My overweight cat can't clean himself after bowel movements, so he scoots along the carpet, which has become an ongoing problem. I am trying to feed him less food, and have switched to the highest quality food available (Taste of the Wild dry a.m. - p.m. a little Ziwi Peak canned lamb.) Is there something I can give him regularly to help his BM's come out more thoroughly?
Hello,
This is Dr. Christian. Welcome to JustAnswer. Does he have loose stool that is getting stuck in his haircoat?
No...not necessarily loose. He can't reach to clean himself. This is ongoing for years.Although he is fat, he's not as obese as some cats I've seen. He belongs to my daughter, and I am "training" her to feed him strictly. I think he's lost a little weight, but the "poop scooting" is awful. I'd like to find a cat vet who has dealt with this, if possible.
This is a very common problem for overweight cats. There's not one thing that will fix it (other than weight loss) but there are a few things you can try. For instance, if he has medium to long hair you can have him shaved around the rectum. It's called a sanitary clip and helps prevent the stool from sticking back there. Another option is to start adding a little canned pumpkin to his food daily or every other day. Most cats will eat it very well when mixed in and it provides a lot of fiber. The fiber helps to facilitate the movement of his stool but also gives him a fuller feeling so that he may not eat as many calories and may help with the weight loss. Metamucil is another option if he won't eat the pumpkin. A 1/4 teaspoon daily or every other day on his food should help. Another option would be to consider a very restricted calorie diet such as Hill's R/D. It is a prescription diet and when given in strict amounts, can help with weight loss.