Getting Rid Of A Mucus Plug At Home: Is It Possible?

Luthien

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Hi! I posted a few days ago about my neutered 8-month-old male kitten not peeing as often as he used to. I took him to the vet and they did an ultrasound and found the beginnings of a mucus obstruction. The vet said that the go-to treatment is to put him on a catheter and confine him at the clinic for a few days while they flush it out, but she also said that, since the plug is very small (he can still urinate and there’s no pain yet), it might also be possible for me to just treat him at home with meds (antibiotics for a week, Diazepam for three days), feed an exclusively wet diet, and make sure he drinks water, and he might be able to get rid of it himself. I am leaning more towards the second option because, as I mentioned in my first post, he’s already been through a lot of changes recently and it would be so much stress for him to be confined. However, if confinement plus catheter is the better option, then I will do it.

What do you guys think? If medicating at home has been feasible in someone’s experience, I would sincerely appreciate any tips and tricks. Thank you
 

neely

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My immediate response would be to treat him at home if at all possible to prevent any further stress. However, at the first sign of discomfort or straining I would contact your vet ASAP. Here is a thread with a similar issue:
Blocked cat

Also an Article about Feline Idiopathic Cystitis that may be helpful for you:
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life

Best of luck, please keep us posted on your progress. :alright:
 
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Luthien

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I can’t see an option to edit the post on my phone, so I will just add, for the sake of clarity, that my vet definitely said it was possible for home treatment to work and that it’s really up to me whether I want to give it a week of medication to see if the problem resolves itself or to go for the confinement and catheter procedure right away. So I’m wondering what the lovely cat guardians on this forum would do if you were in my shoes. Thank you :)
 
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Luthien

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My immediate response would be to treat him at home if at all possible to prevent any further stress. However, at the first sign of discomfort or straining I would contact your vet ASAP. Here is a thread with a similar issue:
Blocked cat

Also an Article about Feline Idiopathic Cystitis that may be helpful for you:
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - How To Improve Your Cat's Quality Of Life

Best of luck, please keep us posted on your progress. :alright:
Thanks so much for the links! I will get started on reading them right away.

The vet is just across the street from my place and they’re open 24 hours so I can definitely take him in at any time if he starts straining or exhibiting discomfort.
 

white shadow

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I'd opt for the hospitalization option, provided that he would only have overnight IV IF there was staff on duty - otherwise, that they plug and unplug the IV line at the beginning and end of business daily.

With competent committed veterinary staff attending to all that, there are many benefits, including guaranteed levels of hydration, early recognition of issues and (unless 'pilling' is 'easy' for the owner) a less stressful medicating experience for the cat.
.
 
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