Cat Staying Squatting On Tray Straining (i Guess) Then Pooping Themselves & Scooting It On Floor

[Paul Keep]

I took him to the vets this morning, vet has called with an update & it doesn't look too good

his kidneys are not functioning as well as they could (but could be worse) he needs to have them scanned but he will not allow them to awake so needs to be put under. There is the potential of a growth on his bladder, but they cannot tell as he isn't allowing his bladder to be full, so they need to catheterise him tomorrow & fill it with saline so they can scan for a full picture. He is currently staying in on a drip. This is all going to cost over £600, & i could have made the decision to have him put to sleep now, but i decided to have the tests so i can make a fully informed decision before it comes to that, so at least i know i've done everything i can for him

 

[maggiedemi]

I'm so sorry to hear this. Did the vet say if he was constipated at all? Did he have any worms or other parasites? I would probably do the testing too, if I could afford it, or else I would always wonder. Unfortunately kidney and bladder problems are common with male cats it seems. I always have to watch my male cat's diet. Did the vet say if a prescription diet would help him at all?

 

[Paul Keep]

They are suggesting antidepressants if it's more stress from the FLUTD, but doing that without the tests would be guessing.
I'm spreading the payments over 2 months. They said of course put to sleep is an option, but i said i'd rather exhaust all options to know i've done the best for him i can. Even if i spend the money & he has to be let go, i know i've done my best for him with no regrets

 

[maggiedemi]

They didn't suggest any special prescription foods? I think you're smart to do the tests, so you won't always wonder.

 

[Paul Keep]

Well i think the concern is there may be a tumour, in which case the foods & drugs won't really help in that case. I think i'd rather spend the money to be sure.
If it were a cancerous tumour unrelated to his FLUTD then my insurance WILL pay out, minus my excess + 20% of costs

 

[maggiedemi]

How long will it take for the tests to come back?

 

[foxxycat]

sending you vibes. So very sorry. I too would do the tests-can't tell what's going on without getting a picture of what's going on inside.

What about doing sub fluids at home after? some advanced kidney kitties get sub fluids as directed by the vet at home. usually it's every 48 hours or something. The sub fluids would aid in flushing the bladder.


I have done it for two cats. It's actually not hard once you get into a routine. The cat tolerates it better than cramming pills down throat. Look into medications that are injectable. That's what I did for my angel Floey. She was NOT pillable. So we did injections.

Let us know what they find out. Wet food is the key from what I heard.

Also glucosamine for the bladder has been shown in some studies for cats. It's normally given for arthritis but there's some studies that found it helped the rebuilding of the bladder wall- Adaquan is an injectable form of this or Dasquin is the pill form.

Here's the article about the study of Glucosamine in aiding the cystitis. Hot Literature: Can GAGs alleviate clinical signs of idiopathic cystitis in cats?


I think it's worth looking into-maybe it will help=hows the rest of the health? I will reread your posts-but if the cat is happy and seems receptive to you then maybe try this...see what the test says..and see what can be changed...stress seems to be the biggest factor...poor baby...feel bad for you too. very sorry this is happening to you. Sending you gentle hugs and vibes to your sweet boy.

 

[Paul Keep]

Thank you. It's very upsetting, but i'm fighting for him
If he can get better i will see if i can get injectables instead
I find out the results tomorrow, he is on a drip today, but will have tests tomorrow.
I've never really believes in sites like Just Giving but i've set a page up & shared on my social media, although i feel embarrassed doing so, my baby needs help so i decided to swallow my pride.
I'm hoping results mean he can have treatment & get better

 

[Paul Keep]

Here is a picture of him <3

 

[maggiedemi]

He's so cute. Is he really 10 years old? He looks a lot like my Maggie. You can share your fundraiser link in the Cat S.O.S section.

