General Information on Laxatone
Laxatone is a tuna flavored lubricant and is considered a non-prescription (OTC) product for pets. It helps in the prevention and elimination of hairballs in household pets like cats. You can buy Laxatone from a pet store or pharmacy and is available in other flavors as well. The active ingredients of Laxatone include white petroluem USP, corn syrup, light mineral oil NF, Soyabean oil, malt syrup, water, Sodium Benzoate, and cane molasses. It helps in moving ingested fur through the digestive tract of cats and thus prevents cat constipation as well.
Side effects of Laxatone
Laxatone helps in easing the passage of intestinal contents through the cat’s rectum as feces and side effects are very uncommon. One of the side effects noticed is leaking of mineral oil from a cat's anus. This leaking doesn't cause any damage to the cat's anus or any other system in the body. This happens primarily when large quantities of Laxatone are given over longer duration. Another side effect that you might see only if your cat is being administered Laxatone for a long time is a deficiency of certain vitamins. The vitamin deficiency can be tackled by feeding your cat vitamin enriched food or herbal medicine. Some of the rarest side effects include inflammation of the spleen, inflammation of internal lymph nodes and inflammation of liver. Even these side effects are not fatal and with proper diet and medicines; they can be treated.
Precautions
There are certain precautions that owners need to take when feeding their cats with Laxatone. Owners need to ensure that they are not feeding their cat expired Laxatone as it might not be potentially harmful but will not be effective in treating the problem at all. It is hence advised to check the expiry date before you buy Laxatone from a pet store or pharmacy. You need to also monitor the feces of your cat when he or she is on Laxatone and observe for appropriate consistency and volume. Any inconsistency in volume or color or form of feces should be reported immediately to the vet. Administration of Laxatone should not be stopped or used for longer periods without consulting the vet. One of the most important things to remember is that you should never self treat your cat with Laxatone and especially if you are not sure if it is a problem of constipation or some other problem. All types of constipation problems of your cat might not be treatable using this gel.
Laxatone Dosage
It is advisable to put a small amount of Laxatone gel near the nose of your cat to stimulate taste interest first. The standard dose is to give your cat 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp once a day for 2-3 days and then follow it up with 1/2 to 1/4 tsp two or three times a day for 2-3 weeks. Apart from tuna flavor, Laxatone is also available in Catnip, Natural, and original flavors. You can opt for Laxatone 2.5oz or 4.25oz pack depending on what has been prescribed by the vet. It is recommended to administer kittens with 1/2 tsp of Laxatone daily for 4 weeks.
Interactions
There are no known interactions of Laxatone but most doctors recommend that you should not use any other laxative or even herbal medicines when your cat is on Laxatone medication.
