My 17-year-old cat has rectal prolapse. Is surgery the only option?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Tink has anal or rectal prolapse. This is often caused by the cat straining to defecate, so it is important to determine why he is doing that. Oftentimes this is due to either diarrhea or constipation, so looking for an underlying reason for either of these is critical, before considering surgery. Constipation can be diagnosed with abdominal x-rays. If Tink is straining due to diarrhea, many tests can be done to determine the underlying cause. Surgically repairing a rectal prolapse is not a straightforward surgery, and can leave pets fecally incontinent, meaning they are unable to control their bowel movements. I recommend consulting with a veterinary surgeon to determine if surgery is the best option for Tink, or if there are other medical management options for him. I hope this is helpful!

If your cat has a prolapsed rectum it needs to be reinserted. If you do this at home it will likely come right back out. Typically these need to be reinserted under anesthesia and a purse string suture placed around the rectum to keep it in. I wish there was more you could do at home but unfortunately this is one of those things that needs to be done by a vet. Good luck.

I would recommend that you have Sweetums examined by the vet. You have described a rectal prolapse, which can be caused by intestinal parasites, irritable bowel disease, diarrhea or constipation, etc. Some pets with chronic rectal prolapse require a surgery to tack the colon to the body wall to keep it in place. If it prolapses too long, it can become ulcerated or infected, which would require surgery to remove the affected portion.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Girl is having this problem. This can be quite uncomfortable and can progress to the point where she could develop a prolapsed rectum. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine this further and test her blood as well to make sure she has no abnormalities that need to be addressed. With the prolapse you are talking about, this may need surgical correction where the rectum is reduced back into place and a suture pattern is placed to keep it from re-prolapsing. The stitches are removed after a week or so. This problem likely happened from when she was giving birth to the kittens due to the strain of pushing them out. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

No, usually these need to be replaced surgically and sutured back into place. I'm sorry but some things you cannot correct from home. I suggest you get him to a vet. Also, usually there is some underlying condition that has caused the prolapse that also needs to be addressed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jimmy. While every procedure is different and recovery can vary, most of the time patients are fully recovered by 14 days after surgery. I hope this information helps!

I would recommend that you have Princess seen by your veterinarian. A rectal prolapse may need surgical correction and will get worse with time, if left untreated. Diarrhea can exacerbate a prolapse. An infection with a parasite called coccidia can cause diarrhea and causes enough irritation in some pets to cause a prolapse. Your veterinarian may recommend checking a stool sample to see if this is part of the problem. I would also recommend that you have Princess spayed to prevent future litters of kittens. Unspayed female cats are at higher risk for developing mammary cancer later in life and uterine infections.