My cat, Johann, became constipated and was diagnosed with megacolon. I share how we treated Johann and other available treatments.
Johann’s Background
Johann and his brother, Wolfy, were introduced in the blog post, “Wolfy Replaces Heshe”. You can find it at the following link.
https://healthyhomesteadingadventures.com/wolfy-replaces-heshe/
These poor kittens were dumped off at someone’s home. In hopes that they would leave. The owners ignored these starving kittens’ cries for food. When I found out and rescued them, they tended to eat too much food and I had to ration them. If there were to be a problem in the future, you would expect that it could happen to both brothers.
Seven Cat Family
The two brothers grew up as did the three kittens that had lost their mother. That meant we had five young cats, Johann, Wolfy, Columbus, Rory, and Kika, with one a year or more older, Trigger, and the matriarch, Pebbles. Kika was spayed first and then the males were all eventually neutered.
Johann Wanted to be the Alpha Male
As he reached adulthood, Johann became the largest male. He tried to take on his brother, but Wolfy was like the father who had raised the other kittens and he believed that he was alpha and so he was. Johann didn’t fight with Columbus or Rory much because they were submissive. Trigger had been the first male and he wasn’t going to submit, so Johann was often challenging him. It was a miracle when they were seen being loving to each other. You can see these interactions in the video at the end of this post.
Johann Gets Constipated
When you have seven cats, you don’t often see who is urinating or having regular bowel movements. One day, I noticed that Johann was straining to poop. This all happened ten years ago, in 2014 or early 2015, so the details are foggy. I took him to the veterinarian to find out why he couldn’t go.
Diagnosis Megacolon
After an x-ray, the veterinarian came into the room to show how the bowels were full of feces that had expanded to enlarge the colon. The mass of poop was too big and hard to come out of the anus. He said that Johann had a megacolon. What? How did he get that? The veterinarian said that the cause was unknown. But one thing was certain, he needed more water as his stools were getting hard.
Enemas to Treat Megacolon
The veterinarian had Johann sedated. Then his techs used enemas and manual manipulation to break up the poop and wash it out. I was told that I might need to give him enemas to keep him going. Since I had been a vet tech, I figured that I could do that if my children would hold him. Below are the items needed to give an enema. You can see more about this process in the video, but no actual enema is given because none of my current cats would volunteer.
Items Needed to Give an Enema
To get water into your cat’s colon to give an enema, you will need a catheter tip 60cc syringe. Where are you going to get it? You can search online. I found one at farmvet.com. What if you need one right away? Maybe your veterinarian will sell you one. You could also check at medical supply companies.
You will also need a red rubber urethral catheter. They come in various sizes. Don’t get one that is too small. It has to be firm enough to be able to push it past the anus. Hopefully, your veterinarian can help you with this. If not, check the medical supply near you, or online. The above picture shows the syringe and the catheter.
The picture below shows the surgical lubricant needed to help the catheter slide into the rectum without friction. You can use KY Jelly or one like the one in the picture.
How to Give Your Cat an Enema
You will need a source of warm water. Water can be pulled into the syringe and then pushed through the catheter to prevent pushing in a lot of air. Another option would be to put the catheter on the syringe first and pull the water through both so there won’t be any air in the catheter. Once the water is in the syringe, you can lubricate your catheter with the surgical lubricant. Now you are ready to give your cat an enema.
Have someone hold your cat for you because it will fight this treatment. Lift the cat’s tail and push the catheter gently, but firmly into the anus. The muscles will tighten but gently persist until the catheter goes in.
Feed the catheter into the rectum and up into the colon. Gently push the syringe to release the water into the colon. If the water won’t go through the catheter, pull it out a little and try again. Once all the water is in the colon, you can wait a little for the water to absorb into the hard fecal matter. If your cat shows signs of pain, pull out the tube and let him push the water out. Hopefully, some fecal matter will come out with the water.
Pumpkin for Megacolon
Veterinarians recommend giving canned pumpkin to cats that have megacolon. Pumpkin will add fiber to the stool and absorb more moisture to keep the poop moving through the colon. You might be wondering if cats like to eat pumpkin. Watch the video to see how my cats reacted when offered pumpkin. It may be mixed in with your cat’s food.
Treating Megacolon with Drugs
Veterinarians will recommend stool softeners that attract more water to the stools. They will also prescribe laxatives and colon wall stimulants to keep the bowels moving. The problem is that these chemicals can irritate the colon rather then to help it to heal.
Natural Remedy for Constipation and Megacolon
I recently found this natural remedy online pictured above. Maris is an effective natural remedy to soothe the discomfort and symptoms of constipation. Maris is a gentle herbal formula that can be used long-term if your kitty suffers from constipation. I wish that it was available for Johann. I liked this company so much, that I became an affiliate for them. If you would like to check out the Maris or any of their other herbal products for cats, dogs, and other pets, click on the above picture. As an affiliate, I will earn a small commission on anything that you purchase. The products may seem pricey, but the alternative is way more expensive.
Surgery for Megacolon
If the megacolon cannot be resolved with the above treatments, surgery is an option. Surgical costs range from $2,000 to $6,000. Basically, the colon is so stretched out that the whole colon is cut out and the end of the small bowel is attached to the rectum if it isn’t stretched out. Most cats have diarrhea for a few weeks following the surgery before having normal bowel movements.
It wasn’t until recently, that I wondered about the treatment for humans with this problem. I figured that they would have their colon removed and be given a colostomy bag. That wouldn’t work for cats. Johann needed this surgery to survive, but why wasn’t he given this option for life?
My husband and I divorced in 2015 after Johann came down with megacolon. Without any discussion, he took Johann, Wolfy, and Trigger. He claimed to be so poor that he needed spousal support and yet took a cat that needed medical attention. I feared that he wouldn’t be able to care for him properly.
Euthanasia for Megacolon
My former husband has told me that he made numerous trips to the vet and even treated Johann with subcutaneous fluids that the veterinarian sent home with him. In plain English, he was given a bag of fluids with a tubing line with a large needle at the end. this was inserted under the skin between the shoulder blades. This was a last effort to get more fluids in the bowels. There was no mention of a surgical option. In the end, nothing could fix the stretched-out colon and Johann had to be euthanized to end his suffering.
Watch the Video
It’s time to watch the video. It will have some pictures and videos of Johann in tribute to his precious life.
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In Conclusion
Megacolon is a serious condition and could end up costing you thousands of dollars or even taking the life of your beloved cat or dog. I don’t wish this to happen to anyone, so keep an eye on your cats and their bowel health and consider the natural route first to stop the problem before it worsens. Consider what ingredients are in the food that you give your cat. B sure that the cat box is kept clean and that there is always plenty of fresh water available.