Cat constipation: Lactulose failed. Is Miralax safe? Pumpkin?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Mama is having these issues. Constipation is really a disease of prevention. If she is straining then at this point she likely needs another enema. In the future you will need to prevent the constipation from occurring by getting her on a high-fibre diet. Sometimes adding canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, just pure pumpkin) to the diet can help. Discuss with your vet about adding other products, like lactulose, to her diet daily. There are other products as well that can be added depending on how severe Mama's issues are. Increasing the fluid intake is another very useful tool. Feeding canned food and adding water to the food is a good preventative measure as well. Best of luck with Mama.

Poor Marshmellow! It would not be safe to give her an enema at home. You can give her some canned pumpkin to see if this helps soften her stool but it really sounds like she needs to see a veterinarian for care. Your veterinarian can also discuss medication options like Lactulose or Miralax to soften her stool in the future and prevent constipation. In older cats constipation often occurs secondary to some other issue like kidney disease or inflammatory bowel disease so blood work would be a good idea for Marshmellow.

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. For now, I wouldn't stress about knowing exactly which medication has helped Kiki - in truth, it's probably been a combination of all the different interventions. Cats who are prone to constipation often need constant adjustments in their management, so for now, if she's doing well, continue the miralax as your vet advised and touch base with them if her stools become hard or less frequent again. Sometimes cats may need to be on both meds for a time, or even switch foods entirely to a diet formulated for cats with constipation issues. So, there's probably not one "right" medication for her, and a therapy that worked this time might still need to be adjusted in the future. I have found the Royal Canin GI Fiber Response food to help immensely - you could ask your vet if that's an appropriate option if Kiki continues having bouts of constipation. Hope this helps!

It should be okay to give her a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin twice a day. Just make sure it doesn't have any added flavoring or sugars. If that doesn't help, talk to your vet about trying Miralax.

Since constipation issues are directed at increasing water content and fiber, I would recommend sticking with the canned Purina urinary food and then adding in fiber daily with 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin or Metamucil. Also have him checked with your vet if there is ever a time he can't go at all because he may have a condition called megacolon (enlarged colon) which would require medicaiton to treat. You can also try Laxatone over the counter. Here is a website link with more information for you.http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=634 I hope your fur baby gets well soon.

Most cats will not have a formed stool while on Miralax or any other stool softener. If the stools are quite loose, decrease the amount and/or frequency of Miralax. You are correct in saying that lactulose is a sugar; however, it WILL NOT cause diabetes. Mammals are not able to break the lactulose molecule down and it is not readily absorbed in the GI tract. It stays in the GI tract, which helps draw water into the GI tract---this is how it has a stool softening effect. Regarding your question for "is there still a medical issue," it sounds like the constipation is resolved, however, there could be an underlying motility issue in the colon that will require continued need for Miralax or other ongoing treatment. Another concern in older cats is kidney disease; we occasionally find that constipated cats have chronic kidney disease. I hope that answers your question!! If not, feel free to request a consultation where we can exchange information back and forth. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This drug can be a little tricky when giving it. Your pets complete medical history should be known before starting this laxative, due to possible complications that can ensue. Because of this, I would not continue its use without consulting with Dewey's primary care veterinarian. It is used in veterinary medicine, but it has certain requirements and cautions with use. Also it should always be dissolved and not given in powder form. As a side, Prednisolone does not have constipation as one of the possible side effects to using this medication. If she is constipated, then there is likely another underlying cause. Best of luck moving forward with your pet Dewey. Take care.