Misha spending a lot ot time on the litter box.

[fairycatmom]

Sorry to hear that, was he blocked again? That must be so stressful for him and you.

I also am concerned that you mentioned Metacam as it is not very safe and their are safer options like Buprenorphine. Also, I am wondering if you should find another vet, a urinalysis is the most important test to get done when there has been a blockage. My cat got blocked several years ago and I did a lot of research online. This is a very common issue with cats and I have given advice to several people on here. I will paste I reply I made a few hours ago and hopefully it will give you some good information. I am glad you found the article helpful, it is really important that you feed him canned only with his blockages. Please, ask any questions if you need to

. Okay, here is a reply I made earlier about blockages:

"They are going to sell you a prescription diet, this is why I told you about the methionine because it will likely be less expensive than a prescription diet. You should ask the vet about it. It can also be bought online or in a supplement store. Methionine is what they put in most prescription diets to melt the struvite crystals as it acidifies the urine. I think the only test he really needed was a urinalysis. You need to know what kind of crystals he has. There are other types of crystals, so it is very important to know which type he has. Struvites are the most common and a urinalysis will identify them.

The best thing you can do for your cat is to be informed. There are many vets who don't like this, my vet at the time didn't even want to answer my questions about taking him off RC Urinary SO and moving him to canned, so I did it myself and he has been well for years now. He eats only canned food, actually all of my cats eat canned food only-it is very important to take them off dry.

(I buy 12 can packs of 13 ounce cans online at Chewy or Pet360 of Canidae (green All Life Stages) or Triumph-I buy them when they are around $16 dollars a pack. It is only a little bit more expensive than the Friskies I had been buying (and my cats got sick from Friskies). Fish is bad for cats with crystals, so don't get anything with fish as the main source of protein.)

There is lots of information here about monitoring with ph strips and a member posted to some you can get on Ebay for less than $3. Cats urine ph should be between 6-6.5. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/319080/cystitis-dexamethasone#post_4004316

My two main sources of help when my cat was going through this were Dr. Lisa Pierson and her website Catinfo http://catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth and Dr. Elizabeth M. Hodgkins and her book Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life. Dr. Karen Becker also has this video about cat bladder health http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/10/22/These-3-Things-May-Indicate-Your-Pet-has-a-Bladder-Problem.aspx "

 

[hellomisskitty]

Poor Misha!! I'm so sorry to hear of this!!
I have to agree: he needs a urinalysis done....sooner rather than later. If he is blocked with some sort of crystals, he is not going to get better without appropriate treatment. If Misha is blocked, it is life threatening if not treated correctly. If the urinalysis comes clean of crystals then you know you are treating Misha correctly. You should insist on a urnine sample collected at the vet not at home so that it is a clean sample.
Misha and Callie would both benefit from a diet of more wet food but please get Misha in for a urinalysis so that you have all of the information at to what exactly is going on with Misha.

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,the vet said his bladder was normal size ,he has urinary tract inflammation .

 

[Anne]

Just to make sure, the metacam is in oral form, right? He's not getting repeated shots of metacam?

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,no he is just getting what i put on his food ,i watched him on the litter box ,i could hear him passing water ,afterwards i see how big the clumps are ,they are slowly getting bigger .

I tried giving Misha some dry food in a dish of water ,he ate that and i think he drank some water ,earlier gave him the spring water from a can of tuna and he finished it all .

 

[fairycatmom]

That's good to hear! I just want you to get this figured out, I could be wrong, but as I understand it most blockages are caused by crystals and repeated blockages cause scar tissue and he could end up needing PU surgery. I also found in this article that urine spraying was common and I think you mentioned that. http://www.2ndchance.info/fus.htm

It didn't sound like it, however I wasn't sure reading your posts, but did the doctor give you any food?

Also, I remember when one of my girls had a UTI even before one of my boys got blocked, she had peed in an empty litter pan and it had dried some and I could see all of these little crystals in it. Maybe you could collect a little urine when he's going and let it dry and see if you observe any?

This article lists all the causes of blockages http://www.preventivevet.com/cats/help-my-cat-cant-pee-feline-urethral-obstruction-be-aware

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,i think i was feeding him too much dry food ,plus i think he was stressed out about Callie ,Misha doesn't even like to sleep in a cat bed if she was been in it ,he would not sleep in his bed in my bedroom so i sprayed it with catnip and feliway and he was ok with it .

