Constipation Remedies for Pets

Glycerine works for constipation in my dog.

My 105lb (intact) kuvasz bitch has problems once or twice a month during the summer. I get a 2qt enema bag, add 6-8oz of liquid glycerin and fill with warm water. Insert the hose a bit, and let it flow for a minute then slowly push the hose deeper. The further in you can get it with gentle pressure, the better. Works ever time, usually before she can finish the bag.

I have a cat with IBD and constipation. My vet said to give him Miralax daily, but I want to try a more natural approach. Maybe you can use Miralax for your old cat? It's not natural, but I haven't found a natural daily supplement for this issue.

The main part of the aloe vera plant may be toxic to a cat, but the inner fillet is not. I have given some to my cats on occasion with no ill effects, but first I researched it very carefully. Let's not have hysterics here, as we all try to help each other. I can appreciate concerns with our pets as they have different systems than ours, especially cats. But as I said the inner fillet is deemed safe for use. Obviously a little bit goes a long way. I take it myself every day and its a really good treatment for many gastro problems.

Posted by Theresa

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Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and  fueled  her quest for the knowledge held in lore,  and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

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(Mpls., Mn) on 02/09/2015

Hey Minerva!

Scroll down and read about others experience with magacolon:

https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/constipation3.html

Some find a tweaking of the meds works while others swear by a particular diet.

Others find canned pumpkin and nutritional supplements provides relief:

https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/constipation2.html

Another contributor found slippery elm to be very helpful for treating mega colon:

https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/mouth-and-teeth-issues.html

It may help to use the search function on your computer and to spell it both ways 'megacolon' and 'mega colon' to find all the references to it in the replies.

My cat developed megacolon. We started giving him lacToulouse per our vet's recommendation. Months later he was having difficulty going poop again. We took him to the vet and he changed the meds. The cat has passed some stool but continues to leak some brownish fluid and on a daily basis. How can I stop this without taking him to the vet?

The cat I recently lost after 19 years got diabetes when she was 11 or 12, but it was controlled by using a wet canned food with no sauces, high protein and under 10% carbs. But when she was 17 she got kidney failure. While there is basically no meds in Sweden for treatment for cats with kidney failure I joined an on line group and they helped a lot. These cats often have constipation. Miralax is not sold or allowed in Sweden but I got it into the country. She got about tsp 2 times a day. I began with 1/8th of a tsp and just added to it until her stool was good. It works well. The only thing they have here is a paraffin wax that is liquid and the cat gets it but it coats the stomach so NO food is digested it just passes on through with no nutrition.

How much did you give your cat? I have a 15-20 lb dog that is constipated but I wanna make sure the dosage I give is correct

1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar added to the pets water or food daily can help your pets with constipation.

Thank you, Theresa!

I sometimes mix carrot in his food. Pumpkin is hard to find here, but I can try with squash (same family as pumpkin).

Regards, Ana.

Your pet may not have immediate symptoms from Aloe Vera, but it is poisonous to cats, and it will cause kidney failure.

Toxicity, Symptoms and Treatment

The toxic compound in aloe is saponins, which is a naturally occurring detergent found in various desert plants such as Yucca schidigera and Aloe vera. Unfortunately, saponins are toxic to cats as well as dogs, birds and lizards. Symptoms of aloe poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, tremors and a change in urine color. According to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, the first symptoms typically appear six to 12 hours after the cat ingested the plant. If you suspect your cat has ingested aloe, stay calm and immediately take the pet to your veterinarian along with any remaining parts of the aloe plant. Even if your cat doesn't show signs of poisoning, you should seek medical assistance since symptoms may not appear for several hours or possibly days later.

Here is the link: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/cats-aloe-plants-49084.html

Posted by Theresa

×

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and  fueled  her quest for the knowledge held in lore,  and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

-----------------------------

How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation

If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.  

http://www.piperslegacy.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Bobo-home/1409993732632080?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal

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(Mpls., Mn) on 09/11/2014

Hey Anavic!

Hibiscus sabdariffa is considered a non-toxic plant and its parts have a very low toxicity - so low as to be considered non-toxic.

That said, it will kill a mouse if you fed it 5000mg/kg body weight. It has been used on cats for blood pressure studies with no toxic effects noted in the cats.

