Home Treatment Cat Constipation
Cat constipation is a condition where a cat defecates with difficulty. The cat strains in the litter box and eventually passes the feces. This can be very painful for the cat. Constipation seems to be very common to cats. Cat constipation can be acute or chronic. Cat constipation doesn’t mean that the colon function in the cat is necessarily lost. Most of the time cat constipation is caused by dehydration, and can be corrected with proper treatment. Cat constipation can lead to serious problems, so immediate action should be taken to remedy the situation.
The Symptoms
Often owners don’t realize anything is amiss until constipation is considerably advanced – with obvious signs of distress such as frequent trips to the litter box, straining to defecate (tenesmus), and painful defecation (dyschezia). Behaviors include crying and licking the genital-anal area. These signs, too, can be misleading.
Home Treatment Cat Constipation
However, your cat’s constipation may require immediate medical treatment, including anything from inducing a bowel movement by enema to manual removal of the impaction while under anesthesia. Constipated cats will also be treated for dehydration and probably put on a management diet to prevent future problems. This might include putting more fiber into the cat’s diet, giving them stool-softening medications, or putting them on special food like Hill’s Science Diet, IAMS for digestive systems, or Purina One Natural Blends to promote digestive health.
There are a variety of cathartic medications and laxatives that can be prescribed for constipated cats. Generally cathartic drugs are more extreme on the system and will cause the opposite result of constipation - diarrhea. On the other hand, laxatives are gentler in nature and usually cause the passage of bowel movements in a natural way. Animals suffering from constipation are often administered enemas in order to sufficiently clean out their bowels.
To treat the cat requires some simple steps. Take the cat to the veterinarian so he can determine the cause of the constipation and administer adequate treatment. Avoid feeding the cat with dry foods instead. Include lots of water in their diet and you’ll have less incidence of feline constipation.
Every cat owner needs to be an advocate for their cat’s health so that you can ask the right questions when consulting a veterinary health professional. Just like when visiting your own Doctor, it’s important to understand what to expect and what your treatment options are.
