Dasequin For Cat With Bladder Inflammation - D Mannose/slippery Elm?

My only suggestion to you is to try the facebook group I recommended. They have wonderful information and can really help you. I learned so much from them and still pay attention to it daily. Give the group a try and see if they can help.

I don't think another convenia injection would be necessary if she does not have an infection.

I will do my best to see if there is anything else I can think of to help.

I just hate to join Facebook I’m not a fan of that with all the privacy issues they have. I’m kinda old school. I wish there was another way to contact them and get info.

cat princesses said:

I just hate to join Facebook I’m not a fan of that with all the privacy issues they have. I’m kinda old school. I wish there was another way to contact them and get info.

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I don't do facebook either, but made an account years ago for something else animal related. This is the only place I go on Facebook.

I took Aurora yesterday for another convenia injection. She’s been doing great. I don’t know if it’s the corn silk or the d mannose I started up but so far she’s used the litter box two days straight. She looks so much better in her eyes, cold is gone so hopefully she’s in the mend. Will continue to post updates.

I hope she will continue to do well. Please do keep us updated.

How is Aurora doing?

Very interested in the D Mannose and the Marshmallow extract.
I see you get the natures answer Marshmallow, but what brand of D Mannose do you get? @catprincess hope it's ok if I ask questions on your thread!
and hope your kitty is still ok!!
I will try and check out the facebook, I have to find my password etc..
haven't been there in awhile!
So much info my head spins!!

I have used D Mannose too. I get the Now Foods Brand.

I found this in the link to the slippery elm article:
I think I will start Walli on the Marshmallow and D Mannose only!

In the case of cystitis (bladder inflammation), slippery elm is thought to soothe the bladder lining, even though there is no direct connection between the digestive and urinary tracts. But its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components may be at work. Slippery elm contains magnesium, so it may not be a good choice if your pet is dealing with an elevated urinary pH or if a bacterial infection is present. Why? Because struvite ( magnesium ammonium phosphate) crystal formation may be a risk, causing more serious urinary problems.

I just read that that is more so for dogs. I have been using slippery elm since April on my kitty with FLUTD. I originally started it for digestive issues, but then it was recommended he stay on it for the protection it gives the bladder lining.


In the case of cystitis (bladder inflammation), Slippery Elm is thought to soothe the bladder lining. However, it is somewhat high in magnesium, so may be contraindicated in dogs who have an active infection with an elevated urinary pH, where struvite crystal formation may be a risk. (In cats, urinary tract infections are very rarely bacterial.) Slippery Elm bark contains natural pentosans, a class of complex sugars that contains the same compound found in the drug “Elmiron®,”the major pain-relieving treatment for interstitial cystitis (IC) in women. Pentosan has been used by the pharmaceutical industry as an anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory for more than 40 years. (Anti-coagulant effects are not seen with normal oral administration.) Since bladder disease in cats is very similar to that in women, slippery elm may be especially beneficial for our feline friends. Small, frequent dosages of pentosan has been shown in humans to be more effective than single large doses.


D mannose is an excellent choice, but often not needed on a daily basis. It can be added back in if signs of urinary distress occur. Marshmallow extract or corn silk can be given daily in both crisis dosage and maintenance. Corn silk is often preferred, but some cats do not like the taste of it. I started with Marshmallow, but now am using Corn silk.

Hi everyone
shadowsrescue i took Aurora for a second convenia injection Friday and she’s used her litter box 100% since. I am continuing to give her the d mannose 1/4 tsp about 3x a day in wet food. She won’t eat the slippery elm at all but she does let me squirt a small dropper full of the corn silk liquid about 4x per day as you suggested. Last night she sniffed the area rug in the basement that she was peeing on before and I had to divert her away and she immediately went and used her litter box. We decided it wasn’t worth trying to save the rug so we rolled it up and tossed out today for trash pick up. Hopefully we’re all good going forward. Thank you for all your help! I will be back if anything changes.

walli said:

Very interested in the D Mannose and the Marshmallow extract.
I see you get the natures answer Marshmallow, but what brand of D Mannose do you get? @catprincess hope it's ok if I ask questions on your thread!
and hope your kitty is still ok!!
I will try and check out the facebook, I have to find my password etc..
haven't been there in awhile!
So much info my head spins!!

Click to expand...

W walli no problem at al! I’m using the now brand d mannose powder it’s easier than dumping capsules I use 1/4 tsp. I got a good price from Swenson vitamins online

Thank you!
Good to hear about your kitty!
That D Mannose sounds like good stuff!

Such good news! I really hope that gets her back on track.

shadowsrescue
Well I’m back with a question. We rolled up the rug Aurora was peeing in and tossed it yesterday. Last night she sniffed one of the litter boxes in the basement ( there are three ) stuck her head in, sniffed but didn’t go in. My husband called me down and I asked her if she needed to make potty and she went to one of the other boxes but sure seemed like she was thinking about peeing. She wags her tail when she’s thinking about peeing. This morning her eyes were really big and she seemed weird. She did pee over night in the litter box so that’s good. I heard her make a really loud meow and I quickly went to the basement and she was just sitting there. I googled possible high blood pressure but am not seeing anything talking about peeing outside the box. Maybe this is still somewhat an anxiety issue? No idea. She won’t take slippery elm anymore in wet food does that come in a liquid form I could give direct into her mouth? I think you can boil it and make a syrup? I’d need to watch a you tube to learn.

