My cat is constipated. How do I safely express her bladder?

If your cat is unable to defecate, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Some cats become so constipated that they require subcutaneous fluids (under the skin), enemas, sedation, and manual evacuation of the stool by a veterinarian. Do NOT try giving enemas or removing stool at home. Constipation in a cat is a serious medical condition.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Manual bladder expression typically does not hurt if done properly. If you search on youtube, there are some useful videos that veterinary clinics publish on how to manually express bladders. As long as there was no irreversible damage done to the nerves of the bladder, he will likely be able to urinate on his own again in the future once everything heals. At 5 weeks old, he is young so healing will be fast. I usually say about 4-6 weeks for healing time for a bone fracture in a young animal. Pelvic fractures that are unstable in a young animal may take longer. You have to remember that there is nothing stabilizing the fractures so any motion of the fractured bones will delay healing. Healing may take longer but that is a rough estimate. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Oh dear, I imagine this is making an already stressful and difficult situation even more challenging. Instead of papers, you could also try using an old towel on the floor to try to encourage Arya to urinate. If she is still resistant, consider having one of your other dogs urinate on the towel first, hoping that Arya will then try to "mark" over the other dog's urine on the towel. If this does not work, you can use firm (but not hard) steady pressure over the rear half of her abdomen to attempt to express (empty) her bladder. Once you start feeling her abdomen, the bladder may feel a bit like a water balloon. Try to use either one hand on either side of her abdomen, or at least several fingers on either side to provide maximal compression with this firm steady pressure. This can be difficult to do, even for those of use with years of training. I hope this helps! Please stay safe and feel free to post any additional pet questions you have and we will do our best to help you as much as possible!

It is best to have a constipated cat examined by your vet. Many cat owners think the cat is constipated but it is actually a urinary blockage which can be fatal. Urinary blockage is very common in male cats; constipation is not that common. Please take Mack to the vet ASAP. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951735 )

I'm sorry to hear Rusty is having problems urinating. She could have a urinary tract infection, urinary crystals, or potentially cystitis, which is inflammation of the bladder. I would also be concerned about gas and/or constipation as this can make a cat's abdomen look distended. I would recommend you take Rusty in for an exam with your veterinarian. She likely needs to have her urine checked and her abdomen palpated. Normally we can feel most of the organs in a cat's abdomen. After a good physical exam and abdominal palpation, your vet should be able to have a better idea as to what is going on with her abdomen and how to proceed. Sometimes we need to use further imaging, like x-rays or ultrasound if we can't feel what is going on. My hope is that it's a simple infection that can be treated with some antibiotics. Good luck!

Poor fluid intake, low fiber diet, food sensitivities and intestinal parasites can all contribute to constipation in kittens. I recommend adding a probiotic/fibre supplement such as fortiflora and ensure she is kept up to date with deworming medications. Monitor for feces production, she may require another enema if not resolving

Princess's weak bladder may be due a urinary tract infection. Typically a distended anus is a sign of constipation or rarely a tumor. Kitties her age are more prone to kidney disease and inflammatory bowel disease so I think its a good idea to take her in to see her veterinarian for a physical exam, blood work and a urinalysis. Its best to catch these things early before they get worse.