If your cat is constipated and it’s moderate, you may help your cat by using straightforward home remedies. However, constipation in cats can occasionally be a sign of more serious medical problems, and it can also get very bad and uncomfortable. How then can you tell whether there is a major issue that requires veterinary care? You should be aware of the signs and reasons of cat constipation, as well as what you can do to assist your cat and when you should be concerned.
Treatment: What to do if your cat is constipated
Here is a list of home remedies you might use to assist your cat pass stool.
Increase Water Consumption if Your Cat is Constipated
Drinking more water and maintaining hydration helps avoid constipation because dehydration is a factor in constipation. The best strategy to increase a cat’s water intake and keep them hydrated is to serve them wet food because cats don’t do well with standing water. As a result, they drink a lot more water and are far less likely to become constipated.
Adding more water bowls throughout your house, using pet water fountains, letting a faucet drip, and flavoring the water with items cats like, such clam juice, tuna juice, or beef broth, can all help your cat drink more water. Always leave a source of plain water available if you flavor your cat’s drink in case they don’t enjoy the flavor.
Try a New Diet if Your Cat is Constipated
Inflammation of the intestines and constipation can result from food allergies in cats. Changes in the protein source in your cat’s food, such as chicken, lamb, etc., can lessen inflammation and promote normal bowel function, which relieves constipation. There are also specialized hypoallergenic diets and limited ingredient diets available for cats who may be allergic to a variety of items. However, it does take a diet modification roughly 8 to 12 weeks to take effect, thus this is part of long-term management. Follow the suggested transition period and combine the new and old foods as directed on the cat food package.
Help Your Cat Maintain a Healthy Weight
Intestinal inflammation brought on by obesity slows down digestion in the intestines. Constipation results from the stool’s excessive water absorption. In extreme cases, there is so much abdominal fat that it actually prevents stools from moving. Your veterinarian can work with you to develop a nutrition plan and can assist you in determining whether your cat needs to reduce weight.
Exercise if Your Cat is Constipated
Constipation can be treated and prevented with the use of exercise, which helps to encourage proper bowel movements. Cat toys, cat trees, window perches, and more playtime with you can all help your cat become more active. Additionally, exercise will aid with enrichment, anxiety reduction, and weight loss for your cat.
Minimize stress and anxiety if Your Cat is Constipated
When their routines are disturbed, cats can quickly feel anxious. There may be a more obvious reason, such as getting a new pet or moving, or there may be a less obvious reason, such as a schedule shift, nearby construction noise, or a new dog barking in the neighborhood. A cat will occasionally simply need some time to get used to changes. But you can use soothing pheromones like Feliway, vitamins like Zylkene and Solliquin, herbs, and/or pharmaceuticals to help lessen stress and anxiety.
Add More Litter Boxes if Your Cat is Constipated
Cats can be very picky when it comes to their litter boxes. They might not use a litter box as frequently if they dislike its location or even the kind of box or litter, which can cause constipation. There should be at least one litter box on each floor of your home and at least one more litter box than there are cats. To determine which boxes and litter your cat prefers, you might need to experiment.
Try fiber or probiotics if Your Cat is Constipated
The “good bacteria” known as probiotics aid in maintaining gut health. Constipation is avoided by having healthy intestines that keep feces soft and move them along smoothly. The healthy bacteria are fed by fiber, which also supports regular intestinal movement. Additionally, it can aid in maintaining more water in the intestines, which treats and prevents constipation. There are several sorts of fiber, therefore each cat will respond differently to them. Psyllium husks (Metamucil) and wheat bran are two typical sources. Although canned pumpkin is frequently used, most cats shouldn’t eat it because it has a high sugar content and very little fiber.
But as Dr. Scott Gellman says, “the gastrointestinal tract of cats is a little different from that of people, therefore high-fiber diets may not usually cure constipation.” In fact, a diet lacking in fiber can sometimes be more effective. “The root of the issue will determine a lot of things. Constipation typically has an underlying cause, so it’s crucial to realize this and take your cat to the vet for assistance in identifying it.”
Ask Your Vet About Over-the-Counter Laxatives
The over-the-counter items listed below may help with constipation symptoms, but before giving your cat any new vitamins or drugs, check with your veterinarian. There are numerous varieties of laxatives, each of which works differently. The majority of over-the-counter remedies operate by encouraging the body to draw more water into the intestines, which aids in softening the stool and making it easier to pass. For cats with underlying chronic conditions, laxatives can exacerbate other symptoms and lead to dehydration because they draw water into the intestines. If they’re a good choice for your cat, ask your vet.