 

[Paul Keep]

Yeah, he's 10 in August. Although he's had FLUTD since he was 2 it's under control bar some minor cystitis flare up. I've always been aware as he gets older things are more likely, but it's come as a shock as i wasn't expecting anything like this for a good few years yet
Oh i didn't know that, thank you i will share it

 

[zed xyzed]

What a handsome boy, he is so lucky to have you in his corner fighting for him. I pray that it isn't something serious

 

[Paul Keep]

Thank you. Me too. I find out today. Hoping for a positive outcone

 

[Paul Keep]

I have an update now i have spoken to the vet following Malachi's tests.
The results show he has a lot of bladder stones which explain his discomfort, why he hasn't seemed to like walking on his hind legs the passed few days & keeps straining to wee & pooping himself. Although he is not blocked they are definitely very painful for him.
So the plan of action is to first try a special (but expensive) diet that MAY break down the stones - if they are the right sort. This will take several weeks of no other food but this & continuous painkillers for him multiple times a day.
if the stones do not break down then Malachi will require surgery to remove them, although i was advised this will be difficult as there are a lot of stones. I've looked online, the surgery (if required) will cost well over another £500.
Both courses of action are going to require more scans which are expensive, more so if he needs to be put under again.
Malachi also has kidney abnormalities but they are not worrying about this atm.
The passed few weeks have been very distressing for me administering painkillers & him hating me for it, BUT now i feel i have a proper prognosis for him rather than feeling so lost & helpless, i am able to cope with this much better.
The news is good, although not without problems, but i want my little boy back to normal

 

[maggiedemi]

I hope the special diet works to dissolve the stones! At least you know what's wrong now and can try to treat it.

 

[Paul Keep]

definitely, i feel much more positive & less powerless now

 

[zed xyzed]

Thank goodness you know what the issue is, that is a key to him getting better. Too bad that the vet didn't run these test earlier, saving you some money and your boy some stress. Let us know how the handsome guy is doing.

 

[Paul Keep]

Yes, now i know what the issue is & i'm prepared for what is required, i feel less stressed about medicating him, even if he really hates me for it for a while.
My vet is ringing me today (it was a different vet updating me yesterday) to confirm everything & Malachi should be coming home today

 

[maggiedemi]

I just read your update on your other post. So they are not going to try the special diet, just the surgery?

 

[Paul Keep]

Hey, so yesterday i ended up being told they believe the stones are the sort that cannot be solved with food. So he would require surgery. Thats £700. They concern is he also has kidney disease. They don't know how quickly this would develop after the surgery, he could deteriorate or live some time it's unknown. The concern they have would be allowing me to pay the bill in installments, is that I could be paying it & his kidney disease gets worse & he dies before I've paid it off over several months. There's no telling how long he will live with they Kidney disease so if they did the surgery for bladder stone removal they would want that paid then - ie on Friday they would want payment. He would also require 2 monthly testing for his kidneys ongoing. So this was very negative.
I then took the night to think of what's best - surgery or end his suffering.
Obviously yesterday's news was very negative & i've had big decision to make. A lot of people have given me their thoughts, shared your experiences, etc which i'm very grateful for. I took time to consider & have consulted the vet again this morning, then took some time to think. Malachi has kidney disease, there is a scale of 1-4 called the IRIS Scale, Mally is 2-3 meaning moderate. But this is not the best indication as this is from 1 test when unwell. He could have had kidney disease a long time & it progressing slowly - or he could have had it a short time & it progressing fast, the only way to tell is multiple tests several months apart. They only have 1 test. Future wise he would be on a special kidney diet & require tests every few months. They said if he were covered under insurance they would definitely do this surgery. This instantly rung alarm bells in my head - if they felt the surgery was not viable or lead him to having a bad life they would say this, but if there were no question over immediate payment, there would be no consideration, the surgery would be a 100%. This made me realise it must be a viable option for Malachi. So i have decided Mally is having the surgery, he is scheduled to have it this afternoon. They also told me (after my decision) he has been quite well this morning & playful, which was nice to hear. There is no guaruntee that this will give Mally years of life ahead of him & i am fully aware with his medical history, & the fact that the kidney disease IS a terminal illness he will never get 'better' but they could not say he will likely die in months. So i feel it is only right to give him a chance to live a few more years of happiness & love with me. Mally will be anaethetised at lunch & have surgery this afternoon. The surgery is costing me an extra £700 on top of the £600 the tests required already + the £350 i've spent over the passed 3 weeks. But i feel this is the right decision to give him the chance