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 ?