From the ArcaMax Publishing, Cats & Dogs Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/catsanddogs/s-628213-145897
This is an extremely difficult condition to treat in your cat as in
the majority of cases the actual cause is never fully known or
understood.
Megacolon in cats is a condition where your pets colon has become
extremely dilated and as a result has very little motility and is no
longer spontaneous or active. To compound this situation, your cats
colon becomes full of feces and does not have the ability to release
it. It is an extremely stressful situation for your cat and can be
equally frustrating for the owner.
Your cats gastrointestinal tract ends with a tubular organ that is
referred to as the colon. It has two basic functions: to extract water
and electrolytes from your pet and as well as controlling defecation.
It acts as the storage unit for fecal material and it is continuous
with the rectum. The walls of your cats colon contain muscles that are
designed to be activated by the nerves in the spinal cord.
When it contracts properly, the fecal material in your cat is removed
from the body. However, if these nerves malfunction, they do not
contract properly. Once this happens, the muscles starts to stretch
and the colon enlarges. When it becomes enlarged, it traps the fecal
material and the result is severe constipation.
Causes:
Megacolon in cats is still somewhat of a mystery of why is actually
occurs as over 65 percent of all cases are Idiopathic, meaning that
there is no actual known cause of why it has developed and why the
nerves have stopped functioning.
However, an injury to cats spinal cord due to some type of a trauma
can result in a narrowing of the pelvic canal. When this happens, it
can cause a blockage of the feces in your cat and cause the colon to
expand. Even if your cat has been only slightly injured in a fall, a
fight with another cat, or an attack by a dog, it can cause a pelvic
fracture not to heal properly.
This condition accounts for about 25 percent of the actual cases of
Megacolon. Cats born with a spinal cord deformity may also be the
cause, but this is extremely rare, and the only breed that is really
susceptible to this is Manx breed.
Symptoms:
The symptoms of Megacolon in cats will be very definitive. As the
condition starts to develop, your cat will have a decreased ability to
properly defecate, and this will very rapidly turn into an extremely
painful ordeal for your pet. As it progresses, your cat will make
several attempts to defecate, but by now they will not be able to go
at all.
One of the symptoms that you can watch for that this condition is
starting to develop is that your cats feces will suddenly start to
become very hard and very dry, which is a signal that the colon is not
properly dilating. As the condition worsens and continues your cat
will become anorexic simply because they will have no appetite. At
this point it has become severe and you will need to seek medical
attention as soon as possible.
Treatments:
In most all cases, your veterinarian will try a series of medical
treatments in an attempt to stimulate the nerves back to functioning
properly. This is not simply a situation where you can give your cat a
laxative; the key is trying to find what works and what is causing it,
if it can be found.
If it is a simple form of constipation, a laxative may be the only
treatment that is needed and they are very effective at stimulating
the colon to release the feces. There are several forms of laxatives
that can be tried and you should discuss all of the alternatives with
your veterinarian.
Bulk forming laxatives combined with bulk fiber diets are usually the
first from of laxatives. Emollient laxatives may be recommended, but
they have not shown to be very effective. Lubricant laxatives such as
mineral oil or white petrolatum work very well with mild forms of
Megacolon and can relieve your cat, but not with moderate or severe
forms of constipation.
If your cat has a persistent or advanced condition that most effective
laxative will be Lactulose. This is a hyperosmotic laxative that
stimulates the colon to secret fluid as well as softens your pet
stool. However, be prepared, as it is also is very effective at
propulsive releases and will rapidly relieve your cat, but will also
be very messy.
Other treatments will be changes in your cats diet that will include
high fiber diets that can be bought commercially. However, adding
Metamucil into your cats regular food is equally successful. This
fiber change will help water absorb into the feces as well as building
bulk in the stool.
In the severe forms of this condition, there are drugs available that
can be used to contract the colon, but you should be extremely
skeptical of these types of drugs. There have been no reported side
affects in cats, but they have produced severe reactions in humans and
one in particular, Cisapride, was pulled off of the market because of
the severity in the reactions.
In the most severe of cases, surgery will have to be preformed to
release the feces from your cat and to remove their colon. This
procedure is called subtotal colectomy and it removes the non
functioning portion of your cats colon that is not functioning
properly. Your cat can live a very normal life after this surgery, and
after a couple of months, will have normal movements again.
They movements may be more frequent, but they will not lose fecal
control.
Summary:
Megacolon in cats can be a very stressful situation for you and your
pet as it most cases it will be never known what is actually causing
it. As a result, you will have to constantly treat your cat for this
condition and monitor there progress daily.
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I am an avid lover of pets and my wife and I have had several pets
throughout our years. We are especially fond of dogs, and we have a 12
year old Dalmatian (our 3rd) and a "mutt" that we rescued when someone
threw him away to die in a vacant field. He found us, nearly starved
to death, and weighed about 2 pounds. After severe bouts of mange and
severe dehydration, and over 1,000.00 in veterinarian bills, we saved
the little guys life, and he is one of the best, if not the best, dogs
we have ever had and today is a muscular, fit, and firm 70 pound best
friend. After finishing my MBA, which at middle age was not easy, I
decided to keep the research work ethics that I acquired, and devote
about two hours each night in understanding the health benefits of
supplementation for both humans and pets and how they might strengthen
our, as well as our pets, immune system in a pre-emptive approach to
health rather than a reactionary approach. Both of my daughters are
avid cat lovers, and asked me to help them with health concerns and
challenges with their cats. I am not a veterinarian nor claim to be,
just a lover of pets that loves to research and pass on some knowledge
that might be helpful, or at least stimulating to the thought process.
Several of the articles that I have written can be found on my
website; Liquid Vitamins & Minerals for Humans & Pets http://www.liquid-vitamins-minerals-humans-pets.com/