I posted a couple weeks ago about our kitty's ongoing issues with FIC.
As of January 2, when we last saw the vet, she indicated Moo's bladder was still quite tense, and he has still been continuing to dribble and have very small pees. She prescribed him Phenoxybenzamine, which he's been taking since January 3 (he was on Prazosin for a short time following his initial blockage at the end of November, but she wanted to try something different). We spoke again on Friday, January 4, and she suggested one thing we could have done is sedate him, insert a catheter and do a thorough bladder flush with saline in case he's still got sludge and debris in his bladder that's preventing the urine from coming out properly. She said aside from that, we could try a contrast dye procedure to see if there's any damage to his urethra (such as the formation of scar tissue). I said I wanted to wait and see if the new medication relaxes his bladder before proceeding with any decisions (keeping in mind we're already well over $2K in vet bills now, and that some of the posts I've read here say after administering the Phenoxy, it took three weeks for the bladder to normalize). We have an appointment tomorrow for her to check him out again.
Yesterday Moo was quite sleepy all day, and he didn't seem too interested in his food - super unusual for him, as he is obsessed with food! We tried feeding him around 4:30 before heading out for the night, but he seemed extremely dopey and uninterested - I'd pick him up, and he'd just lie down anywhere I placed him.
So of course I worried of the possibility of another blockage and took him into the after-hours vet. The doctor was able to easily express urine from his bladder (she also gave me a thorough lesson on how to palpitate him myself, which was great), and noted the colour of his urine also seemed normal, so felt confident it wasn't a blockage/urinary issue. She did feel that he may have some gastrointestinal distress going on - we're not sure if it could be that we're mixing his Royal Canin Urinary Care with raw, or if it's because we let him roam outside for a bit the day prior, and he may have eaten some grass, which he's done in the past. For new, we're resuming with the wet RX food only, concerned the switch to raw might be too much for him at this time.
She gave him an injection of buprenorphone for the pain (advised it will last three days), a prescription for Cerenia to help with the nausea and appetite, and said to call if there were any other concerns.
I slept in Moo's room with him last night (he stays in the guest room for now due to the incontinence), and he slept pretty heavily until around 4:30 a.m., got up for a few bites of food, then got back into bed. He did eat some more wet food this morning, and seems fairly interested in food again, but he's also acting strangely compared to his usual self - he seems a bit uncoordinated (wobbly), less vocal than usual, and when I go engage with him, he goes into fits of purrs and affection. I think this is probably normal with the Buprenorphine, based on what I've read here, but I admit it's kind of freaking me out a bit too.
He hasn't had any pees in his litterbox, but as before - and especially since the Phenoxy - he continues to be incontinent, constantly dripping and leaving puddles on the floor (I've tried putting a pet diaper on him per the vet's suggestion, to allow him to roam the house, but he was having none of it!).
In terms of medication overall, Moo's on:
-Injection of Buprenorphine (lasting three days)
-Five days of Cerenia, then a two-day "wash" (which she said is normal for the drug), then three more days
-10 mg daily of Amitriptyline
-Phenoxybenzamine every 12 hours
I guess I'm just wondering if anyone's observed a similar "strangeness" in their kitty following the Buprenorphine injection (I understand it's a narcotic), and seeing again if anyone has more insight into a stubborn case of FIC like we've been dealing with (up until Saturday, he has otherwise been himself, save for the small, frequent pees and incontinence - which is frustrating, as it means having to keep him in a designated room
).
Since his blockage on November 27, we haven't been able to get his urinary habits back to normal, in spite of many efforts and modifications, which is really difficult for all of us. PU surgery has been discussed, but we are hesitant, and our vet agrees because she said it doesn't address the FIC itself, only prevents the occurrence of a blockage (we're also quoted $2K for the surgery, and while we'd have it done if it were dire, we're trying so very hard to avoid adding even more significantly to the financial strain of this experience).
