My cat isn't pooping after stomach bug & bland diet. Is he constipated?

Hello, sorry to hear about Mario. I wish him a speedy recovery. It sounds like his constipation is associated with his decreased appetite and decreased activity. As he continues to regain his appetite and move more then he will begin to defecate as well. If however, you notice that he is actively straining to defecate then you should have him evaluated to make sure he is not obstinate. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It is very common for a cat to not have any bowel movement for a couple of days after having diarrhea because it takes time for stool to build up again in the colon after an episode of diarrhea. I would be concerned if she is straining to defecate without producing any stool, vomiting or not eating. If everything seems normal other than the lack of stool production, then I would just give it a little more time. My guess is that she will pass some stool tonight or tomorrow. If she has not passed stool by tomorrow night, I would have her examined on Friday before going into the weekend. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If your cat hasn't pooped in three days I would be concerned about constipation. One thing you can try at home is adding some fiber to his diet, either by doing a teaspoon of metamucil on his food or some canned pumpkin on his food. If he is not already on wet food you could try adding some warm water to his food as well. If the constipation becomes severe your cat will stop eat, act painful and maybe start throwing up. If you notice any of these symptoms you should take him to your vet so they can give him medication to relieve the constipation.

This could be due to a mild constipation, possibly due to hairballs. 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!

I usually say if there's straining in the litterbox with little to no stool produced in 24 hours, or if there are 3 days with no stool (but no straining is seen) it's time to head to the vet. The fact that he is eating normally is a good thing since appetite tends to decrease with constipation. At any time if he seems painful it is best to go to the vet. You may want to check in with your vet and see what their criteria would be for when to head in - they know more about Bug's particular case and might make different recommendations.

If she does not seem to be troubled by it I would not be overly concerned. It is best to feed canned food (pate), human baby foods (meat flavors and organic) or canned pumpkin (if she will eat it) - any of those can help with constipation.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Junie. Most of the time, it will take a while for a cat to have a bowel movement after a bout of colitis. So hopefully this is the case and she is not constipated. If she is eating and drinking normally again, then she should have a bowel movement soon. If she is straining to defecate, then this is more indicative of constipation. Sometimes feeding a bit of canned pumpkin can help. Most of the time, you need to contact her veterinarian though. I hope this information helps!