Source: http://www.maxwellsci.com/print/ijava/v2-5-8.pdf

Apparently they can cause stomach upset in a cat:

"Hibiscus flowers are non-toxic. They can, however, cause local irritation of the GI tract and mild GI upset ( vomiting, diarrhea) is not uncommon."

Source: http://www.justanswer.com/cat-health/2yp1q-cat-ate-hibiscus-flower-ever.html

You might wish to consider dosing pumpkin for you cat's constipation. Read up on EC's page to get an idea of some nutritional remedies here:

https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/constipation.html

Hello earthclinic friends!

One of my cats (10 years old) had constipation some time ago. Problem was solved after I stopped feeding him commercial food (homemade now). Few days ago I fed him a new canned food (supposed high quality) and constipation came back; he is healthy again but I want to have something here for constipation, just in case.

Many recommend Psyllium (Plantago ovata); however, in my country the only good quality product with Psyllium is mixed with Hibiscus sabdariffa flowers (in some countries known as "roselle", used for teas).

I read that some Hibiscus is toxic for cats... does anyone know if Hibiscus sabdariffa is safe for them?

Many thanks, Ana.

My Bengal cat chose to eat my large aloe vera plant daily. She never threw up or had loose stools. She's very healthy. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

We have a cat that was diagnosed with mega colon. It is a neurological disease in which the nerve endings do not come in contact with the colon and cause the cat to become constipated. We tried almost every remedy I see on this site for constipation on this site and after two years of trying were a day away from making the decision to put our buddy down. Now I know for ALL cats they should have a low residue/no residue diet.

For constipation an 1/8 teaspoon of Miralax twice a day in the no residue food. And if it is mega colon 2.5 mg Cisapride (this medicine makes the colon contract which the cat can't do due to the disease). These three things saved our buddy. No more suffering for any of us and no more expensive vet bills.

P.S. Lactolose is a common drug prescribed, but it causes diabetes in cats.

Posted by Theresa

×

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and  fueled  her quest for the knowledge held in lore,  and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

-----------------------------

How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation

If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.  

http://www.piperslegacy.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Bobo-home/1409993732632080?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal

http://ted.earthclinic.com

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(Mpls., Mn) on 05/15/2014

Hey Karina!

My first thought at reading your post is to advise you to bring your kitten to the vet. A blast of diarrhea followed up with two days of no stool = bigger problem than not pooping - JMHO. A vet visit ASAP might be cheaper than waiting it out and then having to bring your kitten to the far more expensive emergency vet.

That said - in the post on 11/08/2011, Beth from Brighton, Mi, Usa offered this advice that may be useful to you: "Pedialyte (1/4 teaspoon in water bowl) to return electrolyte balance. Cold pressed virgin coconut oil - about 1/8 of a teaspoon, heated in microwave for 10 seconds, then add wet food on the plate you used in the microwave."

Hello I was wondering if it's ok to give my 3 week old kitten coconut oil and how much? He hasn't popped in 2 days but when he last pooped it was diarrhea. Thank you.

Posted by Theresa

×

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and  fueled  her quest for the knowledge held in lore,  and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

-----------------------------

How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation

If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.  

http://www.piperslegacy.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Bobo-home/1409993732632080?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal

http://ted.earthclinic.com

Close

(Mpls., Mn) on 04/17/2014

Hey Stopit!

Do you see the YEAS next to posts where the remedies have proven helpful and successful?

In an ideal world, we all would be able to use a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment, but the real world is not so ideal. In those cases where folks cannot afford a vet, or are unable to travel to a vet, Earth Clinic does a good job of offering first hand accounts of proven remedies.

Please for the love of God, don't play Doctor on these helpless animals and FORCE things down their throats without the PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OF A LICENSED VETERINARIAN! What is wrong with people!! Would you eat something that could potentially hurt you on the 'advice of a friend" without speaking to a DOCTOR??!!

I have a Maine Coon, who suffers from Mega Colon. I have been serving him and our other two cats a combination of 1 TBS. of pumpkin, 1/8 tsp. of olive oil, warm water, and their dry food mixed into their canned food. I also add Miralax, just for the Maine Coon 2 to 3 times a week. For all over health of all three, I add Diatomaceous Earth once a week.

Since I have been using this combination of the pumpkin, olive oil and warm water with dry food, I have noticed the Maine Coon has a healthy appetite and is not constipated like he was.

