Cat laxative for constipation. The best laxatives for animals

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Constipation in cats is infrequent, painful, strained defecation or no defecation at all. If you notice that your pet's stool has become less than twice every three days, you should take action. In cats, constipation is a fairly common phenomenon, so any breeder should know which laxative for animals will quickly help normalize the digestive tract. Remember, timely measures taken will greatly alleviate the condition of the pet. In this article, we will consider which laxative for cats is preferable to use if you need to increase peristalsis, soften feces and quickly empty the contents of the intestine. If self-treatment does not help, and your pet continues to suffer from prolonged stool retention, be sure to contact a veterinary clinic. After examination and diagnostic procedures, the doctorwill be able to establish the root cause of the disease state and prescribe the necessary drugs and procedures.

Constipation in cats: treatment and symptoms

Prolonged retention of feces in the intestines, associated with a partial or complete cessation of defecation, necessarily has its own symptoms, for example:

• sluggishness;
• lack of appetite;
• unproductive defecation attempts;
• rare, dry and hard stools;
• blood and mucus in feces;
• weight loss;
• vomit.

A cat can not only take food, but also water. She behaves restlessly, ceases to lick herself. If these symptoms are present, you should definitely take action and give the animal a laxative for cats, and then take it to the veterinary clinic for a checkup.

Reasons for not having a bowel movement

Constipation in a cat can occur for a variety of reasons, including due to the ingress of a foreign body or accumulation of hair, tumors in the rectum or anus, perineal hernia, prostate cysts in cats. Quite often, the appearance of this unpleasant symptom is promoted by the habit of cats to lick and swallow wool. As a result of this, a trichobezoar can form in the gastrointestinal tract - a large ball of wool that makes it difficult to defecate. In advanced cases, surgery may be required to remove these hair growths.

Also difficult, painful and extremely rare defecation can contribute to an unbalanced diet anddysbacteriosis that appeared against its background. Often cat owners allow overeating and violate the rules of feeding by introducing excessively dry food with insufficient moisture into the diet of their pet.

Worm infestation causes constipation in cats

In addition to malnutrition, difficulty defecation can be caused by helminthic invasion. If there are a large number of helminths in the animal's body, then they can provoke not only a deterioration in the general condition of the animal, but also diarrhea, vomiting and constipation. In this case, before giving deworming medications, the constipation is first treated with a cat laxative. Otherwise, the helminths can die in the intestines and begin to decompose, which will lead to severe intoxication of the body. After the laxative drug eliminates constipation in cats, the treatment is already carried out with an anti-worm medicine, for example, Febtal, Kanikvantel, Drontal are used. There are many other causes of constipation, including various diseases of the kidneys, liver, colon and rectum, problems of an orthopedic or neurological nature. If you can’t determine the reason for the lack of defecation in the animal, you should contact your veterinarian. When examining a cat, the doctor will be able to detect the presence of a foreign body, expansion of the large intestine, diseases of the paraanal glands. Sometimes for additional diagnosis, a blood test, abdominal ultrasound, X-ray studies using barium sulfate are used. Only by establishing the exact cause of constipation, you canchoose the right solution and cure the animal by restoring the functions of its intestines.

Treatment of constipation in cats: drugs "Lactusan" and "Duphalac"

Difficult bowel movements (or lack thereof) are usually treated with therapeutic agents that soften the stool. For example, the most popular cat laxative is Lactusan. This drug is a source of lactulose and belongs to the class of prebiotics. It restores the beneficial microflora in the intestines, while inhibiting the pathogenic one, and protects the body from toxins. The drug reduces the penetration of carcinogens into the circulatory system and provides detoxification. The medicine "Lactusan" gently relieves constipation by stimulating intestinal motility. In addition to it, the laxative for cats "Duphalac" is often used. This drug also consists of lactulose. It is a gentle remedy, stimulates peristalsis. The drug "Duphalac" works a day or two after administration. This is due to the fact that the drug passes through the gastrointestinal tract, inhibits the absorption of toxins in the colon, and reduces the concentration of ammonium ions in the blood by more than 25%. The dose of any drug is selected by the veterinarian depending on the physiological characteristics of the animal, as well as in accordance with the instructions for using the drug.

Constipation in cats: folk remedies

In addition to laxatives, you can start giving the catvaseline oil several times a day, 5-40 ml. Your veterinarian will help you choose the right dose. In addition to vaseline oil, it is sometimes advised to introduce vegetable oil into the animal's diet. It is added to cat food one or two drops. This folk remedy will help normalize the digestive tract and eliminate constipation, but it is not recommended to abuse it. In large quantities, vegetable oil can have a negative effect on the cat's liver. Occasionally, enemas and bowel cleansing may be used in the treatment of the animal while general anesthesia is used. In the advanced stage, droppers are used to prevent dehydration.

Prevention of constipation

In any case, if your cat has ever suffered from constipation, you should reconsider the conditions of its maintenance. As a preventive measure, you need to choose the right food. Diet food should include a sufficient amount of fiber. You can also add cow's milk to your pet's diet. It is strictly forbidden to overfeed the cat. Make sure that clean water is always available. As for hair care, to prevent the appearance of trichobezoars, long-haired cats need to be combed regularly, removing tangles. In addition to a balanced diet and hair care, it is necessary to ensure an active, mobile lifestyle. Play with the animal more often, making it move, run and jump more.