Recovery After Urinary Blockage

[sandrak7761]

Hi everyone,

After some advice for my cat Basil. Sorry in advance for the long post

On Thursday 23rd, we noticed he was squatting on the floor without anything coming out. We took him to the vet straight away and they squeezed his bladder and said he was blocked, and they kept him at the vet for treatment. When they called in the afternoon they said they hadn't found any crystals in his urine, but he did have a 1.5cm blockage so was being treated with a catheter.

The following morning the vet called and said the catheter had become blocked so he'd removed it (he said he's never seen that happen before). He said Basil would probably be ready to go home that evening, however that afternoon he called back to say Basil had reblocked and needed to stay another night with the catheter back in.

On Saturday 25th Basil had peed on his own without the catheter so we were allowed to pick him up. The vet said he seemed very stressed by being at the vet (he hid under a blanket the whole time), and he thought he'd recover better at home, but he wanted us to bring him in the following Monday for a checkup. He also said he was surprised how much Basil was struggling for such a young cat (he is about 9 months old), and that Basil has a small urethra. He said they usually use a urethra tube size 6 for the catheter, but for Basil they used a size 3. He'd given Basil an injection of antibiotics and said to give him 1 prazosin tablet twice a day to relax his urethra. He also gave us science diet cd dry food.

We took Basil home, and he seemed really really relaxed, he fell into an extremely deep sleep on the bed and was "dreaming" deeply, twitching and muttering in his sleep (I think it was the prazosin). He hated the new cd dry food and wouldn't eat much of it. He was also licking his bottom a lot but I figured he might be sore from the catheters.

Monday morning we took him back, and the vet felt his bladder and said it was full again and he needed to be admitted for another day until he was peeing. I'm not sure if they put the catheter back in, but I do know the vet said he had to squeeze the bladder to "express" him and drain everything out. They sent him home that afternoon but changed his prazosin dosage to half a tablet twice a day, and also added another tablet twice a day to help his bladder contract, as the vet said his bladder was big and loose from the ordeal and that might be why he'd struggled to empty it.

So we took him home again... I'd bought him CD stress wet food to try and coax him to eat, and mixed it with the cd stress dry food. This did the trick, and he is eating well now. He came home miserable though, he was leaking all over the place so had to be locked out of the bedrooms to confine his accidents to rooms with floor boards. He hid a lot and had countless accidents everywhere as well as digging up our potplants. We figured that at least the pee meant he wasn't blocked and that the accidents were probably due to being sore from the catheters and also the medication forcing his bladder to contract all the time. We continued with the meds until the course finished (a week's worth). After the medication fimished he seemed a happier cat and the accidents reduced, but he was still digging up our potplants. We put foil at the base of the plant and then thought all was well - no more accidents. It has now been exactly one week since the meds finished and we started letting him back in the bedroom. Today he squatted and peed on the bed. We put him back in the living area, and within an hour there were 7 different puddles where he'd had accidents

It's now been 2 weeks since he came home from the vet and started eating a combo of wet/dry CD stress, and 1 week since he finished the medication. What could the accidents mean? Is the pee a good sign he isn't blocked, or could something still be wrong?

Before the illness he was eating Eagle Pack for about 4 weeks and before that he'd been on Wellness Core grain free for a very long time

We have 2 other cats and they are all best friends. We have 5 litterboxes.

Basil was adopted at around 12 weeks and had already been desexed

Sorry for the long post, just not sure if he's still sick or just still recovering. We have our first baby due in March and can't really have him peeing everywhere, but money is also tight right now. I love my cats and would never give up on them, just need some advice, its a Sunday so I can't call the vet till tomorrow

 

[Zoya&Zirka]

I'm sorry to hear about your poor kitten, I know how frustrating it can be when they are sick and aren't using the litter box.

My 5month old boy has been recently diagnosed with struvite crystals caused by a bacterial infection that uses protien in the urine and converts it to ammonia causing the ph to rise (cat's urine is naturaly mildly acidic). The only symptoms he was showing was smelly very soft stools and peeing and pooping in the bath tubs (and once for each on the floor in spare room), his energy level was high, he was eating well, cuddling, and pestering his sister. The vet gave him a couple of shots of antibotics over 2 weeks and told me to feed him Hills c/d or Rayne RSS. Fortunatly he's feeling better and using the litter box (though as soon as I broght him home after his second set of shots he went strait for my BF's tub and pooped in it.... I'm fairly certain that had to do with the physical discomfort of the shot since he hasn't done it since).