When cats experience constipation, Miralax (PEG 3350) and Colace (docusate) are frequently used as treatments. Cats may have problems with other laxatives made for humans. Laxatives with an oil or grease component, such as Laxatone, should only be administered under a veterinarian’s advice and should not be used repeatedly as they may impair a cat’s capacity to absorb nutrients from its diet.
Monitor your cat for constipation.
At first, check on your cat’s frequency of defecation and stool consistency at least twice per week; after that, check in weekly or biweekly. If you detect unusually dry, hard feces or if your cat appears to be straining while urinating, call your veterinarian. Keep an eye out for any additional indications of constipation, and get in touch with your vet right away if you experience diarrhea because it can quickly result in dehydration.
Take Your Cat to the Vet
While constipation is normal in cats, it can also be a sign of serious illness, so you should talk to your vet about it. To lessen the danger of long-term harm from colon distension, constipation must be treated as soon as feasible. In order to effectively treat a condition, the underlying problem must be found and treated (if at all possible), the impacted feces must be removed, and recurrences must be avoided.
Your veterinarian may administer fluids and/or an enema to your cat to relieve constipation right away. Dr. Bales advises against attempting to administer an enema to a cat at home because it is a veterinary procedure. Some enemas intended for humans can be extremely hazardous to cats. Additionally, veterinarians might suggest over-the-counter remedies or prescription medicines to assist you treat the constipation symptoms in your cat.
Instead of merely attempting to treat the symptoms, your veterinarian can help uncover the underlying problem that is causing the constipation. Some cats who experience chronic constipation or obstipation may have a megacolon, an enlarged intestine brought on by a problem with the colon’s muscle power. The damaged portion of the large intestine may be removed in cats with chronic constipation or megacolon who have not responded to medicinal treatment.
Causes: Why your cat is constipated
According to Dr. Bales, constipation can arise from anything that makes a cat dehydrated. Some problems are minor and can be handled at home with dietary and lifestyle changes, while others can be very serious. If the intestines aren’t functioning regularly and keeping the feces soft and moist, constipation may result. Underlying conditions like stress and anxiety, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, neurological difficulties, and even some types of cancer can contribute to this.
Kidney disease, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism are a few chronic conditions that can make cats constipated. Your cat may have pain when urinating and constipation if one or more of its anal sacs has ruptured or become impacted. Dehydration and constipation are also risk factors for cats on dry food diets.
Constipation can happen in cats who retain their stools for longer than usual because the intestines reabsorb too much water when the stool remains in them for too long. Obesity, stress, anxiety, arthritic or anal gland pain, a blockage, or even some types of cancer are causes of this.
Symptoms of Constipation in Cats
Stools that are hard to pass or are infrequent are signs of constipation. Generally speaking, cats urinate every 24 to 36 hours. Your cat can be constipated if she’s having trouble pooping and is doing it less frequently. While there is some typical variance, you should call your vet if it has been more than 48 to 72 hours since the last bowel movement.
The main signs of constipation in cats are:
- hard, dry stools (inside or outside the litter box).
- Crying, struggling, or avoiding the litter box altogether.
The poop should be well-formed and have a rich brown hue in most cases. According to Dr. Liz Bales, VMD, “a healthy stool has enough moisture that litter will attach to it.” Constipated cats may pass very dry, solid feces. Because it can be uncomfortable for cats to try to pass stools, they may leave the litter box before they’re completed, so you might find these stools elsewhere.
Other indications of discomfort include vocalizing, straining, or repeatedly entering and exiting the litter box before using it. While trying, your cat might not be able to poop at all. You should consult a veterinarian if you notice any of these indicators, since discomfort in the litter box may also be a sign of significant urinary tract problems. You might also notice symptoms of the underlying reason since constipation is truly only a symptom of other problems. They might consist of:
- Nausea
- Decreased appetite
- Vomiting
- Drinking more or less water
- Peeing more
- Weight loss
- Muscle loss
- Difficulty jumping up
- Walking stiffly
- Hiding
You should talk to your cat’s veterinarian if you see any of these signs, whether or not your cat is constipated.
