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My Nemo and his Bowels
I have had 2 very long days, i will postt this out in the hopes that someone may have some insight.
WARNING gets graphic in descriptio....lol
Nemo is 7 now and has always had a constipation problem, he would go for days than have only small dark hard poops. usually I had to give him some cat lax to get him moving.
the past 5 months he has been on a homemade diet of 'cooked pork' plus of course all the required supplements. with this I've added egg yolks and some solvable fiber veggies to help wiht his bowels....the constipation hasn't gotten any better or any worse due to the new diet......until this past week, even with the cat lax mineral oil he just wasn't going.
So yesterday off we went to the Vet....he got an xray to see if there was a blockage and/or perhaps megacolon. NO to both thank goodness.
So my Vet went ahead and did an enema. He than came and spoke with me, said he found something ODD. Nemo has a constricture in his bowel approx. 1" into his colon...almost like another sphincter muscle...cause?
Vet said it was quite tight and therefore whats been happening is the stool cannot easily push past this, so it stops and sits there until there is enough of a load to push it from behind....meanwhile that lead piece of poop is loosing all its moisture from being in the colon too long and becoming as hard as rock....poor little guy, must be very uncomfortable for him.
Solution?...well first off NO fiber, this would only make the stool larger and firmer and we don't want it to become any harder to pass or perhaps become impacted.
He's suggested Miralax which is a laxative. So all day today I've researched miralax and found out its also fiber.....and loaded with chemicals...PEG3350..so not what I really want to give my guy.
Another sugggestion was lactulose a stool softener..a gooie syrupy mixture.... (I'm really familiar with this one, I had to use it for Opus for a number of years)....now with the powers of the web that I didn't have yrs ago I researched this as well. It does have its pros and cons but less than that of miralax.
Trouble is it will possibly make the stool very soft and although that should make it easier to pass it also creates another problem.......anal gland impaction.
Kitties poop is supposed to be rather hard and thus expresses the anal glands as it passes thru the anus. with a soft stool this doesn't happen as nature has intended it to...
And it a soft stool still may not be able to freely pass this constricture.
In that case Nemo will need surgery, thats done on ppl as well as dogs less commonly on cats.
A balloon endoscopy to stretch this ring. I am currently finding some material on this procedure, as it too has many side effects and problems afterwards.
Tonight I started the lactulose and we will see in the next days weeks how that works for him, I am hoping to get it tweaked to just the right dose that it will give him a semi hard stool that he CAN pass.
so after gettng home following the enema him and I had a rather sh****ty day....but sucessful. lol
sorry this is so long. that was all the bad part of our day, NOW theres also a good part.
Nemo has Struvite crystals wth a very alkaline urine PH of 9....(6.9 is max.for normal range)..and for those that have followed the long saga last spring of getting him OFF his DRY diet and trying every avail canned food on the market to get him to eat, I was desperate and began researching homemade diets. finally after alot of experimenting and with different recipes I did find one he would eat....pork cooked in a slow cooker that the added ingred he needs to be nutritional and balanced PLUS at min 70% fluids.
Ok.....got his urine expressed and tested again yesterday while at the Clinic.............and WOW his PH has come down to 7...thats marvelous also there is NO sign of struvite crystals.....NO sign, the Vet couldn't believe there would be such a difference in a few months....he was quite sheepish even because he told me in april that there was NO possible way to disolve thise crystals without using the Veterinary prescription diets that are for this purpose!!!! HA, surprised him to say the least.
anyway sorry again for the long read. If anyone has suggestions please post. thx.
♥OPus
WARNING gets graphic in descriptio....lol
Nemo is 7 now and has always had a constipation problem, he would go for days than have only small dark hard poops. usually I had to give him some cat lax to get him moving.
the past 5 months he has been on a homemade diet of 'cooked pork' plus of course all the required supplements. with this I've added egg yolks and some solvable fiber veggies to help wiht his bowels....the constipation hasn't gotten any better or any worse due to the new diet......until this past week, even with the cat lax mineral oil he just wasn't going.