It could be that your boy is still experiencing discomfort from his ordeal (either physical or psychological), but a vet trip would be advised to make sure there isn't any new or unresolved issues. I thought my kitten's issues were related to a possible intestinal parasite, not a bladder infection.

Good luck and I hope your boy feels better soon.

 

[sandrak7761]

Hi Zoya&Zirka,

Thank you for your response and advice

We went back to the vet this morning

Thankfully there was no blockage, his bladder was empty. She said his bladder was very hard and tight though, which is why he has been leaking everywhere. She said the tight/contracted bladder is due to a combination of stress and also having a small urethra. He feels like he needs to go all the time, and has lost control over it.

She gave him an injection of metacam for pain relief and to relax the bladder. She also prescribed oral metacam once a day for a week, and he is back on the prazosin tablets twice a day for a week.

Hopefully these things help, or she said the next step would be specialist surgery to remove his penis

I hope he's feeling better soon, poor boy

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi everyone,

After some advice for my cat Basil. Sorry in advance for the long post

On Thursday 23rd, we noticed he was squatting on the floor without anything coming out. We took him to the vet straight away and they squeezed his bladder and said he was blocked, and they kept him at the vet for treatment. When they called in the afternoon they said they hadn't found any crystals in his urine, but he did have a 1.5cm blockage so was being treated with a catheter.

The following morning the vet called and said the catheter had become blocked so he'd removed it (he said he's never seen that happen before). He said Basil would probably be ready to go home that evening, however that afternoon he called back to say Basil had reblocked and needed to stay another night with the catheter back in.

On Saturday 25th Basil had peed on his own without the catheter so we were allowed to pick him up. The vet said he seemed very stressed by being at the vet (he hid under a blanket the whole time), and he thought he'd recover better at home, but he wanted us to bring him in the following Monday for a checkup. He also said he was surprised how much Basil was struggling for such a young cat (he is about 9 months old), and that Basil has a small urethra. He said they usually use a urethra tube size 6 for the catheter, but for Basil they used a size 3. He'd given Basil an injection of antibiotics and said to give him 1 prazosin tablet twice a day to relax his urethra. He also gave us science diet cd dry food.

We took Basil home, and he seemed really really relaxed, he fell into an extremely deep sleep on the bed and was "dreaming" deeply, twitching and muttering in his sleep (I think it was the prazosin). He hated the new cd dry food and wouldn't eat much of it. He was also licking his bottom a lot but I figured he might be sore from the catheters.

Monday morning we took him back, and the vet felt his bladder and said it was full again and he needed to be admitted for another day until he was peeing. I'm not sure if they put the catheter back in, but I do know the vet said he had to squeeze the bladder to "express" him and drain everything out. They sent him home that afternoon but changed his prazosin dosage to half a tablet twice a day, and also added another tablet twice a day to help his bladder contract, as the vet said his bladder was big and loose from the ordeal and that might be why he'd struggled to empty it.

So we took him home again... I'd bought him CD stress wet food to try and coax him to eat, and mixed it with the cd stress dry food. This did the trick, and he is eating well now. He came home miserable though, he was leaking all over the place so had to be locked out of the bedrooms to confine his accidents to rooms with floor boards. He hid a lot and had countless accidents everywhere as well as digging up our potplants. We figured that at least the pee meant he wasn't blocked and that the accidents were probably due to being sore from the catheters and also the medication forcing his bladder to contract all the time. We continued with the meds until the course finished (a week's worth). After the medication fimished he seemed a happier cat and the accidents reduced, but he was still digging up our potplants. We put foil at the base of the plant and then thought all was well - no more accidents. It has now been exactly one week since the meds finished and we started letting him back in the bedroom. Today he squatted and peed on the bed. We put him back in the living area, and within an hour there were 7 different puddles where he'd had accidents

It's now been 2 weeks since he came home from the vet and started eating a combo of wet/dry CD stress, and 1 week since he finished the medication. What could the accidents mean? Is the pee a good sign he isn't blocked, or could something still be wrong?

