Do cats meow when constipated
8 Ways to Help Your Constipated Cat
Constipation is common in cats. Usually, its mild, and you can help your cat with simple home treatments.
But sometimes constipation in cats can indicate more serious health issues, and it can become very severe and uncomfortable. So how do you know when its a serious problem that needs vet attention?
Heres what you need to know about cat constipation symptoms and causes, what you can do to help your constipated cat, and when to be concerned.
Symptoms of Constipation in Cats
Constipation is characterized by infrequent stools or stools that are difficult to pass. Most cats will poop about every 1224 hours. If your cat is pooping less frequently and having some difficulty, she may be constipated.
While there is some normal variation, if its been more than 4872 hours without a bowel movement, you should contact your vet.
Normally, cat poop isa rich brown color and should look well-formed. Ahealthy stoolhas enough moisture that litter will stick to it, says Dr. Liz Bales, VMD.Cats with constipation may have very dry, hard stools. A constipated cat may also cry or strain in the litter box, or avoid it altogether.
Symptoms of constipation may include:
Decreased appetite
Lethargy
Abdominal pain
Straining to defecate (hunched posture trying to poop)
Pain or vocalization when defecating
Production of small, hard, dry feces
If youre seeing any of these symptoms, especially if your pet has not defecated recently, discuss them with your cats vet.
Causes of Cat Constipation
Anything that causesdehydrationin a cat may result in constipation, says Dr. Bales. Some issues are mild and treatable at home with dietary and lifestyle modifications, and some can be serious.
Constipation can happen if the intestines arent moving things along normally, keeping the stool soft and moist. This can be caused by underlying issues like stress and anxiety, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, nerve problems, and even some kinds of cancer.
Other causes of constipation in cats include:
Vet Treatment for Constipation in Cats
Constipation must be treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of permanent damage due to prolonged distension of the colon. Effective treatment involves identifying and correcting the underlying disorder (if possible), removing the impacted feces, and preventing recurrences.
For immediate relief of constipation, your veterinarian can give your cat fluids and/or anenema. Administering an enema to a cat is a veterinary job and should not be attempted at home, says Dr. Bales. Some types of enemas designed for people are actually very toxic to cats.
Vets can also prescribe medications or recommend over-the-counter solutions to help you manage the symptoms of your cats constipation.
More importantly, your vet can help identify the underlying issue thats causing the constipation so it can be treated, rather than just trying to manage the symptoms.
Tips and Home Remedies for Constipation in Cats
In addition to the treatments prescribed by your vet, there are some potential lifestyle changes at home that may help your cat combat constipation. But remember: If your cat has not defecated in 4872 hours or if they are acting uncomfortable, contact your vet immediately.
Heres a list of tips to discuss with your vet that may help your cat:
1. Increase Water Consumption
Because dehydration contributes to constipation, drinking more water and staying well-hydrated helps prevent constipation. Cats arent very good at drinking standing water, so the best way to increase their water consumption and keep them well-hydrated is by feeding them wet food. This dramatically increases their water intake and significantly reduces their risk of constipation.
You can also encourage your cat to drink more water by adding setting up more water bowls in different areas of your home, trying pet water fountains orleaving a faucet dripping.
Hydracare is also a product that may help increase your cats total liquid intake and help keep them hydratedplus, its liver-flavored.
2. Try a New Diet
Food allergies can cause intestinal inflammation and constipation in cats. Changing the protein source of your cats food (chicken, lamb, etc.) can reduce inflammation and allow the intestines to move more normally, reducing constipation.
For cats that may be allergic to multiple things, there are also special limited ingredient diets, prescription diets, and hypoallergenic diets available. It does take about eight to 12 weeks for a diet change to work, though, so this is part of long-term management.
Talking to your vet about the best diet for your cat may be a long-term way to help deal with constipation. When changing your cats food, follow the recommended transition period, mixing the old food with the new as stated on the cat food package.
3. Help Your Cat Maintain a Healthy Weight
Obesity causes intestinal inflammation, which causes things to slow down in the intestines. Too much water is then absorbed from the stool, causing constipation. In severe cases, theres so much fat in the belly that it physically impedes movement of stools.
Your vet can help you figure outif your cat needs to lose weightand work with you to create a diet plan.
4. Increase Exercise and Enrichment
Exercise can help promote normal movement of the intestines, which helps treat and prevent constipation. Encourage your cat to be more active withthings like cat toys, cat trees, window seats,and more playtime with you. Exercise will also help provide enrichment and reduce your cats anxiety, and it will help with weight loss.
5. Minimize Stress and Anxiety
Cats can easily become stressed when their routines are disrupted. There could be a more obvious cause, like having a new pet in the house or moving. Or it could be less obvious, like a change in your schedule, construction noise nearby, or a new dog barking in the neighborhood.
Sometimes it just takes time for a cat to adjust to changes. But you can help reduce stress and anxiety by using items like calming pheromones (Feliway), supplements (Zylkene and Solliquin are commonly used), and/or medications.
6. Add More Litter Boxes
Cats can be quite particular about their litter boxes. If they dont like the location of a litter box or even the type of box or litter, they may not use it as much, which can lead to constipation.
You should have at least one more litter box than you have cats, and there should be at least one litter box on every floor of your home. You may need to experiment with different types of litter and litter boxes to find what your cat likes.
7. Try Fiber or Probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that help support healthy intestines. Healthy intestines will move stool along normally and keep stools soft, preventing constipation.
