megacolon

[burmese]

My beloved burmese cat has developed megacolon and over the past 6 months has had numerous trips to the vets for up to 7 enemas a day to clear him. I am currently giving him 3ls of Lactolose twice daily and after reading all the comments am going to go up to 6mls twice/day. Forunately he loves it and it makes him thirsty he has never been a good drinker.He likes raw meat but only eats a small amount at a time.His mname is Ozzie and I love him to bits, but my vet seems very negative and keeps telling me it is very serious and almost tries to make me consider putting him down, but he has good qualty of life,loves chasing round the garden with me, sleeps down the bed and just loves all the cuddles we give him, he is eight years old.
I need to know if this is terminal or not and I have already decided I would not operate on him.Will try pumpkin and Cisapride and have heard of a drug calledMiralax which is apparently quite sucessful, has anyone tried it?
Like all of you I am living on the edge as I can't bear the thought of loosing my Ozzie,would love to hear from anyone Thanks

[MMcKey]

Feel free to share what you've found to be a quality probiotic for pets.  Not all kibble is created equally. I only feed my kitties the highest quality.

[MMcKey]

The Fruitables and probiotic I just pick up at WholeFoods. I'm know there's more cost effective resources, I just haven't taken the time to order online yet.

[rolexrenee]

Thank you for the diet info. I'm going to try your cats diet too now. Do you order from any particular company ?

[opus88]

thank you for posting the good results you have been having.....anytime we can use something 'natural' is much better in every way.
Probiotics are extremely good for the normal function of the bowel....(I can give you a link to a much cheaper source...thats safe for kitties and has mega strains of bacteria..if you are interested)
Wet canned food is also essential...dry food leads to many health issues, bowels function being one.

I'm not familiar with 'fruitables' is that a brand of pet food?....good tip on freezing small portions too btw.

keep up the great research.....good luck♥

[MMcKey]

My male DSH cat, Nicko, was diagnosed with megacolon in 2007. He was prescribed Lactulose with only mild improvement. After a couple of years, the sugars in the Lactulose caused the "bad" bacteria in his intestines to flourish and take over. Nicko began the licking the hair off his belly, hind legs and forearms to try to ease the discomfort he felt in his skin. After three more clueless vets, we found one that understood this side effect of the Lactulose and he periodically treated Nicko with probiotics, but it would always come back because the vet kept him on Lactulose. Fed up and certain there was a better and more natural way to give Nicko his life and dignity back, I experimented with many of the ideas I found on-line and have found the perfect all natural solution for Nicko that completely has the megacolon and intestinal health managed.

First, I feed him a wet food with a good level of moisture in it – .75oz per meal. Right now, it's Blue Wilderness Salmon. To the wet food, breakfast and dinner, I add a heaping teaspoon of Fruitables pumpkin & Oatmeal SuperBlend and about a teaspoon of Barlean's Pet Essentials Flax Oil for Animals. In addition, I add 1/4 teaspoon of Nature's Way Primadophilus Children once a day. (I also feed him 1/3 cup of high-quality, grain free kibble a day.)

Nick hasn't had an "accident" since I began this regimen about 6 months ago. His stools are now normal sized for a cat (no longer Great Dane sized), they are a perfect consistency, and the frequency is normal. His fur has completely grown back on his belly and legs. He has even lost a pound or two, which is a very good thing. His stool is still on the stinkier side, but nothing like before. He has his confidence and dignity back.

If you're like me, and you'll go to the ends of the earth to give your pets a healthy happy life, this little bit of extra effort at feedings is worth it. The cost of these products is FAR less than what we used to spend on Vet visits. Because the Fruitables cans are large and would go bad in the fridge before it gets used, I spoon it into ice cube trays at the right serving size and freeze it. Then I just defrost a cube for a few seconds in the microwave for each meal.

I hope our experience helps others find a solution to helping their pet. I understand what a difficult condition this is for both pets and guardians.

[rolexrenee]

My 2 1/2 yr old Siamese cat Harlow has megacolon also. She's at North Shore Animal hospital in Bayside NY getting deostipated right now after having that done just a few day less of a month ago.  It's her 4th time. I see a surgery coming in her near future because all these lax meds don't seem to really be working. I know it's a serious surgery. Not sure what to do. I went to the Bobst Animal Medical Center in Manhattan last month to see a soft tissue specialist in case she needed the surgery to have her colon removed. The Dr. said that is the very last option if all else fails with the laxative meds. Her new dosage starting after today will be .05 ml of Cisipride every 8 hrs, 3ml of Lactulose every 8 hrs, and 1/4 tsp Miralax  twice a day. I have a feeling next month she'll need to be deostipated again and will have to up her dosage of something. Any suggestions from anyone   who is or has gone through the same thing ? Thanks. My email is ***@****   Renee

[MandieMoo]

Hello, dont give up - keep trying the alternatives. My burmese cat is 10 years old and has had the same condition for 4 months. We are treating him with Cisapride 3 times a day before meals. He also has 5mls of lactulose with his foods and has a mixture of raw meat and vegetables. If we give him biscuits we soak them in water first. Our vet also suggested a teaspoon of Metamucil in his meals. He is only pooing every 5-6 days and when he does he will go 3 times in the space of an hour and completely empty out. He's a beautiful boy and seems to be happy most of the time, he goes a bit quiet when he is due to go. We hated seeing him sick and would do anything to keep him comfortable. Our vet suggested if it doesnt improve to have his colon removed but I dont think we would go down that path.

[burmese]

No he has Iams biscuits, fish oil,and he is a vey fussy eater.The vet told me yesterday it was a very serious condition and I should be prepared not to think it could be cured.He seems like his old self today and its hard to believe when you see him like this that there is anything wrong for a couple of weeks or so and then it all starts again..Thanks anyway, his name is Ozzie and I have always had Burmese and love him to bits

[opus88]

keep trying all options, if kitty is still doing relatively well why on earth rush into putting him down????
I wouldn't up the lactulose any higher...continue with the 3mls but with it add 4-5mls of water and of course the canned pumpkin..be sure its pure pumpkin and NOT the pie filling.
Miralax isn't a medication, its sold over the counter. I use it occasionally for one of mine and it does work good.
its tasteless so mix abt 1/8 teaspoon in with his food, it may take a day or two to work.
You aren't giving him just raw meat with no supplements I hope? you are following a recipe that has a balance of all the supplements he needs????
because he's not drinking water, that will only add to his bowel problems, when you mix up his diet blend it with at least half again with water, he needs plenty of water.
good luck♥