So yesterday off we went to the Vet....he got an xray to see if there was a blockage and/or perhaps megacolon. NO to both thank goodness.
So my Vet went ahead and did an enema. He than came and spoke with me, said he found something ODD. Nemo has a constricture in his bowel approx. 1" into his colon...almost like another sphincter muscle...cause?
Vet said it was quite tight and therefore whats been happening is the stool cannot easily push past this, so it stops and sits there until there is enough of a load to push it from behind....meanwhile that lead piece of poop is loosing all its moisture from being in the colon too long and becoming as hard as rock....poor little guy, must be very uncomfortable for him.
Solution?...well first off NO fiber, this would only make the stool larger and firmer and we don't want it to become any harder to pass or perhaps become impacted.
He's suggested Miralax which is a laxative. So all day today I've researched miralax and found out its also fiber.....and loaded with chemicals...PEG3350..so not what I really want to give my guy.
Another sugggestion was lactulose a stool softener..a gooie syrupy mixture.... (I'm really familiar with this one, I had to use it for Opus for a number of years)....now with the powers of the web that I didn't have yrs ago I researched this as well. It does have its pros and cons but less than that of miralax.
Trouble is it will possibly make the stool very soft and although that should make it easier to pass it also creates another problem.......anal gland impaction.
Kitties poop is supposed to be rather hard and thus expresses the anal glands as it passes thru the anus. with a soft stool this doesn't happen as nature has intended it to...
And it a soft stool still may not be able to freely pass this constricture.
In that case Nemo will need surgery, thats done on ppl as well as dogs less commonly on cats.
A balloon endoscopy to stretch this ring. I am currently finding some material on this procedure, as it too has many side effects and problems afterwards.
Tonight I started the lactulose and we will see in the next days weeks how that works for him, I am hoping to get it tweaked to just the right dose that it will give him a semi hard stool that he CAN pass.
so after gettng home following the enema him and I had a rather sh****ty day....but sucessful. lol
sorry this is so long. that was all the bad part of our day, NOW theres also a good part.
Nemo has Struvite crystals wth a very alkaline urine PH of 9....(6.9 is max.for normal range)..and for those that have followed the long saga last spring of getting him OFF his DRY diet and trying every avail canned food on the market to get him to eat, I was desperate and began researching homemade diets. finally after alot of experimenting and with different recipes I did find one he would eat....pork cooked in a slow cooker that the added ingred he needs to be nutritional and balanced PLUS at min 70% fluids.
Ok.....got his urine expressed and tested again yesterday while at the Clinic.............and WOW his PH has come down to 7...thats marvelous also there is NO sign of struvite crystals.....NO sign, the Vet couldn't believe there would be such a difference in a few months....he was quite sheepish even because he told me in april that there was NO possible way to disolve thise crystals without using the Veterinary prescription diets that are for this purpose!!!! HA, surprised him to say the least.
anyway sorry again for the long read. If anyone has suggestions please post. thx.
♥OPus
I just got back into town late yesterday...good to be home....all is fine on the homefront here. Thank God! I am so sorry you are having to deal with this additional problem. Poor Nemo! He doesn't have diabetes, does he? I know people can get gastroparesis which can cause them to have bezores, I think they're called, where the food doesn't completely digest in the stomach but forms hard little balls of partially-digested food, and it makes it very hard to travel through the digestive tract. I don't know if animals can get this or not but I just thought I would mention it.
Glad to hear his PH is way down and there are no more struvite crystals. That certainly is great news! Y'all got a well-deserved break on that front. Give Nemo a hug for me. I hope he starts feeling better real soon.
Glad to hear his PH is way down and there are no more struvite crystals. That certainly is great news! Y'all got a well-deserved break on that front. Give Nemo a hug for me. I hope he starts feeling better real soon.
