Frequent Uti -desperate!

[reacherinhere]

Hello!

Two years ago, I adopted a senior male cat for a local animal shelter. He is very sweet and loving, but he frequently suffers from UTIs. He has multiple litter boxes (he is an only cat) and even his own room. Currently, he is on a prescription diet to prevent UTIs. He has three water dishes.

In the past year, he's had about ten UTIs. I've had blood work down, ultrasounds, fecal tests, urine tests, and I've taken him to urgent care to the emergency vet. Every time he has an accident, I use Nature's Miracle to clean it (the deep cleaner and then a touch up with the regular spray later) and remove any trace of urine. I had to remove the carpet in one room and replace it with a waterproof tile.

Does anyone else have this problem? Is there anything that can be done to help prevent this? He's a somewhat playful cat and we play as much as he wants. He's never lacking in attention. I bought him a water foundation, but he didn't any interest. There's no medical evidence to suggest that he has a greater issue. Has anyone else had this problem? Was there something that they have found helps? I truly don't want him to be uncomfortable. He is an otherwise healthy cat and I love him dearly.

Just to be clear: No amount of urine will convince me to get rid of this cat. I just want him to be happy and healthy!

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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R reacherinhere - First off, welcome to TCS. What kind of litter are you using, and how deep is the litter in the boxes?
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[reacherinhere]

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R reacherinhere - First off, welcome to TCS. What kind of litter are you using, and how deep is the litter in the boxes?
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Hello!
My cat has a very weird preference. He will only use Arm and Hammar Slide - Multi-cat. There's always about two inches in the box. Another brand or less cat litter will make him more likely to pee outside the box.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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R reacherinhere - Typically recurring bacterial infections manage to circumvent antibacterials and bacteriostatics by self-perpetuating - in the case of UTIs, by splashing back, contributing to the continuation of the infection, hence the question about litter and depth.

I've always used non-clumping clay litter, not poured too deep, to give the cats an edge against splash-back. I have eleven cats currently, though the clowder's been considerably larger in the past. In 60 years, I have yet to see a cat with a UTI. That might be nothing more than blind good luck since the 'proof' is strictly anecdotal and not clinical.
.

 

[lavishsqualor]

A friend of mine uses the same vet that I do and her senior male cat was in a similar boat. Our vet (whom I love) suggested adding D Mannose to the cat's diet. It's a simple sugar so it's totally safe. She sprinkles it on his food every day as a preventative. However, with an active infection she administers it mixed with water in a dropper. Check it out HERE. It has made his infections practically nonexistent.

Do a simple Google search and read up on it. It's fascinating how it works.

 

[Sweetlully]

Hello there. I do not have any personal experience with chronic uti but I do remember knowing of a kitten with recurring uti. They were on several rounds of antibiotic but it kept coming back. The final option was kitty Prozac! And it seems to have worked.

It was definitely stress related for that kitty as she had a traumatic early childhood and was generally very anxious. I can’t say that’s the case for your cat or if medication is the answer. Maybe something like feliway could help? I’ve never tried but it seems readily reccomended for anxiety. Although, I have seen reviews saying it overheats/is a fire hazard.

Good luck!

 

[Wile]

My male cat (4 years) has interstitial cystitis and is prone to UTIs triggered by stress, so I've done a bit of research on UTIs to help manage my own cat.

Do your cat's UTIs clear up between each reinfection? Has his urine culture ever come back sterile? Or is this a single (very) long chronic infection that you are dealing with? Ten UTIs in a year is a lot and makes me wonder if he may have an antibiotic resistant variety of bacterial infection or some kind of 'pocket' or another organ that is harbouring bacteria that keeps getting reintroduced to his bladder.

A few things to consider:
-One of my vets recently recommended cranberry supplements to help prevent UTIs. No idea if this works, but it is harmless and may be worth a shot.
-Some people claim that clumping clay litter that you are using is the worst type to use for cats prone to UTIs. Far as I know there haven't been studies on this, but you might want to try another variety of cat litter anyway.
-Wet food should help increase his water intake, which is good for UTIs. If he's not eating wet food (Royal Canin prescription comes to mind) you should switch him since he doesn't seem to like the fountain.
-Some cats, like mine, have stress as a trigger for UTIs. As cats get older this is less likely to be the case, but if you think that your cat is a stress head you might want to consider calming supplements. Hills makes a C/D stress diet that is great for this as well.
-Probiotics might help, if he isn't on them already

Good luck!

 

[joyrachael]

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R reacherinhere - Typically recurring bacterial infections manage to circumvent antibacterials and bacteriostatics by self-perpetuating - in the case of UTIs, by splashing back, contributing to the continuation of the infection, hence the question about litter and depth.

I've always used non-clumping clay litter, not poured too deep, to give the cats an edge against splash-back. I have eleven cats currently, though the clowder's been considerably larger in the past. In 60 years, I have yet to see a cat with a UTI. That might be nothing more than blind good luck since the 'proof' is strictly anecdotal and not clinical.
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1CatOverTheLine which litter do you recommend to help prevent UTI's? My kitty is getting them frequently and I use clumping litter.

Thanks!