Help!! Strange recovery from struvites!!!

[slavetothemeow]

I've used this site countless times over the past few weeks and have found the threads here immensely helpful. Then things took a weird turn...

My cat's name is Earl, he's a 16lb shorthair that I adopted about two years ago as an adult cat. Previously to the last two weeks, he never experienced any health problems at all, but was fed a dry only diet.

About a week and a half ago at this point, he began straining to urinate, becoming more and more distressed. Once he vomited I knew it was trouble. I took him to a local vet where they diagnosed him with struvite sand (she saw no masses on his xray) and decided to keep him a few days with a catheter. Night one he got out of the collar and removed his catheter. Day 2, he is recatheterized, and once the staff leave for the day, again gets out of the collar and removes his catheter. The third day he was with that vet, she did not recatheterize, and said he was urinating normally...

We got him home, where he seemed lethargic and in pain. We had an antibiotic and enough anti inflammitories for two days. I began feeding him Hill's c/d, mixed with a HEAVY amount of water. He was still urinating often and in small amounts with a bit of strain but we had instructions to watch him closely so I figured it would get better with time.

By Saturday evening (5 days after he initially went in) he was totally lethargic, still straining to urinate, and was pretty hot to the touch / limp.

We rushed him to a 24hr vet, where he was catheterized once again and his bladder flushed out. She sent us home with Buprenorphine for him with the instructions to feed him as we had been, and again to watch him closely. She had seen some shadowing on his ultrasound, but could not be sure if the were stones.

Now its the following Thursday, and Earl seems to be doing a bit better. His behavior is improving (sitting in normal spots, hiding less, bird watching out the window, healthy appetite), but with one serious downside.

He seems to be totally incontinent. I felt as though he were a bit constipated from the pain killer he's been on (she prescribed a .3ml dose, which I felt was too heavy, so I've been breaking them into .1ml doses and giving it to him as needed), and decided to mix some pumpkin puree in with his food to help with that, but I can't for the life of me put together his incontinence. He uses the box a little, but for the past two days has mostly been eliminating in places he lays/sits, and seems to be getting more urine out that way than when he tries to use the box. Floors, beds, tables. I can't seem to find much about a problem like this online, and am planning on bringing him in Monday (4 days from now) for another ultrasound and a follow up with a new vet thats never seen him ( I definately didn't like the first vet he was taken to, and the second vet was great but does not take appointments). His behavior is still that of an improving cat, aside from the pee problems... Has anyone experienced anything like this? Is there something I can do to help him? Is it a litter box aversion? Will it get better with time?

Any insight would be much appreciated, I'm at a loss here.

 

[tulosai]

I don't have any advice other than checking with a vet again as you are doing, but I just wanted to send 

 that your kitty will keep getting better- it sounds like it's been a rough few weeks 

 

[slavetothemeow]

Thank you for the vibes! Rough week doesn't even begin to describe this ordeal. I've sworn off the idea of children, ever. haha

 

[di and bob]

It's not uncommon fro a kitty to do this, after all his bladder and urethra are traumatized and swollen, not to mention the trauma he has been through. My cat did this for over a week after major surgery, and it wasn't on his bladder! So don't give up hope. Call the vet and talk to them about this, you might ask about giving some calming treats. It's a good idea to see another vet, hope this one does better. You might have to confine the poor baby to a smaller room for a while to avoid so many messes, but try to give him lots of love and attention. He very well may have an 'aversion' to the litterbox right now, I'm sure it hurts to go! But hopefully this will pass. Good luck!

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
It's not uncommon fro a kitty to do this, after all his bladder and urethra are traumatized and swollen, not to mention the trauma he has been through. My cat did this for over a week after major surgery, and it wasn't on his bladder! So don't give up hope. Call the vet and talk to them about this, you might ask about giving some calming treats. It's a good idea to see another vet, hope this one does better. You might have to confine the poor baby to a smaller room for a while to avoid so many messes, but try to give him lots of love and attention. Good luck!

I am very sorry to read that your boy is going through this. Quite the ordeal for both of you. What Di and Bob has mentioned makes a lot of sense! .. I too would think that on account of the catheterization both times, that this has left his wee-wee feeling quite sore and swollen, and resulting in leakage due to loss of some control.  Definitely speak with your vet about this and see if there might be some mild wash that can help to address any soreness and discomfort. The Buprenorphine should help with the pain and inflammation.

Lots of positive vibes and warm thoughts for a speedy recovery

 

[skimble]

I understand what you're saying.  It's a helpless feeling watching them go through this.  My male cat had urinary problems and blocked.  A trip to the ER clinic for sedation to insert catheter and release blockage. 

This site is great and very helpful.  I also found a wealth of information and help from a Yahoo Group "FLUTD".

The site is dedicated to only urinary issues.  You could join there and see if they can offer any experience with the bladder leaking.  It does make you wonder if the urethra was damaged from repeat catheter and pulling it out.  From what I understand it is sutured in place.  Poor boy!

The most important change is to move away from dry food and feed only canned with some extra water added.  It's a slow process but can be done.

This site by a veterinarian is helpful.  http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

Hope all goes well.

 

[slavetothemeow]

 
It's not uncommon fro a kitty to do this, after all his bladder and urethra are traumatized and swollen, not to mention the trauma he has been through. My cat did this for over a week after major surgery, and it wasn't on his bladder! So don't give up hope. Call the vet and talk to them about this, you might ask about giving some calming treats. It's a good idea to see another vet, hope this one does better. You might have to confine the poor baby to a smaller room for a while to avoid so many messes, but try to give him lots of love and attention. He very well may have an 'aversion' to the litterbox right now, I'm sure it hurts to go! But hopefully this will pass. Good luck!

We went back in to the vet yesterday. Because he wasn't peeing in the box it had been hard to track how much urine he was passing, but I was going by his leak spots left behind. They became smaller and smaller over the next day. And right before I left for work yesterday afternoon I noticed blood in the few droplets I witness him pass.

The vet had to express his bladder for him, it was large and very firm to the touch. Ultra sound showed no masses, so now we're deal with cystitis? I was sent home with Cerenia once a day for inflammation (4 days on, one day break, with two four day boxes), Prazosin 2x a day for spasming, and instructions to finish the doses of Buprenex we had remaining from his emergency vet (probably enough for 3x a day for 3-4days). All in all its meds the vet wants him on for the next two weeks. Is this normal for crystals/cystitis? I understand he's in a huge amount of pain, but a two week prescription seems a lot. Any experience with heavily medicating a cat for something like this?

 

[di and bob]

I would like to know how everything came out? I'm away from my computer on weekends, so was sorry to see you had to give so many meds! But I guess we do what we have to do! I would call another vet and ask about the meds, or get on the 'expert' forum here and see if someone can help you. The first one you mention, is a med for vomiting and is used in kidney problems, you should look them all up on the internet and see what it says. It's so nerve wracking to try to give meds to a cat, I feel for you! Please keep us posted.