Well due to the fact all i know about cats is that they meow i have no input into Nemo's troubles. I just hope he will get better and wont need surgery. sara
Hi Opus,
I hope your little Opus gets to feeling better and with you I know for sure he will soon. I didn't know Miralax was so bad with the chemicals and all. Maggie since being diabetic now in remission) is only able to eat the wet food, so she gets constipated. Her Vet advised Miralax, too, and boy just a little is all we need, like a pinch of salt. The first time I used a little too much. I may give the pumpkin a try.
I hope your little Opus gets to feeling better and with you I know for sure he will soon. I didn't know Miralax was so bad with the chemicals and all. Maggie since being diabetic now in remission) is only able to eat the wet food, so she gets constipated. Her Vet advised Miralax, too, and boy just a little is all we need, like a pinch of salt. The first time I used a little too much. I may give the pumpkin a try.
Thanks Opus. Am writing down lactulose. Can call oncologist for scipt. Dang my r is not working....have to pound on it to get it to show on page...
One more question..ans any time...no rush. When I was at Petco was sooo tempted to get Shadow a cuddly bed...it is a rectangular box like thing, and has holes at each end.
He is enterprising and has managed to wind a bath towel I had rolled in front of door to keep drafts out......into a little nest all his own. He is curled up there now, having dragged his birdie to his lair:).
I am kinda Martha Stewart about my small place. Did give away floor and table vases of botanicals before his arrival, so have compromised somewhat in living room and of course kitchen:) where his things are.
Any advice most welcome.
One more question..ans any time...no rush. When I was at Petco was sooo tempted to get Shadow a cuddly bed...it is a rectangular box like thing, and has holes at each end.
He is enterprising and has managed to wind a bath towel I had rolled in front of door to keep drafts out......into a little nest all his own. He is curled up there now, having dragged his birdie to his lair:).
I am kinda Martha Stewart about my small place. Did give away floor and table vases of botanicals before his arrival, so have compromised somewhat in living room and of course kitchen:) where his things are.
Any advice most welcome.
Hi SG....YES for sure lactulose is a human supplement first and foremost...here in Canada it OTC but in the US you will need a script.....its a well used form.
And yes I did add the probiotic (culturelle..one safe for cats) to his routine just yesterday my order arrived from iherb.com ( good prices even with the shipping to Canada)
He had been getting zucchini or beans in his homemade diet, just this a.m. I attempted pumpkin it would be even better as its a soluble fiber and I agree with you 'some' fiber has to be good....I was surprised, he did eat his food with the pumpkin added, of course I just added the tiniest dab to begin with....so lets wait and see if we get some 'results' cross your fingers!!
Son't let that Shadow poop you out again....lol, at least NOT too much, a little is ok..
have a great day..
♥Opus
And yes I did add the probiotic (culturelle..one safe for cats) to his routine just yesterday my order arrived from iherb.com ( good prices even with the shipping to Canada)
He had been getting zucchini or beans in his homemade diet, just this a.m. I attempted pumpkin it would be even better as its a soluble fiber and I agree with you 'some' fiber has to be good....I was surprised, he did eat his food with the pumpkin added, of course I just added the tiniest dab to begin with....so lets wait and see if we get some 'results' cross your fingers!!
Son't let that Shadow poop you out again....lol, at least NOT too much, a little is ok..
have a great day..
♥Opus
Thanks Opus. I feel much better today. Can join Shadow in his play...the zooms were overdue for the sweetie who had a pooped (pun) out mom for couple of day.
Think that prep affected my brain. Meant to suggest a probiotic. I take one daily. Oncologists insists. It is a good thing to add to his diet. Not that it can take the place of things to soften those hard stools. But, it will be a bit of this and a bit of that for awhile before jumping to surgery. I know pumpkin has been discussed. Am thinking of trying for myself. Is lactulous for humans as well as kits? I am in a learning curve here:). I have taken stool softeners ....but as you mentioned I think in first post...they will not help Nemo: he needs to be able to 'push' a soft ..but not soupy stool out with ease.
