FIC flare up?

[MittenMeg]

Raiden was diagnosed with FIC in July 2018 with complete blockage. He had no crystals and his blood work by the end of the emergency vet stay was significantly improving aka no permanent kidney damage. The only thing he had was a UTI but they are not sure if it was from the cath or not. Did the whole catheterization for 3 days and he came back home on Royal Canine moderate cal SO. He's been on the food every since with no flare-ups or any symptoms until today. I noticed small amounts of blood around our second litter box and noticed his fur around his urethra slightly pink. He's had no new stressors except us being home all the time (thanks COVID-19). He's acting completely normal play, eating, etc. I'm not sure when the blood showed up because he went this morning in the litter box and it was a hefty amount with no signs of blood in the urine (except his fur was a little pink with a small clot). He never was a fan of drinking water so we always put water in with this moist food 3-4x a day (he gets small servings daily). He's also not on any daily medications. I'm just confused because I've never delt with a flare-up, is this what it is? Could he be blocking again? Do I just monitor his bathroom visits and see if it progresses? It's Saturday so calling my vet is out of the question but we do have an emergency vet nearby. Thanks for the input.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If it was a "hefty amount," he probably isn't blocking. the "I" in FIC, as you know, stands for "idiopathic," meaning "we don't know why." What we do know is that it is stress-related. Now, you say that the only new stressor is you being home all the time, but remember...cats are energy sponges. I'm willing to bet that you and the other family members are more than normally stressed right now, and your cat is certainly picking up on that! NOT your fault, but there it is. I'm also willing to bet that this IS a flare-up. I'm actually shocked that we haven't had more posts yet about stress-related illnesses in our cats!

So long as he is peeing a normal amount, and it is just tinged with blood, I THINK that this can safely wait until the vet's office opens on Monday. Call them bright and early, though, and if ANYTHING gets worse...stops eating, stops using his box, anything, call the emergency vet, just to be safe!

OH! If his water bowl is next to his food bowl, try moving it several feet away. Cats instinctively know that water sources too near food can become contaminated, but they do NOT instinctively know that bowls prevent that! I was able to keep my cat from using the toilet as a water source simply by moving the bowl away from the food dish. Now she sucks back water like a camel in August...FROM THE BOWL!

 

[MittenMeg]

If it was a "hefty amount," he probably isn't blocking. the "I" in FIC, as you know, stands for "idiopathic," meaning "we don't know why." What we do know is that it is stress-related. Now, you say that the only new stressor is you being home all the time, but remember...cats are energy sponges. I'm willing to bet that you and the other family members are more than normally stressed right now, and your cat is certainly picking up on that! NOT your fault, but there it is. I'm also willing to bet that this IS a flare-up. I'm actually shocked that we haven't had more posts yet about stress-related illnesses in our cats!

So long as he is peeing a normal amount, and it is just tinged with blood, I THINK that this can safely wait until the vet's office opens on Monday. Call them bright and early, though, and if ANYTHING gets worse...stops eating, stops using his box, anything, call the emergency vet, just to be safe!

OH! If his water bowl is next to his food bowl, try moving it several feet away. Cats instinctively know that water sources too near food can become contaminated, but they do NOT instinctively know that bowls prevent that! I was able to keep my cat from using the toilet as a water source simply by moving the bowl away from the food dish. Now she sucks back water like a camel in August...FROM THE BOWL!

He ended up getting worse. More blood in the urine with clots. and peeing outside the litter box small amounts. We are headed to our emergency vet now. Thank you for the information.

 

[MittenMeg]

Update: They are pretty sure it's another UTI and we caught it early. He came home with antibiotics and some pain meds. Fingers crossed this is all he'll need.

 

[shadowsrescue]

You might look into D mannose. It is a supplement that helps keep the bladder clean by attaching to any bacteria and flushing it away.

I have a male cat that has blocked twice. Once even after pu surgery. I keep D mannose on hand and when I notice anything out of the ordinary, I start him on a short course. I also use cornsilk extract to help with any bladder spasms. You might try doing some research on these two supplements and see if they might assist your kitty.