Before the illness he was eating Eagle Pack for about 4 weeks and before that he'd been on Wellness Core grain free for a very long time

We have 2 other cats and they are all best friends. We have 5 litterboxes.

Basil was adopted at around 12 weeks and had already been desexed

Sorry for the long post, just not sure if he's still sick or just still recovering. We have our first baby due in March and can't really have him peeing everywhere, but money is also tight right now. I love my cats and would never give up on them, just need some advice, its a Sunday so I can't call the vet till tomorrow

Hi sandrak7761 and Basil, and welcome to TCS!
Very sorry you are experiencing these issues. Veterinary advice and care is always best for something like urinary tract issues. But having had a little experience with it in two of our males, I can offer this:
Sammi, our beloved Mainey angel had blockage and was put on methionine tabs. He did fine for quite awhile and then had problems again, for which he got more methionine tabs and never experienced any difficulties again. He lived to be 21, with no special diet.
Elvis, who's 10, experienced some difficulties urinating on a couple of occasions; luckily I had methionine tabs left, and gave him those until he improved. He has been on Drs. Foster & Smith CranHealth tabs ever since. I give him one daily as the label suggests, grinding it up with a mortar & pestle and mixing it in his morning (wet) food. He's just great now!
Personally, and as many experts recommend, I would never make dry food the main diet of any cat. I feed high-quality wet food 3 times per day, and I do keep high-quality dry available, along with fresh water, free choice. We have a cat water fountain as well, which I find very helpful in encouraging cats to drink more water. Cats in the wild get most of their moisture from their prey and aren't inclined to drink a lot of water, so this is important to keep their interest.
And personally, I don't find the brand a lot of vets, including Basil's, suggest to be of sufficiently high quality for my cats. That's a personal choice and I'm not alone in it.
I buy all of my cat supplies online from DrsFosterSmith.com, which was founded by 2 veterinarians. Over $19 orders ship free. They also compound Rx medicines for your cat, communicating directly with your cat's doctor. There are several other online companies which are very good; this is just the one we use and have trusted for a long time.
Good luck, and I hope Basil will be well! Please keep us all informed.

 

[margd]

I hate to say this and you'll hate to read it but I think Basil needs to go back to the vet. From what I've read, it looks like the vet was focused almost exclusively on the blockage, which makes sense since untreated blockages can be fatal. I'm wondering, however if Basil needs to go back and have a urinalysis or a urine culture done to check for a bacterial infection. The antibiotic shot given on November 25th was probably Convenia which is the equivalent of a 14 day dose of antibiotics. It's now the 10th, a bit over 2 weeks later, and he may need another round of antibiotics. When my cat Chula had a UTI, it took three full rounds of antibiotics before her UTI finally went away. At this point, I would go for the more expensive urine culture over a urinalysis because the former will identify the bacterium in question. An antibiotic can then be administered that is specific for that bacterium, rather than have to risk choosing one that's not effective.

Despite being called urinary tract infections, UTIs are frequently stress-related. Although Basil gets along well with his fellow felines, you should consider carefully what may have changed in the routine of daily life, yours and theirs. Check also for the presence of stray cats strolling about on your property or even coming up to the window. Indoor cats are known to break their litter box training or start to spray when strange cats are around, especially when those strange cats are out of reach.

When cleaning up the urine, be sure to use an enzyme based product such as Nature's Miracle that will break down the urine molecules entirely. Otherwise, cats with their super sniffers will be able to smell traces of urine that you can't and will return to the site. A black light will identify any urine you missed; these are quite inexpensive.

I hope Basil gets better soon, poor little guy. He certainly has been through the ringer. I hope the fact that his urethra is so narrow doesn't mean that these blockages will become an on-going issue. Just in case, though you may find this article on lower urinary tract disease put out by the Cornell Vet School very helpful: Lower Urinary Tract Disease

Wishing you and Basil both the best of luck. I hope you'll let us know how he's doing, poor baby.