Forget that you worked in nursing home/aux hospitals. Thanks for letting me use my language and experience in posts re kitty bowel issues. You can't know how much I appreciate you and Jade and Linda...all my friends in this and the anxiety forum. Imagine us living in small town ...getting together for a cuppa to solve all the problems of the world.
Think that prep affected my brain. Meant to suggest a probiotic. I take one daily. Oncologists insists. It is a good thing to add to his diet. Not that it can take the place of things to soften those hard stools. But, it will be a bit of this and a bit of that for awhile before jumping to surgery. I know pumpkin has been discussed. Am thinking of trying for myself. Is lactulous for humans as well as kits? I am in a learning curve here:). I have taken stool softeners ....but as you mentioned I think in first post...they will not help Nemo: he needs to be able to 'push' a soft ..but not soupy stool out with ease.
Forget that you worked in nursing home/aux hospitals. Thanks for letting me use my language and experience in posts re kitty bowel issues. You can't know how much I appreciate you and Jade and Linda...all my friends in this and the anxiety forum. Imagine us living in small town ...getting together for a cuppa to solve all the problems of the world.
thank you all so much for the encouragement. surgery will be a very last resort!!
I am going with the lactulose plus water by syringe and see how that 'results' also I am adding a prebiotic daily for good flora as well as Slippery Elm Bark which is good for soothing mucus membranes......I tried a very small amount (1/16 teas) of pumpkin in with his food last night and he ate it, I know this is fiber but since its soluable I think he will benefit from some of this too.
Yes it could possibly be d/t an internal hemorhoid, most likely my Vet thought scar tissue from a long past history of hard stools.....can also be Ca so will need to watch. nothing that shows on an xray tho, just felt during the manual.
SG....I know you've been thr he!! with your bowels and CA.....I too have a lifetime history of bowel troubles(no CA)..so I can relate both with you and with Nemo....yours of course being the most serious of all and by the sounds of it you still need to endure yearly invasive testing. I feel for you dear!!
Never be concerned about to much info in the bowel language.....remember I worked in a nursing home/aux. hospital for years....bowels were always our daily agenda.......
Lets pray for 'well formed stools' for us all!! lol
All the best SG for today!
♥Opus
I am going with the lactulose plus water by syringe and see how that 'results' also I am adding a prebiotic daily for good flora as well as Slippery Elm Bark which is good for soothing mucus membranes......I tried a very small amount (1/16 teas) of pumpkin in with his food last night and he ate it, I know this is fiber but since its soluable I think he will benefit from some of this too.
Yes it could possibly be d/t an internal hemorhoid, most likely my Vet thought scar tissue from a long past history of hard stools.....can also be Ca so will need to watch. nothing that shows on an xray tho, just felt during the manual.
SG....I know you've been thr he!! with your bowels and CA.....I too have a lifetime history of bowel troubles(no CA)..so I can relate both with you and with Nemo....yours of course being the most serious of all and by the sounds of it you still need to endure yearly invasive testing. I feel for you dear!!
Never be concerned about to much info in the bowel language.....remember I worked in a nursing home/aux. hospital for years....bowels were always our daily agenda.......
Lets pray for 'well formed stools' for us all!! lol
All the best SG for today!
♥Opus
Poor little Nemo....and poor you. Most laxatives do contain some fiber, but it is actually less (both in terms of weight and volume) than what is found naturally in food. Could this be some sort of internal hemorhoids? Maybe the tissue has become swollen over time from the waste staying to long in his colon? Could the growth be related to the high pH? Surgery might be the most effective long term solution, but I think you are right to explore other less invasive treatments first.
