Page 789 - Problem-Based Feline Medicine

35. The constipated or straining cat

Albert E Jergens and Annette Litster

KEY SIGNS
● Reduced frequency of defecation.
● Tenesmus or painful defecation.
● Hard, dry, low-volume feces, sometimes with mucus.

MECHANISM?
● Constipation denotes infrequent or difficult defecation and is a common problem in cats.
Straining (tenesmus) occurs when there is ineffectual defecation or urination, or irritation of
the bowel or bladder wall.
● Straining may also be associated with conditions affecting the lower urinary tract. Refer to p. @
(The Cat Straining to Urinate).
WHERE?
● Disorders of the large intestine are the most common causes of constipation.

WHAT?
● Constipated cats may have underlying orthopedic or neurologic diseases which cause fecal
impaction and clinical signs.

QUICK REFERENCE SUMMARY

Diseases causing a constipated or straining cat
DEGENERATIVE
● Constipation (including idiopathic megacolon)***(p 783)
The hallmarks are reduced, painful, or absent defecation +/− tenesmus. Idiopathic megacolon
denotes diffuse colonic dilatation with colonic hypomotility.

● Dysautonomia (p 792)
This is a rare cause of constipation, and associated clinical signs include sudden onset of depression
and anorexia coupled with a variety of signs including regurgitation, mydriasis, constipation, brady-
cardia and dysuria. Dysautonomia was of regional importance in the UK in the early 1980s and
more recently in the USA.

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