Why is my cat coughing and constipated with tiny dry poop?

Hi, and thanks for your question. Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi and thanks for posting! Hard stool can certainly be an indication of constipation and while a hairball formula can help, you can also try a higher fiber diet (one that is formulated for hairball control) or just give a few teaspoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in her food which can help. However, if she is not eating and is acting lethargic, you may want to take her in to see a veterinarian to get checked out. Sometimes underlying health conditions such as liver or kidney disease or certain endocrine problems like diabetes can cause dehydration and can lead to harder stools and episodes of constipation as well as decreased appetite and lethargy. Certainly worth a veterinary visit if the hairball cream doesn't seem to be making a difference in her appetite or energy level. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Your cat could be severely constipated and the straining can make him nauseous. For severe constipation, your pet should be seen by a vet. Hard stool building up in the colon stretches it out of shape, and it also causes stretching of the muscles around the anus, causing perianal hernias that trap the collected feces, effectively making a plug. Your pet may need more than one enema and even manual extraction of the feces in order to relieve this episode. To help avoid this in the future, you can add Miralax to the food. Miralax is a very gentle, easy to give treatment for constipation, available over the counter at any pharmacy. The dose of Miralax is 1 tsp per 50 lbs mixed in with food once a day. You can also add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to his food once daily, or add a couple of teaspoons of canned pumpkin (not pie filling) to his food daily.

Cats should have a bowel movement roughly twice a day. When they don't, that generally means there is a problem. Sometimes this can be a sign of an inappropriate diet, not enough water intake, a neurological issue or a tumor blocking the intestines. Since she is older and it sounds like it's been a year, I recommend to start with a veterinary visit. Bring in a fresh sample of stool so the vet can check it. Make sure to speak with the veterinarian about food options as well. Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet can often help as can feeding a canned food with additional water added. There is also a special prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Fiber Response that many cats respond well to. Older cats often need more care (just like older humans) so have her examined within the next day or so. I hope this helps.

It sounds very likely that Tink could be constipated. I would advise the following tactics to help relieve her constipation; increased water intake Wet or tinned food Pureed pumpkin Mineral oil- Mineral oil can be given at 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds body weight once or twice daily, and coconut oil and vegetable oil can be similarly dosed A high fiber food- http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32074 If Tink does not improve in the next 24 hours, I would advise taking her to the veterinarian in case she has an underlying medical condition. Here are some links to help you; https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-big-no-go-constipation-in-cats-101/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/best-home-made-remedies-for-your-constipated-pet/

Poor Angel! This can be such a problem in older cats. You can add in some canned pumpkin (1 teaspoon a day) to help increase her fiber intake. Also, if you haven't already, I would talk to your vet about doing some abdominal x-rays. These will help the vet see how large the colon is and how much stool is present. Cats can get something called megacolon where the muscles in their colon don't work well and they get easily constipated. These cats usually need to be sedated and manually have some of the stool removed and then put on a drug called cisapride. Some cats will have to stay on this drug long term, but I have personally had good success with putting them on a food called Royal Canin GI Fiber Response and eventually getting them off cisapride and stool softeners. It is a prescription food so I would talk to your vet about it. Also, . Every cat is different and your vet will need to help guide you through this process. If your vet doesn't think she has megacolon then cisapride may not be needed but if she is REALLY backed up then she may still need to be sedated and have some feces removed to help her out. I hope this helps!

This is unusual but nothing to be overly concerned about. I would give the tablespoon of pumpkin twice a day. Often cats with kidney failure do get constipated. I recommend a kidney function test if you’re worried. That would give you a baseline level to refer to as he ages. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kasper.