Hi,
Our little boy, Einstein (Einy), got very sick on Christmas and the vet said he had a bladder obstruction that had progressed from cystitis. He catheterized him and drained the urine, did an ultrasound, gave him fluids and amoxycillin, and sent him home. We were told to watch him and make sure he pees, which he does--anywhere he feels like it! (This is fine for now, as long as we know he's okay.) My question is, the vet said he is prone to have this happen again because he is a boy, but that no one knows for sure what causes it. Is there anything we can do to manage his condition and hopefully prevent this from happening again? He is only a year and a half, weighs 10 pounds, and is usually very active and friendly. He eats only dry cat food. Does diet have anything to do with it? He loves to beg for some turkey or broiled chicken, and a bit of tuna fish. We stopped giving the tuna when we read about mercury and its possible link to urinary tract infections. Does anyone know more about this condition and what can be done to help him recover and stay healthy? Thanks so much.
Cystitis, bladder obstruction
In most cases of FLUTD, if there is at least one obstruction episode, chances are, it will reoccur. Male cats are more susceptible because of a longer urethra, which makes it difficult to pass minute crystals from the bladder/urethra.
Medical management is almost always a necessity for a cat suffering FLUTD. This may include dietary modification (to a prescription diet specifically targeted to dissolve struvites or oxalates and alter the urine pH levels), and may or may not include medications to relax the bladder muscle in order to release/pass the crystals. Some diets may be responsible for the problem if they are not properly formulated (i.e., generic or store brand foods) if they have a high ash or magnesium content. While there is some controversy regarding feeding only a dry cat food, dry food is NOT always the cause for crystal formation. Individual physiology and congenital factors have also played a role in FLUTD.
Depending on what your vet found upon urinalysis and/or culture, and if he identified any crystals during the sediment exam before or during catheterization will depend on the treatment approach. Since you didn't say if crystals were indeed identified, the obstruction could also have been an inflammatory process (bladder wall thickening, or other cause of inflammation). If crystals were found and identified, then modifying the diet specifically for the crystals in question will be your best treatment approach. If your vet doesn't recommend dry food for your kitty in particular, the prescription diets are all available in canned as well. If after trying one prescription diet and kitty does not take to it, don't hesitate to try another veterinary brand, some owners must go through a trial and error period before finding a diet kitty will tolerate (palatability is important here).
You have probably learned the signs to watch for during an obstruction, but will list them here anyway.....straining in litterbox, blood in urine, producing only drops at a time or no urine at all, frequent trips to the litterbox, squatting in unusual places, crying out, painful abdomen, lethargy and/or fever. Any one of the above signs require immediate veterinary attention, no time to waste.
Medical management is almost always a necessity for a cat suffering FLUTD. This may include dietary modification (to a prescription diet specifically targeted to dissolve struvites or oxalates and alter the urine pH levels), and may or may not include medications to relax the bladder muscle in order to release/pass the crystals. Some diets may be responsible for the problem if they are not properly formulated (i.e., generic or store brand foods) if they have a high ash or magnesium content. While there is some controversy regarding feeding only a dry cat food, dry food is NOT always the cause for crystal formation. Individual physiology and congenital factors have also played a role in FLUTD.
Depending on what your vet found upon urinalysis and/or culture, and if he identified any crystals during the sediment exam before or during catheterization will depend on the treatment approach. Since you didn't say if crystals were indeed identified, the obstruction could also have been an inflammatory process (bladder wall thickening, or other cause of inflammation). If crystals were found and identified, then modifying the diet specifically for the crystals in question will be your best treatment approach. If your vet doesn't recommend dry food for your kitty in particular, the prescription diets are all available in canned as well. If after trying one prescription diet and kitty does not take to it, don't hesitate to try another veterinary brand, some owners must go through a trial and error period before finding a diet kitty will tolerate (palatability is important here).
You have probably learned the signs to watch for during an obstruction, but will list them here anyway.....straining in litterbox, blood in urine, producing only drops at a time or no urine at all, frequent trips to the litterbox, squatting in unusual places, crying out, painful abdomen, lethargy and/or fever. Any one of the above signs require immediate veterinary attention, no time to waste.
