Hard stools

[BettinaT]

My 12-year-old male cat has occasional hard stools, and when he does, it's not easy for him to get it out.



My girl cat, aged 13, doesn't have that challenge. They get the same food.

I give raw meat and add vitamin powder to it.



Would it be an idea for me to give my male cat this supplement to help him better get rid of his feces?

Amazon.com

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes! Pet WellBeing supplements, like their Smooth BM Gold, are great.

 

[BettinaT]

Hi again @Dr. Jeff

I share this there did happen today again.

Today, my boy cat again had a hard time pushing his stool out.
It started with the first time that a little came out, which was hard and a bit powdery.

Then he started to get a little frustrated and tried twice to push without anything coming out. The 3rd time he tried, a tiny piece came out.

And then he threw up.

And shortly after, he tried for the 4th time to push, and it came out. I hope you don't mind if I share the picture of his stool coming out to ask you what I can do for him so he doesn't experience this again. This is the 3rd time it has been like this with him and his stool within 2 months.


I live in Denmark and I can't get the supplement from Pet Wellbeing yet here. A friend of mine from the US might maybe be able to take it with her in April when she comes to Denmark.

But is there anything else I can use and do?

 

[NancyK]

I wonder if the constipation is caused by too much calcium. Does the vitamin mix contain calcium? Maybe it is too much for the cat. Cats do not need as much as dogs. Every cat and dog is different. To help in the mean time, making a paste of slippery elm powder and mixing it into the food will help. However, I would not use this regularly and instead try to correct the diet.

Nancy

 

[BettinaT]

I wonder if the constipation is caused by too much calcium. Does the vitamin mix contain calcium? Maybe it is too much for the cat. Cats do not need as much as dogs. Every cat and dog is different. To help in the mean time, making a paste of slippery elm powder and mixing it into the food will help. However, I would not use this regularly and instead try to correct the diet.

Nancy

Yes the vitamin mix have calcium. I use this vitamin A Guide To A Balanced, Homemade Cat Food - Alnutrin Supplements

 

[BettinaT]

I wonder if the constipation is caused by too much calcium. Does the vitamin mix contain calcium? Maybe it is too much for the cat. Cats do not need as much as dogs. Every cat and dog is different. To help in the mean time, making a paste of slippery elm powder and mixing it into the food will help. However, I would not use this regularly and instead try to correct the diet.

Nancy

 

[NancyK]

Yes the vitamin mix have calcium. I use this vitamin A Guide To A Balanced, Homemade Cat Food - Alnutrin Supplements

If my dogs get crumbly stools or constipation, it has always been from too much bone. I am not an expert on cats, however if you want to continue with this supplement I wonder if adding additional meat may help. If so, this could mean that this particular cat needs less calcium. Also, this is not the natural form of calcium that animals get from raw meaty bones (hydroxyapatite) so perhaps it is digested differently.

Nancy

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Bettina!

It looks like the stool has a mucus coating and some hair in it. Is that correct?

Hair is another common cause of constipation, so perhaps try to brush every day.

Also, Dr. Jean recommends a bit of oral Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to make pooping easier:

Constipated Cats - Holistic Actions!

www.holisticactions.com

 

[BettinaT]

Hey Bettina!

It looks like the stool has a mucus coating and some hair in it. Is that correct?

Hair is another common cause of constipation, so perhaps try to brush every day.

Also, Dr. Jean recommends a bit of oral Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to make pooping easier:

Constipated Cats - Holistic Actions!

www.holisticactions.com

Hi @Dr. Jeff . Yes, that's correct, there is also some hair in the feces.

Again today, my boy cat had the same challenge. He sat on his cat tray and squeezed a lot, only a small piece came out and it was hard and a bit powdery. Then he little panicked again and ran away from me around the house. He licked a lot around the rectum. Then he sat down in the middle of the kitchen floor and pushed again and a more solid stool came out, like the one in my previous picture.

And then he ran out into the hallway where he pushed again and more stool came out, which this time was more soft and wet.


I have noticed the previous times too, the same pattern. And also compared to when he first squeezes out the hard stool, which was a bit powdery, that there is a little bit of blood in it. Is it because he presses so hard?


Regarding Vaseline, I have tried it before and he will not ingest it.

 

[BettinaT]

Thanks for sharing the link @Dr. Jeff , to the article.
I just read it and I want to tell you a bit about our background.

I myself have had various symptoms and imbalance for many years, which I had lived with for so many years that I thought it was normal.
I haven't had much energy either, so my cats have almost always just slept, eaten, and a little bit active when I was just a little bit present. I used to be very stressed too and very rarely present.


In fact, only in the last two years, I feel better as I work on my healing (I follow Medical Medium)
and I'm also only now starting to have the energy to do something with my cats. Go for a little walk in the garden, play a little and be present with them.

As for my two cats, who are 12 and 14 years old, I have had them from kittens.
Until they were about 7-8 years old, they were fed dry food.
Now I give them raw meat to which I add vitamin powder.

I know now that my cats have not been stimulated properly before and have not had a good diet.

But luckily I'm starting to wake up now and have found your amazing forum where I can learn to be a better cat mom now

 

[BettinaT]

Hi again @Dr. Jeff or @Dr. Jean Hofve
I was thinking about hairballs could be the problem for my cats stools.
Will this be a good thing to try to give them ?

Hairball Gold - Holistic Hairball and Digestive Care for Cats

Hairball Gold is an oil-based, veterinarian-formulated supplement with high-quality herbal ingredients, like Slippery Elm and Marshmallow root, that supports your cat’s natural management of hairballs for comfortable passage through the digestive tract.

petwellbeing.co.uk

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes!

