Good Morning! Hoping this wonderful community can make a Cat mom feel at ease. SORRY FOR THE LONG POST - just want to give the full situation.
Neo, my 6 year old cat, was straining to pee 3 weeks ago. He was squatting all over the house with no pee coming out, then suddenly he went to the kitchen dropped 2 drops and then a full blown puddle. Since it was a Saturday I immediately rushed him to the emergency vet (which stresses him out). They took him in and said that they wanted to monitor him overnight to ensure he pees on his own. They ran a urinalysis and a few other tests to see what was going on with him. He had no infection (which seemed good) but was still straining to pee, however was producing small amounts. I went in that evening to say good night to him, and then he suddenly peed after he saw me - while he was still straining it was a decent amount of pee that he produced. The doctor suggested that I take him home with me because of how stressed he was at the vet. They sent me home with Prazosin & Burprenorphine to give him for the next 7 days. Also he was switched to eat only Royal Canin Wet SO. He seemed to be doing OK at home with the medications, going I would say a ping pong ball - golf ball size pees every time he went, all though he frequently visited the litter box. My husband and I were going out of town (pre planned trip) that Thursday after all of this so I wanted to bring him to his vet for a checkup before I left him at home with my Mom watching over him.
I took him to the vet Thursday morning and they seemed concerned because his bladder was full, but every time he got into the litter box at the vet he was only releasing small small amounts of urine and making these noises that I hadn't heard at all when we were home. They took x-rays, didn't see any blockages or stones in his bladder, he was constantly licking down there after attempting to pee and then suddenly he just stopped peeing. The vet gave me a bunch of prescriptions and provided me with a few scenarios, he could be stressed out because of being there and may feel more comfortable at home to urinate. She asked me to take him home, see if he urinates within the first 15 minutes and if he doesn't he needs to go immediately to the emergency vet to receive a catheter. She could have done the catheter, but he would have needed to be sent to the emergency vet for 24 hour care after the catheter was inputted so she suggested that I just go there vs. the two stops.
Well, we went home and the entire 5 minute drive home I just knew he wasn't going to pee at home because i suspected the stress of the vet caused him to ultimately block which I'm sure would have happened regardless. We got home and he was just making noises trying to pee. I immediately put him in the carrier and my husband and I headed to the emergency vet. They took him back immediately and told us he needed a catheter ASAP. We gave him hugs, warned the vet that he gets easily stressed and left our sweet baby at the vet.
They emergency vet was great - calling us every day in the morning and evening giving us updates on his progress. He ended up having the catheter in him for 48 hours, until he peed it out. They monitored him for 6 hours after that to ensure he peed and let us know we could pick him up that evening. We brought him home, and the first time he got in the box he growled at and looked to be straining - but he released urine. He tried to lick down there but he has a cone on his head to avoid that - which is so cute and sad. I frantically called the emergency vet and they said I could bring him back in but this could be a reaction having the catheter in him, so I decided to let him spend the night home before rushing back. The next morning seemed to be better, the strain time decreased and he was still releasing urine. I would say each day was getting a little better, he was still on the same medicines, Prazosin & Burprenorphine for 2 weeks (currently at day 9). We let him roam the house on his own for the first 5 days he was home so that he could get himself to smell like home and also just make the environment as stress free as possible. On Thursday evening, April 12th, we let our 4 year old girl cat out to reintroduce the kitty's. As always it took a few days, but it made it a little better for all of us to have everyone back together. Our spare bedroom as 2 litter boxes, which I clean 2-3 times a day (morning, after work and before bed). While I think my baby is getting better my vet doesn't make me feel that way. Our girl cat's pee I would say is the size of a baseball, while Neo's pee is the size of a golf ball, and he is still going in and out frequently - which he did prior to being blocked, I'm not sure if he just likes the litter box or what?! Anyways, I guess I don't know what a normal size pee is for him since I never really paid full attention to what I was scooping prior to this incident. Is a cat peeing golf ball size pees 5-7 times a day normal? He likes to also go to the bathroom if I am in the room where the litter box is, like hes saying "look mom I'm peeing, don't take me back to the vet." I feel like everyday gets better, he has a great appetite (always has) is running around playing with his toys, cuddles just like normal, vocal as normal, he doesn't drink water but I have been adding a lot of water to his wet food so I think he's getting a decent amount through that. I'm hoping I can take the cone off soon, we've been taking it off for a few hours a day and monitoring that he doesn't over groom down there. Is there really such thing as a normal pee size for cats?!
