Kitty w/Blocked Bladder

[VLM123]

Hello, all. Glad to be here on the boards. Here is my situation:

I have a 4-year-old male kitty named Foo-Foo. He had to be rushed to an emergency vet clinic on Sunday night to unblock his bladder. All went well, and this morning, he was back to his usual self. He was placed on antibiotics. The vet gave him a dosage of the antibiotics this morning while at the emergency clinic, and my husband and I gave Foo-Foo his other dosage earlier this afternoon. This evening, however, Foo-Foo seems to be straining to urinate, and we are worried that he is blocked already again. I called the emergency vet clinic, and they suggested Foo-Foo be brought in again. The problem is cost, unfortunately. We paid $250 for kitty to be seen that night, and we can't afford another $250 right now. The clinic suggested we take him to our local clinic tomorrow; however, I am worried that they will ask for the same amount of money upfront also, which, again, we do not have right now. We will have some funds available in a couple of days, but I don't want to wait too long in case he is blocked again.

Can someone help us in finding a clinic where we can be billed instead of having to pay everything up front and maybe some tips so he won't get blocked so soon again, if at all??

Foo-Foo currently eats Wysong Vitality feline diet, and he seems to drink enough water, which is from a Pur filter. We have never given him tap water, which probably doesn't make much difference, but we figured it could help. Any suggestions???? Thank you.

[Syd&Max]

My 3 yr old male had the same problem over the summer. He is probably straining because it still hurts - was your cat there overnight? If he had a catheter in, those are painful. I would imagine that the pain is from the irritation from the procedures to remove the blockage. You should, however, get your cat to your regular vet to discuss dietary changes, etc. Watch to make sure your cat is not peeing in strange places. I am sure he will be just fine.
My cat peed every 10 mins or so when we first brought him home, and he looked as if he was in pain. It eventually went away when the inflamation from the catheter went away.

[VLM123]

My 3 yr old male had the same problem over the summer. He is probably straining because it still hurts - was your cat there overnight? If he had a catheter in, those are painful. I would imagine that the pain is from the irritation from the procedures to remove the blockage. You should, however, get your cat to your regular vet to discuss dietary changes, etc. Watch to make sure your cat is not peeing in strange places. I am sure he will be just fine.
My cat peed every 10 mins or so when we first brought him home, and he looked as if he was in pain. It eventually went away when the inflamation from the catheter went away.

Foo-Foo wasn't left at the clinic overnight, however, the vet did have to place a catheter in and drain him. He did pee a bit on the kitchen floor earlier this evening, but so far, I don't think he did it anywhere else. He is acting somewhat okay, not eating as greedily as he does, but he did eat a a little earlier today. I'll keep a close eye on him and probably see about taking him to a clinic tomorrow just in case. Thanks for responding!

[davet]

if this does not respond to antibiotica asnd antispasmotice you might be in for a surgical procedure..buyt i think the catherter should be left in for a few days, even if it has to be sutured in place

[Traci]

When he was catheterized, what did your vet find? Crystals? If so, what type? Did he also perform a complete urinalysis? You need to find this out because if there are crystals present, they may be higher up in the urethra, left undetected, which could cause another blockage.

Davet could be right, you may need to be prepared for another catheterization and hospitalization to ensure any blockages have been removed or passed...in extreme blockages, the catheter is usually left in for two or more days so the vet can monitor urine output as well as check the urine for crystals, etc. If this is a reoccuring problem, a perineal urethrostomy may be an option, but your vet will determine the necessity (preferrably, you have an experienced veterinary surgeon).

Don't wait on this, get your kitty seen TODAY, you can't risk a serious blockage, only your vet can determine if kitty may require immediate hospitalization. Most vets are willing to make payment arrangements if you leave at least a reasonable deposit, you have to discuss that with them..in any event, your kitty is depending on you to get him the immediate care he needs. Urinary blockages can not only cause significant damage with scar tissue, inflammation, etc, but they can also be fatal!

[VLM123]

A urinalysis was done, and the vet said that she was able to flush his urethra and urine passed easily. I believe some crystals were found; that was early Monday morning. While he is eating normally and drinking water fine, he is still passing bloody urine and appears to still be straining. I called the local clinic, and they claim that this normal for a kitty after having been unblocked, but I am still worried and will take him into the clinic ASAP. I'll report back. Thanks again.

[Traci]

It's not uncommon for the urethra to be irritated as a result of a catheterization, and for a small amount of blood in the urine to be present. However, it's been three days since his catheterization, he is still straining and producing blood, so your vet needs to address this, and possibly do a new urinalysis to determine size, number and type of any newly developing or undetected crystals. This has to be done using a full urinalysis and urine sediment evaluation under a slide exam. It's crucial she determines the type of crystals found so that she can treat it appropriately, she also needs to address kitty's diet, and get him on a veterinary diet specific for the type of crystals.

How much urine is he actually producing? If only drops at a time or tiny amounts, don't wait, get him back to your vet RIGHT NOW.

He could also have some inflammatory condition that may demand further investigation, and your vet needs to rule this out.

It's better to err on the side of caution and get this checked NOW before it worsens. If it is only mild irritation, then you'll have peace of mind for finding that out. But, a new urinalysis and crystal identification is crucial, as well as introduction to a veterinary dissolution diet (the correct diet is necessary for dissolution, but it's equally crucial to identify the crystal type because this is the best way to prescribe the appropriate diet).