Like people, cats can suffer from constipation. It is a serious problem that in severe cases can lead to intestinal obstruction.
Where does the problem come from? Most often constipation is the result of hairballs in the stomach. Cats are very clean animals and groom themselves thoroughly. If a cat overdoes grooming or is moulting, it may ingest a great deal of hair. Cats usually try to retch hairballs up, but sometimes these hair clumps are simply too large and become lodged in the digestive tract, which can lead to constipation.
Dirty litter trays can also be a problem. Some cats refuse to use a dirty tray. If it is not cleaned regularly, the cat will hold on to its stool and in the long term develop a tendency to constipation.
There are also cats that simply digest their food slowly. If faeces remain in the digestive tract too long, the body reabsorbs the water content and the stool becomes hard, dry and difficult to pass. A vicious circle develops.
Veterinarians generally treat the condition with laxatives or dietary supplements that swell in the gut. These supplements stimulate bowel function and increase the water content in the intestine. Nevertheless, there are always cats in whom this therapy does not work. If the cat has no anatomical abnormalities and it is rather a case of slow digestion, homoeopathy can promote a healthy bowel function.
The following case report is typical for a cat treated homoeopathically.
Frances is a 13-year-old tom. He came to his owner at six months old and has always had hard stools. Usually he only defaecates every three or four days; he has never really used the litter tray daily. In August 2003 the problem became serious: he stopped passing stool. He stopped eating and began to vomit. The abdomen was obviously painful. A laparotomy was performed and a hard lump of faeces removed. Otherwise the abdominal cavity was unremarkable. After the procedure Frances was given laxatives to prevent further constipation. Two weeks after the operation he had problems again: first little stool and then none at all. His owner gave him an enema and stool was flushed out. After that the cat was acutely constipated again. At this point he was brought for homoeopathic treatment.
Homoeopathic case history
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The surgery had taken place four weeks earlier and Frances is back to his usual self. He is a friendly, good-natured tom, but he does not let everything pass.
When he was about five weeks old his owner took him from France to Holland. In France he had lived in a household with many cats and had been neglected there. In his new home he is the only pet. At first he lived with his owner in an apartment, but for five years they have had a house with a garden. Here Frances is the boss and enjoys chasing other cats. He is very affectionate with his owner – she can pick him up and cuddle him without any problem. During the day his owner works and he stays in the house at those times. As soon as she comes home he is allowed outside. The cat is very clingy and prefers to stay close to his owner. If she is absent he becomes nervous. During one hospital stay of his owner Frances refused to enter the house and spent the days in the garden.
He seems to prefer women; men are perhaps too rough for him. At first he used to react fearfully to finger snapping; the noise frightened him. In his old home he was allowed to do nothing, not even sit at the window or go into the garden. Here in the house he may move about freely. When there are visitors, for example at a birthday party, he joins in but does not allow himself to be stroked. He prefers to sit on his owner’s lap and also likes to lie on her when she sleeps. He is friendly towards children. If he does not want to play with them, he gives them a light tap with his paw, but without extending his claws.
He used to be very nervous. He dislikes rough play because it startles him. He also dislikes strangers. He can be left alone well, but is always pleased when his owner comes home. He likes to play and is easily amused.
Frances likes to drink straight from the tap and is sensitive to food. If he eats soft food or fish he must vomit. He is also fussy: he refuses to eat the same food two days in a row. He likes dry food and sometimes eats grass, which he then regurgitates. Vomit often contains hair but not true hairballs. He prefers to defaecate outdoors; only when it rains does he stay indoors and use the litter tray. He also enjoys being brushed, but not on his hindquarters. If that area is touched he reacts by biting.
Frances grooms himself extensively. If someone strokes him and his coat becomes untidy, he licks it immediately back into order. Even in the litter tray he carefully covers his faeces and tidies the corners. He likes to lie on the radiator, in the sun and on the bed, but he does not like to be covered.
From this abundance of information the characteristic features must now be worked out in order to find the correct remedy. For me the following symptoms were important:
- Irregular bowel movements (missed days) with hard stools since early kittenhood.
- Strictly disciplined in the first weeks of life; allowed nothing.
- Very conscientious and clean.
- Very fussy about food; will not eat the same food two days running.
- Loves variety.
- Sensitive to his surroundings.
The remedy that best covers this pattern is Carcinosinum. Typical for this remedy are constipation with slow digestion, strict upbringing and a tendency to cleanliness and order.
Prescription: Carcinosinum LM6, one globule daily. Regular feeding with fresh meat was also recommended to stimulate digestion. In addition he was given a laxative and natural fibres to keep the stool soft.
The response to Carcinosinum was impressive. Frances felt markedly better, became livelier, played more and came even more often onto his owner’s lap. Previously he had often sat lethargically in a corner. His bowel movements also improved, becoming more regular (every one to two days instead of once a week) and softer.
Other important remedies for constipation in cats are:
- Alumina: Here we have constipation without the urge to defaecate. Symptoms can be so severe that stool must be removed manually. Everything is dry – the stool, the skin and the mucous membranes. Mental symptoms include dullness and confusion.
- Nux vomica: Typically there is constant but ineffectual urging to pass stool. On the other hand diarrhoea can also occur. The cat reacts very sensitively and is extremely irritable to external stimuli.
- Opium: Typical is constipation without the urge to defaecate, the faeces accumulate in the intestine. Mental symptoms include dullness; one has the impression the animal is drugged. In the history of Opium patients there is usually a severe shock that triggered the symptoms.
I hope this article gives an impression of what can be achieved regarding constipation. It is a serious problem that should not be treated without a thorough physical examination. It is best to present the animal to a homoeopathic veterinarian straight away.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Cats eye; Guylaine Brunet; CC BY 2.0
Category: Cases
Keywords: Constipation in cats, intestinal obstruction, skittish, sensitive cat, conscientious
Remedies: Alumina, Carcinosinum, Nux vomica, Opium
Original article: Interhomeopathy.org