I've read so many posts about urinary blockage and post catheter recovery, just hoping maybe given my situation maybe others have seen the same in their cat.
Neo, my 6 year old cat, was straining to pee 3 weeks ago. He was squatting all over the house with no pee coming out, then suddenly he went to the kitchen dropped 2 drops and then a full blown puddle. Since it was a Saturday I immediately rushed him to the emergency vet (which stresses him out). They took him in and said that they wanted to monitor him overnight to ensure he pees on his own. They ran a urinalysis and a few other tests to see what was going on with him. He had no infection (which seemed good) but was still straining to pee, however was producing small amounts. I went in that evening to say good night to him, and then he suddenly peed after he saw me - while he was still straining it was a decent amount of pee that he produced. The doctor suggested that I take him home with me because of how stressed he was at the vet. They sent me home with Prazosin & Burprenorphine to give him for the next 7 days. Also he was switched to eat only Royal Canin Wet SO. He seemed to be doing OK at home with the medications, going I would say a ping pong ball - golf ball size pees every time he went, all though he frequently visited the litter box. My husband and I were going out of town (pre planned trip) that Thursday after all of this so I wanted to bring him to his vet for a checkup before I left him at home with my Mom watching over him.
I took him to the vet Thursday morning and they seemed concerned because his bladder was full, but every time he got into the litter box at the vet he was only releasing small small amounts of urine and making these noises that I hadn't heard at all when we were home. They took x-rays, didn't see any blockages or stones in his bladder, he was constantly licking down there after attempting to pee and then suddenly he just stopped peeing. The vet gave me a bunch of prescriptions and provided me with a few scenarios, he could be stressed out because of being there and may feel more comfortable at home to urinate. She asked me to take him home, see if he urinates within the first 15 minutes and if he doesn't he needs to go immediately to the emergency vet to receive a catheter. She could have done the catheter, but he would have needed to be sent to the emergency vet for 24 hour care after the catheter was inputted so she suggested that I just go there vs. the two stops.
Well, we went home and the entire 5 minute drive home I just knew he wasn't going to pee at home because i suspected the stress of the vet caused him to ultimately block which I'm sure would have happened regardless. We got home and he was just making noises trying to pee. I immediately put him in the carrier and my husband and I headed to the emergency vet. They took him back immediately and told us he needed a catheter ASAP. We gave him hugs, warned the vet that he gets easily stressed and left our sweet baby at the vet.
They emergency vet was great - calling us every day in the morning and evening giving us updates on his progress. He ended up having the catheter in him for 48 hours, until he peed it out. They monitored him for 6 hours after that to ensure he peed and let us know we could pick him up that evening. We brought him home, and the first time he got in the box he growled at and looked to be straining - but he released urine. He tried to lick down there but he has a cone on his head to avoid that - which is so cute and sad. I frantically called the emergency vet and they said I could bring him back in but this could be a reaction having the catheter in him, so I decided to let him spend the night home before rushing back. The next morning seemed to be better, the strain time decreased and he was still releasing urine. I would say each day was getting a little better, he was still on the same medicines, Prazosin & Burprenorphine for 2 weeks (currently at day 9). We let him roam the house on his own for the first 5 days he was home so that he could get himself to smell like home and also just make the environment as stress free as possible. On Thursday evening, April 12th, we let our 4 year old girl cat out to reintroduce the kitty's. As always it took a few days, but it made it a little better for all of us to have everyone back together. Our spare bedroom as 2 litter boxes, which I clean 2-3 times a day (morning, after work and before bed). While I think my baby is getting better my vet doesn't make me feel that way. Our girl cat's pee I would say is the size of a baseball, while Neo's pee is the size of a golf ball, and he is still going in and out frequently - which he did prior to being blocked, I'm not sure if he just likes the litter box or what?! Anyways, I guess I don't know what a normal size pee is for him since I never really paid full attention to what I was scooping prior to this incident. Is a cat peeing golf ball size pees 5-7 times a day normal? He likes to also go to the bathroom if I am in the room where the litter box is, like hes saying "look mom I'm peeing, don't take me back to the vet." I feel like everyday gets better, he has a great appetite (always has) is running around playing with his toys, cuddles just like normal, vocal as normal, he doesn't drink water but I have been adding a lot of water to his wet food so I think he's getting a decent amount through that. I'm hoping I can take the cone off soon, we've been taking it off for a few hours a day and monitoring that he doesn't over groom down there. Is there really such thing as a normal pee size for cats?!
I've read so many posts about urinary blockage and post catheter recovery, just hoping maybe given my situation maybe others have seen the same in their cat.