Constipation is a common condition which happens not only in humans but also cats (other mammals indeed). Researchers have produced many laxatives to cure this uncomfortable disease. Among them, Miralax is known as a safe over-the-counter medicine specially designed and used for cats.
When it comes to medicine, there always exist two sides of view: the positive side and the negative side. That’s why many people wonder should they use Miralax for cats. So, what is the right answer to this question? You can find out for more detail in this post!
What Is Constipation?
Constipation is a common condition in which waste materials can’t be got rid of from the bowels easily. Normally, cats defecate about 1-2 times a day. However, a constipated cat does it once for 2-3 days. If you notice that there‘s no stool in the litter box for about 2-3 days (but still plenty of pee), your cat 90% has constipation.
What is Miralax?
Photo credit: Mikey Richards
Miralax is an ostomic laxative produced to treat constipation. It works by holding as much water as it can. As a result, the stool will soften and the number of bowel movements will increases as well. After taking Miralax for about 3 days, your cats can poop normally again.
Is Miralax Safe?
Miralax is used mainly for humans. However, in fact, you can give it to your cats if they have constipation, but just in small dosages.
When to give your cats?
The best time to use Miralax is in the afternoon when your cats have already had breakfast and are ready for the next meal. This will make sure your cats can’t have side effects from that drug when drinking while the stomach is empty.
How much is enough?
Of course, you can’t give your cats a dose which is taken by humans. The typical dose (probably most suitable for cats) is 1/8 teaspoon. Of course, this also depends on the weight, breed and other aspects, this dose can help cats solve their problem in general.
Nevertheless, you must watch your cats’ litter box. If they don’t poop within 2 days, increase the dose up to 1/4 teaspoon. In addition, in case they still seem not to feel like to defecate, you should take them to the vet because they might get other diseases, and constipation is just a small symptom of that.
Using Miralax for cats is quite easy. You just have to dissolve 1/8 Miralax teaspoon into the water, as exactly the instruction told you. Let your cats drink this, and everything will be solved!
Should you use it regularly?
Although Miralax is a safe medical treatment, it’s not be recommended to use regularly. Why? Because it’s just a short-term treatment, which means it only helps your cats solve constipation in a short period. Using it for a long time can lead to some side effects.
What should you note when using Miralax?
You should remember that Miralax is produced mainly for humans, not cats or other animals. The digestive system of cats and humans are quite different, so giving them medicine which isn’t designed for them is not a good idea.
However, to some picky cats, they won’t drink water which is dissolved Miralax or other drugs. That’s when you have to force them to drink another solution. Take a syringe and load it with the mixture of Miralax and water, then squirt it to their mouth. You should take it easy so that it won’t frighten your cats. Remember to do this as quickly as you can.
How To Prevent Constipation In Cats
Prevention is better than cure! So, instead of using Miralax, why don’t you prevent constipation in cats from the beginning?
In order to avoid constipation in cats, here are what you should know:
- Shouldn’t feed your cats dry food always, let them eat homemade food together with humans because it will help reduce constipation in cats. If you can, feed your cats a few vegetables and make sure you’ve checked on the Internet for the safety.
- Make sure your cats drink plenty of water. Lack of water in the body is a common reason for constipation.
- Play with your cats, especially lazy and fat cats so that they can have some exercises. Doing exercise is also a good way to reduce stress which is one of the reasons for constipation.
Be careful:
- Stop using Miralax for your cats if they have diarrhea signs.
- When your cats have any side effects like vomiting and lethargic, take them to the vet immediately. Moreover, here are some side effects that your cats may have, watch out for these as well:
-Nausea
-Diarrhea
-Upset stomach
-Stomachache
-Dizziness
- If your cats’ stool has odd color or blood, take them to the vet for a health check.
Conclusion
In overall, Miralax is known as a short-term treatment for constipation, not only in humans but also cats. Although it is pretty safe for cats if used in small doses, we don’t recommend using too regularly. In addition, after giving it to your cats, please watch out for strange behaviors or signs so that you can take them to the vet timely. Anyway, the best solution is to keep your cats good health, so they don’t get constipation.
Above is important information that we think you should know about Miralax for cats. If you have any questions, please leave comments below. We will answer them as soon as we can. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!
