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Sierra | 2 years ago
My 4 Yr Old Cat Seems Constipated. I Just Lost My Job A Couple Of Weeks Ago …

My 4 yr old cat seems constipated. I just lost my job a couple of weeks ago and cannot afford to take him to the vet. I noticed on Wednesday he only pooped once and it was kind of hard. He didn’t poop Thursday. Friday I bought mineral oil, glycerin enema, and mixed with warm water…administered about 4ml and he had a bowel movement. Continued with wet food mixed with pumpkin purée, water, Miralax, and catlax. Also manually gave him water with a little bit of pedialyte orally. Saturday he had no bowel movement. Sunday I gave him another enema same as above and he had a bowel movement. Continued with all mentioned above. It’s now Monday and he still hasn’t had another bowel movement. Just gave him another enema (same as above) and he hasn’t made a bowel movement in about an hour…the other two enemas he produced a bowel movement within just a few minutes. I’ve order the official Feline Enemas, but they won’t arrive until Tuesday or Wednesday this week. I honestly don’t know what else to do and I’m desperate! I cannot afford a vet visit right now, but my kids and I love this guy so much and feel terrible for him. He was really not seeming well Thursday thru Sunday morning, but then Sunday night thru Monday morning he was doing so much better. Now here we are same Monday afternoon and he’s not good again. Please help!

UPDATE: he had another bowel movement after the last enema, it was much softer than the others and seemed like it had mucus around it (sorry so graphic). However, he’s still not wanting to move around and his belly still feels firm.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Constipation in cats is usually secondary to another issue. That’s the hard part: trying to figure out the underlying issue(a). I usually advocate for a change in diet, adding fiber or a laxative and getting these cats up and moving. But these do not usually cure the underlying condition alone. Often a full bloodwork, X-ray and ultra sound are needed to help uncover the cause.
    It is also helpful to learn how to palpate your cat so you can tell if the feces is gettin backed up. In some cases I teach people how to give sq fluids at home to help add water and soften the feces to make it easier to pass.

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Sandra | 2 years ago
My Year And A Half Old Great Dane Had Large Lump On Belly, Took Her To …

My year and a half old Great Dane had large lump on belly, took her to emergency vet where she put a needle in it and drained lump. Sent home with heavy duty antibiotics and pain meds. Now dog has diarrhea and trouble with her bowel mvmts. and has started puncture hole bleeding. Don’t really want to take her back to vet. Beginning to not trust any doctors as I read on your blog site that you don’t agree with draining and lumps should eventually absorb on its own. She doesn’t seem in distress or pain. What can I do to take care of her at home with giving her meds that will help her heal?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry but this needs to be addressed by a vet who can examine your dog. There are too many unanswered medical issues here to guess at. I don’t know what the lumps are or how they might be related to the gi issues. Or if the medications alone caused them. At minimum a thorough exam needs be done. And then an aspirate or biopsy of the masses. This may require more than one visit so it is important to find a general practitioner vet to help with the process. An er is not appropriate for this as they are often to expensive and do not have the ability to make follow up appointments to help with the long term treatment plan. For a local vet you like and trust. They can help you and your dog.

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Amy | 2 years ago
My 8 Year Old Chow/lab Mix Got Diagnosed With IVDD 7 Days Ago. She Was Chasing A …

My 8 year old chow/lab mix got diagnosed with IVDD 7 days ago. She was chasing a rabbit when her back gave out. She stayed in the vet hospital over the weekend where they monitored those first few days. We are not able to afford the surgery, but we have been working with her since she has been home. I noticed over the last couple days that she is able to twitch her legs in her sleep, which she didn’t do the first 3 days of being home. Is this a good sign or is that just a subconscious reflex?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. This is a complicated and difficult disease to manage. Please try to find a vet you trust who will help you manage this. Involuntary movement may or may not be indicative of improvement. So I don’t want to provide a false sense of hope. Be diligent with follow ups and know it is a process that takes time and patience. There is a lot of information at my blog and YouTube channel on this.