 

[BettinaT]

Yes! Pet WellBeing supplements, like their Smooth BM Gold, are great.

@Dr. Jeff what is best to give , the smooth bm gold or hairball gold ?

 

[BettinaT]

@Dr. Jeff what is best to give , the smooth bm gold or hairball gold ?

Hi again @Dr. Jeff
I have two options. I know a woman there travel from US to Denmark in end of April , and she can have the products with her, from Pet wellbeing, as they company dont send to Denmark.

Or if it is good i do something now , what can you recommend me , i can buy in Denmark. Thanks

 

[Dr. Jeff]

what can you recommend me , i can buy in Denmark

Unfortunately I don't know what is available in Denmark. I'll see what I can find out.

In the meantime, how about something like this:

https://www.iherb.com/pr/restorapet-feline-formula-organic-tuna-2-fl-oz-60-ml/136042?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8fW9BhC8ARIsACwHqYrE_zGrpy_FjyUbF_W2Ol6GKI9EbA1PRCJTbXEDGTPPxzphpsZ5wlgaAr1pEALw_wcB

 

[wholecat]

Hi Bettina,

Are you giving raw meat that already contains ground up bone in it? Or just raw muscle meat and mixing it with the Alnutrin? There are different types of Alnutrin, so wanted to double-check on that to see if that could be causing your boy kitty his constipation issues. Getting to the root cause of what is causing his stools to be so dry would help in resolving this the best. As Nancy mentioned, could the balance of his calcium be off? Maybe try different mixes of meat and calcium for him, different from the girl kitty, since he is having problems and she seems to be doing fine on the current food mix and see if that helps. When did he start having problems? Was his diet different before?

Figuring out some of these answers would be best to see what helps turn around the constipation.

Here are some natural quick solutions I found that make pooping easier. Hope these will help as you figure out what could be causing the stool to be so dry and causing the constipation.
According to Richard and Susan Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (2017):
- more exercise (as you are already trying) - pouncing/chasing games
- make sure litterbox is clean and accessible
- 1/2t to 1T bran each meal (depending on animal's weight) OR 1/4t to 2t powdered psyllium seed (health food store) per meal depending on animal's weight
- add pumpkin to food
- 1/2t to 2t mineral oil (according to animal weight) to food once/day until bowel movement occurs --- use *temporarily* if there is a large buildup of hard stools, use no more than 1 week (continued use causes problems with vitamin A reserves in body, may also create an unhealthy dependency).

 

[BettinaT]

Hi Bettina,

Are you giving raw meat that already contains ground up bone in it? Or just raw muscle meat and mixing it with the Alnutrin? There are different types of Alnutrin, so wanted to double-check on that to see if that could be causing your boy kitty his constipation issues. Getting to the root cause of what is causing his stools to be so dry would help in resolving this the best. As Nancy mentioned, could the balance of his calcium be off? Maybe try different mixes of meat and calcium for him, different from the girl kitty, since he is having problems and she seems to be doing fine on the current food mix and see if that helps. When did he start having problems? Was his diet different before?

Figuring out some of these answers would be best to see what helps turn around the constipation.

Here are some natural quick solutions I found that make pooping easier. Hope these will help as you figure out what could be causing the stool to be so dry and causing the constipation.
According to Richard and Susan Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (2017):
- more exercise (as you are already trying) - pouncing/chasing games
- make sure litterbox is clean and accessible
- 1/2t to 1T bran each meal (depending on animal's weight) OR 1/4t to 2t powdered psyllium seed (health food store) per meal depending on animal's weight
- add pumpkin to food
- 1/2t to 2t mineral oil (according to animal weight) to food once/day until bowel movement occurs --- use *temporarily* if there is a large buildup of hard stools, use no more than 1 week (continued use causes problems with vitamin A reserves in body, may also create an unhealthy dependency).

Hi. It's rare that I give a little chicken neck. But otherwise I only give pure raw meat, where I add alnutrin.

It have been like that for 2-3 months often. But it has also happened a few times in the past, I don't remember exactly, as I was not so attentive then.


My female cat also has a little hard stool, what comes out is a thin oblong and I can see there is some hair in it.



@Dr. Jeff
I'm now wondering if one of these two products would be good to give both my cats?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01BPHK3H6/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A1M4LIUBJA5KCY&psc=1https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MUEFOFI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A1M4LIUBJA5KCY&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MUEFOFI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A1M4LIUBJA5KCY&psc=1


And thank you @wholecat for your message and advice. I will definitely focus on more movement, because all three of us have been very inactive for many years.

 

[BettinaT]

@Dr. Jeff what is best to give , the smooth bm gold or hairball gold ?

Can i give both product @Dr. Jeff ?

 

[wholecat]

Hi. It's rare that I give a little chicken neck. But otherwise I only give pure raw meat, where I add alnutrin.

It have been like that for 2-3 months often. But it has also happened a few times in the past, I don't remember exactly, as I was not so attentive then.


My female cat also has a little hard stool, what comes out is a thin oblong and I can see there is some hair in it.

Hi Bettina,

Might be helpful to check on the amount of alnutrin you are adding to the meat and seeing how your boy kitty does.

The same for your female cat too.

And thank you @wholecat for your message and advice. I will definitely focus on more movement, because all three of us have been very inactive for many years.

You're welcome. Try any one of those solutions (one at a time, if possible---so you can see how well or poorly each one works) for each cat. Getting more active for all of you would be helpful too.

Hope all of you are feeling better soon!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Can i give both product @Dr. Jeff ?

Sure. And you may want to try the hairball remedy first. Then use the other if you don't see improvement in 1 week.