Can Pets Benefit From Colon Cleansings

If you are a pet lover, you are bound to have fed your dog or cat a little treat here and there that might have adversely affected the animal’s regularity. Yet since pets usually are kept on a healthy diet simply by virtue of eating food specifically formulated for them, thoughts of kitty constipation and doggie diarrhea are rare, and such incidences usually point to another more serious health problem. While dogs seem to have little problems with constipation – possibly in part because they are like eating machines who will keep on eating until a bowel movement is produced – cats are more finicky. As a matter of fact, cats are highly susceptible to intestinal problems, but will only display symptoms once the problems have progressed to such an extent that veterinary intervention is necessary.

You will notice that your cat is not his own happy self when he chooses your Persian rug to defecate. Assuming that your pet thus far was a model of litter box conscientiousness and also that there is no other animal misbehaving on said rug, the mere fact that the animal will produce a bowel movement on the rug instead in its proper place is a warning sign to the pet owner. You may also notice him dragging his anus against the rug, trying to lift one leg a bit and basically do whatever he thinks might work to evacuate his bowels, yet with dismal results. The animal is finally letting you in on the secret that his health is not all it is supposed to be, and this should be taken serious. The wise pet owner will bag the feces and make a visit to the vet as soon as possible.

Most likely the veterinarian will elect to do a fecal float so as to rule out parasites and also run some blood tests to make sure that constipation is not related to diabetes. Additionally, a manual palpitation of the abdomen is done to ensure that no physical obstructions exist. If all these tests come back negative, the veterinarian will most likely perform a kitty colon cleansing which is done by an enema. If the fecal matter is extremely compacted, the vet may choose an anesthetic and utilize a small scraper to help evacuate some feces in the hopes that the rest will push through from behind.

Once the feline’s colon has been cleansed, your veterinarian will most likely suggest that you consider a special diet for your pet. If he is overweight, then your vet will be more urgent about this suggestion, and it is a good idea to take him up on it. A change in diet will most likely revolve around prescription diets that have measurably higher fiber content than other commercially available pet food. While the cost of this food is higher than what you would pay out at the grocery store, the amount of money you save in vet bills for the bi-monthly kitty enema is well worth the extra expense. Furthermore, you vet may also decide that your cat needs supplementation of a light laxative and several such substances may be purchased at the local big box pet supply stores.

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