My Experience With Blockages and PU Surgery

[tiffanybc]

Hey
My cat has had the pu surgery 6 months ago and has been doing fine. I do have some questions about it i guess after care of having a pu surgery.
What if my cat has trouble urinating /bleeding again?
Is there anyway to prevent it from happening?
Is it normal for it to occur again even after he's had the pu surgery?
Are there any other options instead of going to the vet? (Home remedies if they work)
I've been still a bit paranoid when he goes to use the litter. I don't want him to go through urine blockage again.

 

[pisces7386]

Update on Bear's UTI- He did have one, and he had some constipation too. The vet gave him an antibiotic shot and said to follow up in a few weeks- which we are doing today. 

We didn't really see any indications that he had an infection until he was going in and out of the box without going. We actually thought he was just being picky about the smell in the box so we cleaned it, but he kept doing it. He was still peeing without straining once or twice a day, but making tons of extra trips where he did nothing. He was also a little lethargic the last few days before we took him in. 

 

[pisces7386]

Tiffanybc- My understanding is that the probability of recurrence depends on the cause of the initial blockage and how well the surgery was done. There are special diets you can feed your cat if crystals were the cause; you can talk to your vet about a prescription food, or if you are willing to put in the work you can try a homemade diet. There is a lot of good information on this site for either choice.

In my cat's case there were no crystals, so we just try to keep him really well hydrated by adding extra water to his food. He was also under a lot of stress before his blockage, so we work hard to keep him stress free. He did have a revision due to scar tissue just two weeks after his first.  

If you see him acting like he did when he had his first blockage I would take him to the vet asap. Don't try a home treatment if you think he has blocked again- he will need medical attention and waiting will only make his outlook worse.  I would also be cautious of any different/new behaviors in the litter box- we just found out our little guy had a urinary tract infection after he started making extra trips to the box just to dig.  

Your not alone, It was months before I didn't feel the need to follow my cat to the litter box to see how he was doing. 

 

[fergiefurr]

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• fergiefurr
• Nov 28, 2016

we are almost 2 months after surgery. Running at 100% just need the hair to grow back again

 

[fergiefurr]

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• fergiefurr
• Dec 12, 2016

. Just wondering what hair regrowth was like for everyone. Hair has grown back in a select few areas (iv patch, where the cone rubbed his neck, and around his new hole) lol but his butt is still pretty naked.

 

[lazer]

. Just wondering what hair regrowth was like for everyone. Hair has grown back in a select few areas (iv patch, where the cone rubbed his neck, and around his new hole) lol but his butt is still pretty naked.

My cat went through this about 1.5 years ago now. His hair has grown back completely - a bit more than I hoped it would because I actually can't even find the new hole anymore. His fur is very long and in the back of my mind I kind of worry about stuff like a little mat of hair forming around the hole or getting in there and preventing him from peeing again (though I know I am probably just being overly paranoid).

 

[lazer]

Hey
My cat has had the pu surgery 6 months ago and has been doing fine. I do have some questions about it i guess after care of having a pu surgery.
What if my cat has trouble urinating /bleeding again?
Is there anyway to prevent it from happening?
Is it normal for it to occur again even after he's had the pu surgery?
Are there any other options instead of going to the vet? (Home remedies if they work)
I've been still a bit paranoid when he goes to use the litter. I don't want him to go through urine blockage again.

If your cat has trouble urinating or bleeding again you should take him to the vet right away. A couple of months after his surgery mine started getting bloody pee and straining to go again - turned out to be an infection and thank god not a complete blockage. 

To prevent it from happening depends on what caused it in the first place. In our case the cause was a bad veterinarian introducing blockage and infection through catheterization during an unrelated procedure. To help maintain his urinary health in general we now supplement with glucosamine, avoid any seafood based foods and any dry foods, and try to get as much water into him as possible. But if he does start bleeding or straining to go or just looks uncomfortable none of those things are a replacement for a vet visit (we have taken him straight to emergency so many times). 

We were paranoid for months after his incident. We would record every time he peed in a journal and be home as soon as we could after work to make sure we saw him go. He actually ended up semi "pee trained" - when he would not go for too long at night we'd put him in the bedroom with us to make sure we could keep an eye on him (we have two cats so if we fell asleep and someone went at night we may not know who it was), and he got used to "lock in time" meaning "pee time" - he'd immediately go to his box in our room, pee, and then demand to be let out on the porch as a reward. We aren't as crazy about it now but I think I will forever be watchful of the box.

 

[ltuilawa]

Hi all I posted a new thread about my cat having a blockage but seems this might be the place to ask instead! Does anyone know what normal behaviour is post catheterisation? My boy was on a drip and catheter for three days and today was his first day home. He seems to be having some incontinence issues and peed while lying down twice, he also seems to be dripping urine when he walks? At first the urine was clear but it is now blood tinged. Vet said it was normal but I'm still worried. He's on muscle relaxants, anti inflammatories and antibiotics. TIA.

