New Litter Additive To Detect Blood: Blucare - Anyone Try It Yet?

[FeralHearts]

I'll be picking this up from my Vet Monday. It's a new product that will apparently last a month in the litter and will detect blood in the urine.

With Charlie's issues and lack of displaying symptoms, I'll be giving it a whirl and see how it works.

Has anyone here used it yet? If so did you find it worthwhile?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I haven't heard of Blucare, but have heard of Pretty Litter, which can detect high or low PH in their urine. When I googled Blucare litter additive, nothing came up for me, so this must be something just in Canada? Anyway, if you're getting it from your Vet, I would expect it work! Keep us posted!

 

[FeralHearts]

From what I know they are a new product based out of Montreal. So maybe it's a Canada thing right now. This is the site Blücare Hematuria - The Science of Knowing is the site.

Yes from the Vet :-) I'm really lucky. I have two truly remarkable vets and the ER vet in the area is also amazing.

It will be some time still but I will keep you all posted on how it's working /worked out.

It should save stressing out my poor Charlie back in 6 months for another check-to-make-sure situation.

 

[meowpassion]

I have also heard only about Pretty Litter. It would be interesting to know your experience with BlueCare.
I see that this is the product by Merck Screenshot. It is international medical concern.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Very interesting. Well, on one hand, I hope you never see any blue (because he has no issues), but what if you don't? Will you then have to take him in for a "just to be sure" check-up?

 

[FeralHearts]

I have also heard only about Pretty Litter. It would be interesting to know your experience with BlueCare.
I see that this is the product by Merck Screenshot. It is international medical concern.

I promise I will absolutely post back as I'm hoping this helps more than one of us here. :-)

I saw that too and what's weird is that when his vet and I talked about it - it was a new company but it seems they are tied in to a few companies. I found this too on Canada's Economic Growth site: Backgrounder - Five rapidly expanding businesses on Montreal’s South Shore - Canada.ca

2nd one down.

Seems the government has given a grant of some kind to them for job creation. Interesting. As it's three companies so far so I wonder if they are all subs of each other? BluLabs, Intersand Group Canada Inc. (Intersand) and Merck in some way.

Very interesting. Well, on one hand, I hope you never see any blue (because he has no issues), but what if you don't? Will you then have to take him in for a "just to be sure" check-up?

Thank you. You and me both! :-) Probably Charlie too as I bet he's more than fed up with being poked, prodded, drugged, ultrasound tests etc at this point.

I have debated that very thing, but I think the reason his vet suggested this is to rule out any chronic / long term issue without putting Charlie under more stress. If she wants him in though - I will absolutely bring in him. I think the way things happen with him is why she suggested this instead. Of course if I see absolutely anything out of the norm - he'll be taken in.

Long story short as I can, it started with a trip to an out of town vet (she was looking after the ferals I care-take for) so I thought she should meet him too for what I thought would be nothing. The only indication of an issue was he attacked a friend of mine like a rabid dog for no reason. It was thanks to the smart people here that I took him because he had no other symptoms.

Turns out he has a 4/4 blood in his urine and a bad ecoli infection that took over 2 months of anti-biotics to sort out. Yet, if you looked in his litter it simply looked like concentrated urine and since he pees mostly in the AM (which the urine would be concentrated) I never noticed. I tell you this though - taking samples of the urine myself -as you got more and more of it into the jar - that was when you could see. Brought me to tears to see it.

I still don't understand the ecoli thing as his litter box is cleaned twice, sometimes three times a day. He's fed wet food 3 times a day - each time a new clean plate and a small handful of dry food - fresh bowl. The only thing I could think of was from his drink well platinum fountain - which is plastic and was about 4 years old. That was washed every week etc. I tossed that fountain along with any dishes (ceramic) that had any indication of wear. I bought him a new stainless steel fountain. The dishes are all glass correll now too.

At the time he had zero crystals. By the time I brought him back for the second check, crystals had formed. I have no doubt due to the stress of all the poking, podding and the trip. I feel really, really bad for that as that makes it my fault. Driving him in he had an asthma attack in the car and was mouth breathing. His heart rate skyrocketed and as he has HCM - so wow - talk about a scary car ride for us both.

He's had two clean tests now of bacteria and the crystals are gone.

Since it all started with blood and ecoli my understanding is that we are watching for the blood as it's one of the biggest signs of FLUDT. We want to make sure it was a one time thing. He doesn't pee outside the litter, never cried using the litter. Nadda. I'm stalking the life out of this poor cat. He's not pee'd in peace for a long time. Thankfully he doesn't seem to mind me being 6 feet away watching.

 

[FeralHearts]

FYI I called Merck today to go over litter options that will work with the product - as they recommend clay. (Not everyone uses clay.)

It can be used in any litter type. The only reason they suggest clay is of course that the lightweight litters will force the crystals to the bottom of the pan making it harder to see etc. Which, I can understand.

Although on the same note, if it lasts a month I guarantee it's going to be mixed to the bottom as most cats dig and some are trying to dig to China after going!

Another interesting point mentioned was that if a cat is peeing outside the litter box like beside a plant, in a bathtub, etc - that you can toss some of the crystals on the urine and still see results in 60 seconds. I thought that was kinda cool to note.