I have used Coconut Oil before, but for some odd reason, they won't eat it mixed in their food. So when the Maine Coon has protuding problems, I just slather it right on his bum. This way, I know he will eat it when grooming.

I am just starting to cook liver for them and will add ingredients as I go to see how this might help. I will let you know how this works out.

Hi Barbara,

My cat Diesel has mega colon, she quit eating, lost 7 pounds, she was fur and bones, I had to force feed her for about 2 1/2 months, sub-que fluids every other day, and I told the vet that the food is going in but nothing is coming out, and that when they realized she had mega colon, I was taking her to the vet every week to have het colon cleaned out. I just couldn't afford $70 every week, so I search the web for answers. I came a crossed a web site call and read the reviews on Lax-eze so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. I received the product Monday 1/13/14 and she had a movement that night, and today 1/14/14 she had another one. This is the first time in 6 months that she had a moment two days in a row. With the meds the vet gave me, she would have a pebble about every week, her poor butt was protruding just for that pebble to come out. Again I'm so happy that I ordered it, an an answer to my prayers... Read the reviews your self, then decide. Good Luck and God Bless!!! Regina

I once saved a cat's life by giving it aloe vera (the inside of the leaf). The cat was refusing to eat or drink so a friend told me to try aloe vera. I blended it with a little water and forced it with the help of my friend down the sick cat's throat. Miraculously, the cat recovered after 2 days of treatment 2X a day. I have also tried using it to treat other ill cats and it was unsuccessful. Do not continue treatment if you do not see improvement within 2 days.

To Wendy from Ridgecrest - I totally agree wendy - microwaves should be avoided - total crap - and they turn food into crap.

Why would you heat cold pressed coconut oil in microwave? It ruins anything by changing it at a molecular level. Throw your microwave out. They are crap!

Can you tell me where you get this food? I have a cat with megacolon and I am at my wits end. I just tried the pumpkin because tomorrow I am getting ready to take her to vet for another enema. Thanks

Yes, start mixing a tablespoon of pure pumpkin into his food each time you feed him. This is PURE, canned pumpkin, NOT the pumpkin-pie filling which contains sugar.

I regularly add pumpkin to my dog's food each day, and his stools are perfect.

My 11 yr old male cat has suffered the last 2 yrs with constipation and hard stool. Numerous trips to vet for enemas and disimpacting and over 3 grand in bills he still has problems :( he has been on lactulose 3 times a day and cisapride daily. Won't eat dry food anymore and just licks juice off wet food. Pls help. Will pure pumpkin help?
Tabatha

After reading many of the cat constipation posts here, I tried 1/4 teaspoon of virgin coconut oil and 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar mixed in her wet food. She had no trouble with it and ate it up. Within a half hour she was pooping good. This was after four days of having trouble. I have used it a few more times when she needs it but she has been pretty regular since. Next time I will try either one or the other and check the results. She is a 19 year old Main Coon.

I have given my cats aloe juice daily for weeks without any problems. It is the outer leaf of the plant which apparently is toxic, not the inner "fillet" (as they call it). My vet prescribed a product, which is distilled from the plant, to give to one of my cats (for a skin allergy problem). Very expensive, though, so I bought the juice which does not have any of the outer leaf.

To Debi from Pace, Florida: ,Cats should not be given Aloe vera in any form! It is lethal for cats. Please do NOT give your cat Aloe vera. Go back to that link and you will see that the article is for DOGS! The reason cats will throw up if you give them too much is because it is poisonous to cats, in any dosage.

This is not a permanent remedy, but it works for a blockage or compaction. My cat is 19 years old, and has trouble with constipation. Her stools are often dry and come out in small pieces, and she strains when she needs to eliminate.

Once I had someone else look after her while I went on a trip for a month, and during that time she got compacted to the point that she lost her appetite and stopped eating. When I got back she was very weak and had lost a lot of weight, and she was no longer cleaning herself. Her caretaker thought she was failing because of her age -- in fact, he was scared that she was about to die -- and he had started to forcefeed her with a liquid diet. She wasn't pooping, but she did dribble a little liquid poop. It occurred to me that the small amount of liquidy poop might not be the result of her liquid diet, but instead be coming from a compaction in her colon.