EDIT: We cross-posted so I see you have already been to the vet and have an answer. Fingers crossed that the new protocol does the trick for Basil!

 

[zed xyzed]

Great advice Margd! poor little Basil, I hope you can get this under control

 

[sandrak7761]

Thanks everyone,

He definitely seems a happier cat since getting the new medication protocol from the vet this morning, and so far today there have been no accidents

We are in Australia, so don't have access to such a wide-range of foods as are available in the US

I know that Science Diet/Hills is not a great brand, but also worry that if I don't give him the prescription food I'm not giving him the best shot at recovery. I'm giving Hills CD Stress canned mixed with some Hills CD Stress dry and as of yesterday I've also started mixing in a tablespoon of water

I think he is generally an anxious cat. We adopted him at 12 weeks from a shelter, but don't know anything about his early life. I suspect he left his momma early, as he has developed some strange behaviors, like he treats my big male cat Moses like his mother, and still tries to "suckle" on Moses' belly. Moses is very patient with him, and thankfully very fluffy so doesn't feel much.

I think perhaps Basil's anxiety stems from a recent change to their feeding routine. It's another long story, but my eldest cat Lilly (12) had been very unwell. She lost lots of weight and had liver issues which were initally diagnosed as hipatic lipodosis. The vets initially couldn't work out what was wrong and thought Lilly had stopped eating due to Basil's arrival (despite being months apart), which had then caused her body to digest it's own fat, and upset her liver. The advice was to feed Lilly separately from the other cats and tempt her with special treat foods. This didn't work, and finally after seeing a specialist vet and a bunch more tests, they found the issue was with her pancreas so she now has weekly b12 injections and a special enzyme on her food.

Lilly is doing great now, but I do wonder if it was the feeding her separately and all the fuss that stressed out Basil and caused his issues? It was during this time that I also switched them from Wellness Core grain free to Eaglepack as I was paranoid it was the food making Lilly unwell, so maybe that change was also bad for Basil?

It's been a stressful few months in terms of cat health!

Edited to add:

- We live in a top floor apartment, so no chances of neighborhood cats
- The vet did do a urinalysis on the first visit and found no infection or crystals, but did say his urine had a very high ph. She wasn't able to do a test today as his bladder was empty, but said we should consider it if the new meds don't work
- We already have a water fountain

Sorry, I missed those bits earlier!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thanks everyone,

He definitely seems a happier cat since getting the new medication protocol from the vet this morning, and so far today there have been no accidents

We are in Australia, so don't have access to such a wide-range of foods as are available in the US

I know that Science Diet/Hills is not a great brand, but also worry that if I don't give him the prescription food I'm not giving him the best shot at recovery. I'm giving Hills CD Stress canned mixed with some Hills CD Stress dry and as of yesterday I've also started mixing in a tablespoon of water

I think he is generally an anxious cat. We adopted him at 12 weeks from a shelter, but don't know anything about his early life. I suspect he left his momma early, as he has developed some strange behaviors, like he treats my big male cat Moses like his mother, and still tries to "suckle" on Moses' belly. Moses is very patient with him, and thankfully very fluffy so doesn't feel much.

I think perhaps Basil's anxiety stems from a recent change to their feeding routine. It's another long story, but my eldest cat Lilly (12) had been very unwell. She lost lots of weight and had liver issues which were initally diagnosed as hipatic lipodosis. The vets initially couldn't work out what was wrong and thought Lilly had stopped eating due to Basil's arrival (despite being months apart), which had then caused her body to digest it's own fat, and upset her liver. The advice was to feed Lilly separately from the other cats and tempt her with special treat foods. This didn't work, and finally after seeing a specialist vet and a bunch more tests, they found the issue was with her pancreas so she now has weekly b12 injections and a special enzyme on her food.

Lilly is doing great now, but I do wonder if it was the feeding her separately and all the fuss that stressed out Basil and caused his issues? It was during this time that I also switched them from Wellness Core grain free to Eaglepack as I was paranoid it was the food making Lilly unwell, so maybe that change was also bad for Basil?

It's been a stressful few months in terms of cat health!

