Constipation in cats is a rare, painful, intense bowel movement or its complete absence. If you notice that the stool of your pet has become less than two times in three days, you should take action. In cats, constipation is a fairly common phenomenon, so any breeder should know which laxative for animals will quickly help normalize the digestive tract. Remember, the measures taken in time will significantly alleviate the condition of the pet. In this article, we will consider which laxative for cats is preferable to use when it is necessary to enhance peristalsis, soften feces and quickly empty the intestines. In the event that self-treatment does not help, and your pets continue to suffer from prolonged stool retention, be sure to contact a veterinary clinic. After examination and diagnostic procedures, the doctor will be able to establish the root cause of the disease state and prescribe the necessary drugs and procedures.
Constipation in cats: treatment and symptoms
A prolonged delay in the intestines of feces associated with a partial or complete cessation of bowel movement necessarily has its own symptoms, for example:
- lethargy;
- lack of appetite;
- unproductive attempts to defecate;
- sparse, dry and hard stools;
- blood and mucus in the feces;
- weight loss;
- vomiting
A cat may not only take food, but also water. She behaves uneasily, stops licking herself. If you have these symptoms, you should definitely take measures and give the animal a laxative for cats, and then take them to a veterinary clinic for examination.
Reasons for no bowel movement
Constipation in a cat can occur for various reasons, including due to the ingestion of a foreign body or accumulation of hair, tumors in the rectum or anus, perineal hernia, and prostate cysts in cats. Quite often, the appearance of this unpleasant symptom is facilitated by the habit of cats to lick and swallow hair. As a result of this, Trichobesoar, a large ball of wool that makes defecation difficult, can form in the digestive tract. In advanced cases, surgical intervention may be required to extract these accumulations of hair.
Also, unbalanced nutrition and dysbiosis that appeared against its background can contribute to difficult, painful and extremely rare bowel movements. Often, owners of cats allow overeating and violate the rules of feeding, introducing in the diet of their pet excessively dry food with insufficient moisture.
Helminthic invasion - the cause of constipation in cats
In addition to malnutrition, difficulty in defecation can be caused by helminthic invasion. If a large number of helminths is present in the animal’s body, they can provoke not only a worsening of the general condition of the animal, but also diarrhea, vomiting and constipation. In this case, before giving medications against worms, first remove constipation using a laxative for cats. Otherwise, helminths can die in the intestines and begin to decompose, which will lead to severe intoxication of the body. After the laxative drug eliminates the constipation in cats, treatment is already carried out with a medicine against worms, for example, using the means “Febtal”, “Kanikvantel”, “Drontal”. There are many other causes of constipation, including various diseases of the kidneys, liver, colon and rectum, orthopedic or neurological problems. If you can not independently determine the reason for the absence of defecation in the animal, you should contact your veterinarian. When examining a cat, the doctor will be able to detect the presence of a foreign body, an expansion of the large intestine, and diseases of the paraanal glands. Sometimes, for additional diagnostics, a blood test, abdominal ultrasound, x-ray studies using barium sulfate are used. Once you establish the exact cause of constipation, you can find the right solution and cure the animal, restoring the function of its intestines.
Treatment of constipation in cats: Lactusan and Dufalac
As a rule, difficult bowel movements (or lack thereof) are treated using therapeutic agents that soften stool. For example, the most popular
laxative for cats, such as "Lactusan." This drug is a source of lactulose and belongs to the class of prebiotics. It restores the beneficial microflora in the intestines, while inhibiting the pathogenic, and protects the body from toxins. The drug reduces the penetration of carcinogens into the circulatory system and provides detoxification. The medicine "Lactusan" gently relieves constipation, stimulating
intestinal motility. In addition to it, the laxative for cats "Dufalac" is often used. This drug also consists of lactulose. It is a gentle remedy, stimulates peristalsis. The drug "Dufalac" is effective a day or two after administration. This is due to the fact that the drug passes through the digestive tract, inhibits the absorption of toxins in the colon, and reduces the concentration of ammonium ions in the blood by more than 25%. The dose of any drug is selected by the veterinarian depending on the physiological characteristics of the animal, as well as in accordance with the instructions for use of the drug.
Constipation in cats: traditional treatment
In addition to laxatives, you can start giving the cat 5–40 ml of liquid paraffin several times a day. The vet will help you choose the right dose. In addition to liquid paraffin, it is sometimes advised to introduce vegetable oil into the animal’s diet. It is added to the food of a cat one or two drops. This folk remedy will help normalize the digestive tract and eliminate constipation, but it is not recommended to abuse it. In large quantities, vegetable oil can have a negative effect on the cat's liver. Sometimes, enemas and bowel cleansing can be used to treat the animal when using general anesthesia. In the advanced stage, droppers are used to prevent dehydration of the body.
Prevention of constipation
In any case, if your cat has suffered from constipation at least once, you should review its conditions. As a preventive measure, you need to choose the right food. Dietary nutrition should include enough fiber. You can also add cow's milk to your pet’s diet. It is strictly forbidden to overfeed the cat. It is worth making sure that there is always clear water in the public domain. As for hair care, to prevent the appearance of trichobesoars, it is necessary to comb the longhair cats regularly, removing the tangles. In addition to a balanced diet and hair care, it is necessary to provide an active, moving lifestyle. Play more often with the animal, making it move, run and jump more.