I mixed powdered magnesium citrate in some water and force fed her that with a syringe. Lo and behold, she pooped a lot the very next day, and started to show some interest in eating again. Little by little she started to eat more and poop again, and she became stronger and stronger until she was back to her old self. Occasionally it happens now that she goes a few days without pooping. She usually loses her appetite when that happens. I immediately give her the magnesium citrate, and she is back to normal again. Sometimes I don't give her enough and I have to do it a second time. I wish I could find something to put in her food every day instead -- that would be a lot better, I'm sure, but she is so finicky. Canned pumkin won't do, but I think I will try aloe if it is tasteless. Still, magnesium citrate works when the constipation is so bad that there is a blockage.

WARNING!

I had to leave a feedback on the Aloe Vera Treatment. I went to see what it also says on the web in regards to using Aloe Vera on a cat. Please see attached link. It says it's poisonous for cats. So anyone who is thinking of trying it do some research before you give that to a cat. http://www.felineconstipation.org/acutetreatment.html

I have tried the pumpkin for my older cat for constipation... It worked but only the first couple of times. My girl had no bm for 2 days, purchased some George's 100% aloe vera, no preservatives, no additives! On the first day after using the aloe... Results... Small but results! Second day of using the aloe, small amount. Third day, good bm this morning after her breakfast. There is no taste, so I added to her wet food.... Perfect! Be careful to not use too much as it could cause them to throw up.

Our cat has been constipated for almost two years. He has had several enemas, has been on lactulose, powdered laxative, wet food, etc. The last time we brought him we thought we would have to say goodbye, it was so bad. I finally looked up constipated cat on line and headed to Vitamin Cottage and got him oat bran, organic pumpkin and organic coconut oil. I mix the coconut oil with all natural wet cat food (with flax & fiber) and organic pumpkin, he loves it! He has gained weight, his coat looks great, his eyes are brighter and he is himself again. We bought him a kitty fountain as well and put water with electrolytes & ice cubes when it's hot, anything to get him to drink and soak up the water. He was doing so well that just this week we slacked on giving him the lactulose and he is backed up again, so keep that up with the new diet. He loves coconut oil, he eats it like ice cream!

I thought aloe vera was toxic to cats.

My very old cat started getting constipated about three years ago. Firstly, you do have to switch to all wet food. Then I added canned pumpkin which worked until she started rejecting the food because she didn't like the taste. Then I switched to psyllium based human laxative which worked very well- but beware- this is not recommended for long term usage. It draws too much water away from the rest of their system. Then I read about aloe vera juice. Big bottle is around $8 at a health food store- buy the one that starts with G. Not too much- a teaspoon in the morning and one at night is plenty. Too much and they will throw up. But it really works and they have no idea it's there. Also love ACV- after two days they really poo but you have to give it orally and my cat hates it. Aloe has proven to be the best solution by far, and I also add a little bit to the water bowl.

As I told someone else, try organic coconut oil. If you buy virgin, it smells like coconut, which my cat does not like, but she loves just organic coconut oil. I give it to all my pets and gets all the bug out of their intestines, helps them pass hairballs and keeps them regular. You can read about the benefits of it online, it's AMAZING stuff. Hope this helps. I give my animals 1tsp. I have 1 maincoon, 1 long hair calico and 1 small dog about 12 lbs. (Hope this helps!!)

Like someone else has suggested for cats with constipation, I would try cocount oil. I am an LMT and I use it home in my diet, on my hair on my skin, I give massages with it and I give it to my animals. Coconut oil is antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral. It doesn't alter when you cook it at low temps, and it is not a toxic fat to your body. It will really help your poor kitty's intenstines. My family makes fun of me because I am ALWAYS preaching the health benefits of the stuff. I also use it in place of deoderant, (what a hippie huh LOL) Because I think it is unsafe. It is THE ONLY deoderant replacement that works. It does also kill fleas and ticks, and helps cats pass hairballs. They like it, too! Hope you kitty is better!

I never reply to these, but wanted to say thanks! This worked great for my dog.

Pedialyte (1/4 teaspoon in water bowl) to return electrolyte balance. Cold pressed virgin coconut oil - about 1/8 of a teaspoon, heated in microwave for 10 seconds, then add wet food on the plate you used in the microwave. My vet put my 16 year old cat on a stool softener, but there was still blood in her stool. After putting her on the coconut oil (2 weeks now-morning and night with her wet food), she's healed internally and only a trace amount of blood in her stool.

I now give all my geriatric cats the 1/8 teaspoon of coconut oil in each (wet) meal. This has been a godsend for their health and well being.