Is it safe to give a cat MiraLax when they are on prednisone?

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Instead of an enema, I would recommend you first try something that is less involved and likely to help which is giving him about 1 teaspoon of canned pumpkin with his meals. This usually helps with constipation in cats. Good luck and have a great day!

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 sounds like Jo Jo has megacolon given that he has been manually cleaned out three times. If this is the case, please do not give Jo Jo any Miralax since it is contraindicated in animals with this condition. The best treatment for constipation is to feed an appropriate diet and to encourage activity. You can absolutely dilute the pumpkin puree in water and syringe feed or you may want to try a low residue producing diet. Lactulose and possibly glycerin suppositories are appropriate medical treatments. You may also want to speak with your veterinarian about medications such as cisapride that stimulate colonic motility.

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.

ClearLAX is a generic form of Miralax. It has the same active ingredient in the same was that Ibuprofen is the generic form of Advil. We know that a generic product has the same active ingredient. So, it should work the same as Miralax. That being said, sometimes name brand products do work better than generic products, so if you try it and Elvis' stools seem to be harder or he seems to have having a harder time defecating, I would certainly switch back to Miralax. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi Rose, good question! Miralax powder is easier to give and very safe. You will have better luck with it versus docusate. I suggest you start by giving them 1/8 teaspoon mixed in a bit of canned food once a day. You can increase to twice a day if needed. You can even go up to 1/4 tsp once or twice a day but start out slow. The other thing you may want to do is to try to increase water consumption by getting them a water fountain to drink from. Many studies have shown that cats prefer to drink from running water and if offered a fountain they will drink more. Hope this helps. Best wishes!