This is really perplexing. Meowing when trying to pee or sitting near the box shows a clear aversion to urinating. Whether it be the litter box, a fear of the box or a possible urinary issues. Has your vet ever suggested or talked about FLUTD? Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorder. I know that crying in the litter box can be a sign of a blockage or pain when urinating? Is that a possibility?

Has she ever been given any pain meds such as burprenex or something for bladder spasms (pravosin)?

Is there ever a chance that she had an encounter with your other cat in the litter box area? Have you thought of putting a litter box in another location for her?

What if you put her in a separate room for awhile. It could be your bedroom or a guest room with a litter box or two? See how she reacts then.

Maybe getting a second opinion from another vet? I don't like the fact that she is meowing near the box. For me that sends up a red flag. I only have male cats and when they do something like that it brings to mind urinary blockage. It can happen in females, but is much less likely.

If the issue is anxiety, have you thought about trying a calming product with her? Feliway plug ins, Composure calming liquid or treats or even CBD oil (hemp based).

Just throwing outs lots of thoughts and ideas.

shadowsrescue tell me about it! Very puzzling. Yeah the vet said idiopathic cystitis and suggested those Cosequin sprinkle capsules but Aurora refuses to eat anything I mixed it in and now she won’t wat any wet food with the slippery elm powder either. I googled and found some animal liquid slippery elm I assume I can give that direct by mouth also? I winder if I can give that and the liquid corn silk? She doesn’t say a word in the litter box and I bought two more a month ago when this all started. I out one in front of the carpet she was peeing on and that got her back using the potty about three weeks ago. I out the other new one around the corner so Mulan can’t see if she’s in that one or not we call that her private litter box and she favors that one now the most. Yes Mulan did chase her a couple times when she tried to use the upstairs laundry room litter box but she got yelled at right away. I have the feliway multi cat diffusers two of them one in each spot each spends most of their time. The vet did an x Ray and said bladder looked good and the culture would have caught crystals. She pees a huge volume when she does go so there can’t be a blockage. She does have these bumps all over her, one was removed a couple years ago and it’s basically a non benign little cyst pimple thing. She has about 10 all along honest the base of her tail I wonder if one is maybe hurting her? The vet said you just leave them alone and it would be too many to remove in that one spot. What’s up with the tail wagging? I don’t get that and the large pupils? Maybe she’s chemically off? The vet suggested the next stop would be trying amilyteiptayne probabally jacked up the spelling of that. She said she’s had good success with cats peeing outside the litter box. I hate to drug her up but maybe she’s just super stressed? Mulan wants to play but it sorta sometimes seems aggressive she will run after Aurora but Aurora will hiss and punch Mulan and than that’s it. I did ask the vet about cbd oil and she said not to bother. I had a cat that meowed loud and she had high blood pressure but I am not finding anything online about peeing outside the litter box associated. Also why is she good about using the box say 6x and then the 7th she pees in the rug? Hoping it was just the scent that was attracting her and now tossing the rug will help solve that.

I will write more in the morning but I did want to add that you can make a slippery elm syrup. I use that instead of the powder. It’s really easy to make. I make it once a week and keep in the fridge. When my boy was really sick, I was syringing slippery elm and corn silk. I sometimes added d mannose and a bit of water.

More to come in the morning.

Here is the link for making slippery elm syrup The 'Emergency Food' Herb Every Pet Owner Needs to Have in the Medicine Cabinet

My cat with urinary issues was on Prozac. It eventually led to his urinary retention and eventually his second blockage. I did thorough research on the human antidepressant drugs and all have the potential to do this in cats. Yet there are also so many cases where it is vital and necessary. One of my other cats ( I have 6!) was spraying out of the box. I tried so many things. The Prozac worked in just a few days. He then started up again and we had to up the dosage. I will tell you that they are quite drugged when they start. It took one of my cats about 6 weeks to adjust. The other was better in about 3. They are lethargic and often don't want to eat much. I am in the process now of weaning the cat who sprays off of Prozac. I have started him on a low dose CBD.

I would wonder about pain from one of the bumps especially if near her tail. Ask the vet to palpitate some of these bumps watching for a pain reaction.


Cats are really funny about the way their pee and poop. The tail twitching is usually what cats do sometimes when they urinate, mark or spray. My cat that sprays, twitches his tail each time he pees. He is now an elevator butt peeing cat. I use large tall sided rubbermaid storage boxes as litter boxes so he can pee on the sides.

You might see if the large pupils could be a reaction to Convenia. I am not a huge fan of this injection. It's nice that it last 3 weeks, but there are often side effects with it. I only use it on my feral cats when I cannot pill them and need a long lasting antibiotic.

Have you thought of getting a second opinion?

shadowsrescue i think because Aurora was a precious diabetic currently in remission the vet is cautious with her and what we give her for meds. She also has un confirmed ibs which I also have under control. The vet said she said the antibiotics cause gi upset and she felt convenia was the best choice. I absolutely love my vet they are really open minded to me trying all this stuff at home and really work with me so I feel confident we’re in good hands. I am currently using precious cat litter in the blue bag. I have used that almost the entire time since I adopted them. I started with the dr elsey red bag clumping with cat attract and then switched years ago to this. The vet told me today to go and get the cheapest unscented litter I could fine, with the large texture and they that in one box. She also said try a bag of yesterdays news in another box. And a third box with the litter that has the cat attract and then of course keep a couple boxes with the current and see what happens. I was at work today but the security camera shows Aurora go and one in the litter box and she looks really good today. When you make the slippery elm syrup hoe much do you syringe or can you mix with food and will they eat it that way? How long does it keep? My friend has ic and she made that for tea and said it’s kinda a slimy consistency.