Urinary Care

[Rosepud]

Hello, my cat Wilbur who is about 9 years old and he is fixed was diagnosed with a urinary blockage today. He stopped peeing this morning and I brought him in and he has to stay there for a couple nights to make it better, and he has to be catheterized, the vet doesn't yet know what caused the blockage or anything but said he may need to be switched to a more urinary tract friendly food. I am really not a fan of Hill's science diet because it is very high in carbs, and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this or advice on better urinary food for him if he even needs it just trying to be proactive. He currently has a flowing water dish to promote drinking water, and eats about 4 oz of wet food the holistic select chicken and then a quarter cup of Dr. Elsey's clean protein dry which I was working on lowering as he is on a 236kcal a day diet, he is 15 lbs and needs to lose one. Are there any foods that support urinary health that aren't Hill's science diet, and is good for the rest of him and not just his urinary tract, specifically looking for high protein high fat little to no carb foods, and does anyone know what exactly in the food hurts them or why? Sorry this is rambling I'm just a little stressed and trying to be proactive for when he can come home again.

 

[Rosepud]

For reference everything I've found online and my vet's recommendation's were purina, royal canin, and hill's science diet.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I hope your baby recovers quickly! What a little sweetheart Wilbur is!!!

Did/are they checking for crystals/stones in his urine? As, well as a full urinalysis/urine culture? Just to make sure what you are dealing with. It may even require an x-ray and/or ultrasound...

Anyway, to answer you real question: I have used both Hill's C/D and Royal Canin SO - both wet and dry - to feed Feeby ever since her bladder surgery 9 years ago. So far so good - she has had no more stones! And, yes I have heard of Purina Pro - both wet and dry - but have not personally used it. I also believe there is one called Wysong Uretic, but I am not sure if that is in both wet and dry.

I do think you will find all of the above to have similar ingredients - much to your dismay.

 

[Rosepud]

Did/are they checking for crystals/stones in his urine? As, well as a full urinalysis/urine culture? Just to make sure what you are dealing with. It may even require an x-ray and/or ultrasound...

They are doing a full urine panel and he received an ultrasound while I was there to check for stones and saw none, but they said it is possible one is in his urethra where an ultra sound can't see it. He is also getting an x-ray to confirm, and they're running a full blood work panel, although he had one less than a month ago that came back healthy, they're worried that his blockage may have done some damage to his kidney's as his bladder was the size of a baseball. He is getting pretty much all the possible tests done to figure out what is wrong.

Thank you for answering the question so swiftly! I just really try to have low carb foods after the first cat I had when I was a kid had diabetes and my family learned more about nutrition but urinary issues are new to me! I was reading that things like Animals apawthecary tinkle tonic and all the bests enzymes for cats are beneficial for these types of issues along with foods that have a low magnesium and ash content. Do you have any experience with this?
His current wet food is 11% ash and for cats with urinary issues it is recommended to be less than 1% so that definitely needs a change!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I have only used the foods I mentioned above. So, let's wait and see what other members come along with in terms of additional ideas for you, and answers to your specific questions. Be patient - they will soon!!

But, if it turns out that Wilbur has no stones - not even involving his urethra, I am not sure urinary tract foods are the answer. Typically, there is sediment and generally more than one crystal/stone found between the kidneys, bladder, and urethra. It would seem very odd to me that he has nothing in the kidneys or bladder.

Hope you find out soon about all the other tests, and let us know what they have to say!

 

[Rosepud]

So they successfully removed the blockage which was a mucus plug, unsure how that happens. He is doing better and should be ok he also has a kidney infection, but no urinary infection? But he should be able to come home Friday.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Yow. Glad they cleared the blockage! Are they going to test the mucous plug to see if that would provide a reason? Is the plug full of bacteria? Kidney infection probably means the urine was backed up into the kidneys and caused inflammation/infection. Just know, I am only guessing. But, I do think they need to explain the mucous plug to you - inflammation = gunk build up = passed to the urethra????

I hope somebody else comes along with first hand knowledge of a mucous plug!!

