My cat has diarrhea after Lactulose. How long do side effects last?

Do not discontinue the Lactulose without the advice of the prescribing veterinarian. This may lead to constipation again. The dose and/or frequency of Lactulose will likely be adjusted by the veterinarian. In the meantime, a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts may help to resolve the diarrhea. You can discuss the use of veterinary probiotics, such as ProViable, ProStora or FortiFlora, with your veterinarian. These may promote gut health and aid in resolution of mild diarrhea as well.

I'm sorry Lucek isn't feeling well! It's good that his diarrhea is better, but he sounds like he is still feeling unwell at the moment. If he had a serious case of diarrhea, it could take him a couple of days before he feels better and is back to his normal self. I would monitor him for now, and if he's still acting lethargic in another 24-48 hours, I would bring him back into the vet for a health check.

Poor guy. It sounds like your little guy is having an adverse reaction to the medication. He needs to be seen for a rechk by your vet right away to have the diarrhea addressed and then to get him on an alternate medication that will hopefully agree with his system more. There are other medications that are a bit safer for cats that your vet can hopefully prescribe for him, depending on the type of infection he has. Until you can get him in to be seen its best to start some probiotics. You can start over the counter Culturelle and this can help restore some of his natural GI flora and can help some with the diarrhea as well until you can get him in to your vet. I hope that Zakoota's diarrhea resolves soon! Best wishes and take care. : )

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!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, you can give lactulose orally. If he is a medium-sized cat, he can likely get 2 mL by mouth twice daily until his stools are softer. If he does not defecate for longer than 48 hours, he should be seen by a veterinarian right away. Constipation can progress to obstipation, meaning a cat is completely unable to pass the feces. This can lead to rupture of the colon and/or irreversible problems with the colon. I hope this is helpful.

Some gastrointestinal conditions can take longer than 3 days to resolve so as long as Kiko is otherwise feeling ok i would advise to finish the course of treatment, if by then the diarrhea persists, take him back to the vet.

If you changed the food suddenly, it can take some time for the diarrhea to stop, and typically a vet visit is needed. If the diarrhea has been going on for more than 24-48 hours, have him seen by a vet.