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-   -   Which prescription diet best for chronic constipation/lazy bowels? (http://www.catbanter.com/showthread.php?t=18738)

Devlin Tay July 14th 04 09:47 AM

Which prescription diet best for chronic constipation/lazy bowels?
 
My 1.5 year-old male tabby recently had a bad bout of constipation. Toby
did not poo for over two days and a vet check-up found a substantially
distended colon. The vet immediately put him on Propulsid (bowel stimulant)
and Duphalac (lactulose syrup) but he still refused to poo for another two
days. The vet finally administered an enema under anaesthesia, which
thankfully helped empty Toby's bowels almost immediately.

While x-rays taken before the enema showed a distended colon, it wasn't
conclusive enough for a megacolon diagnosis. The vet has now put Toby on a
mixture of Hill's Prescription Diet w/d dried and r/d canned, and reckons
that Toby will also have to be on Propulsid and Duphalac for the rest of his
life. [Toby was also recently diagnosed with struvite crystals in his
urine, which necessitated the change of diet to Hill's w/d and r/d.] While
I'm okay with Toby having to be fed a fairly expensive prescription diet for
the rest of his life, I'm not sure I am prepared to continue paying my vet
the exorbitant prices charged for the two drugs. I did some research and
discovered that Duphalac can be had for as little as AUD$12 per 500ml bottle
at pharmacies in Australia without needing a prescription - in contrast, my
vet charges me AUD$25 for a mere 25ml bottle (which lasts less than a week).
I am, of course, a little peeved at the obvious profiteering going on here.
But that's OK, since it is something I can get around by getting the
Duphalac myself. Propulsid is a more complicated matter - it is probably a
prescription drug, which means I can't buy it over-the-counter at
pharmacies, and my vet charges me AUD$65 for a wee little 25ml bottle. I
also found out that propulsid has been withdrawn from the pharmaceutical
market for humans because of allegations that it caused the deaths of
several young children. So, quite apart from cost, there is the question of
whether long term use of Propulsid could harm my little boy.

So I am at a dilemma - should I risk stopping the use of the drugs and rely
on the higher fibre combination w/d and r/d diets to keep Toby's bowels
moving? What if I leave out the Propulsid and just rely on the Duphalac to
keep Toby's stool soft/moist? Is a higher fibre diet (the Hill's w/d and
r/d) necessarily better for chronic constipation or is a low-residue diet
the way to go? Is canned pumpkin safe for a cat with a potential struvite
crystals problem?

Thanks a million to anyone who can shed some light on the above. :-)

Devlin
Perth, Australia



Devlin Tay July 14th 04 10:25 AM

By the way, Toby was fed a roughly 50%/50% diet consisting of IAMS Lamb &
Rice (dried) and Whiskas Advance (canned) with the occasional canned tuna as
a treat (about once a week) before his crystals and constipation problems
reared their ugly heads. He'll of course get no more tuna (or any other
pseudo-people foods disguised as cat foods) from now on due to the struvite
crystals problem.

Devlin
Perth, Australia



Devlin Tay July 14th 04 10:25 AM

By the way, Toby was fed a roughly 50%/50% diet consisting of IAMS Lamb &
Rice (dried) and Whiskas Advance (canned) with the occasional canned tuna as
a treat (about once a week) before his crystals and constipation problems
reared their ugly heads. He'll of course get no more tuna (or any other
pseudo-people foods disguised as cat foods) from now on due to the struvite
crystals problem.

Devlin
Perth, Australia



PawsForThought July 14th 04 01:11 PM

From: "Devlin Tay"

So I am at a dilemma - should I risk stopping the use of the drugs and rely
on the higher fibre combination w/d and r/d diets to keep Toby's bowels
moving?


If it were my cat, I would put him on a homemade diet, and also consult with a
holistic vet. Constipation sometimes occurs when the cat doesn't get enough
bulk in his diet or doesn't get enough exercise. Always make sure the
litterbox is clean so the cat doesn't get into the habit of holding it in.
Another thing you could try is adding olive oil. This can act as a tonic for
the intestinal tract and stimulate liver bile. Any excess oil will help
lubricate the fecal mass and sooth mucus membrane of the intenstine and rectum.
I would suggest 1/2 to 1 teaspoon 2 times a day, mixed with food, until he is
going regularly. It can also be given once a week for hairball prevention.

Lauren
________
See my cats:
http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

PawsForThought July 14th 04 01:11 PM

From: "Devlin Tay"

So I am at a dilemma - should I risk stopping the use of the drugs and rely
on the higher fibre combination w/d and r/d diets to keep Toby's bowels
moving?


If it were my cat, I would put him on a homemade diet, and also consult with a
holistic vet. Constipation sometimes occurs when the cat doesn't get enough
bulk in his diet or doesn't get enough exercise. Always make sure the
litterbox is clean so the cat doesn't get into the habit of holding it in.
Another thing you could try is adding olive oil. This can act as a tonic for
the intestinal tract and stimulate liver bile. Any excess oil will help
lubricate the fecal mass and sooth mucus membrane of the intenstine and rectum.
I would suggest 1/2 to 1 teaspoon 2 times a day, mixed with food, until he is
going regularly. It can also be given once a week for hairball prevention.