Thanks so kindly in advance for your help!
As of January 2, when we last saw the vet, she indicated Moo's bladder was still quite tense, and he has still been continuing to dribble and have very small pees. She prescribed him Phenoxybenzamine, which he's been taking since January 3 (he was on Prazosin for a short time following his initial blockage at the end of November, but she wanted to try something different). We spoke again on Friday, January 4, and she suggested one thing we could have done is sedate him, insert a catheter and do a thorough bladder flush with saline in case he's still got sludge and debris in his bladder that's preventing the urine from coming out properly. She said aside from that, we could try a contrast dye procedure to see if there's any damage to his urethra (such as the formation of scar tissue). I said I wanted to wait and see if the new medication relaxes his bladder before proceeding with any decisions (keeping in mind we're already well over $2K in vet bills now, and that some of the posts I've read here say after administering the Phenoxy, it took three weeks for the bladder to normalize). We have an appointment tomorrow for her to check him out again.
Yesterday Moo was quite sleepy all day, and he didn't seem too interested in his food - super unusual for him, as he is obsessed with food! We tried feeding him around 4:30 before heading out for the night, but he seemed extremely dopey and uninterested - I'd pick him up, and he'd just lie down anywhere I placed him.
So of course I worried of the possibility of another blockage and took him into the after-hours vet. The doctor was able to easily express urine from his bladder (she also gave me a thorough lesson on how to palpitate him myself, which was great), and noted the colour of his urine also seemed normal, so felt confident it wasn't a blockage/urinary issue. She did feel that he may have some gastrointestinal distress going on - we're not sure if it could be that we're mixing his Royal Canin Urinary Care with raw, or if it's because we let him roam outside for a bit the day prior, and he may have eaten some grass, which he's done in the past. For new, we're resuming with the wet RX food only, concerned the switch to raw might be too much for him at this time.
She gave him an injection of buprenorphone for the pain (advised it will last three days), a prescription for Cerenia to help with the nausea and appetite, and said to call if there were any other concerns.
I slept in Moo's room with him last night (he stays in the guest room for now due to the incontinence), and he slept pretty heavily until around 4:30 a.m., got up for a few bites of food, then got back into bed. He did eat some more wet food this morning, and seems fairly interested in food again, but he's also acting strangely compared to his usual self - he seems a bit uncoordinated (wobbly), less vocal than usual, and when I go engage with him, he goes into fits of purrs and affection. I think this is probably normal with the Buprenorphine, based on what I've read here, but I admit it's kind of freaking me out a bit too.
He hasn't had any pees in his litterbox, but as before - and especially since the Phenoxy - he continues to be incontinent, constantly dripping and leaving puddles on the floor (I've tried putting a pet diaper on him per the vet's suggestion, to allow him to roam the house, but he was having none of it!).
In terms of medication overall, Moo's on:
-Injection of Buprenorphine (lasting three days)
-Five days of Cerenia, then a two-day "wash" (which she said is normal for the drug), then three more days
-10 mg daily of Amitriptyline
-Phenoxybenzamine every 12 hours
I guess I'm just wondering if anyone's observed a similar "strangeness" in their kitty following the Buprenorphine injection (I understand it's a narcotic), and seeing again if anyone has more insight into a stubborn case of FIC like we've been dealing with (up until Saturday, he has otherwise been himself, save for the small, frequent pees and incontinence - which is frustrating, as it means having to keep him in a designated room
).Since his blockage on November 27, we haven't been able to get his urinary habits back to normal, in spite of many efforts and modifications, which is really difficult for all of us. PU surgery has been discussed, but we are hesitant, and our vet agrees because she said it doesn't address the FIC itself, only prevents the occurrence of a blockage (we're also quoted $2K for the surgery, and while we'd have it done if it were dire, we're trying so very hard to avoid adding even more significantly to the financial strain of this experience).
Thanks so kindly in advance for your help!
)