    I wish you the best of luck.

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Amy | 2 years ago
We Have A Very Sassy Beautiful 12 Year Old Orange Female Tabby Named Nala. She Has Been …

We have a very sassy beautiful 12 year old orange female tabby named Nala. She has been perfectly healthy until about a year ago when she started to sneeze a lot (that rapid-fire sneezing that cats do) and she started to make a snoring sound when she breathes. We initially thought it was just allergies but it didn’t get any better after several months. We took her to the vet and he diagnosed her with herpes and prescribed Chlorpheniramine 4mg crushed in her food. I’ve been giving her this for at least 6 months now and she has not improved. The sneezing has decreased, but the “snoring” has not improved at all. Searching online, we found a video of Dr. Magnifico performing surgery on a cat that had a nasal polyp and we are wondering if this may be what she has. The symptoms all seem to be the same as what she has been dealing with. So we’ve been searching for a vet in our area that performs this type of exam and surgery, and we have found this to be very expensive ($2000-$5000). She is otherwise a very healthy girl, she eats, drinks, uses litterbox and plays and snuggles all like normal. She has lost weight, but now seems to be putting it back on slowly. Dr. Magnifico’s office is only about an hour away and we would absolutely drive down to be able to have her exam Nala and if it is a reasonable price, have her remove the polyp if this was the diagnosis.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello
    I’m sorry for the delay. If you would like a consult I would be happy to meet you and discuss options. Please call the clinic and ask for an appointment. It is the best place to start.

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kathy welsh | 2 years ago
How Long Does My Dog Have To Fast Before Having An Abdominal Ultrasound?

How long does my dog have to fast before having an abdominal ultrasound?

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Cheyenne | 2 years ago
Hello, I’m Currently Fostering An Animal Whose Been In Limbo With Two Previous Owners. The …

Hello, I’m currently fostering an animal whose been in limbo with two previous owners. The first owner wanted to put her down because she supposedly didn’t do well with their children. The second home it seems like they don’t have enough time for the sweet little girl. That’s where I stepped in to help. So long story short I wondered if it was possible there was a health issue with puppy and first owners didn’t want to deal with it. When the puppy sleeps, she breathes abnormal, she breaths so fast and hard. I have watched many puppies sleep and this is just different. It’s like she’s panting and breathing so quickly. It’s only when she lays down to sleep. I didn’t think much of it the first night but it okay today I’m concerned. She’s not hot, and she’s not cooling off from some sort of activity. I am not sure what to do. I can’t find any relevant videos or articles about this type of behaviors.

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  1. Laura

    As a foster, do you have the ability to get her to the vet? How old is she, and what breed is she?

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Andrea | 2 years ago
My 3yr Old Is Leaking Urine In His Sleep And Will Pee On Floor When His …

my 3yr old is leaking urine in his sleep and will pee on floor when his bladder is over full.
vet says I need to talk to urologist. she also said he has an abnormally large bladder for a cat. she said I can express him before sleep, to help him not leak. that worked for about a week now he is getting mad and biting. he has so much urine he will pee on floor 2x’s, I will express him, then in a couple minutes he will pee on the floor again. he is part Manx. he is considered a stubby tail. because he has 5 out of 7 vertebrates. this mystery is stumping my vet, so now I have to take him to the most expensive place around here. any suggestions for me or my vet would be greatly appreciated.
why would his bladder be so big all of a sudden?
why is he leaking?
why is he producing so much urine? we have not increased his intake. this has been happening since December. we have tried different thing; he doesn’t have a Uti. we have tried antibiotics and another pill.

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Dannielle | 2 years ago
I Had My Cat To An Emergency Vet For A Blockage Yesterday. I’m Pretty Sure …

I had my cat to an emergency vet for a blockage yesterday. I’m pretty sure he’s blocked again. I can’t afford for him to get the procedure done again, as I spent every penny I had on the last one. What can I do?