Fiber feeds the good bacteria and helps promote normal movement in the intestines. It can also help keep more water in the intestines, which helps treat and prevent constipation.
8. Monitor Your Cat for Constipation
Monitor the frequency of your cats defecation and stool consistency at least twice a week initially, and then weekly or biweekly.
Contact your veterinarian if you notice very hard, dry feces, or if you notice that your cat is straining while defecating.
By: Stacia Friedman
Featured Image: iStock.com/disqis
Why Does My Cat Have a Hoarse Meow?
A cats meow usually doesnt change much in its sound. This high-pitched note starts low, goes up in pitch, and generally lasts less than a second to a few seconds long.
A hoarse meow loses the normal pure tone and comes out raspy and rough. With this, sometimes the cat loses their voice altogether, acquiring a silent meow. Their purr may also be affected.
Why does this happen? In this article, well go over why a cat may develop a hoarse meow, when to see a vet, and how you can help your cat at home.
The cats larynx is in the center of their throat, just like our own. When the larynx becomes inflamed, its delicate, flexible structure becomes thicker, less elastic, with a buildup of discharges around the vocal folds. These changes mean that the voice box is no longer able to produce the same, high pitched sounds as normal.
Does your cats meow sound strange? Are you saying to yourself why is my cat not meowing normally? Are you wondering if such voice changes are indicative of a serious problem? In this article, well go over the causes of this problem, and suggest what you might do to help.
What Are the Causes of a Cat Hoarse Meow?
Most cats with a hoarse meow have a form of cat laryngitis. This condition is defined by an inflamed larynx, the delicate structure that houses the vocal cords that generate the sound of a meow.
Mild, self-limiting laryngitis (like a sore throat in humans) is the most common cause of a hoarse meow. There are different common reasons why temporary laryngitis can develop.
- Viral upper respiratory infections: This includes feline calicivirus (FCV), feline rhinotracheitis or herpes virus (FVR) and others.
- Direct irritation to the airway: Inhaling dust or smoke may cause hoarseness.
- Trauma: An example is a direct injury to the throat during a cat fight.
- Excessive meowing: A cat whos especially vocal may wear their voice out.
Aside from laryngitis, there are other, more serious causes for a hoarse meow:
- Nasopharyngeal polyps: these can alter the sound of vocalizations
- Space occupying masses around the larynx: these include abscesses and tumors
- Foreign bodies: anything which shouldnt be in the larynx, such as inhaled blades of grass
- Laryngeal paralysis: this is where the muscles of the larynx no longer move normally. This is common in middle aged dogs, but rare in cats.
- Hyperthyroidism: this can lead to an altered voice in a cat
When to Call the Vet?
If a hoarse meowing is the only issue troubling your cat, its probably nothing serious and theres probably no need to ask for the vets advice immediately.
As long as the cat is well in every other wayeating, drinking, behaving normallythere is not normally any need to rush to the vet. Often, just like in humans with mild laryngitis, the full normal voice will return within a couple of days, or perhaps a week or two.
If the change carries on beyond a few days, or if the animal shows other signs of a health problem, then a visit to your veterinarian becomes necessary. Further symptoms may include sneezing, discharge from eyes or nose, difficulty in eating or swallowing, a fever or lack of appetite.
Treatment of a Hoarse Voice in a Cat
As long as your cat remains bright and generally well, eating properly and behaving normally, its often safe to wait for a while, and your cats normal voice may resume within a week or two.
However, if your pet shows any other signs of illness, or if their voice has not returned after a few weeks, a visit to your vet is needed. Your DVM veterinarian will take a detailed history, perform a physical examination of your cat and may discuss further tests, such as routine blood tests and diagnostic imaging.
Its important to follow your vets advice when it comes to treating a hoarse meow in cats. Treatment will depend on the cause of the hoarse voice.
Infectious and inflammatory causes may need treatments such as antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medications. Foreign bodies (such as blades of grass), need to be physically removed, and growths, such as polyps, need to be properly assessed then surgically excised. Space occupying masses, such as tumors or abscesses, need full and detailed treatment, depending on their precise details.
There may be some steps you can take to help your cat at home although always check with your veterinarian.
- Use steam treatment or set up a humidifier.
- Feed soft foods to encourage appetite.
- Ensure sufficient fresh water is always available.
You will know yourself when your cat has made a full recovery, because their voice will return to normal. For more serious causes of a hoarse voice, your vet will advise you on what rechecks are needed.In most cases, cats make a full recovery, with their normal voice returning within a few weeks, but this does depend on the precise cause.
Prevention of a Hoarse Meow
Some causes of a change in your cats meow cannot be prevented, but there are some risk factors, such as some infectious diseases, which we can influence. Cat owners should follow veterinary advice on preventative care such as vaccinations, and take measures to keep outdoor cats safe to reduce injuries, fights, and trauma.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you treat a raspy voice in cats?
Treatment depends on the cause of the change in the voice, and ranges from masterly inactivity (simply waiting for the issue to resolve naturally) through to surgical intervention and other treatments for more serious causes.
Is it bad if my cat's meow is raspy?
A raspy voice is an indication of some sort of disease of the voice box (larynx) so this should never be ignored.
Can a cat's voice get hoarse?
Just as humans can get a hoarse voice for a range of reasons, so can cats. This can be a meow that sounds different, a change in the sound of the purr, or sometimes it can mean that they lose their voice completely for a while, meowing silently and not purring at all.
