems to be extended a little like there is something there that wants to come out.

The vet says that in older cats they sometimes lose the muscle ability to push out the stool. If the cat does not poop by Tuesday morning, Monday being a holiday, I am to bring him back. The vet did not say it out right, but I think at that time they will suggest putting him down as the vet said what we are doing now is the last resort.

Other than not pooping the cat seems to be in no distress. Not meowing or making noise, is acting the same, does not appear in pain, still wants to eat. Comes into the kitchen when I do and looks at his bowl.

I cannot see putting him down when he seems this OK but I know that if he does not poop he will become impacted, infected and will die. The vet can give him another enema but then will he have to have enemas once a week to empty him?? This is not a life either.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with this problem and can offer any ideas I would appreciate it very much. I do not want to lose my baby but I am realistic and do not want him to suffer.

The advise given here before has always been right on. The vet didn't even know about Miralax, he told me to give him Laxatone, which is full of sugar and then Mineral Oil when I told him it was full of sugar. I do not go to that vet anymore but go to the same office and have found 2 vets there who seem more knowledgable. They are younger. As a matter of fact that is where I was first told to go to this website, last October.

Thank you,
Gail

 

ok gail, this is totally my own weird and strange technique but it sounds like your up for anything. my tom also allows me to do anything to him becuase of the love and trust.
once when tom was constipated early on with the insulin i was also afraid he was running a fever (this was just nervous newbie mommie thinking) so i got out my baby thermometer and soaked it up with olive oil, put tom on the table and proceeded to take his temp analy. i did'nt know how far in to go but i trusted he'd let me know. it went in about half way to the thermometer and he had no fever...but after a few days of constipation within a half hour he visited the bathroom for a poopie.
that's my method.
will your cat let you try this.
i think it stimulated and woke up his anal muscles.
lori

 

btw, putting the kitty down for inability to poop seems pretty extreme. surely something can help. even digesting orally olive oil...or doing a weekly enema yourself.
tom poops whenever i take him in the car. think it scare the s**t out of him...so if constipated i take him for a ride. trouble is i have no control over where he will poop in my car. tom does'nt DO carrying cages.

 

The miralax should work but maybe you just need to increase the amount. Be sure that you are increasing the water intake as it draws moisture from the body to pull in and soften the stool.

I use LaxaDay, in Canada, and if you increase to an amount that is too much, you will have very loose stool. You can judge how to increase or decrease based on the state of the stool.

Try increasing the miralax and water intake and see how it goes.

 

I have given Johnny 2 doses of the Cisapride, upped the Miralax to 1/2 teaspoon at last night's feeding, stuck a thermometer up his butt and still nothing. Now I am beginning to get really upset and losing hope as it it closing in on putting him down. I don't know what else to do. I will give him breakfast and his shot, try the thermometer thing again and if he still doesn't go I will take him to the 24 hour emergency clinic near me. Maybe they have some other solution the vet does not.

At this point it doesn't look good and I am losing hope. How long can he go without pooping?? How long can i wait for something to happen??

Gail

 

Do you have an emergency vet? I would surely not put him down for constipation. You need to see if there is need for another enema. I know it's pricey but I would go to the ER vet. First off, seeing another vet will give you a new perspective. My SUgar gets REALLY constipated and she gets that partially prolapsed anus. She is 15. Since I have had her on lactulose (we started with lactulose and cisapride, then dropped the cisapride but my vet says that giving both always is fine), if I don't miss a day she does fine. For us it seems to work better than miralax. At this point though, I just wouldn't wait unti Tuesday. But like I said I *sure* wouldn't put a cat down for constipation alone! But you probably need another enema. Surely if you don't have an ER vet there is a vet on call?? edited to add, you do NOT want that anus to prolapse. That does become a real problem. Again this is why you need to get him to the vet for another enema.

Edited again to add: needing another enema does not mean he'll need them every week. If he was really stuffed up, the first enema just didn't do it. You might also see if switching to lactulose works better for him. It's a syrup, easy to give or it also comes in powder to mix in food. You know how stuff is. Sometimes one works better than another for certain cats. Also make sure there is water in each room of the house the cat goes in to. Helps keep them drinking.

 

Just a thought, probably won't help, but I wonder. that duck is extemely high in fat...and the daily fish in his diet is less than ideal. but it's the duck i'm thinking about. have you already tried switching his diet around? i'm thinking humans when constipated use food as laxatives, granted not good for diabetic cats, but bran, ummm, you can think of some. prunes.
i had chemo a few years back and the constipation was crazy. so be calm. the pill that finally worked for me and i don't know if you can give it to cats but i understand it's all natural is 'senna' for constipation at the drug store.