All bunged up! Constipation in cats.
Over the past week, we have been treating a very affectionate cat named Sulu for constipation. Constipation can occur in the cat when their bowel becomes filled with hard dry faeces making it difficult, or even impossible for the cat to pass faeces. Sulu presented to us at the Cat Hospital severely constipated and he was unable to pass any stools at all. He had spent the previous night in an emergency vet hospital where he had failed to respond to conservative treatments.
An important initial part in treating Sulu’s severe constipation was to firstly determine his hydration and general health status, in addition to looking for an underlying cause of the constipation. Primary investigations included blood and urine testing and abdominal and pelvic x-rays. We found that Sulu was severely dehydrated which required him to be hospitalised and rehydrated before any further treatment could be given.
Sulu’s abdominal x-rays showed he was constipated for the full length of his colon. They also revealed to us the cause for his constipation.
Sulu was a rescue cat with an unknown past, and it appeared that in his past “life” he had sustained a pelvic fracture which had resultantly healed displaced causing a narrowing or stricture of the pelvic inlet.
After a night in hospital on intravenous fluids to rehydrate him, Sulu was ready for us to perform a manual enema. This is a procedure where warmed liquid is introduced into the rectum to soften and lubricate the dry faeces. While some enemas can be performed as a short procedure when the cat is awake, many cats require this to be performed under a general anaesthesia. This can be a slow process and severely impacted cats like Sulu often need repeated anaesthetics to allow time for the stools to soften and be extracted safely without injury to the bowel wall.
After three enema procedures, we were very happy to see a clear, “poo-less” x-ray showing an empty bowel. In the recovery ward Sulu wasted no time getting stuck into a bowl of tuna to which we added extra water to increase his hydration furthermore.
To help prevent future episodes of constipation for Sulu, he was discharged with oral laxative medication to keep the stools soft, along with instructions on how to increase his water intake and keep him hydrated. Adequate exercise will also form a major part of his rehabilitation and this can be especially important for strictly indoor housed cats that are prone to constipation.
Dr Martine
Click here for our information on Constipation in cats.
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