 

[Rosepud]

They have not yet explained the mucous plug although I feel like the sediment from the ash in his food could cause that type of issue but they have not explained it yet. The kidney infection was caused by urine backup I'm just surprised he had a kidney infection and no regular UTI? I plan on asking more questions about the mucus plug as I'd like to know what happened, and how to prevent it in the future!

 

[Jem]

I went thru the same thing with one of my cats who needed to be on prescription urinary food. The only thing that worked for him was the Hills CD, even the RC SO did nothing for him. We tried multiple times to change his food to something of better quality but EVERY time his struvite crystals would return. We simply resigned to the fact that this food was best for him.
Having said that though, I have heard that you can get urine acidifier to add to food IF his urine is not acidic enough, BUT you need to monitor the PH because if it becomes TOO acidic then you run the risk of other issues.
Did the vet mention what caused the mucus plug? Was it the infection that caused inflammatory cells to accumulate? Were there any crystal formations in the mucus? IF there are any crystals or stones in the mucus plug but not anywhere else in his urinary tract, you can probably assume that crystals were not the cause of this infection or blockage. Hopefully the vet will guide you as to why he got the kidney infection.
IF this is a one off kidney infection, no crystals or stones and cystitis it ruled out, you MAY not need to feed him the urinary food BUT I would at least feed him wet ONLY, no more dry food at all. And even add a bit of water to his wet food meals. I'm going to post a link for you that lists many wet food options with the protein, fat, carb and phosphorus content, it may help you find a good wet food you can feed him that you can be happy with. It has also been recommended to stay away from fish based foods for urinary health, so maybe keep that in mind when choosing your next food.
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf

***Was about to post this when you just did, so ignore some of the questions you already answered***

 

[Rosepud]

Yes the blockage caused the infection is my understanding and they checked and he has no crystals or stones. I have never heard of cystitis but they didn't mention that either, but I will ask. Thank you so much for the link! I've been working on lowering the dry food but he has some food insecurities and freaks out if he doesn't get some at night. I will definitely look at the list of wet foods as he most likely needs a change as the ash content could have caused this issue as he is a male cat and apparently that makes them more prone to urinary problems!

 

[Rosepud]

I have no clue why the blockage showed up yet but plan on asking!

 

[Jem]

he has some food insecurities and freaks out if he doesn't get some at night

Does he have any other signs of stress or anxiety? Have there been any changes in the house recently? And I mean ANY changes, even a new piece of furniture can stress out a kitty.

 

[Rosepud]

Yes he came with me to visit my parents which is where I currently am as he also does not do well if left alone for my than 7 hours he gets very sad and stressed. So I brought him with me as he travels well and generally likes new places, but it is also very stressful I'm sure, however he's never had a problem like this before.

 

[Rosepud]

The vet said they don't know what caused the blockage they tested it and could find no definitive cause which doesn't really help much. Some background is at some point before I got him he was shot multiple times and has pellets in him that his usual vet decided aren't worth removing as they aren't hurting him and it would be risky to take out, due to these he has moderate nerve damage to his back end and doesn't walk properly and can't even scratch his own ears. The vet thinks that he was probably dumped outside at some point causing the food insecurity, and that it could also be why he doesn't like to be left alone. He also is very afraid of green laser pointers, we were trying to get him to play and he couldn't see the red ones and green ones are supposed to be brighter, but he was TERRIFIED wouldn't come out for about 10 minutes after it was put away even when offered cat treats! He's usually a very calm easy going cat who just really likes people and attention. It's likely that the mucus was starting to build up for awhile but caused no problems until today. There's a lot I don't know about his history as I've only had him for 5 months or so, and was estimated to be around 9 when I got him. He has seen a vet 3 times in the last month for a variety of other things and come back with a clean bill of health.

 

[Jem]

OH MY!!! The poor baby!
My personal opinion on this is that he probably developed a bout of cystitis which caused the mucus plug to form.
I had a cat who developed cystitis at the ripe old age of 15, for the first and only time, so it can happen, if something just tips them over the edge. He was also a seemingly chill cat, but did have territorial tendencies even if he did not act out when threatened.
This poor creature has had a real tough life before he found you, which is probably why he has such an attachment to you and has separation issues when you leave. You are his safe place, so thank you for saving him and giving him the love he so deserves.