Lauren
________
See my cats:
http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

[email protected] July 14th 04 02:47 PM


The vet has now put Toby on a mixture of
Hill's Prescription Diet w/d dried and
r/d canned, and reckons that Toby will
also have to be on Propulsid and
Duphalac for the rest of his life. [Toby
was also recently diagnosed with
struvite crystals in his urine, which
necessitated the change of diet to
Hill's w/d and r/d.] While I'm okay with
Toby having to be fed a fairly expensive
prescription diet for the rest of his
life, I'm not sure I am prepared to
continue paying my vet the exorbitant
prices charged for the two drugs.


First of all, I have a real big problem with a vet that proclaims a cat
has to be on a special food/drugs for "the rest of its life" because of
*one* incident of constipation.
I also question putting the cat on the foods you described for crystals
in the urine.

The best diet for both constipation and urinary tract issues (and in
general) is one that is all canned, high quality (Iams is not) and fed
on a schedule. I have two clients that have cats that had constipation
issues that were never resolved using the prescription high fiber diets,
and one of the cats was still constipated despite getting daily doses of
mineral oil and a prescription stool softener and was in constant
misery. Completely eliminating dry food and switching the cats to a high
quality canned food fed on a 12 hour schedule resolved the constipation
in both cases and eliminated the need for stool softeners as well.

Canned is also beneficial for urinary tract issues as it greatly
increases a cats water intake, which in turn helps to keep the urine
more dilute and the bladder flushed.
In general a canned diet isgoiong to be better for your cat and there is
more and more information coming out that shows that dry foods are not
great for cats (a good website that you can check out on this subject is
http://www.catnutrition.org )

I would suggest trying this approach before deciding the cat has to have
prescription drugs and diet for the rest of its life.


Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray



[email protected] July 14th 04 02:47 PM


The vet has now put Toby on a mixture of
Hill's Prescription Diet w/d dried and
r/d canned, and reckons that Toby will
also have to be on Propulsid and
Duphalac for the rest of his life. [Toby
was also recently diagnosed with
struvite crystals in his urine, which
necessitated the change of diet to
Hill's w/d and r/d.] While I'm okay with
Toby having to be fed a fairly expensive
prescription diet for the rest of his
life, I'm not sure I am prepared to
continue paying my vet the exorbitant
prices charged for the two drugs.


First of all, I have a real big problem with a vet that proclaims a cat
has to be on a special food/drugs for "the rest of its life" because of
*one* incident of constipation.
I also question putting the cat on the foods you described for crystals
in the urine.

The best diet for both constipation and urinary tract issues (and in
general) is one that is all canned, high quality (Iams is not) and fed
on a schedule. I have two clients that have cats that had constipation
issues that were never resolved using the prescription high fiber diets,
and one of the cats was still constipated despite getting daily doses of
mineral oil and a prescription stool softener and was in constant
misery. Completely eliminating dry food and switching the cats to a high
quality canned food fed on a 12 hour schedule resolved the constipation
in both cases and eliminated the need for stool softeners as well.

Canned is also beneficial for urinary tract issues as it greatly
increases a cats water intake, which in turn helps to keep the urine
more dilute and the bladder flushed.
In general a canned diet isgoiong to be better for your cat and there is
more and more information coming out that shows that dry foods are not
great for cats (a good website that you can check out on this subject is
http://www.catnutrition.org )

I would suggest trying this approach before deciding the cat has to have
prescription drugs and diet for the rest of its life.


Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray



-L. : July 14th 04 05:51 PM

"Devlin Tay" wrote in message . ..
My 1.5 year-old male tabby recently had a bad bout of constipation. Toby
did not poo for over two days and a vet check-up found a substantially
distended colon. The vet immediately put him on Propulsid (bowel stimulant)
and Duphalac (lactulose syrup) but he still refused to poo for another two
days. The vet finally administered an enema under anaesthesia, which
thankfully helped empty Toby's bowels almost immediately.

While x-rays taken before the enema showed a distended colon, it wasn't
conclusive enough for a megacolon diagnosis. The vet has now put Toby on a
mixture of Hill's Prescription Diet w/d dried and r/d canned, and reckons
that Toby will also have to be on Propulsid and Duphalac for the rest of his
life. [Toby was also recently diagnosed with struvite crystals in his
urine, which necessitated the change of diet to Hill's w/d and r/d.] While
I'm okay with Toby having to be fed a fairly expensive prescription diet for
the rest of his life, I'm not sure I am prepared to continue paying my vet
the exorbitant prices charged for the two drugs. I did some research and
discovered that Duphalac can be had for as little as AUD$12 per 500ml bottle
at pharmacies in Australia without needing a prescription - in contrast, my
vet charges me AUD$25 for a mere 25ml bottle (which lasts less than a week).
I am, of course, a little peeved at the obvious profiteering going on here.
But that's OK, since it is something I can get around by getting the
Duphalac myself. Propulsid is a more complicated matter - it is probably a
prescription drug, which means I can't buy it over-the-counter at
pharmacies, and my vet charges me AUD$65 for a wee little 25ml bottle. I
also found out that propulsid has been withdrawn from the pharmaceutical
market for humans because of allegations that it caused the deaths of
several young children. So, quite apart from cost, there is the question of
whether long term use of Propulsid could harm my little boy.

