After Care Tips For Urethra Blockage

[laurainthesky]

Long story short, we noticed Weds around midnight that our boy, Shorty, was not able to urinate. We drove him up to the emergency vet and the last days have been very long and stressful. He got his catheter out yesterday at 1p and we were able to bring him home around 7p.

Since he had been home I have been in regular communication with the vet. He finally seems to be showing some progress after about 20 hours of being home. The vet thinks he is showing very typical behavior. He may get a new medicine on Monday.

We have been prescribed with a new diet. I have been trying to research a more sustainable diet because i will not be able to afford the 6 pound $50 bag of vet food forever. I understand that wet food is best. Does anyone have any suggestions? I plan to keep him on the vet food until i see a full recovery but i'd like to find a better food for all 4 of my boys.

I also wondered if anyone had any opinions on diluting some organic unsweetened not from concentrate cranberry juice in his water? The internet says:

"Cats, especially male cats, are susceptible to bladder/urethra issues and blockages. If your cat has had such problems, unsweetenedcranberry juice may help prevent a reoccurrence. This is becausecranberry increases urine acidity which means less chance of blockages or infections."

I just don't know how i feel about that. Has anyone seen success. Should I put it in his water or offer it undiluted?

Any other tips that you found helpful in a similar situation?

 

[jen]

Start here Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection
That is the best place to help you. It is a wealth of information.

There is also a PDF file there with hundreds of canned foods and their carb, protein, fat, phosphorus content.

You absolutely have to have him on a wet diet. That is the best and healthiest option for any cat period. The vet prescribed diets are usually crap.

 

[laurainthesky]

So the vet sold us 24 cans of wet food and 6 pound bag of food. Im supposed to feed him 1 can and 1/4 cup of kibble every 12 hours. Do I just consider this a sunk cost and scrap the kibble? It is supposed to promote urinary health and calm.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Here's what I would do; the quantity of kibble isn't crazy, go ahead and feed per your vet's instructions.

Regarding the cranberry, maybe do a little more research as to whether you want to do that. I believe there are kidney/bladder support supplement treats available, take a look at 1800petmeds, Only Natural Pet, VetRXDirect, and other veterinary product websites.

The other thing I would do is obtain a faucet end filter, or a filter pitcher (be sure and deep clean it now and then). If you already have a pet water fountain that's great, but also have water bowls cleaned and fresh water daily, here and there, and even at different heights, to entice him with clean, good tasting water.
You could even add an ice cube or two now and then.

 

[Furballsmom]

Here are a couple other websites for food;
CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

Pet Food Guide

 

[lalagimp]

I had Tommy on Cranberry Relief for a few months, but then Dr Pierson told me to scrap it because she said it's unfounded in cats to understand if it's a sound theory, but will further screw up the pH of their urine.
Changing food out from old habits is a killer on the budget. We quit with the $45 bag of kibble I was feeding my boys each month and went to wet food. Wet food for two 13 lb males was just too much, so I tried them on some commercial raw. They liked it, so that was my green light to start making my own cat food. I spend around $90 a month for the two boys, vs $1.89 per can of what I was feeding them.
If you would like an over the counter somewhat affordable urinary formula to keep them on after the prescription clears this current issue up, Dave's Restricted on Chewy.com has been favorable. I just haven't used it personally.

 

[1 bruce 1]

If your cat likes the kibble, I'd use a sprinkle of it or feed it as treats but I'd definitely try to keep this guy on a wet diet.
Do you have other cats? Keeping him separate for now so you can really get a good look at what he's producing in the litter is a good plan.

We had a cat years ago get blocked twice, and a wet diet only transition after the second blockage practically fixed the problem. No more blockages and no more problems.

 

[Jem]

Keep with what the vet said about the food until he is healthy. Yeah, prescription vet food does not have the best ingredients (carbs and fillers), but they DO WORK at correcting an acute problem and in some cases, are needed for long term.

I assume your cat had crystals in his urine, which is why he has the prescription food? When your done with the kibble, just don't buy it anymore and give him more wet. With a whole can of wet and only a 1/4 cup of kibble, he's getting a good amount of wet food.

As someone else posted, you could use it for treats. Get a treat ball, and fill it with the prescription food, instead of treats. He'll get his medicine and have fun too!

 

[twintriode]

My cat had the same thing, and believe it or not my vet said that they could essentially make a vagina out of his penis and therefor he would not have blocks anymore. Not because of any hangups but I opted to buy the food for 8yrs. I agree it is way expensive. Having 4 cats makes this (as far as I'm concerned) impossible financially. If you did opt for the surgery eveyone could stay on the same food.

