Cat on Lactulose

[fitnut7]

My cat Sox was recently put on Lactulose after being constipated. She was given an enema and nothing unusual was found, i.e. blood in stool, worms etc. I noticed that after a day or so of being on the Lactulose that her water consumption went up. Before I took her in her water intake was normal. She had a complete blood panel done about 8 months ago and everything was fine. She is scheduled for another one next week but I'm just wondering about the lactulose to hopefully ease my mind until I can get her to the vet (out of town at the moment). She eats fine and is acting as she usually does. Also the Lactulose is working just fine keeping her regular.

[Lori Teller, D.V.M., DABVP]

Sox is a lucky cat to have you caring for her! There are a lot of things that can cause constipation in an older kitty, so I'm glad you plan to follow up with your veterinarian next week. You definitely need to try to identify the underlying cause. As far as the lactulose goes, it is a large sugar molecule that passes through the cat's intestinal tract undigested until it reaches the colon. There, the bacteria that normally inhabit the colon break down the lactulose. The by-products from the breakdown attract water into the gut. This keeps the stool moist and allows it to be more easily passed, thus helping to prevent constipation. If a lot of water is being pulled into the colon, Sox may be feeling thirsty and drinking more to replace the water that is being absorbed into the large intestine and lost in her stool. As long as she continues to eat well and act normally, I think you can wait until your appointment next week. Let your veterinarian know what is going on and follow up on having the blood panel done.

[fitnut7]

Lori,
Thank you for your quick and mind easing response. I'll be talking to my vet on Monday.

Julie