Cat UTI and bladder stones

[Calicoandkitty]

Hello, so my cat is an almost 6 year old calico and she has a history of urinary tract infections. She had one this past July and just this past Saturday I started noticing her going to the litter box more often and she got really lethargic and didn’t eat her dinner. Sunday morning she was going in and out of the box and was still lethargic and over night she was crying in her litter box and straining. I took her to the emergency vet this morning (Monday) and they said she has stones in her bladder and a UTI. They tried to sedate her for tests but it didn’t work and now she’s super lethargic and leaking bloody pee. They gave her antibiotics, anti nausea meds, gaba pentin, and an opioid pain killer. I gave her the antibiotic and the anti nausea but I’m scared to give her the others in case they make her even more lethargic. They gave her special prescription food too and she won’t eat it now, she had some earlier but now she refuses any food. Sorry for the long post, does the food usually help the stones and is it normal for her to be this lethargic? She’s had UTIs before but was never lethargic. Does anyone have any advice? The bladder stones aren’t small and the vet said that’s good for blockages but I’m so scared. I’m freaking out so bad and i just want her to get better, I feel so bad for her.

 

[fionasmom]

Please let me know if I am not reading all of this correctly. From what I understand she gave them a very hard time with the sedation but they were able to sedate her? And she has since been given other sedatives? That would count for the lethargy. as for the antibiotics, if she is in the middle of an active bladder infection, you do need to administer them.

Fiona herself had very frequent infections, which culminated in a big one which took us to the ER one day. Previously, they diagnosed her with bladder stones, and I elected to have the surgery to have them removed. She never had another problem after that. I did not try the special food because I knew that she would not eat it, so can’t address that.

The vet said that the bladder stones are small or aren’t small? Have you been given any direction about how to proceed with this aside from continuing to treat the infections?

 

[Calicoandkitty]

Thank you for your response! Sorry for the confusing message, I’ve been a mess over this. And she was not able to be sedated. They gave me antibiotics, pain meds, and anti nausea. The only thing I can’t given her is the pain med in fear it would make the lethargy worse. As of this morning she is still pretty lethargic and will not eat.

 

[catsknowme]

Your poor kitty! Are you able to get her into your regular vet or, even better, a feline specialty clinic? You might be able to get an online consultation with a holistic vet. I agree with Fiona's Mom that the antibiotic is important. I would trust the vet about the pain med because the pain itself can cause lethargy and possibly shock. I wouldnt expect a cat, or anyone in extreme pain, to be eating. Right now, your kitty"s body is fighting infection and extremely painful bladder stones - a double misery. A local rescue might have suggestions for funding to help your cat get the help that she needs.
Meanwhile, you can rub a dab of white karo corn syrup on her gums to keep her calories/blood sugar up. And if she isnt drinking, water, try syringing small amounts of warm, clean water (not tap water which has harsh chemicals) into her cheek pouch. I do about a half teaspoon at a time, every 10-15 minutes. If you do get ahold of a holistic vet, ask about using marshmallow root to soothe the urinary tract, red raspberry leaf for the cramping/urge and a source for d-mannose to help keep bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall - be sure to have a clear understanding of separating the marshmallow root from the pharmaceuticals because the soothing coating action of marshmallow root can temporarily slow down the absorption of the medications.
Also, be sure that the litter is unscented and keep exposure to chemicals, especially fragrances -cleaning and laundry products are terrible offenders- to a bare minimum.
If she is leaking urine, and if she will allow it, gently rinse/dab away any urine and blood with a warm, weak baking soda solution and apply a thin layer of raw coconut oil. This will help protect the tender skin on her bum.
Please keep us updated!

 

[fionasmom]

Given that this last visit was to the ER, you need to see your regular vet or try to locate one. If they specialize in cats, that is even better. An ER vet will only do what is required to save or stabilize an animal. They are not experts in the resolution of long term problems which would require more in depth care.

ERs are often more expensive as there is an additional fee to go to one. If you need to go back to the ER, you might have to do so, but if you have a regular vet who can see you now or at least speak with you about what is going on so far it would be preferrable.

We aren't vets, but if your cat has not been sedated, the lethargy is more concerning. Fiona responded quickly to the antibiotics, was never given any pain meds, and was back to her old self in hours. It is just that they kept occurring which was not good for her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. The urinary care foods can work to dissolve struvite stones and help balance urine PH if hers is off. They can also help to prevent them and oxalate stones from forming in the future. If she has oxalate stones, if there are enough of them, or large in size, they can only be remedied with surgery to remove them. There are a few non-prescription foods that say they do the same thing as the prescription ones, so if she won't eat the vet recommended ones, try some of the others, although wet food is always preferable to dry, just because of the added moisture to help keep the bladder flushed.
8 Best Urinary Cat Foods (Non-Prescription Substitutes) (betterwithcats.net)

My cat was prone to UTIs and even had surgery at the age of 5 to remove oxalate stones. She was on prescription urinary care foods for a few years, including the canned versions. She decided she no longer liked them and has been fed 'regular' canned cat food since (she's 19+ yo). While she never developed any stones again throughout all of this, she still would get UTIs. Most didn't overly affect her, but a few did where she was really lethargic. They were treated with antibiotics, and she would recover. However, the duration of the antibiotics became longer - like 10 - 14 days to ensure the infection was cleared. I also started giving her pure D-Mannose to clear bacteria from her bladder - that was back in 2021 - and she has only had one UTI since.

I offer this along with all the good advice you've gotten above, just in case it helps any.