Edited to add:

- We live in a top floor apartment, so no chances of neighborhood cats
- The vet did do a urinalysis on the first visit and found no infection or crystals, but did say his urine had a very high ph. She wasn't able to do a test today as his bladder was empty, but said we should consider it if the new meds don't work
- We already have a water fountain

Sorry, I missed those bits earlier!

Ah. This explains a lot. Any change in the family dynamic can be stressful for cats, just as it can be for people. It can take time for everyone to become introduced to one another and work out their place in the family. And changes of food can also be an issue, as cats, while they love variety, need gradual changes, not complete changes, in their diets according to many experts, who suggest introducing new foods by mixing them gradually with the regular foods, adding more new over a period of a couple of weeks until the new is the only food they are eating. Wellness and Eagle Pack are both quality foods. But a gradual mixing of the foods as suggested above might solve the food issue.

 

[Zoya&Zirka]

I'm in a similar situation when it comes to a variety of foods available I live in northern Canada and in the largest community north of 60 so if it's not in town I have to try and find it online or drive or fly 1000-1500km to a major city.

In my search for better alternatives to Hill's or Rayne a couple of people sent me the links below. Based on what I know of human nutrition, it makes sense that feeding a more species appropriate diet (aka meat) would decrease pH and increase the acidity. Most kibble has carbohydrates that cause alkalinity, and the prescription diets are no exception. The add components to increase the acidity of the animals urine.

I've started feeding my kittens a more wet based diet of canned wet food (including the wet "prescription diet") and freeze dried raw (adding at least double the amount of water to re-hydrate the food). I still substitue the "prescription diet" kibble in as a go-to snack mixed with a high grade kibble (like Orijen or Acana) just because both kittens are growing fast and to feed them strictly wet or freeze dried raw would cost me a fortune. I've also been looking into cranberry based urinary tract suplements if the diet changes don't help.

As for the suckling issue, if you find a solution let me know. My boy's been doing that to my girl and she's starting to get annoyed with him (especially since he's now bigger then her) and when she kicks him away or leaves he looks kinda hurt.

Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection

The Paradox of Prescription Diets - Feline Nutrition Foundation

Glad to hear Basil and Lilly are both feeling better. Hopefully this is the start of things returning to normal.

 

[tarasgirl06]

IDK if DrsFosterSmith.com delivers to your location, but you each might check it out. Or chewy.com. Or Petco.com. There may well be other services that do deliver to your area, findable via a search on your search engine.

 

[sandrak7761]

So, while we thought Basil was getting better, it seems he has a way to go yet

2 days after finishing up his regime of metacam and prazosin we found puddles of urine all over the floor again, with what looked like significant amounts of blood in the urine

We rushed him back to the vet. They said he was not blocked but did an ultrasound and found his bladder walls looked inflammed, however there was no obvious sign of sludge or crystals

They wanted to try and get a urine sample and also monitor him for the day to ensure he didn't block - They gave him a pain killer and admitted him. In the afternoon they called to say that his bladder was filling up but since the pain killers, it no longer seemed painful for them to squeeze the bladder, however he had not peed for them to get a sample. They were able to squeeze his bladder and get a tiny drop out which reassured them he wasn't blocked but couldn't get enough to sample.

They then said he'd be better off at home and sent him home with another weeks worth of prazosin and this time a different pain killer: buprenorphine. They also said to stop feeding cd dry and wet, and only feed the cd wet.

I asked if he needed antibiotics and they said while they had been unable to get the urine sample to confirm it is very unlikely as the urethra in male cats is so narrow an infection is very unlikely

That was 2 days ago. The first night after coming home he did a massive pee all over the floor, but I think he'd been holding it at the vet all day. Since then he's been okay, but this evening when I picked him up to give him his medicine he peed all over me

I'm really concerned that something is going on that everyone is missing. It's not normal for a young cat to need so many pain killers and it's not actually addressig any root causes. I'm not convinced it's stress, but nonetheless we have feliway diffusers and extra litterboxes all over the apartment. It's a big, split level apartment and he has his own perches and cat stairs.

