Feline megacolon causes severe, painful constipation that significantly compromises welfare and often requires surgical intervention for resolution.
Cats with megacolon experience prolonged, intense straining to defecate without relief, causing significant abdominal discomfort and distress. The accumulation of hard, dry fecal material causes painful distension, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Repeated veterinary visits for manual disimpaction under sedation provide temporary relief but address symptoms rather than the underlying disease. The chronic nature of megacolon means affected cats experience repeated bouts of severe constipation that represent ongoing welfare crises without definitive treatment. Subtotal colectomy, while appearing radical, dramatically resolves quality of life in most cats, who defecate normally within days of surgery despite having most of their colon removed.