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My senior cat is severely constipated and very sick. What can I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Ragdoll | Female | spayed | 11 lbs

My cat is 13 years old and was constipated for the first time, she's been to the vet three times in the last week, had enemas, was sent home with laxatives but she still won't pass. It's been days now, her pupils seems constantly dilated and she's breathing quite rapidly all the time. She gets up and walks but still seems lethargic. Eats a little but wont drink. Is there anything I can do for her? Is it time?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on March 24th, 2018

Poor Angel! This can be such a problem in older cats. You can add in some canned pumpkin (1 teaspoon a day) to help increase her fiber intake. Also, if you haven't already, I would talk to your vet about doing some abdominal x-rays. These will help the vet see how large the colon is and how much stool is present. Cats can get something called megacolon where the muscles in their colon don't work well and they get easily constipated. These cats usually need to be sedated and manually have some of the stool removed and then put on a drug called cisapride. Some cats will have to stay on this drug long term, but I have personally had good success with putting them on a food called Royal Canin GI Fiber Response and eventually getting them off cisapride and stool softeners. It is a prescription food so I would talk to your vet about it. Also, . Every cat is different and your vet will need to help guide you through this process. If your vet doesn't think she has megacolon then cisapride may not be needed but if she is REALLY backed up then she may still need to be sedated and have some feces removed to help her out. I hope this helps!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on January 31st, 2019

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend that you consider adding 1 teaspoon of canned pumpkin to her meals which can help with constipation. If no improvement, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and recommendations. Best of luck!

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