What Causes Cat Constipation?
By inspecting the location where your cat relieves himself, you can easily detect changes in his bathroom routine if you are familiar with his habits. Something is wrong with your cat’s digestion if you notice fewer stools than usual or hard, dry stools in his litter box.
What causes feline constipation?
Due to illness, injury, a change in diet, stress, or even old age, a cat may be unable or unwilling to defecate.
“Cats who are geriatric; ill from underlying diseases such as kidney disease, liver disease, or cancer; obese or those who have incurred trauma, making feces difficult to pass,” says Dr. Patrick Mahaney of California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness, Inc. in Los Angeles.
Mahaney mentions the following causes of cat constipation:
- Insufficient fluid consumption (dehydration can slow down blood flow, reducing intestinal peristalsis – contraction – causing the colon to be unable to move feces out from the body properly)
- Muscle exhaustion
- Electrolytes that are unbalanced (often associated with dehydration)
- Nervous-system problems
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Arthritic pain in the lower back, pelvis, or knees (which can cause discomfort while a cat is defecating and reduce her desire to pass stool)
- The anal sac is inflamed (which can lead to discomfort when feces moves through the rectum)
- Foreign objects or hairballs in the stomach
- A fiber-deficient diet
Cat Constipation Symptoms
Healthy cats should defecate at least once per day, with dark brown, well-formed stool.
Constipation symptoms in cats include a decrease in stool number and frequency, as well as hard, small stools within or outside of the kitty litter box. You may also notice your cat straining to defecate, crying in pain, and losing appetite.
Contact your veterinarian if you suspect your cat is constipated. This condition can be caused by an underlying illness.
Constipation can also cause feces to accumulate and become impacted in the colon, necessitating veterinary intervention.
Preventing Cat Constipation
Keeping your cat hydrated will help to keep him from becoming constipated. Water fountains that circulate can encourage a reluctant cat to drink more water, and wet food can help add moisture to the bowels.
Regular veterinary exams, at least once a year for an elderly cat, can detect health problems before they become serious. Cats’ rectal and anal sacs should be examined at every physical exam.
Cat Constipation Remedies
Your veterinarian may prescribe a laxative or stool softener, or he or she may perform an anesthetic enema.
Try the following – but only after consulting with your veterinarian – to relieve constipation in your cat:
- Use canned cat food, low-sodium tuna, or low-sodium chicken or beef stock to add moisture to your cat’s diet and create softer stools.
- A fish oil omega-3 fatty acid supplement to aid in feces lubrication.
- A treatment for hairballs (available at most pet stores)
- More stool will result from a higher fiber diet. Try it on a cat who is weak or dehydrated, or one who has a muscular inability to urinate.
- Use pumpkin, squash, psyllium husk, or ground flax meal to add fiber.
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