What was explained to me was that the area in the brain that controls the urinary system and the area of the brain which processes stress are in the same area. So that is why stress causes issues with the urinary system in cats. Specifically stress induced cystits. So kinda like how most humans carry their stress in their neck, or get a nervous stomach with diarrhea when under stress, a cat will get an inflamed urinary system.
When kitty has anxiety or is put in situations that causes any stress, the bladder and urethra can become thickened and inflamed, and the muscles can also spasm. What can also happen, is the inflammatory cells that form in the lining if the bladder will then "shed" which can cause a mucus plug.
And of course males are more susceptible to blockages simply due to their anatomy (longer urethra).
I think working on helping your new kitty's stress levels will be what keeps him happy and healthy. And please don't think that I feel he is stressed "in YOUR home", he is probably the most at ease and happy he has EVER been, but it can take a lot of time to undo the terrible things that happen, and teach them that they are safe and secure and have nothing to worry about.

 

[Rosepud]

That makes a lot of sense, I would assume all these changes would be quite stressful even for an easy going cat! Thank you so much for that information I didn't know any of that about the stress causing those things, and it's definitely something to watch for in the future. Are there usually symptoms that I may have just missed that would alert me before he ends up with a blockage like he has, as I would really like this to never happen again! I was also planning on switching him to a lower ash food just so there's less that can build up and getting some of those urinary health things I had read about. The vet doesn't think he needs a urinary specific food as he has no crystals or anything else.

 

[Jem]

From all the research I've done over the years, ash content is not considered to be a MAIN contributor of urinary problems in cats anymore. Although it wouldn't hurt to keep it on the low end.
What is important is to have high protein in the diet. High protein creates more acidic urine (low PH), which is what a cat should have and foods higher in carbs with low or poor quality protein creates a higher PH which leads to many urinary problems. If you are concerned, you can get PH testing strips at natural food stores and test his pee every once in a while to make sure your on track.
And you also want to ensure proper moisture, that is why wet food is better overall. It usually has better and higher protein content, usually has less carbs and fillers and has moisture, which you can even add a bit of water to.
If your kitty still needs kibble left out to snack on at night (to help with his food insecurities - stress), maybe a freeze dried food would be a good option.
Also, (not sure if you have one or not) but a water fountain can encourage a kitty to drink more.
However, IF stress is the main contributing factor for your kitty's issues, even a good food choice won't guarantee a healthy urinary system. (obviously it won't hurt)

 

[Jem]

PH of a cats urine should be at 6.0 to 6.5 (acidic).
The PH scale has 14 points from very acidic to very basic, 7 being neutral.

 

[Jem]

When it comes to symptoms you may have missed, don't overthink this as cats hide their discomfort and pain VERY WELL, usually we don't notice things are amiss until there is a problem. But as you get to know your cat, and what things stress him out, you'll just be able to try and avoid those situations as best you can.
When dealing with urinary issues specifically, if you see your cat going to the litter box more than usual, or if the pee clumps (if you use clumping litter) are smaller than usual, that would be a good first sign that something is brewing. Also if he pees out of the litter box, that is usually a sign that something is wrong.
And as you know already, if he tries to pee and nothing or just little dribbles come out, that's an emergency as that means he's blocked/blocking.

 

[Rosepud]

He does already have a flowing water dish and his food is high protein high fat 0% carb diet for wet food currently, and his dry food is better than most freeze dried foods I have found at 54% protein 40% fat and about 7% carbs. He actually has 2 flowing water dishes because sometimes he likes different settings and then a still water dish as he sometimes wants that.... The only thing I felt like I could reasonably do was switch his food to something with no ash, and was looking at something like weruva mideast feast, or petite cuisine which both have about 10% carbs and 0% ash which is better I think than his current 0% carb 11% ash food?
I was also looking at Instinct and Rawz food as alternatives and was planning on getting him the tinkle tonic that some site online recommended.

I do use clumping litter but I have a litter robot so sometimes don't realize the pee clump size, so I should start keeping a better eye on that, thank you so much for that advice as that would be helpful upon inspection his pee clumps from recently seem smaller than normal!