Question:
I felt compelled to write after reading your recent article on megacolon and after battling it in my own cat for many years. I hope that by sharing my own remedy, I can help to eliminate owners' frustration and, more important, cats' discomfort.
My cat eventually had such a problem defecating that we were visiting the vet every other week for enemas. This was while I was giving lactulose and cisapride twice daily. I also went to a homeopathic vet who suggested herbal treatments and acupuncture -- without any relief. My cat also refused any wet food and even stopped eating, so I had to remain with dry food. As a last resort, I considered surgery. Finally, though, I found a solution.
My vet recommended using MiraLAX
mixed with water, and I switched from Science Diet
to EVO (all protein). It worked! At first, I gave MiraLAX twice daily -- a heaping 1/2 teaspoon dissolved in one 5cc syringe of water. (He is a large cat, about 14 pounds.) I was able to reduce that to once daily.
It is no longer a fight to get him to take it because it's the consistency of water and not like the syrupy medication I gave him before. He now visits the vet like a regular patient and has not had an enema in more than a year.
One behavioral issue I noticed was that he was more likely to use the litter box while at the vet, as he was in a small, confined area with it. So I purchased a small dog cage and put his litter box in it. In the beginning, if I noticed he might be having issues, I left him in the cage with the litter box, food and water. This prompted him to go.
M.H., Arlington, Va Nov 29, 2011
Answer:
Readers whose cats suffer from megacolon will appreciate your letter and insights. Yes, indeed, products such as MiraLAX can work wonders, as can a diet free of soy, corn and other cereals. A raw food, cereal-free diet is probably the best preventive and certainly the most natural diet for cats. (For details, visit www.felinenutrition.org.)
Over the last several years, other cat owners have been able to help their cats and avoid periodic enemas by giving their pets 1 to 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin or mashed lima beans, beginning with a very small amount mixed with their regular moist (canned) cat food or dry cat food moistened with hot water.
Encouraging cats to engage in physically active play can do wonders for their digestive systems and overall health, which is one of the benefits of cats not living alone but enjoying the company of an active, compatible feline companion.
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