Cats and Constipation: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention
Detect, treat and prevent constipation in cats
Constipation is widespread in cats. It’s painful and in the worst case it can have life-threatening consequences.
It’s usually difficult for owners to notice the digestive problems. For this reason the constipation of the cat often goes unnoticed at first, which significantly increases the risk of complications.
Recognizing constipation in cats
Diarrhoea is not hard to miss. With constipation the situation is different. Because apart from the fact that there is hardly any excrement in the litter box, this problem with digestion is hardly noticeable at first. If your cat is a outdoor cat, it is even more difficult to notice the constipation.
Constipation can cause other symptoms in your cat.
The following symptoms can accompany constipation:
- The cat vomits.
- The four-legged friend appears remarkably restless.
- The cat does not eat properly and loses weight.
- The quadruped is increasingly tired and exhausted.
- The defecation does not succeed despite a strenuous pressing.
- They discover small, hard lumps of excrement outside the litter box.
- Your cat suffers from stomach ache.
- The belly circumference increases and hardenings are noticeable.
- The body of the quadruped dries out.
Possible consequences of constipation in cats
Constipation is primarily unpleasant and painful for your cat. In the long run it can cause further problems and may even be life threatening.
This is because constipation can lead to a megacolon in your cat. This is a pathological dilatation of parts of the colon in which large amounts of faeces accumulate. A megacolon can be both the result and the cause of the constipation.
If the megacolon is treated early, the chances of recovery are usually quite good. However, if treatment is delayed, it is possible that the intestinal wall will become loose and remain enlarged even after the faeces have been removed.
Possible causes for constipation in cats
In most cases it is difficult to determine the exact cause of constipation in cats. However, there are a number of factors that can trigger or at least help your cat to become constipated.
Experience has shown that the risk of constipation is particularly high in older animals. In addition, the majority of cats with constipation are tomcats.
If your cat suffers from constipation, this may be due to a number of reasons:
- A combination of obesity and lack of exercise impairs intestinal activity and thus the further transport of faeces.
- The main consumption of dry cat food, combined with insufficient fluid intake, results in excessively hard faeces.
- The food contains too few raw fibres which bind liquid in the food and cause the food pulp to swell in the intestines.
- Your cat is stressed or refuses to go to the litter tray due to lack of hygiene.
- In old cats with osteoarthritis, squatting and pressing while defecating is often associated with severe pain.
Constipation in cats can also be caused by damage to the spinal cord, malformation of the vertebrae or pelvis, and the ingestion of foreign bodies.
Other possible triggers include certain drugs that reduce bowel activity, electrolyte imbalance and fluid deficiency due to diabetes or renal failure in the cat.
Natural help for cats with constipation
If your cat suffers from constipation, we recommend a dietary supplement with Shiimun Gastro. Shiimun Gastro is a natural preparation based on shiitake, which we have developed especially for cats with digestive problems such as flatulence and constipation.
The carefully balanced formula of Shiimun Gastro promotes your cat's digestion in a digestible way and can thus help to counteract constipation with natural means.
It’s important to ensure that your cat is fed a species-appropriate diet of high-quality cat food and that his four-legged friend always has sufficient fresh water available.
If at least part of the daily food ration is wet food, this can also help reduce the risk of constipation in your cat.
When to take a constipated cat to the vet
In many cases the constipation of the cat can be removed quite easily, so that a visit to the vet is not absolutely necessary. If the digestive problems cannot be treated with our tips, a thorough examination of the four-legged friend is recommended.
This also applies if the constipation manifests itself through further symptoms and your cat is obviously getting worse. After all, it is quite possible that the lack of defecation is due to a serious underlying disease or that the problems are increasing.
The vet can take an x-ray of your pet, as well as blood tests and a rectal examination. If there is evidence of intestinal disease causing constipation in your cat, an endoscopy may also be necessary.
Depending on the results of the vet's examination, a decision will then be made as to what treatment is appropriate for your cat with constipation.
Constipation in cats should be treated by the vet
With a little luck you will quickly get your cat's constipation under control with our recommendations and your four-legged friend will soon be able to get over his digestive problems.
In the case of severe constipation, the vet may need to give your cat a laxative to remove the faeces from the intestines as quickly as possible to prevent permanent damage.
If your cat's constipation was caused by a foreign body, the vet may even have to remove it surgically.
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