 

[lalagimp]

If you did opt for the surgery eveyone could stay on the same food.

Nada. They get their urethra refashioned to where it's wider and way less likely to block, but can still block again. Plus, if they continue to have urinary crystals but don't block, don't you think that sandy urine is still a bit uncomfortable?
We got the surgery. I will always continue to treat him as a bladder kitty. Even if it's a cystitis flare up and not crystals, you want to maintain the environment within the bladder for an little irritation as possible.

I know you mean well, but surgery is not always intended as a Cure-All.

 

[leechi]

As has been mentioned keep him on only wet food. Even mix in a little extra water if he’ll eat it that way. Hydration is the most important factor in preventing blockage. It flushes out the bladder and keeps the urine dilute enough that it doesn’t reach the point of saturation where the crystals can form.

I also recommend you get him Tinkle Tonic. You can mix it into the food and use it as a preventative measure, or at the first signs of a problem. My mom has several male cats and has used it with success for a long time to treat the beginning stages of blockage.

Animal Essentials Tinkle Tonic Herbal Dog & Cat Supplement

 

[leechi]

Nada. They get their urethra refashioned to where it's wider and way less likely to block, but can still block again. Plus, if they continue to have urinary crystals but don't block, don't you think that sandy urine is still a bit uncomfortable?
We got the surgery. I will always continue to treat him as a bladder kitty. Even if it's a cystitis flare up and not crystals, you want to maintain the environment within the bladder for an little irritation as possible.

I know you mean well, but surgery is not always intended as a Cure-All.

I agree. Females can get blocked too (my own female cat has partially blocked from dry food), so it makes sense that a male even after the surgery would need the right diet to prevent it.

 

[laurainthesky]

Well, I also have 3 other boys that are potentially at risk for developing this (chubby, neutered Male cats on a dry food diet). I am still researching to find the best affordable wet food. I am interested in making homemade wet food. Any favorite recipes?

We tried to put a bit of cranberry in his water and he won't touch the stuff. Will look into the tonic.

He seems better today, saving that he is a bit sneezy. His brother had a sneeze last week so keeping an eye on that. Hoping it goes away after 24-48 hours like Pancake's sneeze did. One difference is Shorty's sneeze is accompanied with a leaky eye. Pancakes didn't have any other symptoms. Shorty has been quarantined and will probably remain so for a couple weeks until we figure out the food situation and make sure he's recovered from this.

Thank you all so much for the feedback and support.

 

[laurainthesky]

Keep with what the vet said about the food until he is healthy. Yeah, prescription vet food does not have the best ingredients (carbs and fillers), but they DO WORK at correcting an acute problem and in some cases, are needed for long term.

I assume your cat had crystals in his urine, which is why he has the prescription food? When your done with the kibble, just don't buy it anymore and give him more wet. With a whole can of wet and only a 1/4 cup of kibble, he's getting a good amount of wet food.

As someone else posted, you could use it for treats. Get a treat ball, and fill it with the prescription food, instead of treats. He'll get his medicine and have fun too!

Yes, he did have some crystallization. Luckily no stones!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! retail stores like Tractor Supply (regular store as well as online), Walmart and various larger grocery stores all have canned cat foods that are decent, and prices are easier on the wallet.

Also, catinfo.org has a very reliable recipe along with lots of information; Making Cat Food

 

[laurainthesky]

Ok new development.. this evening he has taken to laying on the pads we provided for him and just peeing while laying down. I've never seen a cat do that. At least he is peeing and not blocked but this seems pretty concerning to me. Any thoughts?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Is he cleaning himself? You'll need to get something that actually wicks away the pee, either puppy pee pads that specifically do that, or hospital pads, some kind of material like that, and also you'll need to clean him - the softest cloth you have and warm water, and if he'll let you maybe a hair dryer on low to dry him or a really absorbent cloth.
Baby wipes are ok if you have some that have no chemicals in them like pampers aqua pur, seventh generation or pet Earthbath wipes...

 

[laurainthesky]

He had been cleaning himself quite often. So through this whole ordeal he has been having little accidents like when we give him his medicine. I guess it was just stressful enough to make him go a little. At first he had been squatting every minute or so from the discomfort of recently having the catheter. He seemed to be doing better today but we just noticed this new behavior. I have wipes to clean him, but is this normal? Maybe he's just too tired to deal with it right now?

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't know about normal.... can you give your vet a call first thing?
Anyway, do be sure the wipes don't have chemicals - those can cause urinary tract infections.

 

[laurainthesky]

Yes, they open at 7:30 so i will be calling. I will just use a cloth and water to avoid any risks of irritating him further.