When it comes to colon health, cat digestive systems are quite similar to those of humans. Just as with humans, cats can suffer from a number of digestive disorders. In fact, constipation is relatively common in felines. Therefore, as a pet owner, it is important for you to understand how to recognize digestive problems as well as how to help your cat maintain a healthy colon.

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

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Many factors work harmoniously in order to create optimal balance of every system within the human body. Many issues in our modern world negatively affect and alter the human body’s normal functioning, weakening it and creating a compromised internal environment struggling to fend off invaders, such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Some of these factors are environmental. Daily, our bodies are subjected to electromagnetic stress from computers and electronics, emotional stress from all variety of relationships, sedentary lifestyles, and a high intake of processed and refined foods. Each of these issues places a toxic burden on the human body, and in our fast-paced world, an increasing number of individuals consume vast quantities of over-the-counter and prescription drugs, all of which places an enormous strain on the body over time.

Effects of an Unclean Colon

The organs working to reduce the toxic load on the body include the liver and several parts of the digestive systems. The colon is the chief organ in actually eliminating waste and creating an internal environment where nutrients can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream but with toxins being eliminated. When stress, poor nutrition, and environmental toxins overwhelm our bodies, disease may occur as the end result.

The colon in particular is a vital organ because it comprises much of the immune system and clears out hostile organisms not belonging in a healthy body. When the colon’s health is compromised, the cleansing process is slowed down or halted altogether. This is a dangerous situation because it can be the start of a number of debilitating diseases. This occurs because the body’s natural ability to heal itself, the immune system, has been hindered. In some cases, autointoxication may occur wherein toxins from the waste residing in the colon (for days and weeks) begin to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream. Some signs a colon flush, or colon cleanse, is needed may include chronic constipation, diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, or a hindered immune system.

Methods for Cleansing the Colon

Many ways exist for remedying a colon that is not functioning properly. Colon cleanses and colon flushes are a necessary measure for removing impacted fecal matter and pathogens as well as built up mucous. In many cases, a colon flush will clean the colon and will also enable the bowel to begin healing itself and functioning properly again. There are different ways to flush out the colon. For example, herbal remedies offer help by stimulating the bowel to expel wastes and by killing harmful bacteria and other pathogens. Oxy-Powder® is the best choice as it is a safe, non-habit forming formula that safely eliminates accumulated waste matter from the intestinal walls, while naturally stimulating the body to induce regular bowel movements.

Another type of colon flush includes colonic hydrotherapy. Colonic hydrotherapy consists of an internal bath of warm, filtered water that is pushed into the colon for cleansing out waste. This helps to eliminate unhealthy substances within the organ itself and helps to create an environment suited for self-healing. Colonic hydrotherapy should be performed by a professional health care practitioner trained in this specific procedure.

Another type of colon flush is an enema. An enema involves flushing out the colon by the forceful insertion of a liquid, usually combined with water, in order to stimulate a bowel movement. Different herbs and chemicals are used in different enemas. Coffee enemas are becoming more common as the coffee stimulates a cleansing and healing effect within the colon, and is a natural stimulant for elimination. Enemas containing enzymes are also used as a type of colon flush, as natural enzymes safely consume and break down built up waste material and expel it. Enzyme therapy as taken orally is also a method of flushing the colon. Enzymes naturally break down food particles that are difficult to digest and help remove them from the body.

Results of Colon Cleansing

Colon flushes serve the purpose of promoting healing and cleansing of the body’s vital elimination organ. After healing the colon, other bodily systems can also work more efficiently. A colon flush is a healthy measure to take if the colon’s functioning has been compromised lately. In order to help secure long-term health, exercise, a nutritious diet, and reducing stress from your life should also be practiced. Although you should seek a health care practitioner trained in the field before initiating these colon cleansing methods, you can begin to implement an improved diet and other positive lifestyle changes on your own. Take care of your colon and you will begin to notice the change in how you feel in practically no time at all!

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By: The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center

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