..........Traci
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
I wish you and Einy much luck in a quick recovery! One of my little girls is going through something similar and it's been very difficult to say the least.
Get well soon, Einy.
Get well soon, Einy.
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
Hi, any new news about Einy?
-
Einy's family
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
Hi,
Thank you for keeping Einy in your thoughts. He seems to be feeling better. He's running around and starting to play. He's using his litterbox and allowing us to hold him again. He isn't jumping yet, though. I guess he might still be tender. The only problem is, he absolutely refuses to eat the dry food the vet gave him. We called and they gave us 2 cans of food, which he ate. But then when we called for more, they said they didn't have any more and he'd have to eat the dry. I don't think they're grasping the meaning of "he will not eat the dry food." He goes back on Thursday for a checkup and another ultrasound. I have a call in to the vet today about getting some kind of food. The poor little baby has to eat.
Please update on Kendall. I've been thinking about her and I hope she's feeling better.
Thank you for keeping Einy in your thoughts. He seems to be feeling better. He's running around and starting to play. He's using his litterbox and allowing us to hold him again. He isn't jumping yet, though. I guess he might still be tender. The only problem is, he absolutely refuses to eat the dry food the vet gave him. We called and they gave us 2 cans of food, which he ate. But then when we called for more, they said they didn't have any more and he'd have to eat the dry. I don't think they're grasping the meaning of "he will not eat the dry food." He goes back on Thursday for a checkup and another ultrasound. I have a call in to the vet today about getting some kind of food. The poor little baby has to eat.
Please update on Kendall. I've been thinking about her and I hope she's feeling better.
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
check other vets for this, unless there is something special about the canned food he ate you should be able to pick it up anywhere...especially if they are out of it, another vet may call your vet for verification.Einy's family wrote:We called and they gave us 2 cans of food, which he ate. But then when we called for more, they said they didn't have any more and he'd have to eat the dry.
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
Hi Einy's family,
It sounds like maybe Einy and Kendall are both having some problems jumping. I did post an update on Kendall last night (check page 2 on the "My sick kitty" thread.) When I got Kendall home on Friday afternoon her back legs seemed "wobbly." She had much trouble jumping up to one of her feeding stations and to the bed... she would try to jump but just wouldn't make it and would fall (this is why I haven't left her for more than a few minutes since I got her home). The vet said the pain meds they had given her may have caused her to be a little uncoordinated. She seems to be doing much better now though with her coordination, and like Einy, she is back to being incredibly sweet and wanting me near at all times (when she was sick she just wanted to be alone.)
I've not had any problems with the prescription food that Kendall got. They put her on the S/O formula dry food to "dilute the acidic ph level" (I hope I said that correctly). She is practically gobbling it up. My problem is that my other cats absolutely love her food too, and while the vet said it wouldn't hurt them to eat her food, I don't think it's a good idea to have them eating prescription food... but that's something we're working on.
I am glad to hear that Einy is feeling better and continue to wish him a quick recovery. Keep us posted.
Shannon
It sounds like maybe Einy and Kendall are both having some problems jumping. I did post an update on Kendall last night (check page 2 on the "My sick kitty" thread.) When I got Kendall home on Friday afternoon her back legs seemed "wobbly." She had much trouble jumping up to one of her feeding stations and to the bed... she would try to jump but just wouldn't make it and would fall (this is why I haven't left her for more than a few minutes since I got her home). The vet said the pain meds they had given her may have caused her to be a little uncoordinated. She seems to be doing much better now though with her coordination, and like Einy, she is back to being incredibly sweet and wanting me near at all times (when she was sick she just wanted to be alone.)
I've not had any problems with the prescription food that Kendall got. They put her on the S/O formula dry food to "dilute the acidic ph level" (I hope I said that correctly). She is practically gobbling it up. My problem is that my other cats absolutely love her food too, and while the vet said it wouldn't hurt them to eat her food, I don't think it's a good idea to have them eating prescription food... but that's something we're working on.
I am glad to hear that Einy is feeling better and continue to wish him a quick recovery.
