Male Cat With Massive Bladder Stone/crystal

[dulcetdahlia]

Hello!

I have a male cat (Milo) who has had what I thought was a simple UTI for two weeks. Upon taking him back to the vet today because I was still seeing blood in his urine and his litterbox will knock your socks off, he peed in the corner of their exam room and I have never seen my vet move so fast because his urine was VERY red with blood. She x-rayed him immediately and we discovered he has the biggest bladder stone/crystal she's ever seen in a cat!! Luckily it has not blocked him; evidently, due to its size, he has been saved from being blocked - which is a huge blessing as I work long hours and if he did block up, it might go unnoticed several hours until I returned home.

Anywho she is advising I begin feeding him C/D canned food. He is currently on Acana dry and has his very own water fountain that he so graciously shares with my 5lb ankle-biter. I'll preface this with the fact he is VERY sensitive. Almost every food I have ever offered him has caused his stomach to wig out and he'll immediately begin vomiting it up or have awful diarrhea that takes days to rectify. We are basically chalking it up to the horrible giardia he had as a kitten causing him to be super sensitive to tons of foods now.

My concern is that C/D is NOT grain- and gluten-free. It has some pretty awful ingredients (to me) in it but I am super concerned for his urinary health. I know crystals are bad news for male cats and I want to prevent them. I'm going to at least give my vet's advice a try but C/D is so expensive - I could buy different canned food for less that has, in my humble opinion, better ingredients; I'm going from spending $60/bag of food for three months to $60ish a month on his food - and it's a little hard to scrape by on that. I know it sounds awful but I really want to do what's best for him but I only make so much money and there's got to be an alternative to $1.99/can for food, right?

I am hoping to get some food recommendations from you guys and run them by my vet and see what she thinks. I plan to keep him on C/D for at least a couple months to see if I can get him really straightened out but I'd really like to switch him to a better food in the long run.

He goes in for surgery Friday to have it removed and I am SO worried. I'm so worried his bladder will somehow bust when I bring him home or I'll lose him during surgery. He's my baby and I want to do what's best - I am hoping we'll have answers as to why the crystal formed in the first place and hopefully things will get better. He was without his fountain for a few months because the motor broke in it and I had to wait until I could afford to buy him a new one - I wonder if the drop off in water intake caused this?

I appreciate all insight and good vibes!! I've been a wreck all day at work, worried sick about my little guy. 6 years without the first crystal or UTI but he goes big or goes home as usual!

So sorry for the novella I've written - when I get worried I get really wordy.

 

[duckpond]

I am so sorry that he has this problem. I dont think there is any way to know for sure why he developed the crystal. But you are getting him take care of, so thats what is important.

The diet may not be one you like, but i know those prescription diets do work for many cats. I think if the vet recommended it i would, as you say feed it for several months. Research the issue, research other foods that you might like better, then talk to your vet. She may or may not be good with putting him on something else after this is resolved, and he has been stable for a while. Or you may decide its working and not to mess with it. You have a bit of time to work it out, so dont panic. Get through the immediate crisis and see how it goes. Talk to your vet about alternatives.
Do keep us updated on him! We will worry with you.

 

[Stinky15]

Hello!

I have a male cat (Milo) who has had what I thought was a simple UTI for two weeks. Upon taking him back to the vet today because I was still seeing blood in his urine and his litterbox will knock your socks off, he peed in the corner of their exam room and I have never seen my vet move so fast because his urine was VERY red with blood. She x-rayed him immediately and we discovered he has the biggest bladder stone/crystal she's ever seen in a cat!! Luckily it has not blocked him; evidently, due to its size, he has been saved from being blocked - which is a huge blessing as I work long hours and if he did block up, it might go unnoticed several hours until I returned home.

Anywho she is advising I begin feeding him C/D canned food. He is currently on Acana dry and has his very own water fountain that he so graciously shares with my 5lb ankle-biter. I'll preface this with the fact he is VERY sensitive. Almost every food I have ever offered him has caused his stomach to wig out and he'll immediately begin vomiting it up or have awful diarrhea that takes days to rectify. We are basically chalking it up to the horrible giardia he had as a kitten causing him to be super sensitive to tons of foods now.

My concern is that C/D is NOT grain- and gluten-free. It has some pretty awful ingredients (to me) in it but I am super concerned for his urinary health. I know crystals are bad news for male cats and I want to prevent them. I'm going to at least give my vet's advice a try but C/D is so expensive - I could buy different canned food for less that has, in my humble opinion, better ingredients; I'm going from spending $60/bag of food for three months to $60ish a month on his food - and it's a little hard to scrape by on that. I know it sounds awful but I really want to do what's best for him but I only make so much money and there's got to be an alternative to $1.99/can for food, right?

I am hoping to get some food recommendations from you guys and run them by my vet and see what she thinks. I plan to keep him on C/D for at least a couple months to see if I can get him really straightened out but I'd really like to switch him to a better food in the long run.

