MadMitch Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 My lovely big tabby boy (Tyler 11yrs) is poorly. He was very quiet last week, sleeping all the time and I hadn't seen him go to the toilet for a few days (not that I follow him round to watch). Took him to the vets where he spent the night. They did lots of blood tests and x-rays and the good news is he hasn't got anything serious he's just a bit constipated. So he had a lovely enema and spent the night on a drip to rehydrate him and came home Saturday. Since hes been back though he is not eating much and only goes to the toilet every other day. I don't know whether he is associating eating with been ill so is trying to avoid it. Any suggestions or advice would be welcome as I've never had a poorly cat before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 He is a handsome boy. Did the vets not suggest anything to keep him regular? How about tempting him with a little of his fav food? Poor thing, nothing worse then being constipated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 You could try tempting him with a bit of tuna in springwater (with the water drained out). I've yet to find a pusscat to resist that. It's probably worth having a look at one of the premium diets like Royal Canin or Hills. We use James Wellbeloved currently, which seems to have been the deciding factor in finally clearing up the cats' hideous stomach problems. they all go for it ravenously, and with much more interest than they ever showed in the Iams or Gocat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Where do you get the James food from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Pets at Home have it, but I tend to get mine from ebay, as I can pick up the big bags quite cheaply. I've spotted a few pet shops that have it as well. If you go to their website www.wellbeloved.com you can search for stockists, but it's a reasonably common cat food. Bit pricey in small quantities, but it does last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 ooh, he's a lovely boy! I think Aunty E's suggestion is a good one, I have had cats with various illnesses but I don't think constipation has ever been one of them! Tuna never fails to tempt if they are feeling off-colour. To be honest (and I might be wrong here) I'm not sure that cats associate what they eat with what comes out the other end - he's perhaps just a bit subdued by having been to the vets. Do you think he drinks enough, could you make his food more sloppy or even add a little bit of vegetable oil to it? That might help. I'd probably ring the vet and ask for advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMitch Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I tried him with all his favorite things but he wasn't interested, just sniffed everything and walked away. This morning I tried him with something he's never had before (gourmet souffle) and he ate half a small tin and seemed to actually enjoy it so I will persevere with that for a couple of days. I will try the James food though as he seems to have gone off Iams. Vets said to give him food with a high oil/moisture content, he's on katalax but it doesn't seem to do alot. Thanks again for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMitch Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Just wanted to say, my big boy is slowly on the mend. He is starting to eat a bit more and after two weeks of carrying him into the garden, has the last couple of days gone out by himself and is starting to take abit more interest in things. It has been a worry though as its the first time he has been ill in 11 years. He is outside now fast asleep in my old ski jacket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I'm pleased to hear that Tyler is beginning to feel better. It could just be that as he is getting older his digestive system is not as efficient as it used to be, resulting in bouts of constipation. Switching to more easily digestable foods can help, i.e. a good quality, canned meat. I have also heard that canned pumpkin is full of fibre and recommended for cat constipation. Tyler certainly looks very contented in his new bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I tried him with all his favorite things but he wasn't interested, just sniffed everything and walked away. This morning I tried him with something he's never had before (gourmet souffle) and he ate half a small tin and seemed to actually enjoy it so I will persevere with that for a couple of days. I will try the James food though as he seems to have gone off Iams. Vets said to give him food with a high oil/moisture content, he's on katalax but it doesn't seem to do alot. Thanks again for your help Hi Michelle, I know it's a few weeks since this topic, but I've only just noticed it - glad he's better. By the way, he is a very handsome boy, and I love the photograph of him in the ski jacket!! - I can't believe he's 11!! It was just an aside. I had a bit of a problem with one of my boys with a urinary infection, after he'd had a fright from a dog and he had problems peeing. Since that, I try to make sure that he gets lots of liquid. He loves the Gourmet Solitaire tinned foods and also he has pouches (gourmet or Felix as good as it looks) - I always mix some warm water into the the empty tin or pouch and mix it in with the food in the bowl, he always laps up the gravy first - this way, you get all the food out of the container but also make sure they are getting their fluids. We do worry about them, don't we? Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMitch Posted May 11, 2008 Author Share Posted May 11, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I tried him with all his favorite things but he wasn't interested, just sniffed everything and walked away. This morning I tried him with something he's never had before (gourmet souffle) and he ate half a small tin and seemed to actually enjoy it so I will persevere with that for a couple of days. I will try the James food though as he seems to have gone off Iams. Vets said to give him food with a high oil/moisture content, he's on katalax but it doesn't seem to do alot. Thanks again for your help Hi Michelle, I know it's a few weeks since this topic, but I've only just noticed it - glad he's better. By the way, he is a very handsome boy, and I love the photograph of him in the ski jacket!! - I can't believe he's 11!! It was just an aside. I had a bit of a problem with one of my boys with a urinary infection, after he'd had a fright from a dog and he had problems peeing. Since that, I try to make sure that he gets lots of liquid. He loves the Gourmet Solitaire tinned foods and also he has pouches (gourmet or Felix as good as it looks) - I always mix some warm water into the the empty tin or pouch and mix it in with the food in the bowl, he always laps up the gravy first - this way, you get all the food out of the container but also make sure they are getting their fluids. We do worry about them, don't we? Diane Thanks Diane A, I never thought of mixing water in, I shall do this as although he is alot better now he still isn't 100%. He is eating quite a bit more now and seems to now prefer Gourmet to anything else. He was a worry for a while though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hils78 Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Hi, glad he's on the mend. I'm a vet nurse & have seen so many oldies go through this! Do you know if your vet checked his teeth at the time? sometimes a sore mouth can contribute to such a snow ball of symptoms = doesn't want to eat because its sore (or loose tooth), then not pooing then digestive system plays up etc etc...! Anyway I'm glad he's better. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Good tip about the water, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 I know my mum got some special food from the vets when her old cat was really constipated. It supported his kidneys which helped him make better use of the fluids he was getting, it also helped his brother who had the opposite problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...