 

[lazer]

Hi all I posted a new thread about my cat having a blockage but seems this might be the place to ask instead! Does anyone know what normal behaviour is post catheterisation? My boy was on a drip and catheter for three days and today was his first day home. He seems to be having some incontinence issues and peed while lying down twice, he also seems to be dripping urine when he walks? At first the urine was clear but it is now blood tinged. Vet said it was normal but I'm still worried. He's on muscle relaxants, anti inflammatories and antibiotics. TIA.

I wish I could answer this but unfortunately my  cat remained blocked after catheterisation so we did not get the incontinence issues. I would think as long as he is actually peeing, taking all his meds, and the vet says the incontinence and blood are normal it should be ok. I would still watch him like a hawk to make sure he does not appear to be straining or blocking again. Maybe the vet can tell you how long is normal to see blood? 

When you say he peed while lying down twice - were they full or at least semi-normal sized pees or is it literally just pee slowly dripping out? One of the things our vet asked at our last checkup after everything happened (or maybe the one before) is whether he was having any trouble peeing or if we noticed any dripping outside of the box. I remember reading elsewhere when we were going through our problems that dripping can be a sign of the cat still not being able to really get pee out properly so it kind of overflows out. Again though, this is definitely something your vet is a million times better qualified to comment on.

 

[ltuilawa]

I wish I could answer this but unfortunately my  cat remained blocked after catheterisation so we did not get the incontinence issues. I would think as long as he is actually peeing, taking all his meds, and the vet says the incontinence and blood are normal it should be ok. I would still watch him like a hawk to make sure he does not appear to be straining or blocking again. Maybe the vet can tell you how long is normal to see blood? 

When you say he peed while lying down twice - were they full or at least semi-normal sized pees or is it literally just pee slowly dripping out? One of the things our vet asked at our last checkup after everything happened (or maybe the one before) is whether he was having any trouble peeing or if we noticed any dripping outside of the box. I remember reading elsewhere when we were going through our problems that dripping can be a sign of the cat still not being able to really get pee out properly so it kind of overflows out. Again though, this is definitely something your vet is a million times better qualified to comment on.

He's done a couple of normal sized, blood free pees (one in the cage on the way home and two on himself) since then he has mostly been dripping urine, though I checked on him before and it looks like he has peed himself again I guess my biggest concern was that he went from blood free urine to this. And he doesn't seem overly keen on eating or drinking but otherwise seems happy apart from the fact he is dying to go outside. I guess I will just have to watch him closely and hope for the best, though hubby and I have work tomorrow and I'm worried about leaving him alone [emoji]128543[/emoji] Thanks for taking the time to reply I really appreciate it!

 

[fergiefurr]

Hi all I posted a new thread about my cat having a blockage but seems this might be the place to ask instead! Does anyone know what normal behaviour is post catheterisation? My boy was on a drip and catheter for three days and today was his first day home. He seems to be having some incontinence issues and peed while lying down twice, he also seems to be dripping urine when he walks? At first the urine was clear but it is now blood tinged. Vet said it was normal but I'm still worried. He's on muscle relaxants, anti inflammatories and antibiotics. TIA.

After my boy had surgery he had no control for a week. And was probably due to the relaxer they gave him so his bladder and urethra wouldn't spasm.

 

[ltuilawa]

After my boy had surgery he had no control for a week. And was probably due to the relaxer they gave him so his bladder and urethra wouldn't spasm.

Thank you, I thought it might be to do with the medication. He seems to have slightly better control today, though wanting to pee everywhere except the litter tray [emoji]128556[/emoji]

 

[lazer]

Thank you, I thought it might be to do with the medication. He seems to have slightly better control today, though wanting to pee everywhere except the litter tray [emoji]128556[/emoji]

Think of it this way: at least he is peeing! 

 

[fergiefurr]

My cat went through this about 1.5 years ago now. His hair has grown back completely - a bit more than I hoped it would because I actually can't even find the new hole anymore. His fur is very long and in the back of my mind I kind of worry about stuff like a little mat of hair forming around the hole or getting in there and preventing him from peeing again (though I know I am probably just being overly paranoid).

Defiantly good to keep an eye. Being a groomer I've seen lost of things. Just keep that area well groomed and that shouldn't happen. Lol this is the current growth back there.

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• fergiefurr
• Dec 14, 2016

 

[jessdotdotdot]

So happy to see someone that sort of went through what I'm going through now for the first time. My nearly one year old boy decided he was going to eat our fake Christmas tree, and later that night was rushed into emergency surgery for a blockage in the small intestines. I just got him home last night and have to crate him for the next 10-14 days.

I currently have him eating the hills I/d wet food for digestive care. But he hasn't pooped yet and he got the surgery 2 days ago. Doctors say it's normal after anesthesia, I was wondering how long it took for your kitty to finally poop?
They also recommended him not use litter, instead use a pee-pad or torn up newspaper. So I cut a box, for it to have tiny sides so he can get over it without rubbing his belly on the box and put torn up newspaper... but he hasn't used it. I was wondering what you did to get him to use the potty? I also tried pee-pads but he seems to like to sleep on those instead.
I'm new to any animals having surgeries and just posted a few days ago about what to expect. So any adivice or ideas on what I'm going to be in for the next 10-14 days?

