Blood in urine

Sakemom

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So last week my cat started urinating frequently so I called and made an appointment with her vet in the upcoming days. Later that night she started urinating blood and since her vet was closed we made a trip to the ER vet. 5 hours and $500 later I was told her urinalysis and ultrasound was normal and probably due to stress. I was given an antibiotic and some pain meds. After a few days she seemed to be back to normal but then exactly a week later the frequent urination and tiny amounts of blood showed up again. I’m honestly at a loss and not sure what to do. My normal vet (cat specialist at cat only vet) told me to make sure she has plenty of fresh water out (she has 3 bowls and a water fountain in our 800 sq ft home) and to make her environment less stressful so I bought all these cat safe products to calm her environment even more. I honestly don’t know what to do anymore and am very worried about her health but every time she visits a vet they find nothing. She is only 4 years old and has had so many urinalysis, ultrasounds, xrays, and blood work and every single time they are normal. Please help if you have any suggestions!!
 
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Sakemom

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Hi! Have you tried adjusting what she's eating?
Yes I’m the past she has had issues peeing outside the litter box but all assessments were normal but I was told to switch her food just in case that was the cause. She has been on prescription urinary then prescription limited ingredient then back on urinary and now she is on limited ingredient again. Nothing seems to change.
 

DreamerRose

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In spite of all the work you've had done, it sounds to me like she has crystals, which would seem to have come up in a urinalysis. Can you catch some urine when she pees? If you can, take it to the vet and ask about crystals. It could be that or a lot of other things. I don't believe the vets have investigated this enough.
 
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Furballsmom

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One more quick one, this is all dry food, or are you able to use the canned version of any of these?
 
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Sakemom

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One more quick one, this is all dry food, or are you able to use the canned version of any of these?
She is free fed dry (rarely eats it unless she’s very hungry) and she gets 1/2 can of wet food in the morning and evening with a probiotic. Both have always been same brand/type.
 
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Sakemom

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In spite of all the work you've had done, it sounds to me like she has crystals, which would seem to have come up in a urinalysis. Can you catch some urine when she pees? If you can, take it to the vet and ask about crystals. It could be that or a lot of other things. I don't believe the vets have investigated this enough.
Thank you! They have tested for crystals twice in the past week and nothing. She has been tested in the past and always been negative. Are they maybe easy to miss?
 
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Sakemom

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I just had a thought, maybe she could benefit from filtered water?
I fill her water fountain up with filtered water and it has a filter that is changed regularly. That is the main place she gets her water from! But I probably should fill her other bowls up with filtered water too.
 

Furballsmom

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...she's an indoor only kitty I'm assuming. There's nothing she's able to ingest that she shouldn't, is she licking something, eating a plant? It certainly sounds like you're doing everything you can :)
 
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Sakemom

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...she's an indoor only kitty I'm assuming. There's nothing she's able to ingest that she shouldn't, is she licking something, eating a plant? It certainly sounds like you're doing everything you can :)
She’s indoor only but has like 30 minutes of supervised patio time. She has been interested in my new basil plant by the kitchen window she likes to sit on but I haven’t seen her attempt to chew on it. Is that a dangerous plant for cats?? It’s the only plant I have in my house. I also started running lavender essential oils in the room she spends most of her time on a couple months ago. My vet said that was safe to do and would help calm her but now I’m wondering if that may be the cause??
 

Furballsmom

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I'm not an expert regarding essential oils and toxicity, but try removing the lavender and putting the basil out of her reach - just to see if it helps. Hang in there!! Let us know how things go :vibes::crossfingers::heartshape:
 
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Sakemom

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Jem

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I would agree that kitty probably has FIC. And it usually comes down to stress and moisture.
My kitty had Cystitis, but we were able to figure out what caused him to be so stressed out. We had a bad bear season, and they were coming up close to the house and eliminating all over the yard. Poor guy was terrified about the intrusion.
Thankfully, it was a one off year, and he never had another relapse.
So I would start doing some serious sleuthing and try to figure out what could be causing her distress.
Loud noises, inside or outside (music, TV, person/child, construction)
Another animal in the house
Neighborhood animals or wildlife
Any changes in the home, or even an inconsistent routine in the home
Bored
Placement of litter box
Does she have somewhere to go where she feels safe, where she can get away if she wants?
And please don't take offence to this but have you or anyone in your home been stressed, anxious or fearful about anything? Cats can really pick up on our emotions.

As to how to help manage,

As much moisture in her diet as possible
Play WITH her, using a wand toy that she can physically catch and try to follow up play sessions with a small snack or meal. It allows them to "act out" their instincts of the hunt / catch / eat, making a more confident kitty.
Make a routine for her and stick to it as closely as possible...feeding times, play times, etc...Most cats hate change, so the less change the better.
if she doesn't have a safe space where she knows she can be left alone, make one for her, in an area she likes to be.
If you have children (or adult for that matter) in the home, not criticizing or blaming, but be sure they are gentile with her, and know to leave her alone if she doesn't want attention. Again, I'm not trying to lay blame or suggest abuse in any way, just that some kitties aren't fans of big excitement and need alone time. And some cats may not swat, hiss or bite to show they've had enough...they may just try to get away, but it doesn't mean they're not stressed about it.
Provide her with high up places to hang out like cat trees and shelving.


That's all I can think of right now...
I'll come back when I think of more.
 
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Sakemom

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So a bit of an update...I switched her food to proplan urinary, give her filtered water, and bought her a bunch of new stress relieving toys and catnip infused with lavender. She started to get better then it started again today!! This is the third Saturday in a row that her symptoms start, last for 2-3 days then go away. I mean I know cats are creatures of habits but why would this possibly be starting every Saturday!? Ugh. Made an appointment with our vet but unfortunately won’t be getting in until the 20th.
 
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