He goes in for surgery Friday to have it removed and I am SO worried. I'm so worried his bladder will somehow bust when I bring him home or I'll lose him during surgery. He's my baby and I want to do what's best - I am hoping we'll have answers as to why the crystal formed in the first place and hopefully things will get better. He was without his fountain for a few months because the motor broke in it and I had to wait until I could afford to buy him a new one - I wonder if the drop off in water intake caused this?

I appreciate all insight and good vibes!! I've been a wreck all day at work, worried sick about my little guy. 6 years without the first crystal or UTI but he goes big or goes home as usual!

So sorry for the novella I've written - when I get worried I get really wordy.

Sorry you are having these troubles with your Cat. My previous cat was a neutered male and he got blockage twice before I got it straightened out. The Vet immediately recommended the expensive canned C/D. I had been feeding him a mix of Fancy Feast canned meat and free range Purina kibble. I read Lisa Pierson DVM website (catinfo.org) on Feline feeding and I completely quit the kibble. After a while he got where he wouldn't eat the canned C/D so I just started feeding him canned Fancy Feast and I had no more problems. In my opinion it is the dry kibble that causes the problem. I know now that the FF wet isn't the best quality but any wet should help keep a kitty flushed out.

 

[maggiedemi]

I agree, I would ask the vet if you can switch to a cheaper canned food after a few months. I really think moisture is the answer.

 

[DreamerRose]

I agree with everyone on this. The Fancy Feast pates are fine, once his surgery is over, and you can add a tablespoonful or so of water to each meal. I've been doing this for Mingo, and it's kept the crystals from reforming. The Gravy Lovers is low in ash, which contributes to the crystals, so I feed him that. It's also very easy to add extra water to the Gravy Lovers.

 

[dulcetdahlia]

Thank you all for the input! I decided to put him on a mixture of Weruva's classic canned foods and Tractor Supply's 4Health grain free canned. I figure that's gentle enough on my wallet but also better quality.

Milo had his procedure and he stayed the night of and is back home now. I had to work yesterday so I couldn't stay home with him at that time but I kept him locked in a room with 2 litterboxes, his fountain, and a bowl of his wet food.

The vet said it went well and the singular stone we thought we saw was actually two slightly-smaller-than-a-dime sized stones mashed together. I'd show you guys pictures of them but I'm not sure if anyone is squeamish. To me its kind of fascinating, you don't think of the body creating such weird things in its bladder.

He seemed to be voiding his bladder a little; not giant pee clumps but little pebble sized ones. Today, however, he is having a lot of trouble doing so. He was sent home with pain meds and I have to put it in his food but he won't eat it. The receptionist was SUPER overwhelmed yesterday and she couldn't find a pillpopper to give me and I don't feel capable enough to hold him, part his jaws, and get a pill down him all on my own (I live by myself and he's a big ol' 15lb boy), especially not when he's got an incision and I need to be particularly careful.

I'm thinking he is just hurting from the surgery and he's being gentle with his bladder/not peeing as readily. But I'm calling the vet first thing in the morning and probably taking him in.

Is this behavior normal post-op for cystotomy?

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I would highly suggest keeping him on prescription food. If it is not an option due to finances, put him on a non-prescription formula formulated for urinary tract issues such as Purine One UT health or Purina Focus.

My boy is on Royal Canin SO, but I don't think that is any cheaper than Hill's C/D. I find Chewy has the best prices. I pay around $ 60.00 for 17 lb bag. I don't know how much the wet is, he prefers dry.

Sometimes "just wet" is not the answer. I have been through the Blocked Cat Nightmare and it is Hell, both emotionally and financially. IMO, prescription will be more cost effective than risking a blocked cat. PU surgery starts around $ 1600.00 depending on where you live.

Pebble sized clumps are not good. I would contact the vet asap. I am sorry, I know this is stressful, especially since you work a lot. I just want to help you avoid him blocking.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

In your boy's case, if cost is an issue, I think he would be better off with prescription dry than non-prescription wet. Ask your vet if he agrees.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Please keep us posted - I do hope you brought him back in. Pebble size clumps are not normal after being treated for crystals. My boy never had a cystotomy - had a few ER visits during which they had to run a cath. Finally had PU surgery after about the third ER visit.

I am sorry you are dealing with this while juggling work. I had just started a new job while my boy was staying in the ER. Needless to say, it was impossible to focus on work.

 

[dulcetdahlia]

Thank you for your input!

I suppose I should have prefaced things by saying that his stomach would not tolerate the dry C/D food. I gave him just a tiny bit mixed in with his Acana and he had diarrhea for a couple days after because of it. Took it out and he was back to normal, but he wouldn't eat it after that initial bit. Sometimes he seems to recognize foods that upset him - he did that when Farmina changed their formula. It made him sick and he'd never touch it again.

