What home remedy is good for constipation in cats
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
5 Safe Laxatives for Cats: Help Your Constipated Pet
What is constipation?
If your cat is constipated, they will be passing poop less often, and their poop may be harder or drier than normal. The dry or firm consistency of the feces will cause your cat to strain when they go to the toilet, and they might even pass a bit of blood. Constipation can be caused by your cat being a bit dehydrated or having a blockage. Blockages are sometimes caused by hairballs, worms, dry feces, or even foreign material that they have eaten, which can make a cat throw up as well. Occasionally, constipation can be caused by gut tumors or a condition called megacolon where the bowel becomes very large and weak so it cannot push the stools through.
What can help your cats constipation?
Constipation tends to become a vicious cycle quite quickly. Feces that has been waiting in the colon or rectum for too long will become drier and drier as the body reabsorbs water from the stool. This causes it to become even harder to pass, and the blockage becomes more significant. The key to easing constipation is to prevent the stools from drying out and get them moving as soon as possible. You can do some things to help at home, but you might need to speak to your veterinarian about laxatives.
A constipated cat might go in and out of the litter box without passing anything. They might also strain, pass hard, dry balls of feces, or even pass some blood.
Tips for helping constipation at home
Water intake
If your cat is experiencing a bout of constipation, one of the most effective things you can do is increasing their water intake. Ensuring that their hydration is as good as possible will help prevent the stools from drying out and lubricate their passage through the bowel. There are many ways that you can encourage your cat to drink more water, including using water fountains, extra water bowls, and running taps. However, if your cat wont be persuaded to drink more, you can try feeding them wet food and even adding extra water to their food.
Litter boxes
Cats are very clean creatures, and if their litter box is dirty or they have to share it with other cats, they may choose to hold their feces. To avoid constipation, its essential that your furry friend feels free to go whenever he needs to. Therefore, keeping litter boxes clean and providing more than one litter box per cat is important to keep your cat toileting stress-free.
Reduce stress
Your cat might also avoid passing poop for as long as possible if they are feeling stressed. This could be from other cats, building work, a new baby, or anything that impacts your cats normal routine. Using anxiety-reducing sprays, diffusers, or plug-ins can help keep your cat feeling calm.
If your cat is prone to constipation, you can increase their water intake and reduce their stress to help stop flare-ups.
Laxatives
Microlax
Microlax contains Sorbitol and is administered as an enema into your cats bottom. It loosens any blockages and lubricates the bowel so that stools pass more easily. It is only available on prescription, though, so youll need to speak to your veterinarian if you think your cat might need it.
Katalax
Katalax contains soft paraffin, cod liver oil, and malt extract. Its handy for easing blockages caused by hairballs, but it also softens the stools, which can help with constipation. Katalax is an over-the-counter medication, so it doesnt need to be prescribed by a veterinarian.
Lactulose
Lactulose is a human laxative that contains a non-absorbable sugar, and it draws water into the bowel through osmosis. It can be used in cats under veterinary supervision but is off license because its not been approved by the licensing authority for use in cats.
Cat Malt
Cat Malt is a combination of liquid paraffin and malt extract. Like Katalax, it is helpful for hairballs and acts as a stool softener, and it can also be bought over the counter.
Laxapet
Laxapet contains fish oils, vitamins, and lecithin and is used for hairballs as well as constipation. It is available over the counter.
When to speak to a veterinarian
With laxatives and stool softeners available over the counter, it might be tempting to try treating your constipated cat yourself without a veterinarian.
Mild cases of constipation may resolve with over-the-counter laxatives, especially if you try to reduce your cats stress and increase their water intake. However, because constipation can quickly become a vicious cycle, its essential to seek veterinary advice sooner rather than later.
If your cat hasnt passed any feces at all for two days, you should contact a veterinarian. If your cat is straining and in distress, you should speak to a veterinarian right away. Its useful to remember that the symptoms of a blocked bladder can be very similar to constipation, and this is a medical emergency. Therefore, if you are uncertain whether your cat is passing urine, its best to get them checked over by a veterinarian.
