I took Merlin to the vet again this morning.

[angieh]

Poor old Merlin. Yesterday, he ate a bit first thing and threw up, then he was straining to defecate. Ate nothing else all day and started vomiting. To the vet again this morning - really nothing in his gut. Usually good tempered at the vet, he got really upset when she tried to take his temperature - must be really sore round his backend.

Anyway, temperature within normal range, so injection of anti-inflammatory and anti-biotic and came home with some sensitive diet and some lactulose. He polished off a small dish of the diet - duck and rice - and is now asleep by the radiator, dear old lambkin.

To keep an eye over the weekend, especially if he doesn't eat (well, he has eaten - GBP). Our particular practice does not open over the weekend, but will have to take him to another branch if he causes further worry.

I understand lactulose is meant to soften faeces. Vet gave us a starting dose of 3 units X 2 per day and increase only if not doing the job. Does anyone have any comments about use of lactulose?????
:( :( :(

[Mags]

Sorry to here poor Merlin was back to the vets today Angie, let's hope he will be back to his old self very soon.. :)

I've never had to use lactulose with Cassie so I can't comment on that ........ but here are a couple of links for Constipation and Lactulose which I hope you'll find interesting...

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=constipatedcats

http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/lactulose/page1.aspx

[Mags]

Duplicate post
(http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/lactulose/page1.aspx)

[angieh]

Thanks Mags - these are interesting links.

It's good to know that Catsey is there with knowledgeable and sympathetic people to give advice and support!

Merlin has eaten some more of the sensitive food (nearly a whole sachet) and has drunk some water. He hasn't thrown up again. As the vet said there were no faeces in his gut, it's not surprising he hasn't passed a stool - guess we'll wait to see what tomorrow brings.

[Mags]

I hope things will improve tomorrow Angie but if he has another bout of sickness, maybe you could try him on a diet of boiled chicken or steamed white fish (which will be gentle on his tummy), for a few days...

[Elaine]

Poor Merlin. Remind me again of his age please Angie and does he have any medical conditions?
As far as Lactulose goes, I have used it in the past with my old boy Winston. I am not against using it on occasion to get the old bowels moving but I personally wouldnt use it on a regular basis. It relaxes the muscles and softens the stools to make them easier to pass but as with all laxatives, regular use will cause damage to the muscles.
Might be an idea to keep his fluid levels up by adding extra water to his foods, slippery elm bark is also good for a variety of things such as diahorrea, constipation, excess tummy acid, nausea, mouth ulcers to name but a few. So it may also help him to keep his food down also.

[Fran]

Hi, sorry to hear of your cat's problems. My cat has recently been having lactulose after a serious illness which left her body in shock and shut down her bowel. She was on a regime of 2.5mls twice per day and enemas too. Now her bowels are functioning normally and the lactulose has left her with the runs, so she is on treatment to firm up her faeces :roll: Good luck! Lactulose is safe for cats, it's basically sugared water that does soften the faeces.

[Kazz]

No experience of Lacatose at all sorry but I agree with the suggestion of increasing liquid into the diet. Hope he's feeling better soon, its horrible when they are poorly isn't it.

Karen

[angieh]

Thanks for the concern, fellow cat lovers!

Elaine, Merlin is 21. He has had struvite problems for many years and was on a special diet + Metacam - dog prescription until recently when cat variety became available. I am aware of the concerns over Metacam, but I have to say that as far as quality of life goes, he has proved it to be very helpful. Quite a while ago, he refused to eat any more of the acid diet and my OH and I decided that, due to his age, he could have anything he wanted. He seems to have coped with a far more varied diet quite well until now. I have the remains of all sorts of different boxes of cat food sachets in the cupboard, so can switch between them at the twinkling of an eye.

One of the links that Mags sent me mentioned the benefits of slippery elm, so I may give that a go when he is stabilised.

He has eaten about 1.5 sachets of the diet for sensitive tums (duck and rice) and drunk water, I do not think excessively. As I said before, he probably won't have anything to pass until tomorrow and hopefully we will know then whether he is still sore or not. Vet thought maybe a bout of gastritis - let's hope that's what it is.

Sorry to hear about your cat, Fran. The runs are no fun for anyone.

[Grete]

Poor old boy :( Hopefully the Lactulose will do the job and he feels much better soon.

I suffer from bouts of Gastritis and it really is excrutiating at times and I can understand what is happening to me :(

[Kay]

Hope Merlin is feeling better now.