Poo Problems - Sorry - not for the sensitive!

Hi All,
Had some issues for the last two days with Arthur - need some advice.

Arthur has pussy cat IBS and a generally very sensitive stomach. But if we stick to a routine with his food we can generally control it.
This goes out the window when i assume he gets due a hairball!

I think he becomes constipated because although its diareah like symptoms he doesn't go frequently, its his normal once maybe twice a day.
Its just when he goes its a small amount of loose poo and the rest is basically pooey water. I know this is a symptom of constipation - and when he has had this in the past he gets over it in a couple of days - normally in line with shifting the hair ball.
But this started on Friday and i had to get up to him at 3am again this morning as i have to help him get clean due to the runny poo and fluffy maine coon trousers not being a great mix!

I'm thinking - despite the fact it sounds wrong- of trying a lazative to help? Any comments on this?
I've tried starving him- makes very little difference. And other than the toilet runniness he is absolutely fine in himself - perky, running around and making me laugh as usual.
If this doesn't clear today then i will take him to the vet tomorrow but i know they will say its a hairball so i'd rather ask your advice before submiiting him to the vet?
Apologies for the nature of this early on a sunday morning but myself and Arthur will be very appreciative of any advice with this?

Thanks as always
xx

what do you feed him on? and whats his feeding routine?

oh i so feel for you, cleaning poo from MC fluffy trousers at 3am is not on my wishlist at all :sad1:

I've had to try many different foods because of the IBS and his sensitive stomach. But he has settled for the last few years on Royal Canin Maine coon. He likes it, i filll his bowl up in the morning and he grazes on it all day. No set meal times and he basically eats a bowl a day. I give him fresh chicken everymorning but only a small amount as a treat really. He drinks from the tap and looks on his water bowl with real distain!
So as i said nothing different to his normal routine. This does just seem to occur on occasions but its gone on a bit longer than normal this time.
Am sure its constipation, due to the nature of the small amount of somewhat solid and then the fluid that makes up the poo. Poor thing. Hates to suffer the embarassment of me helping him get clean but i have to?!
Does anyone use laxatives for hairballs?? I've tried him on the intense hair ball food but he had a reaction to it, plus i don't think it really helped the situation.
Should i maybe just feed him cooked chicken for a few days until this has passed?
Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks

you could always try him on Katalax to help move the hairballs along. its basically parrafin wax with yeast flavouring so he may be fine with it.

as far as feeding is concerned i would stick to the maine coon biscuits only for a while. i know there is plenty of evidence about too much carbohydrate based food being harmful but the trouble with feeding chicken is that even plain chicken can have a different allergens attatched to it depending on how it has been prepared, in what factory, how it has been packed and processed. so you may unwittingly be changing his allergen challenge each time he has chicken and so upsetting his tummy.

there is also another product called defurrem or something like that, i think its another nutritional supplement but i dont have experience of using it. unless you show him you could also take a furminatior or another stripping type comb to his coat, to thin it out a bit, to make the hairballs less likely in the future?

hope that pesky hairball soon passes, bless him.

Feeding dry food in this type of case doesn't help either it absorbs so much moisture that unless Arthur drinks far more than average it will not help with constipation,if you have got any of the products mentioned in other posts give him a couple of good doses today to see if it helps plus give him moist food to help soften everything moving through.
I have one cat who goes really poorly when he has a hairball heading one way or the other,took a few times for me to realise what was happening without getting into a panic but it is great when you get to know your animal well enough to know what potentially is going on,hope Arthur soon passes the pesky thing & your early morning "drawer"wash will not be required any more....x

yes..i believe so..u can feed him cooked chicken with a little salt and a litte turmeric powder for a few days.also u can try boild egg.then things will be fine, I hope..best wishes for Arthur..I can understand ur feeling while u help him clean his fluffy trousers..u love hom so much..my MC had this suffering for nearly 1 month while he was a kitten n I also used to wake up at 3am , 4am like that n I fed him only cooked chicken n boiled egg finally n he was relieved all of a sudden..we can hope it vl work 4 u too..

Had exactly the same with my tabby boy - runny poo for a couple of days , but not any more frequent than normal , thought he might have stolen 'human' food as he can be sensitive ... then came home to hairball on the floor and OH going yuk!!!