Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [89]
The condition creates a vicious cycle. When feces aren't moved out regularly, the lining of the colon continues to pull more and more moisture from the material. As the fecal material dries it becomes harder and even more difficult to move. The colon soon fills up with dry fecal balls, and the colon expands as more and more feces accumulate. Fecal balls become so large they can't pass through the cat's pelvis. Treatment may require anesthesia so the colon can be cleaned out. “You have to mechanically break it up and get it all out of there,” says Dr. Shaw.
Most cats can be managed with a variety of therapies including laxatives, enemas and special diets. “We usually go to a high fiber or low residue diet. Some cats respond better to one or the other, sort of opposite ends of the spectrum,” says Dr. Shaw.
Drugs like cisipride (Propulsid) that help the colon to contract are beneficial to some cats. But if dietary management and drug therapy aren't helpful, the colon may be beyond help. In those cases, surgery seeks to correct the cat's "plumbing" by removing the sick portion of the large intestine. The rectum is left intact, and reattached to the small intestine to create a functional bowel.
“The surgery is called a sub-total colectomy, and cats do great with it,” says Dr. Shaw. “They have short-term diarrhea right afterwards, but once their intestines get used to it they actually have no problem beyond that.” The surgery can restore near normal bowel function in some affected cats.
Severe constipation, referred to as obstipation, lasts many days at a time. The large mass of hard waste that collects stretches the rectum to gigantic proportions. This condition is called mega-colon. “This is a degeneration of the muscle in the colon such that it is no longer able to contract and move things along, whereas the part of the colon that is responsible for sucking water out still works,” says Dr. Burrows. “The stool in the colon just stays there and gets harder and drier and bigger and bigger until it’s impossible to eliminate.”
Senior Symptoms
Occasional constipation in older cats isn’t considered a serious problem. Prolonged or repeated episodes can point to more dangerous condition called obstipation. Signs of constipation include:
· Absence of stool in the litter box
· Straining in the litter box without passing stool
· Passing hard, dry stools accompanied by dark brown liquid
· Painful swollen abdomen
· Failure to defecate for two or more days, accompanied by vomiting and/or anorexia
Treatment
Mild cases of constipation can be treated with a commercial cat laxative such as Laxatone from a pet products store. “I would not generally recommend the hairball medicine for cats unless there was an actual documented problem,” says Sarah K. Abood, DVM, a clinical nutritionist at Michigan State. The stimulant laxatives can interfere with normal bowel function if overused, so don’t make a habit of relying on these products.
You can instead use one teaspoonful mineral oil per five pounds of pet, or a half to two tablespoons of non-medicated petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline. Mix the oil or jelly into the food—most pets relish the oily taste, and it lubricates everything on the inside and helps it move through because it won’t be digested. If the cat won’t eat the doctored diet, try spreading the oil or jelly on his paw so he swallows it when he licks himself. The laxative should work within 24 hours.
Dr. Abood believes preventing constipation is much better than treating it once the condition develops. One simple solution is addressing environmental issues. “Make sure that water and food are accessible on a regular basis,