I'm also not convinced that the PU surgery is the right thing given he isn't actually getting blocked. This doesn't seem behavioural, he isn't peeing like a cat who doesn't like his litterbox - There are puddles everywhere like he has no control or is in pain, yet he has no crystals

 

[tarasgirl06]

So, while we thought Basil was getting better, it seems he has a way to go yet

2 days after finishing up his regime of metacam and prazosin we found puddles of urine all over the floor again, with what looked like significant amounts of blood in the urine

We rushed him back to the vet. They said he was not blocked but did an ultrasound and found his bladder walls looked inflammed, however there was no obvious sign of sludge or crystals

They wanted to try and get a urine sample and also monitor him for the day to ensure he didn't block - They gave him a pain killer and admitted him. In the afternoon they called to say that his bladder was filling up but since the pain killers, it no longer seemed painful for them to squeeze the bladder, however he had not peed for them to get a sample. They were able to squeeze his bladder and get a tiny drop out which reassured them he wasn't blocked but couldn't get enough to sample.

They then said he'd be better off at home and sent him home with another weeks worth of prazosin and this time a different pain killer: buprenorphine. They also said to stop feeding cd dry and wet, and only feed the cd wet.

I asked if he needed antibiotics and they said while they had been unable to get the urine sample to confirm it is very unlikely as the urethra in male cats is so narrow an infection is very unlikely

That was 2 days ago. The first night after coming home he did a massive pee all over the floor, but I think he'd been holding it at the vet all day. Since then he's been okay, but this evening when I picked him up to give him his medicine he peed all over me

I'm really concerned that something is going on that everyone is missing. It's not normal for a young cat to need so many pain killers and it's not actually addressig any root causes. I'm not convinced it's stress, but nonetheless we have feliway diffusers and extra litterboxes all over the apartment. It's a big, split level apartment and he has his own perches and cat stairs.

I'm also not convinced that the PU surgery is the right thing given he isn't actually getting blocked. This doesn't seem behavioural, he isn't peeing like a cat who doesn't like his litterbox - There are puddles everywhere like he has no control or is in pain, yet he has no crystals

Wow. It's obvious he is not blocked, which is wonderful. But the rest is a mystery to me and I hope others here will be able to give some positive input. *PRAYERS* for Basil to return to good health and to thrive!

 

[sandrak7761]

This morning we found a small drop of urine with blood in it on the floor, just a drop. I don't think he could be blocked after all the pee that came out yesterday, but I don't know what to do. Do I just continue with the medication he's been given, or should the bleeding have stopped by now?

I'm waiting for the vet to open which should be in about 30 mins. It's a Sunday and Christmas Eve, so they have reduced hours today. I think I want to ask for a full blood panel and a urine analysis

 

[tarasgirl06]

This morning we found a small drop of urine with blood in it on the floor, just a drop. I don't think he could be blocked after all the pee that came out yesterday, but I don't know what to do. Do I just continue with the medication he's been given, or should the bleeding have stopped by now?

I'm waiting for the vet to open which should be in about 30 mins. It's a Sunday and Christmas Eve, so they have reduced hours today. I think I want to ask for a full blood panel and a urine analysis

*Anxiously awaiting news and sending *PRAYERS* and healing thoughts of wellbeing up, and out, for BASIL

 

[sandrak7761]

Thank you for the prayers. Here is an update on Basil:

We were unable to get into the vet on Christmas Eve and since at that point it had only been a drop of bloody urine we decided to wait rather than go to the emergency vet where they wouldn't have any of his history. He was also still taking the bupreorphine painkiller and prazosin muscle relaxant

Christmas Day there were no further accidents or signs of blood. He was playing with our other cat and seemed very happy within himself

This morning 26th December we awoke to what looked like a murder scene with puddles of bloody urine all over the apartment. We went to the vet, who were only open for 2 hours today as it is still a public holiday in Australia and thankfully they squeezed us in. This time we had managed to syringe up some of the urine to give them a sample for tests. She felt his bladder but didn't really comment on it. She tested the urine and said that there was some signs of bacteria but the sample could be contaminated since we had collected it from the floor. She did agree to give antibiotics this time though. So now he is taking amoxyclav as well as the bupreorphine and prazosin.