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  1. Autumn

    Hello,
    We apologize for a late response…
    We hope that you were able to find a solution with your kitty.
    If you have any questions or need any help, please reach out to us or your local vet.

    Best of luck,
    Autumn

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Sara | 3 years ago
I Adopted A Feral Cat Just Over A Year Ago. My Elderly Father Was Feeding Him …

I adopted a feral cat just over a year ago. My elderly father was feeding him twice a day for two years. He moved to a condo when my mother passed and the cat sat at the empty house day and night waiting for my Dad to come home. I ended up taking the cat and have worked on taming him. I’ve been making progress but not quite where I can pick him up.
He’s been mostly healthy up until 8 weeks ago. He seemed to be straining to urinate in his litter box and had decreased appetite. I took him to an animal hospital. At this time, I couldn’t touch him. He was anesthetized and examined. His exam and bloodwork were all neg. He was put on a urinary diet and given mirtazipine to stimulate appetite. I was not able to consistently get the stimulate in his ear but he would eat, just not a lot.
Followed up with my vet who said maybe he isn’t that hungry because he doesn’t have to worry about food and just watch his weight.
Weight continued to drop and found out last week he has tapeworms. He got a topical dewormer. Since then, it seems like he’s lost more weight and his lack of appetite is worse. He does eat enough to poop and pee daily.
My vet does house calls only and is coming Thursday. She’s limited in what she can offer for interventions. I am contemplating taking him back to animal hospital for evaluation,
It gets dicey though because he’s not completely tame. When I went with him before I could hear the attending talking to resident on other side of door saying, “he’s feral, what does she expect us to do,” I get that, but to a point. Is it unrealistic for me to want Pinky treated? He’s getting sweeter and sweeter and enjoys being petted.

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  1. Shiria

    Hello,
    No it is absolutely not unrealistic. When we get feral cats at our shelter we try to treat them as best as we can, too. Obviously there are things that you can’t do with feral cats like you can with tame ones. But still we were still able do give daily fluids and feed them with a syringe, when they wouldn’t eat on their own for most of them.

    However for this it helped a lot that they are usually in large crates, as this makes daily handling a lot easier. We place them in pillow cases to feed them or give them fluids. Most stay calm when they can’t see.

    Also, a lot of needed exams can be done under anesthesia. Ultrasound (except heart), xray, bloodwork, urin analysis…
    Not all treatments can be done with ferals, but there sitll is a lot of possible. That also depends on how far you are willing to go, and how stressfull daily handling for him would be. Most, while obviously hating to be forced daily, were still able to build trust after treatment or even with ongoing treatment. However it is helpful to have a second person do to the “bad” things.

  2. Sara Post author

    Thank you for your response. He is currently hospitalized and being ruled out for a brain tumor. He is getting excellent care and the medical team is treating him well.

  3. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    I applaud your dedication to this cat. It’s a hard case based on the cats temperament but it sounds like you are doing all you can. I wish you the very best of luck!

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Kristen | 3 years ago
My Sister Is Stuck In Cordova Alaska. Her Pet Cat Got A Blockage In The Urine …

My sister is stuck in Cordova Alaska. Her pet cat got a blockage in the urine and the local vet barely looked at him told her “ either he can be flown out to the emergency vet or be put down. “ she can’t afford to fly herself, the cat, and her 3 kids out to save this poor family member and she is devastated and just crying her eyes out.. is there anything at all she can do to save this poor little guy? She said it’s not in her heart to put him down and is trying home remedies..

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  1. Shiria

    If he is completely blocked and the local vet doesn’t have the possibilities to help him an she dan’t get the cat to an emergency vet…
    as hard as it sounds, putting him down can be the best option, as the death due to a blockage is extremely painful. If he can’t urinate at all his bladder can rupture and in the long run if the bladder is always to full – even when he can urinate a bit, the kidney will fail, too – together with everything that can cause. Pain, dizzyness, nausea…

    There is not something one can do at home with a complete blockage.

    I wish the ebst for your sister and her cat and really hope they can help him.