I'm hoping to try him on a canned regime and keep an eye on his pH in his urine by visiting the vet for checkups for awhile. Cost is an issue because I live alone making $10/hr and have rent, bills and when I did the math on how much he'd need for the canned C/D it actually came out to at least $180/month. He won't eat pate. He only wanted the chicken dinner C/D and it's $1.99/can - for his body weight he needs 3/day because they're only available in 3oz cans. I am going to talk to his vet more about it tomorrow, though, and see if there's anything that can be done about the costs and if that's really how much of it he needs to eat. It seems more than a little expensive to me, I don't even spend that on food for myself a month.

I did talk to my vet Friday about the cost and she recommended a gel type of medicine for him. I wrote its name down on a pad at work and I need to retrieve that so I can order it for him, I left it sitting on my desk in my hurry to get home and check on him. She said that she has used it for years in her practice and had some luck with it and that I can give it a try to see if it helps him.

I am calling my vet in the morning because it's a Sunday and they're closed today. I live in a small country town and the nearest ER is over an hour out and I unfortunately don't have a car I trust driving that far - mine is the sort of clunker you try not to go 10 miles out in what with its transmission issues.

I do have some updates - he ate his food and took his medicine and seemed to be doing better, more urine production. I'm kind of thinking he was babying his bladder because it probably is uncomfortable peeing with a bladder that's been surgically opened. Nevertheless I'm going to call the vet and see what she says at 8AM when the office opens. I'm about to scoop his pan for the 2nd time today and I'll see for sure how much he producing but I'm pretty certain the vet will want me to come in. His behavior is overall good, he's been cuddling in bed with me all day and is very alert and his usual self when he's awake. I think we both needed a day in bed today, my 17hr workdays 2x in a row really caught up with me lol.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I totally understand. It is crazy expensive, it's not right. I think you should try the Royal Canin S/O dry (not to be confused with S/D which is only for short-term use). Perhaps he won't tolerate it, either, but if he does like it, a combination of dry and wet will be far less expensive than wet only. Mine actually won't eat the wet and eats only the S/O Moderate Calorie version. Dry prescription food is often demonized on here, but in some cases - particularly in cats prone to crystals - it can be very helpful. At least, it has for my boy.

It sounds like he is doing much better! Thank you for taking such good care of him.

 

[Stinky15]

Thank you for your input!

I suppose I should have prefaced things by saying that his stomach would not tolerate the dry C/D food. I gave him just a tiny bit mixed in with his Acana and he had diarrhea for a couple days after because of it. Took it out and he was back to normal, but he wouldn't eat it after that initial bit. Sometimes he seems to recognize foods that upset him - he did that when Farmina changed their formula. It made him sick and he'd never touch it again.

I'm hoping to try him on a canned regime and keep an eye on his pH in his urine by visiting the vet for checkups for awhile. Cost is an issue because I live alone making $10/hr and have rent, bills and when I did the math on how much he'd need for the canned C/D it actually came out to at least $180/month. He won't eat pate. He only wanted the chicken dinner C/D and it's $1.99/can - for his body weight he needs 3/day because they're only available in 3oz cans. I am going to talk to his vet more about it tomorrow, though, and see if there's anything that can be done about the costs and if that's really how much of it he needs to eat. It seems more than a little expensive to me, I don't even spend that on food for myself a month.

I did talk to my vet Friday about the cost and she recommended a gel type of medicine for him. I wrote its name down on a pad at work and I need to retrieve that so I can order it for him, I left it sitting on my desk in my hurry to get home and check on him. She said that she has used it for years in her practice and had some luck with it and that I can give it a try to see if it helps him.

I am calling my vet in the morning because it's a Sunday and they're closed today. I live in a small country town and the nearest ER is over an hour out and I unfortunately don't have a car I trust driving that far - mine is the sort of clunker you try not to go 10 miles out in what with its transmission issues.

I do have some updates - he ate his food and took his medicine and seemed to be doing better, more urine production. I'm kind of thinking he was babying his bladder because it probably is uncomfortable peeing with a bladder that's been surgically opened. Nevertheless I'm going to call the vet and see what she says at 8AM when the office opens. I'm about to scoop his pan for the 2nd time today and I'll see for sure how much he producing but I'm pretty certain the vet will want me to come in. His behavior is overall good, he's been cuddling in bed with me all day and is very alert and his usual self when he's awake. I think we both needed a day in bed today, my 17hr workdays 2x in a row really caught up with me lol.

If your are forced to feed dry kibble Purina makes a kibble that is for Urinary tract health and is not overly expensive like Hill's or Royal Canin. It's called Purina One Urinary Tract Health Formula Adult. Walmart sells it as do some grocery stores. Personally I think you would be okay with FF "classic" canned, just avoid the fish varieties. There is also a Purina Pro Plan canned meat that is a Urinary formula but it's fairly expensice, not like C/D though. Sounds like he may be recovering ok. Best of Luck!

Urinary Tract Health Formula Cat Food | Purina ONE®

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Purina also makes another non-prescription urinary tract formula called Focus. I think Purina One is more readily available, though. Focus you probably have to order online or maybe the pet store would have it. Purina One for UT Health I have seen in my grocery store.