UTI in Elderly Cat with CKD

[epona]

I know all the advice and have re-read the Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care link.

Just really want to ask for good vibes for my darling Jakey.

He's 17 years old, never had any bladder issues before but has CKD and has been on Fortekor for 18 months or so.
This week he has developed a bladder issue, he's been doing little wees all over the place so we took him to the vet and the vet detected blood in his urine.

He's not blocked and I know to keep an eye on him and rush him in as an emergency if that happens.

He is on gabapentin for the pain/stress (although we couldn't think of a stressor right away, there was a dog barking in the flat next door last week) but had to after veterinary advice halve the dose because the first dose affected him severely and didn't get cleared out of his system quickly due to his kidney issues. He'll be back at the vet on Saturday if there's no improvement by then.

Please wish him luck and good bladder recovery vibes - he is loved and cared for well by us and has good veterinary care, but it is very worrying given his age and his health conditions and we want him to get better and have a bit longer with us.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Wishing only the best for Jakey.

 

[FeebysOwner]

to Jakey and you.

 

[catsknowme]

You might ask your vet about using soothing herbs such as red raspberry, marshmallow root or chamomile to help relieve Jakey's discomfort. Those herbs are also used in humans (myself included)and if you look at the ingredients lists of feline-specific preparations, you will often see them. A sometimes overlooked rule is to separate marshmallow root (as well as slippery elm, if you ever have occasion to use it) from modern medications by 4-6 hours because the soothing mucilage of those herbs can coat the alimentary tract and inhibit absorption of meds.

 

[epona]

Thanks everyone!

Tests showed it was a bacterial infection, so he's on antibiotics now, hopefully that will sort him out.

It's all a bit of a worry (both the illness and the medications) due to the CKD, hopefully he comes out the other side in one piece and with all his organs still functioning.

Love my darling boy!

 

[epona]

He is currently just weeing wherever - he just went on my lap, didn't squat or anything, wee just came out of him while he was sitting here.

I keep trying to remind myself he's only been on antibiotics since Saturday, but I'm terrified he might have permanent bladder damage or something because he is just weeing everywhere.

My main concern is for his welfare, it's horrible to have everything soaked in cat wee but I just need some reassurance that he can recover from this without permanent bladder damage. I think I might see if I can speak to the vet by phone tomorrow.

I do what I have to do to care for him and I love him so so much, but that doesn't mean I am not stressed - I've been sleeping scrunched up on a 2 seat sofa with him for 2 weeks because he has ataxia from the gabapentin, he's on 5 doses of an assortment of medications a day so I'm up at all hours with alarms going off giving him pills (thank goodness for pill putty, which he loves), I literally have no clean clothes now because he has weed on absolutely everything.

I will do absolutely everything in my power to get my darling boy back to some semblance of health, but I am so so tired and stressed - not showing it to him ofc, it's amazing what you can cope with stoically when you have to - but I'm exhausted.

My husband can't really help because Jakey has always (since before we got him) been a bit wary of men, he hasn't hissed at my husband for over a decade but his interaction is limited to wandering over and giving his hand or foot a quick sniff or lick, so I am his sole carer while he is unwell.

Please keep my lovely sweet boy in your thoughts - he is such a darling and I love him and want him to recover for a bit longer with us.

 

[silent meowlook]

If you feel like listing the meds he is on it might be helpful. If you just want well wishes, I totally understand that. You have them from me.
If he isn’t under the care of a specialist, it would be in his favor to be so. There are drugs that may help with the smooth muscle of the bladder to improve the outcome.
I am sorry you both are going through this.

 

[epona]

If you feel like listing the meds he is on it might be helpful. If you just want well wishes, I totally understand that. You have them from me.
If he isn’t under the care of a specialist, it would be in his favor to be so. There are drugs that may help with the smooth muscle of the bladder to improve the outcome.
I am sorry you both are going through this.

He is on Synulox (a branded antibiotic blend of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid), 50mg twice a day at 6am and 6pm.
Gabapentin for pain relief, 25mg (a low dose, he started out on 50mg but due to CKD wasn't clearing it out of his system within 12 hours so the dose was halved) twice a day at noon and midnight. This is the medication that causes ataxia, I am hoping that the weeing on my lap is just because the medication makes it difficult for him to move off me in time, rather than the weeing on me being due to bladder damage. When we take him off this, I want to taper him off it, I'm aware of humans who have terrible withdrawals when they stop taking gabapentin, but that isn't always accepted in veterinary medicine and I've heard of people being told to take their pets off it cold turkey - I am keeping a few pills back (I was given more than I need I think) to halve his dose down for a week when he comes off it - if humans get terrible withdrawals, animals are likely to as well, they just can't tell you that they feel awful.
Fortekor - brand name for the veterinary medicine version of benazepril hydrochloride, an ACE inhibitor to lower blood pressure and help with kidney function - this is his long term medication that he's been on for 18 months for the CKD - he takes 2.5mg daily at 10pm.
I'm in the UK if that helps with working out various brand names for medications.