1/29 Callie AMPS 141, +1.75 106

Jessica A

Jessica A

Member Since 2021
previous: https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/1-23-callie-amps-113-2-90.258264/#post-2904160

Highest AMPS we've had in a while - not sure if Callie went lower than I caught last night and this is a small bounce or if something else is going on.

It hasn't been a great couple of days. Callie is still struggling with constipation (we finally got poop yesterday am but she has only been going every 4-5 days which is unusual for her) and she had a fall last night off our 5 ft high bookcase. She seemed okay afterward and so far this morning but I wouldn't be surprised if she's sore.

I think the main reason for both the constipation and her fall is her meds. We've had to tweak them lately and the additions and increased doses have been wreaking havoc with Callie's balance, digestive system and demeanor/personality :(. We have a vet appt Wed for bloodwork and a general check-up so will discuss all of this and options going forward with him then.
 
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Sorry to hear Callie has been struggling with constipation. Have you tried the usual remedies - fibre, slippery elm bark, miralax and lactulose?

Tagging @Katherine&Ruby who loves being called the poop expert!

Good luck with the vet visit! :bighug:
 
Bandit's Mom said:
Sorry to hear Callie has been struggling with constipation. Have you tried the usual remedies - fibre, slippery elm bark, miralax and lactulose?

Tagging @Katherine&Ruby who loves being called the poop expert!

Good luck with the vet visit! :bighug:
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Thanks, Bhooma. We tried a bunch of stuff - miralax (now giving her 1/8 tspn twice a day every day instead of only giving it once constipated), psyllium husk powder, egg yolk, olive oil. I also switched a lot of her meals to canned food during the worst of it --that usually gets things moving but didn't work as quickly as usual this time.

I didn't think of slippery elm bark but I do have some -- do you give it regularly to prevent constipation or only to treat once constipated? We've also never tried lactulose. I'll ask the vet about a prescription for it.
 
I've thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Ruby's constipation. I did everything you did, but Lactulose seemed to work best for her as she now poops every 3-4 days rather than 5-6. Cats eating raw poop less often, but my civvie who also eats raw poops nearly every day. I also add ground tablets of Kibow Fortis to her food to work with her Visbiome probiotic. Kibow contains beta glucans and other non-digestible fibers that are good for gut flora as well as glycemic control. Learned about it from the supplements file in the Raw Feeding for IBD Cats FB group. Lots of people in that group swear by Kibow for constipation, but it doesn't work on Ruby on its own so I need Lactulose. You can get a small bottle of it from your vet and then if it works, order a large bottle of it from Chewy as a big bottle lasts a long while and isn't much more expensive than Miralax.
 
Katherine&Ruby said:
I've thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Ruby's constipation. I did everything you did, but Lactulose seemed to work best for her as she now poops every 3-4 days rather than 5-6. Cats eating raw poop less often, but my civvie who also eats raw poops nearly every day. I also add ground tablets of Kibow Fortis to her food to work with her Visbiome probiotic. Kibow contains beta glucans and other non-digestible fibers that are good for gut flora as well as glycemic control. Learned about it from the supplements file in the Raw Feeding for IBD Cats FB group. Lots of people in that group swear by Kibow for constipation, but it doesn't work on Ruby on its own so I need Lactulose. You can get a small bottle of it from your vet and then if it works, order a large bottle of it from Chewy as a big bottle lasts a long while and isn't much more expensive than Miralax.
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This is really helpful, thanks Katherine. When we switched Callie to raw, she started pooping every other day, occasionally every third day, instead of every day. We figured this was because there was less waste and she didn't seem uncomfortable so we took that to be her new normal. With the med changes we recently made though, it has been more like 4-5 days and she's been in and out of the litter box crying and generally looking uncomfortable.

I am going to order Kibow and maybe also Visbiome (we haven't been doing a probiotic.) And I'll ask the vet for Lactulose in case we need something more. Quick question: do you think we should stop the psyllium husk powder when we add the Kibow? Not sure how much fiber is too much fiber...but that may be an ECID thing.
 
Jessica A said:
This is really helpful, thanks Katherine. When we switched Callie to raw, she started pooping every other day, occasionally every third day, instead of every day. We figured this was because there was less waste and she didn't seem uncomfortable so we took that to be her new normal. With the med changes we recently made though, it has been more like 4-5 days and she's been in and out of the litter box crying and generally looking uncomfortable.

I am going to order Kibow and maybe also Visbiome (we haven't been doing a probiotic.) And I'll ask the vet for Lactulose in case we need something more. Quick question: do you think we should stop the psyllium husk powder when we add the Kibow? Not sure how much fiber is too much fiber...but that may be an ECID thing.
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I put 1/32 tsp of Kibow into her food twice a day (it looks like it's out of stock from the manufacturer and you can only get it there). The thing about the Kibow is it doesn't expand and bulk like the psyllium does--I don't know if bulk helps or hurts, and I've never figured this out for Ruby. When I started Lactulose, I stopped any other fibers that bulk like psyllium as the Lactulose adds bulk. I would try the probiotic with the Kibow when you get it without anything else. The Visbiome is the most potent probiotic on the market, so I would start with a teeny amount first, less than 1/32 tsp, as too much probiotic can cause gas and upset, then work your way up to 1 capsule a day.
 
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