I did ask about a blood panel but she said in a young cat kidney disease would be unlikely. I said I'd still like to rule it out before considering surgery. She agreed but said with the public holiday it wouldn't be collected today anyway and then we'd be sending a day old sample to the lab which isn't ideal. She said to try the antibiotics first, and then if there are still issues we'll do a blood panel and x rays.

It's a bit frustrating that I asked for antibiotics last time and she said infection would be unlikely as male cats have such narrow urethras, but today she conceded that the previous catheters could have caused an infection (although he was given a long lasting antibiotic injection when he had the catheters).

I guess the positives are that we're trying one treatment at a time to rule things out, and also that the blood doesn't seem to concern the vets too much. Fingers crossed for the antibiotics to work!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you for the prayers. Here is an update on Basil:

We were unable to get into the vet on Christmas Eve and since at that point it had only been a drop of bloody urine we decided to wait rather than go to the emergency vet where they wouldn't have any of his history. He was also still taking the bupreorphine painkiller and prazosin muscle relaxant

Christmas Day there were no further accidents or signs of blood. He was playing with our other cat and seemed very happy within himself

This morning 26th December we awoke to what looked like a murder scene with puddles of bloody urine all over the apartment. We went to the vet, who were only open for 2 hours today as it is still a public holiday in Australia and thankfully they squeezed us in. This time we had managed to syringe up some of the urine to give them a sample for tests. She felt his bladder but didn't really comment on it. She tested the urine and said that there was some signs of bacteria but the sample could be contaminated since we had collected it from the floor. She did agree to give antibiotics this time though. So now he is taking amoxyclav as well as the bupreorphine and prazosin.

I did ask about a blood panel but she said in a young cat kidney disease would be unlikely. I said I'd still like to rule it out before considering surgery. She agreed but said with the public holiday it wouldn't be collected today anyway and then we'd be sending a day old sample to the lab which isn't ideal. She said to try the antibiotics first, and then if there are still issues we'll do a blood panel and x rays.

It's a bit frustrating that I asked for antibiotics last time and she said infection would be unlikely as male cats have such narrow urethras, but today she conceded that the previous catheters could have caused an infection (although he was given a long lasting antibiotic injection when he had the catheters).

I guess the positives are that we're trying one treatment at a time to rule things out, and also that the blood doesn't seem to concern the vets too much. Fingers crossed for the antibiotics to work!

Mine are, too, for Basil!

 

[Felixsmom]

I don’t have advice but I have empathy for you and your kitty. I just want to thank everyone for such great tips, info and advice! I’m watching your thread too because my cat Felix has been in the hospital since December 18th. That’s when I took him to the pet ER, was his 1st block, his whole urinary tract had stones everywhere, he had PU surgery hoping the stones would pass after that, but, then he re-blocked hours after catheter was removed. Then... another surgery, a cystosomy which when they were inside they found and repaired a urethra tear. He’s still in the hospital with catheter, probably discharged tomorrow if he pees when they remove the catheter. This is all new to me, Felix is my first cat, first pet actually, so I’m trying to learn from others who have cats with urinary issues. It’s so scary and lonely when you have no one to turn to, thank you for having this site!

 

[tarasgirl06]

I don’t have advice but I have empathy for you and your kitty. I just want to thank everyone for such great tips, info and advice! I’m watching your thread too because my cat Felix has been in the hospital since December 18th. That’s when I took him to the pet ER, was his 1st block, his whole urinary tract had stones everywhere, he had PU surgery hoping the stones would pass after that, but, then he re-blocked hours after catheter was removed. Then... another surgery, a cystosomy which when they were inside they found and repaired a urethra tear. He’s still in the hospital with catheter, probably discharged tomorrow if he pees when they remove the catheter. This is all new to me, Felix is my first cat, first pet actually, so I’m trying to learn from others who have cats with urinary issues. It’s so scary and lonely when you have no one to turn to, thank you for having this site!

Much empathy and support going out to your Felix and to you! *PRAYERS* for success and a complete and comfortable recovery for him!

 

[Zoya&Zirka]

I hope Basil is better soon. Have you been feeding him the Hill's c/d strictly? In my search for better diets I read that Hills is hard on the bladder and kidneys because it over acidifies the urine. Something to check with your vet.

I hope you find the answer soon.