Managing Idiopathic Cystitis?

fiorya

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Hey everyone. My 2yo kitty has been diagnosed with FIC. At least, the vet has ruled out other causes, and believes it must be FIC.

I'm taking several different approaches to help prevent another episode... especially upping the amount of moisture she gets in her diet, and reducing stress (better litter box positioning, Feliway, more playtime, more outside/leash time).

Just wondering if others here have had FIC cats, and what has helped your kitties?
 

shadowsrescue

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I have an FIC kitty. My kitty has blocked twice. Once because of crystals which resulted in pu surgery. Then he blocked again. He was diagnosed with FIC as there was no known cause.

I have since made sure that he eats no dry food. I feed him 3x a day and add 1-2 T. of water to each meal. Water, water, water. I use Feliway plug ins to help stress and I just started using CBD to help too.

You also might research cornsilk ( alcohol free) and d mannose. Both are very helpful.
 
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fiorya

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Thank you for all of the great advice!

I have an FIC kitty. My kitty has blocked twice. Once because of crystals which resulted in pu surgery. Then he blocked again. He was diagnosed with FIC as there was no known cause.

I have since made sure that he eats no dry food. I feed him 3x a day and add 1-2 T. of water to each meal. Water, water, water. I use Feliway plug ins to help stress and I just started using CBD to help too.

You also might research cornsilk ( alcohol free) and d mannose. Both are very helpful.
Sorry to hear about your kitty. I hope the interventions have helped.

In relation to the CBD oil... What brand do you use? Have you talked to your vet about it, and were they supportive or not? Just curious, because I've been researching natural therapies to ask my vet about.

The vet prescribed buprenorphine for my kitty's first episode. It didn't seem to help that much. (But my kitty also had a hard time taking it, so it could be that she just didn't get enough absorbed through the cheek as she should have.) For this new flare-up, my vet decided to put her on meloxicam instead, just for a few days until it starts to clear up. But after reading more about meloxicam, I have doubts about using it in the future. I'd much rather she didn't have to take any meds.

Ideally, the vet also wants my kitty to be able to stay off of meds entirely. But it's tough because the other interventions haven't started helping yet (Feliway, wet food diet, calming supplement called Zylkene, etc.).
 
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Burts

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If not on a SO diet my cat gets uromaxx which keeps it from occuring, but hes back on dry kibble so diet which keeps him clear for whatever reason
 

denice

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Glucosamine helps some cats with this, things like Cosequin which has a formula for cats. It seems to do the same thing for the lining of the bladder as it does for the cartilage between the joints. It's not a quick cure type of thing, it's something that takes time to help and if it helps it would be a lifetime type thing.
 

shadowsrescue

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Uromaxx is a really good product. I believe it has the Corn silk in it that I recommended.

I use Charlotte's Web regular strength in Olive oil. I had previously used another brand and did not have any results. This time, it is much better.

I have a great vet. He is fine with me using it. Yet here in Ohio, vets cannot recommend CBD. My cat was previously on Prozac. It caused urinary retention which led to his most recent blockage. I needed to try something to keep him calm. Zylkene or Composure did not do enough.
 
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fiorya

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Looks like my kitty is starting to have symptoms again. :( She was feeling great for a couple weeks.

This will be her fourth flare-up since early July.

I'm not really sure what to do. I'm starting to feel like it'll never end.

I'm pretty sure it's at least partially due to some territorial aggression between her and my other cat. I try to lessen the tension (Feliway, Zylkene, playtime, etc.), but they haven't gotten along in a while. Maybe I'll try separating them this weekend. But if I separate them, she may become more stressed out by the fact that essentially half of the apartment will be closed off from her.
 
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fiorya

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I think maybe try this, and try some music, low volume classical harp music might help her :)

Anxious Cat? Try Music - Tufts Catnip Article
I'll see if it helps :) I will probably start in the morning, since they both like to sleep with me at night. I don't want to disrupt their schedule too much.

Ironically, now they're sitting peacefully out on the balcony together.

It's so weird, inside they can't stop fighting. But when they're out on the balcony, they enjoy each other's company.
 

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If not on a special diet id be giving uromaxx daily, I did it for a year with no problems ever since the first time it ever happened.....

It totally worked for my cat but its a maintanance thing being that I was protecting my cat from reoccurance before it ever had a chance to reoccur...


vet drugs did nothing for my cat btw
 
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fiorya

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If not on a special diet id be giving uromaxx daily, I did it for a year with no problems ever since the first time it ever happened.....

It totally worked for my cat but its a maintanance thing being that I was protecting my cat from reoccurance before it ever had a chance to reoccur...


vet drugs did nothing for my cat btw
I just ordered Uromaxx. Hoping it helps. But I doubt my cat will even take it willingly. She always knows when something's been mixed with her food. I'll try though
 

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I just ordered Uromaxx. Hoping it helps. But I doubt my cat will even take it willingly. She always knows when something's been mixed with her food. I'll try though
Give it orally 1ml twice a day or at the same time is what i did, never squirt down the throat, go from the side onto the tongue and keep it refrigerated...Give it even when he doesnt have cystitis..

It shouldnt be a unpleasant experience my cat got to the point that he would just stand there compliant, didnt taste bad to him..If you give him 2ml all at once it could go down his windpipe if given to fast so just be careful
 
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shadowsrescue

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I have heard very good things about Uromaxx. It has cornsilk in it as one of the ingredients. I use corn silk on my kitty with urinary issues. It has really helped especially when he flares.

I hope this will help your kitty.
 
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fiorya

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I told the vet that my cat is having symptoms again. They want to keep her on Metacam for a month, since it seemed to help for the week that I was giving it to her before. I'm just not sure... I keep reading terrible things about Metacam. And I found a study where they used Metacam for FIC and it wasn't effective (although admittedly, the study had a small sample size).

If that doesn't work, they want to put her on prescription anxiety meds.

Uromaxx should be coming in the mail today! I'll see if I can get her to take it in her food :)
 
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