Constipated cat (TMI alert)

[Eaglebird]

Our cat is about 14 and has been troubled with constipation lately.

3 weeks ago I took her to the vet as she hadn't pooed for a few days, was straining over her litter tray, and had a poo bulging at her anus which she couldn't pass. She eventually passed the poo but her anus was gaping & looked v sore & swollen afterwards.
Vet gave her a steroid & antibiotic injection, and a week's course of anti-inflamatory (I think) tablets, along with instructions to give her an inch of Katalax paste each day.
This worked a treat, and I've continued to give her the Katalax paste each day, and she's had no more constipation - until today.
Same as before, she's straining over her litter tray, and there is a poo bulging at her anus again. I've given her another inch of Katalax paste in the hope it will help things alaong.
Has anyone else had a constipated cat? If so, please can you offer some advice? We love our cat to bits, but can't afford a £58 vet bill every few weeks.

Is the cat drinking enough water? It is really easy for them to get dehydrated and constipation is a symptom of this. Seemingly its something to do with the cat's body re-absorbing any liquid in their bowels so makes the poo too hard to pass.

My vet recommended liquid parrafin, 2ml twice a day for a couple of days, delivered via a syringe. Both these can be bought from a pharmacy.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW THE LIQUID TO BE INHALED INTO THE LUNGS, TAKE IT CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY WHEN ADMINISTERING.

You may be able to mix it with a teaspoon or two of strong smelling fish, such as tinned pilchards - use the ones in tomato sauce and NOT those in brine (salt water is NOT good for cats) and use a sieve to rinse the tomato sauce out.

If she is not improved within 2 days return to the vet.

Meantime, up her liquid intake. Make sure that she has access to water 24/7 and offer a little milk for a day or two or better still specially manufactured cat milk. Not recommended normally but she might drink milk because she likes it whereas she will quite possibly turn her nose up at water. Likewiae, feed tinned food rather than dry biscuit.

And, as I said, if she doesn't improve in 2 days, please return her to the vet.

We went to the vet today. She sedated her and examined her rectum, then gave her an enema to removed some hard poo. We have to limit her supply of Iams dried food, and give her oily fish like sardines, pilchards, mackerel etc if possible, and give her a Micralax enema twice a week, then go back for a follow-up appointment.
Our cat was a stray when we found her, and x-rays showed she had old damage to her pelvis (probably due to a car accident), which may be exaccerbating the constipation problem now that she's getting older.
Don't relish the thought of giving our poor cat an emema twice a week, but it will be worse for her than it will be for us, so we'll give it a whirl, and hopefully she will improve.

She's much happier today. She didn't eat anything this morning, but has gobbled down half a tin of tuna (in spring water) this evening.