Dear Siouxsie and Thomas:
Can I give my cat an enema? Can I use a suppository? I took him to the vet and he was given an enema several weeks ago. I gave him a teaspoon of mineral oil in his food and now he is vomiting and doesn't seem to be able to have a bowel movement. He kept going back and forth to the litter box without any success last night. He even fell asleep in the litterbox because he was so tired. What should I do?
~ Janet

Siouxsie: Janet, you should not give your cat an enema or use any kind of medications -- from suppositories to even aspirin -- on your cat without specific permission from your vet and complete instructions on how to do so safely.

Thomas: Many medications made for humans are dangerous to cats. Aspirin and other NSAIDS have chemicals that cats' bodies cannot process and they can cause kidney failure.

Siouxsie: Suppositories often contain drugs that stimulate the bowel, and these can also be very dangerous to cats. Any medication in a dosage appropriate for humans is going to be much too much for cats. Also, common sense dictates that since cats are not humans and their metabolism is different in some fundamental ways, medications can have unintended side effects that can cause illness or even death.

Thomas: Cats' bowels are much smaller than humans' bowels, and if you were to give an enema to a cat with human equipment, you would cause serious pain and perhaps even rupture your cat's intestines. Besides, it's highly unlikely that the cat would sit still for you sticking something up his anus.

Siouxsie: Veterinarians often restrain or give sedatives to cats undergoing invasive procedures like enemas. If you were to attempt to restrain your cat without proper training, you could seriously injure him -- and yourself!

Thomas: That having been said, it's clear that your cat is having some chronic constipation problems. This can be due to a number of things, from a lack of fiber in the diet to an obstruction (from a hairball, swallowing something indigestible like string or fabric, or a tumor) to megacolon (an expansion of the intestine as it fills up with feces due to chronic constipation, resulting in poor bowel function).

Siouxsie: What you need to do is go back to your vet and find out what's going on. Your vet should take X-rays or do a diagnostic test like a sonogram to determine what's really going on inside your cat's colon. Once you get a diagnosis, you and your vet will be able to come up with a treatment plan that allows your cat to have minimal discomfort.

Thomas: This treatment plan may include medications and training you to give your cat enemas as needed. Once you receive the proper training and have the right equipment, you should be all right.

Siouxsie: It's definitely not normal for a cat to get constipated. I'm glad to say it's only happened to me once, but Mama gave me some yummy laxative goo that got things going.

Thomas: We wouldn't recommend mineral oil as a laxative, because especially if you have to give it every day, it can have an "anti-vitamin" factor -- it absorbs some vitamins before the cat's body can use them. If you need to use a mineral oil- or petroleum jelly-based laxative regularly, we'd recommend talking to your vet about vitamin supplements.

Siouxsie: Your vet may want to give vitamins anyway, particularly if your cat's digestive system isn't working very well.

Thomas: The bottom line, Janet, is that you need to call your vet and get your cat in for a checkup as soon as you can. You've got to find out what's going on and why your cat is so badly constipated; once you have that information, you and your vet can get together and figure out how to help him.

Siouxsie: Good luck, Janet. We hope everything comes out OK!

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.