How Healthy is your Cat’s Colon?
July 29, 2009 by Admin
Filed under IBS - Free Content
Feline Constipation
Concerning colon health, cat constipation is relatively easy to recognize. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to help your cat recover from feline constipation.
Just as with human colon health, cat colon health problems have a great deal to do with the age of the cat. As in humans, older cats are more susceptible to constipation. Those that are eight-years-old and above are more likely to become constipated. Nonetheless, it is possible for a cat of any age to become constipated.
A cat with bowels that are functioning efficiently will usually have one or two bowel movements every day. Of course, just as with humans, every cat is different. Signs of feline constipation include:
No bowel movements, or very infrequent bowel movements
Straining during a bowel movement
Painful bowel movements
A sudden decrease in the amount of stool produced
When it comes to colon health, cat constipation is a sign that something is not working correctly within the digestive tract. And, if you fail to take action, your cat may become quite ill. Signs the constipation has advanced and is becoming serious include:
Failure to keep itself groomed
Lethargic behavior
Loss of appetite
Crouching and hunching up
Vomiting
Passing a small amount of diarrhea, which is runny and blood-tinged
Some potential causes of cat constipation include:
Ingesting foreign bodies, hair, and animal bones
A dirty litter box
Recent hospitalization
Lack of exercise (let your cat out to run)
Obstructions, such as improperly healed pelvic fractures or tumors
Medication
Hair matted with dirt/mud
Injuries from cat fights
Obesity (don’t overfeed your pet please or share your meals)
Parasites, usually obtained from dirt, animals, or unclean water
To maintain proper feline colon health, constipation needs to be treated as soon as possible. The first approach is to address the underlying cause of the problem. A cat that is dehydrated, for example, may receive intravenous or subcutaneous replacement fluids to help encourage a bowel movement.
If a change of the underlying cause is not enough to get things moving again, the veterinarian may administer an enema to your pet to help induce a bowel movement. If the cat is severely constipated, however, it may be necessary to place the cat under anesthesia and remove the feces manually. This can be a very time consuming process.
Feline Obstipation
Feline obstipation is similar to constipation, but must be treated differently. Whereas constipation is characterized by difficulty in eliminating waste, obstipation occurs when the cat’s bowels are blocked and it is unable to pass any waste at all. The cause of obstipation and the signs and symptoms of the disorder are usually the same as with constipation.
Feline Megacolon
A cat that suffers from chronic constipation or obstipation may ultimately develop Megacolon, which is a distended colon with poor movement. When this occurs, fecal matter remains in the colon and becomes continuously drier. As a result, the colon becomes filled with waste almost as hard as concrete.
Maintaining Colon Health Cat Style
Maintaining your cat’s colon health requires many of the same steps for maintaining the health of a human colon. Placing your cat on a high fiber diet, for example, will help prevent your cat from becoming constipated. Like humans, cats are unable to digest fiber. As the undigested fiber sits in your cat’s colon, it absorbs water and helps loosen the stool while also providing it with extra bulk.
Since cats tend to have more sensitive digestive systems than humans, however, it is important to implement a high fiber diet slowly. Changing your cat’s diet too abruptly can cause it to experience gas pain. Therefore, you should spend about five or seven days gradually modifying your cat’s diet.
Foods that can be added to your cat’s diet to increase its fiber intake include:
Canned pumpkin
Bran
Vegetable meal
Whole grains
Your cat may not want to eat any of these foods alone. Therefore, you will need to mix them in with your cat’s canned cat food. It is also important to ensure your cat drinks plenty of water. This is particularly important when increasing fiber consumption since the fiber will absorb water within your cat’s digestive system.
By helping your pet maintain proper colon health, its digestive problems should not be of serious concern. However, if problems arise, contact your veterinarian right away to take care of the issue before it worsens.
By: The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center
About the Author:
The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center is sponsored by Global Healing Center, Inc. The Resource Center’s website features information on constipation, articles on colon cleansing, and research on the latest treatments. For more information, please visit The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
June 29, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Crohn's Disease
Crohn’s disease is one among many digestive disorders in which the lining becomes inflamed. That inflammation produces ulcers (lesions or open sores in the lining) that produce abdominal pain and diarrhea. It is often progressive and leads to even more serious health consequences.
The cause(s) of the disease are not known, but an abnormal immune system response to a bacterium (known as MAP or Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis) is suspected. Despite the lack of a clear cut culprit several risk factors are known. Diet and stress can affect the course and impact of the disease but have been ruled out as causes.
Genetics is near the top of the list, not surprisingly given the immune system response aspect of the disease. Roughly 20% of those with Crohn’s have a parent or close relative similarly afflicted. Those with an affected sibling are 30 times more likely to develop Crohn’s than the general population. Unlike many diseases, Crohn’s tends to occur in younger people, usually between the ages of 20-30.
The intestinal inflammation of the disease produces diarrhea by causing cells to secrete large amounts of salt and water. The colon is unable to absorb all this fluid (part of its natural role in the digestive system). The result is diarrhea.
One effect is swelling of the intestinal tissue and scaring as the ulcers heal. That results in less efficient movement of the chyme (the semi-fluid mass of digested food) through the colon. The effects are felt as cramping and abdominal pain. In more advanced or severe cases nausea and vomiting are common. Bloody stool is common, as well, as moving chyme causes inflamed tissue to rupture, allowing blood to flow into the colon. The ulcers can become enlarged, moving deep into intestinal tissue, worsening the problem.
The net result, apart from the pain, is often reduced appetite and unhealthy weight loss. The symptoms lead to a desire not to eat, but the weight loss is exacerbated by less efficient digestion of food. In extreme circumstances such low intake and absorption of calories and nutrients leads to many secondary consequences.
Diagnosis is fairly straightforward. Blood tests check for anemia and during a colonoscopy a physician can see the distinctive signs directly. A biopsy (tissue samples that can be removed during the procedure) are used to confirm the presence of Crohn’s.
A less invasive procedure known as a flexible sigmoidoscopy uses a lighted tube to examine only the lower two feet of the colon and rectum while a colonoscopy involves inserting a tube all the way into the intestine. It takes only a few minutes to complete.
A physician may recommend a barium enema as well. A safe, mildly radioactive barium fluid is introduced into the colon where it provides a contrast dye for an X-ray. The fluid coats the lining of the intestine to create a silhouette of the colon and rectum. In a variation, X-rays can also be taken if the patient ingests the barium fluid.
A more modern diagnostic procedure, known as capsule endoscopy, involves swallowing a tiny camera in the form of a pill, which makes its way down the digestive tract. It takes photos along the way, which the physician examines.
Unfortunately, there is no cure known for Crohn’s disease as yet, but drug therapy to reduce inflammation is a common treatment. Surgery has helped many afflicted by removing ulcerated tissue (sometimes sections of the bowel), reducing symptoms. Unlike ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s infected tissue may occur in spots with healthy tissue in between, not throughout an entire length. That allows for a more targeted repair of affected tissue.
