Constipated cat

[FatBallsAndSunflowerSeeds]

My girl (11+) had an abscess in her cheek two weeks ago, followed by having three teeth out. She recovered well and regained her appetite and ate lots of her favourite roast chicken and tuna. In the past week though she has started sicking up small amounts of bile, has gone off her food and become constipated. She makes lots of trips to the litter tray and strains, but only manages a spot of liquid poo.

DH took her to the vet yesterday who could feel from her stomach that she is constipated so presumably there is a lot of hard poo in there. They gave her a suppository and put her down to see if she would poo but she didn't so the vet stuck her finger up her bum to try and break it up. DH says kitty was drooling when the vet did this, presumably not with pleasure

She was sent away with liquid lactulose for us to administer (orally thankfully!) and the vet said if she didn't poo she would have to come back the next day for an enema.

She did a couple of little lumps of semi liquid poo last night but nothing else. We've given her lactulose this morning, but on googling it looks like it takes a day or to to work?

I'm not looking forward to her having an enema, poor girl. I have looked on google and it seems they sedate cats for it? Does anyone have any experience please?

Is she eating dry food at all?

No she has never liked dry food much. We put it down along with wet food but she hasn't been eating it. We give her a wide range of different foods every day as she is fussy at the best of times! She is drinking water though, and her drinking bowl is kept full.

Best not to give dry food at all...it's no good really. Will she eat some oily fish like pilchards or sardines?

I have been offering her sardines as she does like them, but I will make sure I put some down today thank you. I have tried to get her to eat coconut oil, which she used to love, but she won't touch it.

Maybe a slosh of olive oil on top of whatever she's about to eat? Mix it in a bit?

I took her in and she was given an enema bless her. The vet came back and said that while doing it she found a lump in her abdomen. She says it's not in her intestines so not related to her constipation, and not attached to her liver, but other than that she can't say what it is. Not what I was expecting when I took her in and quite upsetting obviously

We are going to let her recover from her enema and think about what we want to do. The vet suggested we could have an ultrasound scan that might give an idea of what the lump is, or if we want to throw everything at it and intend to do chemo if it's malignant she can have an op to remove and test the lump. I don't want to put her through chemo or an op really but I'm not sure what benefit there is in having the ultrasound either in that case. It's so confusing, pets are such a worry aren't they. I only had her because she was my dad's and he died but nine years later we love her so much.

She has come home and eaten some Sheba and drunk lots of water so hopefully is on the mend as far as the constipation goes.

An update to my post above.

She hardly pood all week, just little bits of diarrhoea. We carried on giving the laxative and waiting, until today I took her to the vet again because she seems uncomfortable and her belly is swollen. She (the vet) said she could feel a lot of fluid in her abdomen, and since the lump was felt last time, she thinks it's a tumour causing a blockage. She wants to operate as soon as possible, and if she finds too much cancer inside will put her to sleep

We've had to come home without her and I'm just waiting for a phone call, it could be today or tomorrow depending on how busy the vet is. I'm beside myself. I hadn't expected this or said goodbye to her as I was confused about what was happening, I thought they were going to ring us when we could bring her in but she carried her off in her basket. Can't stop crying or thinking about her

Oh no. I'm so, so sorry. Thank heavens she has such a caring owner who isn't going to leave her to suffer. Can't you go down to see her before the op?

Are you sure you want the op? If they're sure it's cancer and can do an op then what would be the prognosis? I would want to know that before possibly putting her through treatment.

Thank you.

I don't know. It was all so sudden, the vet said she couldn't leave her like that so the only thing to do was open her up and have a look, and that with luck she will be able to remove the blockage and she will be okay. But I don't think that will happen.

She's only just had some teeth removed and I thought that had given her a new lease of life, she'd been eating so well for a while.

I feel cross that last week they gave her an enema (which they said didn't produce much anyway) when she had a blockage. Wish they had spotted it then- the vet even said the lump wouldn't be related to her constipation. Today it was the head vet so I feel more confident of her diagnosis.

Sorry to hear, my cat was recently pts because of chest cancer, it was very upsetting.

I would give the vets a call and ask for a more in depth discussion before they do anything.

We called them and she was on a drip and would be operated on in two hours. That was over 2 hours ago.

I don't know what the alternative would be if they didn't operate, other than just putting her down without checking if it was operable.

I hope it all goes well for her. What a worry for you.Sending my best wishes.

Fingers crossed and sending best wishes to your pudy cat.

Thank you. Waiting around is torture.

I've just rung and they're closed so I left a message.

I'd look upon that as a positive. 1. She seemed well enough for it not to be classed as an emergency.

1. She's had the op and everything has gone well.

She's gone. Her stomach lining was full of cancer. There wasn't any alternative, the vet said it was kinder to let her go.

I'm devastated. My lovely girl.

Oh OP, I'm so sorry

Sorry to hear that🌻🌷

My Minnie

This is so hard. I can't believe it hurts this much. I kept waking in the night and remembering. I started to have a panic attack and had to repeat a mantra to myself to calm down- she's not in pain, we were always kind to her, she had everything she wanted, she had a good life.

We're all devastated. It has helped me to read some other threads from posters whose cats have died, and the kind comments, and know that I'm not alone in feeling like this.

I'm very, very sorry. But yes, do remember that she had a lovely life with you and you have saved her from a painful death. Try to remember the happy times, but it's normal to be incredibly upset. They are never 'just a cat'.

Oh darling. Oh I’m so sorry. Well done you for giving her a wonderful life, and loving her so much.

It is so so hard and you will be so sad. Let yourself be sad. Give yourself time and be gentle with yourself. It is ok to grieve and mourn and be devastated.

Eventually you WILL look back with fondness and love but right now you are heartbroken and that is perfectly normal.

Thank you, your kind comments really do help (although I am crying reading them) x

Sorry to hear that shes passed away, but its better than suffering and being poorly for ages.
You did all you could for her, thats all anyone can do. When your feeling a bit better consider getting a rescue cat, theres so many wanting good homes.It doesnt stop you feeling upset about the last one but it gives you something positive to focus on which is helpfull.