miralax or something else?

Hi,

I'm just noticing that it's been a few days (3?) since Odie pooped. The last I saw was diarrhea and he wasn't eating all that much, so I figured he might be "empty" and it would be a couple of days, but now I'm starting to wonder. There's always the possibility that it was mixed in with a clump of pee in the litterbox, but I haven't seen any. He does not seem to be in any distress. Actually he's been up and walking around, came to cuddle on his own, so is doing pretty well.

Should I do something tonight? Wait until morning to call the vet?

He finished the Reglan yesterday morning (so 36 hours since the last dose now), which I know could cause constipation. It's also been 12 hours since his last dose of buprenorphine and I have not yet given him any more (I see that constipation might be a side-effect there too) as he does not seem to be in pain and I figured I'd wait and see how he does without it.

So today he's had chlorambucil (leukeran), pepcid, budesonide, cyclosporine.
Is any of that contraindicated with getting some Miralax or pumpkin or something? I really doubt I can convince him to eat pumpkin. I'm not even sure how to get the Miralax into him. How much do you give to start? How long until you see a result?

Anyone have any other suggestion?

Thanks
Odiesmom

 

I think Miralax is just like what I got here in Canada, Lax a day or even Reversa Lax.

I gave Oliver 1/4 tsp twice a day - when he had his Xrays, the vet said "that's alotta poops he's got in there" so I figured it was time to help it move along a bit faster. I think I was seeing movement the next day, but I am sure it depends on the condition and the cat. It works and I just sprinkle it on his foods and mix it in. Oliver leaves no crumbs so I don't worry that he is not consuming it all

 

ooh, so "Miralax" is not available in Canada... hmm, ok so gotta figure out what it is here. Is there one in particular I should be looking for or avoiding?

 

So... before I headed out to the store to find something for this problem, Odie went to the litterbox and pooped. I think it was a bit strained but he got it out and it looked normal. However, he had some stuck to him still and proceeded to rub himself on the floor before I could grab him. So the floor and his back end get covered in poop. We manage to get him (and us) locked into the bathroom, wrapped in a towel with his butt hanging out, boyfriend holding him while I wash Odie's butt. Odie was not impressed, to say the least, but we get it done.

Next, I end up having to emergency babysit my friend's hedgehog, so we go get her at midnight... she's stressed about the car ride, poops all over and has it smeared all over. Get home, clean out her container and everything in it.

Then it's time to get pumpkin into Odie. Of course, he does not want to eat it on his own. Mix it with water, wrap Odie in a towel, and start syringing it into him. He is again not impressed. He's shaking his head and squirming, so his head gets covered in it, I get covered in it, as does the surrounding area and my boyfriend. Clean up pumpkin.

Seriously, I'm going to bed before anything else gets smeared somewhere tonight!!

 

ok this is embarrassing but when tom has been constipated i used a baby thermometer (up the butt) covered with olive oil and he lets me 'take his temp' so to speak...it cures his constipation in a few hours and he goes regularly after that.
just a remedy i imagined up. :roll:
Lori

 

In Canada look for Lax a Day or RestoraLax. They are both the same substance (PEG 3350). Dosing is 1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon (add to food with water) twice daily.

 

FYI - the pumpkin seems to have worked.... we've had 3 normal bowel movements now.

Odie is definitely not impressed with having pumpkin syringed into him and we still end up wearing some of it, but it's better than yet another drug!

Funny story -
Odie has a leaky eye, it's a blocked tear duct, he's had it since he was a baby... it doesn't seem to bother him, so we never had the surgery to try to fix it. He lets me wipe his eye no problem... I just show him a tissue and he rubs his face against it. Anyhow, last night, I do this and what ends up on the tissue is kind of yellow-orange. For a second I was like - oh no, do you have an infection?! Then I realized - it's leftover pumpkin ... he also has some in his white "bib" of fur that I guess he refuses to clean. :roll:

 

ha, you had going me there too - instantly "OMG what would cause that???"" :lol:

laur

 

I got some Lax a day yesterday at Shoppers. They also had Restoralax.
I have not been home other than early morning and late evening so I can't tell with 3 cats if it has worked for Tom yet but he does look like he feels better.