I think he is getting better he doesn't go to the litter tray so often and the clumps his urine makes are getting bigger .

 

[hellomisskitty]

Glad to hear you have some Feliway. That may help Misha with stress. Also, scheduled playtime with you and him may help him be less stressed. I do that with my kitty every evening-she really looks forward to playtime (literally sits stares at me when it's playtime In the the evening [emoji]128572[/emoji]).

 

[hellomisskitty]

Here is a great TCS article on cystisis:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-how-to-improve-your-cats-life-quality

 

[hellomisskitty]

And one on stress:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/six-surefire-strategies-to-reduce-stress-in-cats

Glad he seems to be better today and that he has such a great human who watches over him [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,took Misha to the vet today ,he said stop feeding dry food ,finish the meds and keep an eye on him .Misha saw me with the carrier this morning and he hid under my brothers bed ,

I have noticed that he is starting to stand up for himself and sometimes he chases Callie .

 

[hellomisskitty]

Sounds like Misha is doing well....that is nice to hear! I have a tip about the carrier: if it's possible space wise, keep the carrier out on the floor somewhere at all times. By doing this, Misha will stop associating the appearance of the carrier with going to the vet, which is what is happening now. I keep my cat's carrier out all the time and my cat sleeps in it often. I lined the bottom with a soft towel, put some of her toys in it and draped another towel over the top-it's a cozy cave for her. More importantly, getting her in it to go to the vet is a breeze becuase she feels safe in there.

So glad Misha is feeling better and giving Callie some trouble [emoji]128570[/emoji]

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,i had an email from my insurers about my claim for Misha ,they are going to refund me £153.96 ,they are refusing to pay £13 for the Metacam because the vet charged over the going rate .

I am just so glad he is back to normal .

 

[hellomisskitty]

I'm so glad that Misha is doing well!!

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,a couple of people have told me they have seen him lying in the middle of the road ,i am worried that he might get run over .

He is getting along fine with Callie ,they like to chase each other ,sometimes they have play fights.

 

[hellomisskitty]

I would find that worrisome as well. My only thought would be to train him to go outside with a harness and leash and he only goes outside when he is on that. Or not go outside at all...
So glad that he and Callie are getting on so well [emoji]128571[/emoji]

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,i don't think that is going to work ,i tried him with a leash when i first got him ,he didn't care for it .

 

[talkingpeanut]

I don't think it's safe to allow him out if he's going to lie in the middle of the road, unfortunately.  He will be hit by a car.  Can you keep him in?  Or allow him out only when you can supervise?

 

[piglet]

Hi David,

I sure hope Misha continues doing well. Would love to hear an update. There were a few things you mentioned in this thread that concerned me that were also mentioned by others. My cat has just gone through this and feel like I have read (practically) the entire internet on the subject!

My first concern was the Metacam. Here in the states very few vets will ever give it anymore. If you Google it for cats, you will see that it has been fatal to many cats. Not sure if there's some difference with it in the UK.

Secondly, I am concerned abut your vet, too, if he hadn't  right off the bat done a urinalysis. That is #1. My cat not only had crystals but had an ultrasound which found stones in his bladder. He had to have a cystotomy...surgery opening his bladder to scoop them out. Not good!

Lastly, tuna juice...or any fish...is not good for his condition as fish contains a higher amount of phosphorus which can cause crystals. A tiny drop mixed with some water occasionally might not be terrible but just not all the time in large quantities. Do encourage water intake, tho, however possibly. Adding extra water in his wet food (which he should be eating) if he'll tolerate it is also good. Try a drinking fountain.

Good luck with your boy and keep reading. There is a ton of info online.

 

[davidc59]

Hi ,first ,it was vets ,we rarely saw the same one twice ,he has gone off fishy water ,i do add water to their wet food ,i can hear them lapping it up ,i don't think Misha would be happy being kept in ,i don't let them out at night and my village is a cul de sac ,so there are not a lot of speeding drivers ,the main road that runs alongside the village is a 30 mph zone ,and there are some speeding drivers ,but i think the police are going to start setting speed traps .