Another Mancat Monday with Megacolon

Hello, friends! It's Mancat Monday, and orange boy Evan apologizes for (quite dramatically) sleeping on the job.

Evan had a bit of a rough weekend. His megacolon struck again, and he was constipated at the end of last week. I tried to increase his laxative to its higher dose more slowly than usual, since sometimes those higher doses cause him to finally evacuate his system with the complete opposite of constipation. Even trying to fine-tune the laxative, though, he still ended up with diarrhea. He's had more baths than I can even count this weekend. And let me tell you, Evan hates baths.

Evan is doing a bit better this morning, though he's still leaving the occasional messy offering. This poor little guy's stools really just prefer to be either rock solid or liquid, rather than anything in between. His vet and I have discussed it many times and have tried variations of medications and dosages. The vet and I are pretty sure we're in part simply fighting the fact that Evan's hind limb paralysis also affects the motility of his colon and such. We'll keep doing our best, and I'm honestly just glad that at least we've moved away from having to give Evan enemas every couple weeks. He hasn't needed an enema in months now. I think this is in part because we increased his dose of cisapride, which helps with intestinal motility. That clearly isn't a fix all, but we're in a better place than we were last year, for which I'm beyond grateful.

Even as he naps the day away, Evan still wishes you all a magnificent Monday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip is one we've mentioned before, but that we're going to mention again for these cold winter days. Though of course living indoors helps keep our furbabies safe and sound during the winter months, it is still important to remember that extra measures can be taken to keep them warm and cozy. This is especially important for young or old furbabies, those with little to no fur, and any cats or dogs whose health is compromised. You can start by putting out additional soft and cozy blankets and beds for them. To take it one step further, there are heated blankets and beds on the market. Of course, be very careful when using anything heated, taking especial care to ensure that no burns or fires result. To be on the safe side, you can look into beds that allow warmth in a non-electrical way. For example, there are pet beds constructed of material that essentially reflects a kitty or pup's body heat back to them, warming them that way. Lastly, also take into consideration the location of blankets and beds. Place your kitty or pup's blankets and beds somewhere that is elevated off of the floor, and away from drafts, doorways, and windows, to ensure that they can remain as warm as possible.