Cystitis

[adventuregirl]

About 3 months ago I took Phoenix to the vet because he wasn't himself. They found blood in his urine and he was diagnosed with cystitis. He was put on pain meds. A couple weeks later he didn't improve and was monitored for a couple of days. They found blood in his urine and crystals. He was put on a prescription diet and I started him on wet cat food as well. A couple weeks later he was reevaluated and they did not see any crystals. He still had little "spells" where he cried and the vet said to just give him the pain med as needed during these times. I have noticed he's not eating as much lately. He flat out refused food at feeding time today. He's always been a good eater and not picky. I'm not sure what to do. I haven't seen him use the litter box ( it's in another room) but there is the same amount of urine and feces for in the litter box as always. We have two cats, so I can't be positive, but I would say he's going from the amount in the litter box. I just don't know what to do to help him.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I think sometimes an anti-inflammatory helps because generally speaking cystitis will involve inflammation of the urinary tract. The inflammation is irritating as well, and pain meds are only going to help reduce the irritation, not resolve it. Lack of eating is a big concern as that truly indicates he really isn't feeling well. See if you can set up a baby cam, or some other video recorder - focused on the litter box - to make sure he is peeing well, if you can't monitor it yourself. It is important to know that he is peeing sufficiently to ensure he is not becoming blocked - either by inflammation (or crystals that may still be in his tract). There are also times when a muscle relaxant is used to help with any spasms that might be happening with the cystitis.

How old is Phoenix? And, has there been any changes going in his environment that might help to explain why he would be undergoing enough stress to cause cystitis - especially anything dating back to before his issues started? When there are no other verified causes for cystitis, it is believed to be caused by stress.

Maybe take a look at this article (see link below) which one of the many on the web site that discusses cystitis.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) | International Cat Care (icatcare.org)

 

[adventuregirl]

Hi. I think sometimes an anti-inflammatory helps because generally speaking cystitis will involve inflammation of the urinary tract. The inflammation is irritating as well, and pain meds are only going to help reduce the irritation, not resolve it. Lack of eating is a big concern as that truly indicates he really isn't feeling well. See if you can set up a baby cam, or some other video recorder - focused on the litter box - to make sure he is peeing well, if you can't monitor it yourself. It is important to know that he is peeing sufficiently to ensure he is not becoming blocked - either by inflammation (or crystals that may still be in his tract). There are also times when a muscle relaxant is used to help with any spasms that might be happening with the cystitis.

How old is Phoenix? And, has there been any changes going in his environment that might help to explain why he would be undergoing enough stress to cause cystitis - especially anything dating back to before his issues started? When there are no other verified causes for cystitis, it is believed to be caused by stress.

Maybe take a look at this article (see link below) which one of the many on the web site that discusses cystitis.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) | International Cat Care (icatcare.org)

Phoenix is two years old. The cystitis first occurred when I was out of town for a week. My husband was home, but reported that Phoenix was very upset I was gone. We blamed it on that, but since then life has returned to normal. Maybe he's worried I will leave again. I don't know.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Could it be he isn't eating because he doesn't like the new food? Did you start him off on it gradually? I would see if he will eat if you give him his old food, and if that works, then gradually introduce the new food.

 

[adventuregirl]

Could it be he isn't eating because he doesn't like the new food? Did you start him off on it gradually? I would see if he will eat if you give him his old food, and if that works, then gradually introduce the new food.

I took him to the vet today he was constipated. He was given and enema and started eating right away when he got home. I'm going to experiment with adding some water to his food since both the cystitis and constipation can be caused by dehydration.

 

[verna davies]

It could well be stress related cystitis. If he is fed mostly dry food mix some wet with it and gradually add more wet and reduce the dry until he is fully transitioned. Add a couple of teaspoons of water to the wet. Also have a look at Cornsilk and D-Mannose, both work well for my cat with cystitis.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I took him to the vet today he was constipated. He was given and enema and started eating right away when he got home. I'm going to experiment with adding some water to his food since both the cystitis and constipation can be caused by dehydration.

Ah yes, constipation. That'll definitely effect their appetites. Wet food is the best thing to keep that at bay. I even add extra water to my cats wet food, at every single meal. You can also add some canned plain pumpkin to his food for extra fiber. Maybe one teaspoon per meal. He may or may not take to it. Some cats love it, some don't. If constipation continues to be a problem, you can try other things, like giving a little bit of olive oil, hairball gel, unsalted butter, pysillium husk or even Miralax.

So glad he's eating again.