So I am at a dilemma - should I risk stopping the use of the drugs and rely
on the higher fibre combination w/d and r/d diets to keep Toby's bowels
moving? What if I leave out the Propulsid and just rely on the Duphalac to
keep Toby's stool soft/moist? Is a higher fibre diet (the Hill's w/d and
r/d) necessarily better for chronic constipation or is a low-residue diet
the way to go? Is canned pumpkin safe for a cat with a potential struvite
crystals problem?


I have seen r/d and w/d do nothing except keep a cat coming back to
the vet for enemas. I would trash the Hills, put the cat on a
hairball maintenence dry diet (which is higer in fiber and Mega 3
fatty acids) with pumpkin (if he will eat it) and also give plenty of
canned food that is high in protein - such as Purina DM or a canned
kitten diet. Protein is better utilized and lower-residue in nature.
I would keep him on the drugs until he seems completely regulated.

Make sure is he groomed frequently, get enough exercise and plenty of
water. Massage can also help.

best of luck to you,

-L.

-L. : July 14th 04 05:51 PM

"Devlin Tay" wrote in message . ..
My 1.5 year-old male tabby recently had a bad bout of constipation. Toby
did not poo for over two days and a vet check-up found a substantially
distended colon. The vet immediately put him on Propulsid (bowel stimulant)
and Duphalac (lactulose syrup) but he still refused to poo for another two
days. The vet finally administered an enema under anaesthesia, which
thankfully helped empty Toby's bowels almost immediately.

While x-rays taken before the enema showed a distended colon, it wasn't
conclusive enough for a megacolon diagnosis. The vet has now put Toby on a
mixture of Hill's Prescription Diet w/d dried and r/d canned, and reckons
that Toby will also have to be on Propulsid and Duphalac for the rest of his
life. [Toby was also recently diagnosed with struvite crystals in his
urine, which necessitated the change of diet to Hill's w/d and r/d.] While
I'm okay with Toby having to be fed a fairly expensive prescription diet for
the rest of his life, I'm not sure I am prepared to continue paying my vet
the exorbitant prices charged for the two drugs. I did some research and
discovered that Duphalac can be had for as little as AUD$12 per 500ml bottle
at pharmacies in Australia without needing a prescription - in contrast, my
vet charges me AUD$25 for a mere 25ml bottle (which lasts less than a week).
I am, of course, a little peeved at the obvious profiteering going on here.
But that's OK, since it is something I can get around by getting the
Duphalac myself. Propulsid is a more complicated matter - it is probably a
prescription drug, which means I can't buy it over-the-counter at
pharmacies, and my vet charges me AUD$65 for a wee little 25ml bottle. I
also found out that propulsid has been withdrawn from the pharmaceutical
market for humans because of allegations that it caused the deaths of
several young children. So, quite apart from cost, there is the question of
whether long term use of Propulsid could harm my little boy.

So I am at a dilemma - should I risk stopping the use of the drugs and rely
on the higher fibre combination w/d and r/d diets to keep Toby's bowels
moving? What if I leave out the Propulsid and just rely on the Duphalac to
keep Toby's stool soft/moist? Is a higher fibre diet (the Hill's w/d and
r/d) necessarily better for chronic constipation or is a low-residue diet
the way to go? Is canned pumpkin safe for a cat with a potential struvite
crystals problem?


I have seen r/d and w/d do nothing except keep a cat coming back to
the vet for enemas. I would trash the Hills, put the cat on a
hairball maintenence dry diet (which is higer in fiber and Mega 3
fatty acids) with pumpkin (if he will eat it) and also give plenty of
canned food that is high in protein - such as Purina DM or a canned
kitten diet. Protein is better utilized and lower-residue in nature.
I would keep him on the drugs until he seems completely regulated.

Make sure is he groomed frequently, get enough exercise and plenty of
water. Massage can also help.

best of luck to you,

-L.

[email protected] July 14th 04 06:35 PM

Lyn wrote:

I would trash the Hills, put the cat on a
hairball maintenence dry diet (which is
higer in fiber and Mega 3 fatty acids) with
pumpkin (if he will eat it) and also give
plenty of canned food that is high in
protein - such as Purina DM or a canned
kitten diet. Protein is better utilized and
lower-residue in nature.


This is contradictory. A dry, high fiber diet will contribute to stool
size and is full of grains which a cat cannot utilize and can be
considered "residue" that just passes through. Feeding this and a low
residue diet would defeat the purpose of the low-residue food. Since
this cat has already had a blockage once, I wouldn't recommend foods
that are going to increase his stool size. Feeding a canned food means
that the cat will digest and utilize more of the food and stool size
will be smaller, which is certainly preferable if the cat is still
constipated after the diet change. At least he'd be able to pass them
and canned pumpkin could be added to the mix to help soften them, but my
guess based on experience is that a grain free strictly canned food diet
will take care of the problem.

Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray




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