Urinating in Sleep

[PinkSox]

Hello all,

It's been awhile since I posted here but I think the last time I posted I had posted about one of my cats urinating inappropriately as I was finding mysterious urine puddles around my house. Since then I have figured out which kitty it is, the thing is I don't know why. He is urinating in his sleep as I have witnessed him doing this several times - he does not posture at all to spray or urinate... he literally will just get up and there will be a puddle of urine under him.

I have taken my cat to the vet and they tested his urine which tested negative for bacteria and also did an ultra sound of his bladder. He was given an anti inflammatory and antibiotic injection and sent home. For the duration of the shot my cat seemed happy and healthy - playing and eating well. He was in a much better mood - now since the injection has worn off I'm finding puddles again. My cat is only 5 years old and I don't know what's wrong. The vet has suggested it's cystitis and caused by stressed but literally I'll find these puddles when he's sleeping... how could stress be causing him to urinate in his sleep?

For reference he still urinates in the litter box when he is awake. He also has had lots of bowel issues too (Primarily with diarrhea and vomiting). I've switched his diet, but he still has these issues from time to time. I'm not sure if it's all related (Maybe an inflammatory disease?) or not. Could anyone give some insight into this? Should I get a second opinion from a different vet? Has anyone experienced these issues with their cat?

 

[Norachan]

I think he needs to be seen by a vet again. A new vet if you're not happy with the treatment he's received from your current vet. Stress can cause cystitis in cats, but if that was the issue I would have expected your vet to prescribe a light sedative as well. As your vet gave him antibiotics and this actually helped the problem for a while it makes me think he could have a bacterial infection, but the tests came back negative? Something seems a bit off here.

You mentioned a new kitten a few years back. Do you still have that cat? How do the two get along now?

 

[PinkSox]

I think he needs to be seen by a vet again. A new vet if you're not happy with the treatment he's received from your current vet. Stress can cause cystitis in cats, but if that was the issue I would have expected your vet to prescribe a light sedative as well. As your vet gave him antibiotics and this actually helped the problem for a while it makes me think he could have a bacterial infection, but the tests came back negative? Something seems a bit off here.

You mentioned a new kitten a few years back. Do you still have that cat? How do the two get along now?

All my vet did was recommend a special prescription diet for food I can buy only at their pharmacy and supplements from their pharmacy. This is one of the reasons I think maybe a second opinion is warranted.

That's what I don't understand - they ran the test for a UTI and it was negative but prior to the injection he was having puddles a couple times a day (Every time waking up from a nap) and then it seemed to get better after the injection. I know she said she gave him an anti-inflammatory as well though so I don't know if it was the antibiotic or if it was the anti-inflammatory.

My younger cat and him get along pretty well (All things considered) now. The day this incident occurred I had them in my back yard (I have a cat fence where I let them run around and play in that area) and they were both running around happily playing with one another. My cat with the urinary issues was the one wanting to play! And he didn't seem stressed at all. I brought them in to feed them supper and then my cat curled up next to me on my bed and slept for about 3 hours or so - when he got up, there was a puddle of urine beneath him. He got off the bed afterward as it seemed like he didn't want to lay in his own urine and moved to the floor. He did drink a lot of water before laying down, but at his age I would think this wouldn't cause an incident... he's only 5 after all!

One thing that I'm concerned about is he does have an abnormal tail - it's not as long as a normal cats tail (It's about half the size - not like a manx, but definitely not like my other cats) and I've begin to wonder if he has a spinal issue? Vets have told me it didn't seem to be due to an injury and that they believe he was born with it, but I wouldn't really know because I adopted him at about 1 year old. He has also had diarrhea on and off for most of his life that vets have been unable to give me a concrete reason for. He's had blood work done multiple times and it always comes back clear (No abnormalities). He's had tests for intestinal bacteria which has shown nothing. I don't know, according to his tests he's a very healthy cat, but he seems to have a lot of issues my other cat does not.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Based on the information you've given us, I think it would be a good idea for a second opinion, but maybe consider it being with a specialty group/internal med vet. Or, look for another vet that has credentials as an internal med specialist. Most specialty group require referrals from the regular vet, so the latter would be the way to go if you aren't comfortable asking this vet to provide a referral.

Just get a copy of the ultrasound and the written report summarizing the ultrasound results, along with the urinalysis results to share with whatever vet you choose. You can get other records from your cat's file to help the second opinion vet in their assessment, as many appreciate having a bit of history to work with.

I do think it is worth going in this direction in case your suspicions about nerve issues are accurate. I am not sure how anti-inflammatory meds would help with a nerve issue unless it has to do with swelling pressing on a nerve - but I am thinking that the anti-inflammatory did help your guy out!