Keep us posted.Shannon
-
Einy's family
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
Hi all,
Thanks for all the advice and good wishes. The canned food Einy actually ate was IVD Dissolution Formula, and I can't find it at any other vets--not even the local animal hospitals. Ugh. The dry food he refuses to eat is the Hills S/D diet. Our other cat, who is overweight, loves it. The vet said it was okay for her to eat it, but we'd had her on a weight management diet so I can't see how this is good for her. But you can't keep them out of each other's bowls, and they won't eat if they're not together (they're very close). Einy has been stealing some of the Iams canned food from her bowl. I hope that isn't doing him any harm, but he seems to be feeling better and he's near the end of this round of treatment so I'm hoping it's okay. He is drinking a lot, which the vet said he needed to do to clean out his kidneys. Earlier on he had the IVD canned, so I hope the Iams is okay now. We'll have to ask the vet on Thursday. I also want to find out what kind of crystals he has. We're not leaving until we get some other kind of food--preferably one I can buy at Petco so I don't have to rely on the vet for food.
Shannon, I'm especially glad to hear that Kendall is home and feeling better. Hopefully her coordination problems are because of the meds and maybe her muscles are weak from being caged at the vet (if she was caged)? I hope she continues to improve. I will check your thread. Be well.
Einy's family
Thanks for all the advice and good wishes. The canned food Einy actually ate was IVD Dissolution Formula, and I can't find it at any other vets--not even the local animal hospitals. Ugh. The dry food he refuses to eat is the Hills S/D diet. Our other cat, who is overweight, loves it. The vet said it was okay for her to eat it, but we'd had her on a weight management diet so I can't see how this is good for her. But you can't keep them out of each other's bowls, and they won't eat if they're not together (they're very close). Einy has been stealing some of the Iams canned food from her bowl. I hope that isn't doing him any harm, but he seems to be feeling better and he's near the end of this round of treatment so I'm hoping it's okay. He is drinking a lot, which the vet said he needed to do to clean out his kidneys. Earlier on he had the IVD canned, so I hope the Iams is okay now. We'll have to ask the vet on Thursday. I also want to find out what kind of crystals he has. We're not leaving until we get some other kind of food--preferably one I can buy at Petco so I don't have to rely on the vet for food.
Shannon, I'm especially glad to hear that Kendall is home and feeling better. Hopefully her coordination problems are because of the meds and maybe her muscles are weak from being caged at the vet (if she was caged)? I hope she continues to improve. I will check your thread. Be well.
Einy's family
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
The IVD Dissolution formula is relatively a new product, therefore, most vets probably don't carry it yet, or only recieved a sample volume of it. In any event, your vet can sure order more of it, and depending on the distrubutor, it should arrive within a week, two at most.
One thing, without knowing if and what type of crystals were/are present, it's impossible to advise on the diet at this point. S/D is used for temporary struvite management or those cases of FLUTD where acidic urine pH needs to be balanced. S/D is usually only used temporarily and then C/D-s is usually prescribed for long-term management (to maintain and help avoid reoccurance of FLUTD and/or struvites).....another urinalysis should be done (if a course of antibiotics were prescribed), after the antibiotics, to determine if this is infection related, inflammatory in nature, or if there are new developments in crystal formation and identifying whether they are struvites or oxalates.
One thing, without knowing if and what type of crystals were/are present, it's impossible to advise on the diet at this point. S/D is used for temporary struvite management or those cases of FLUTD where acidic urine pH needs to be balanced. S/D is usually only used temporarily and then C/D-s is usually prescribed for long-term management (to maintain and help avoid reoccurance of FLUTD and/or struvites).....another urinalysis should be done (if a course of antibiotics were prescribed), after the antibiotics, to determine if this is infection related, inflammatory in nature, or if there are new developments in crystal formation and identifying whether they are struvites or oxalates.
..........Traci
-
Einy's family
Re: Cystitis, bladder obstruction
Thanks for that information, Traci. I know the vet wants to do another ultrasound but I'm not sure if he mentioned another urinalysis. Do you think Einy needs another ultrasound? Is it necessary to do both tests, or is one sufficent? He had two antibiotics--clovamax and something else. I'm not sure--Einy lives with my mom. I know one was meant to prevent/fight an infection. Would you happen to know if the diet you mentioned is available at stores, or if I have to get it from the vet? I'd rather get it myself--this vet is not exactly reliable when it comes to making sure Einy eats. Thanks, Traci.