 

[lazer]

So happy to see someone that sort of went through what I'm going through now for the first time. My nearly one year old boy decided he was going to eat our fake Christmas tree, and later that night was rushed into emergency surgery for a blockage in the small intestines. I just got him home last night and have to crate him for the next 10-14 days.

I currently have him eating the hills I/d wet food for digestive care. But he hasn't pooped yet and he got the surgery 2 days ago. Doctors say it's normal after anesthesia, I was wondering how long it took for your kitty to finally poop?
They also recommended him not use litter, instead use a pee-pad or torn up newspaper. So I cut a box, for it to have tiny sides so he can get over it without rubbing his belly on the box and put torn up newspaper... but he hasn't used it. I was wondering what you did to get him to use the potty? I also tried pee-pads but he seems to like to sleep on those instead.
I'm new to any animals having surgeries and just posted a few days ago about what to expect. So any adivice or ideas on what I'm going to be in for the next 10-14 days?

I think this thread is more about urinary blockage than intenstinal, but I think I can comment on the constipation - after my cat had PU surgery for urinary blockage he was very constipated and it actually did not really get resolved for a few weeks from memory. I remember during the worst first days he actually got poop stuck in his anus once. From memory he would poop every 2-3 days for the first period after surgery, he may have even gone 4 days in-between once or twice. One time I had to slowly and gently extract it by hand with a moist paper towel as it was half-hanging out and I couldn't just leave it because it was painfully "stretching" him and I also worried about it infecting his PU surgery site. The poor cat was so uncomfortable, he just whimpered while I gently removed the last bit of faeces. When the constipation persisted for a longer period of time after the surgery our vet recommended "Lactulose", which we gave small amounts of daily  for quite some time until he returned to normal (It is not a prescription medication here but I'd check with your vet before giving it, they may have a different preference)

I have no experience with the pee pads unfortunately, we used our normal litter.

For me the next 10-14 days were hell, but ours was a drastic case that hopefully will be nothing like what you will have to go through.

The vets basically told us the PU surgery did not work and that we had to put him to sleep. They let me take him home for the last night and made sure we had a home vet scheduled to come and do it in 24 hours. Expecting him to pass away, we did not get much aftercare or instructions from the hospital other than general medication times (they gave us a few days of meds just in case, after which time I had to scramble to obtain more - all of the meds were prescription only, but one was especially bad as it was also restricted and we could only obtain it by special request directly from the hospital, who had a license to purchase it). Thankfully I had time off of work to stay home and care for him full time after he miraculously peed on his own for the first time in a month the next morning. For me the first week was staying awake to make sure he did not disturb his surgery site (basically taking brief naps when he did), following him everywhere around the house, freaking out about whether he was going to pee that day. He was very lethargic and tired after a month of hospital stays and 3 surgeries and it was very touch and go, so my nerves were shot - I think I lost a pant size in that first week. I hope that things will go much smoother for you guys, but just expect a lot of worrying and watching him like a hawk - I would suggest staying home with him to monitor him if at all possible with your schedule. 

 

[fergiefurr]

So happy to see someone that sort of went through what I'm going through now for the first time. My nearly one year old boy decided he was going to eat our fake Christmas tree, and later that night was rushed into emergency surgery for a blockage in the small intestines. I just got him home last night and have to crate him for the next 10-14 days.

I currently have him eating the hills I/d wet food for digestive care. But he hasn't pooped yet and he got the surgery 2 days ago. Doctors say it's normal after anesthesia, I was wondering how long it took for your kitty to finally poop?
They also recommended him not use litter, instead use a pee-pad or torn up newspaper. So I cut a box, for it to have tiny sides so he can get over it without rubbing his belly on the box and put torn up newspaper... but he hasn't used it. I was wondering what you did to get him to use the potty? I also tried pee-pads but he seems to like to sleep on those instead.
I'm new to any animals having surgeries and just posted a few days ago about what to expect. So any adivice or ideas on what I'm going to be in for the next 10-14 days?

Yeah it took about 2 weeks to get a poop here. It was a little over a week before I got him to pee In a box. My vet highly recommends yesterday's news for litter it's recycled newspaper pellets. It doesn't stick to the wound which is what they want. As far a care just keep the area clean and dry. And keeping them kennelled is best so they don't injure themselves. But supervised family time is great .

 

[jessdotdotdot]

Yeah it took about 2 weeks to get a poop here. It was a little over a week before I got him to pee In a box. My vet highly recommends yesterday's news for litter it's recycled newspaper pellets. It doesn't stick to the wound which is what they want. As far a care just keep the area clean and dry. And keeping them kennelled is best so they don't injure themselves. But supervised family time is great .

can I buy this at any local pet store? I've never heard of it!!

 

[fergiefurr]

can I buy this at any local pet store? I've never heard of it!!

Yes I believe I even bought some at Walmart

 

[fergiefurr]

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• fergiefurr
• Dec 14, 2016

. This is what that brands bag looks like.