Hey,
I too am confident Nemo and you will figure out a way to get fluffy stools. BTW: since anal cancer....most my family chats involve poop talk. We get it out of the way before tackling other issues;). With my daughter's Yorkies, it is all about the anal express thing!
Feel like I'm on a rerun of Seinfield when we get going.
Believe it or not, Nemo and I have similar problem. We both live with rigid anal tissue (radiated in my case) and really need to work on controlling. I did have a very minor surgery to release bands that had formed over labia...similar I guess to what Nemo has in anal area. Unless the opening is really small I'm betting you can avoid it.
As usual, you have done your research. I tried Miralax with embarrassing results. Gentle, but couldn't tell when I'd get results or what I'd produce. You wouldn't want to give it to Nemo, believe me.
Congrats on lowering Nemo's crystals. You and others here inspired me to start my new kitten off on a wet food. I had no clue that there was a huge shift in thinking about wet v dry food for cats.
Shadow seems to prefer Wellness which I give him three times a day. Did buy the kibbles, which are meat based and can be left in bowl for snacks.. His food is expensive but as others have mentioned, and I've observed, he eats less at one feeding and just looks so much better than when I adopted him. Everyone remarks on his shiny coat, and back to their body functions, he urinates several times a day.
Hope Nemo is producing those well formed stools soon! I used to draw mine in daily journal: easiest way to remember how I was doing. More info than you needed !
Shadow is resting his head on the 'delete' key, so think we will try for sleep after my very trying barium enema prep yesterday and procedure today. That harsh prep solution is still working; feels like an acid going through system.
Better days ahead for Nemo!
I too am confident Nemo and you will figure out a way to get fluffy stools. BTW: since anal cancer....most my family chats involve poop talk. We get it out of the way before tackling other issues;). With my daughter's Yorkies, it is all about the anal express thing!
Feel like I'm on a rerun of Seinfield when we get going.
Believe it or not, Nemo and I have similar problem. We both live with rigid anal tissue (radiated in my case) and really need to work on controlling. I did have a very minor surgery to release bands that had formed over labia...similar I guess to what Nemo has in anal area. Unless the opening is really small I'm betting you can avoid it.
As usual, you have done your research. I tried Miralax with embarrassing results. Gentle, but couldn't tell when I'd get results or what I'd produce. You wouldn't want to give it to Nemo, believe me.
Congrats on lowering Nemo's crystals. You and others here inspired me to start my new kitten off on a wet food. I had no clue that there was a huge shift in thinking about wet v dry food for cats.
Shadow seems to prefer Wellness which I give him three times a day. Did buy the kibbles, which are meat based and can be left in bowl for snacks.. His food is expensive but as others have mentioned, and I've observed, he eats less at one feeding and just looks so much better than when I adopted him. Everyone remarks on his shiny coat, and back to their body functions, he urinates several times a day.
Hope Nemo is producing those well formed stools soon! I used to draw mine in daily journal: easiest way to remember how I was doing. More info than you needed !
Shadow is resting his head on the 'delete' key, so think we will try for sleep after my very trying barium enema prep yesterday and procedure today. That harsh prep solution is still working; feels like an acid going through system.
Better days ahead for Nemo!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Course you already know I don't have any input on what to do, but I can say Great Job on getting rid of those struvite crystals!! Awesome, Opus. At least you know all that cooking and hard work is paying off.
On the other hand, so sorry for what Nemo is going through. I will stay hopeful surgery can be avoided. If anyone can turn this around, you can. I am thankful for your long post since I had no idea about hard/soft stools or anal glands and everything you said made perfect sense and was a good lesson.
Here's to hoping for 'semi hard stools' for Nemo!
On the other hand, so sorry for what Nemo is going through. I will stay hopeful surgery can be avoided. If anyone can turn this around, you can. I am thankful for your long post since I had no idea about hard/soft stools or anal glands and everything you said made perfect sense and was a good lesson.
Here's to hoping for 'semi hard stools' for Nemo!
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