UTI concerns - absolutely exhausted

[Baba-Bleu]

Hi!

My boy Bleu is 4 years old and has a history of urethral obstructions. He is a highly anxious cat and is on Urinary food, Cystease and we have felliway diffusers around the house. He’s also currently on Metacam.

His urine smelled very strongly of ammonia last week and a few days later started urinating outside the litter box. I managed to get a sample and the vet confirmed a UTI (bacteria present and blood though not visible in urine)

We are on day 3 of the penicillin and he’s not any better. He’s peeing everywhere around the house constantly and he’s miserable. He’s excessively licking his genitals.

I just had a baby 8 weeks ago and I’ve so conscious the house smells like cat urine and I have him in the room with it.
I’ve been spot cleaning the carpets with Milton and Dr Beckmann as much as possible when I catch him. It’s hard to keep up with a newborn too. I’m so exhausted and just need some advice
**note: we haven’t actually physically seen a vet as they try to not bring him in because he becomes so distressed. Also because of Coronavirus they are trying to limit the number of animals coming in.**

 

[cataholic07]

How many times a day do you feed him? How many litter boxes do you have? Have you tried increasing his confidence through play?

 

[Baba-Bleu]

How many times a day do you feed him? How many litter boxes do you have? Have you tried increasing his confidence through play?

He’s fed twice a day (he’s a greedy boy so his portions are weighed out cause he’ll eat it in one go)
One litter tray (I’ve put inco pads on the floor where he keeps going to the toilet)

How do you mean increasing his confidence?

I’m just surprised the antibiotics haven’t started to take effect yet. He’s on the Penicillin 2x daily and we are on day 3 out of a 5 day course.

 

[MissClouseau]

Smaller meals throughout the day easier on the digestion and helps to prevent UTI. They say there should be minimum 2 litterboxes for one cat.

Congratulations on the baby. Since the baby arrived only 2 months ago, I think it's possible it's the stress of "new member to the house." And maybe he feels lonely.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. It is highly likely the antibiotic he is being given is not as effective on the type of bacteria causing his infection. When you took the urine sample to the vet did they also do a urine culture in addition to the urinalysis? If not, then the specific type of bacteria was probably not identified in order to determine the best antibiotic.

Also, no offense meant, but bacteria will show up in a urine specimen that wasn't captured sterilely (I know that from first hand experience!) - all the more reason to perform a urine culture as well. The blood could be from crystals irritating his urethra and bladder - with or without an actual infection. Nonetheless, for an infection, the penicillin should help some, but it is possible a longer duration of the med is going to be needed before you see some relief. A 5 day regimen of antibiotics is surprisingly short, especially in a cat with a history of urinary issues.

While Metacam helps with pain and inflammation, it doesn't help with urinary tract spasms, so you might want to ask your vet if the addition of an anti-spasmodic med would be beneficial.

 

[Baba-Bleu]

Hi. It is highly likely the antibiotic he is being given is not as effective on the type of bacteria causing his infection. When you took the urine sample to the vet did they also do a urine culture in addition to the urinalysis? If not, then the specific type of bacteria was probably not identified in order to determine the best antibiotic.

Also, no offense meant, but bacteria will show up in a urine specimen that wasn't captured sterilely (I know that from first hand experience!) - all the more reason to perform a urine culture as well. The blood could be from crystals irritating his urethra and bladder - with or without an actual infection. Nonetheless, for an infection, the penicillin should help some, but it is possible a longer duration of the med is going to be needed before you see some relief. A 5 day regimen of antibiotics is surprisingly short, especially in a cat with a history of urinary issues.

While Metacam helps with pain and inflammation, it doesn't help with urinary tract spasms, so you might want to ask your vet if the addition of an anti-spasmodic med would be beneficial.

A urine culture hasn’t been sent. I did question this but they were happy that he was on a broad spectrum antibiotic. Very unusual because at my work (albeit humans), we would always send for cultures if anything is positive.

No, it wasn’t a clean catch urine. He thankfully passed urine on the changing mat I had out so I was able to syringe it up from that so just had to make do with that sample at the time.

I did think that was a short period too. I will phone tomorrow and push for him to be seen because he’s absolutely miserable. He’s upset he’s having to urinate out of his litter tray.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I did think that was a short period too. I will phone tomorrow and push for him to be seen because he’s absolutely miserable. He’s upset he’s having to urinate out of his litter tray.

I feel so bad for him! Not just for his pain/misery, but for how he feels about his accidents. When Feeby peed outside the box, I could tell how upset she was by it! It broke my heart.

As hard as it is to have to take a cat to the vet, it is even harder when they are feeling rotten (which is, DUH, when they most need to be seen), but I think it is a good idea if they will agree to see him. Please keep us posted!

 

[Baba-Bleu]

I feel so bad for him! Not just for his pain/misery, but for how he feels about his accidents. When Feeby peed outside the box, I could tell how upset she was by it! It broke my heart.

As hard as it is to have to take a cat to the vet, it is even harder when they are feeling rotten (which is, DUH, when they most need to be seen), but I think it is a good idea if they will agree to see him. Please keep us posted!

I phoned the vets (also cause tomorrow is a bank holiday!) and they have given him Vetagesic for tonight and tomorrow and also Hypovase tablets for the next 5 days.

They think it’s more pain related why he is consistently going to the toilet as he is passing urine and there is no visible blood in it.

The vet nurseis going to phone me tomorrow to see how he done overnight.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Keeping our fingers crossed that you see some improvement!! Let us know!

 

[Baba-Bleu]

Just back from the emergency vets.

Bleu was on anti spasm medication, morphine, Metacam and Penicillin and still no improvement.
He began passing even smaller amounts of urine so we called the emergency number.

He had a full bladder. She was unable to empty manually under sedation so scanned him. There is a 2cm x 1cm stone. She done an X-ray and confirmed it’s a Struvyte Crystal.

She’s going to put him under GA and catheterise him.

Really hope he is going to be okay

We don’t have pet insurance and are unable to get any because it’s classed as pre-existing.
Just has a baby and in maternity and my partner Furloughed with maybe no job to go back too.
Between worrying sick about Bleu, having a newborn and now worrying about finances, I feel my head is going to explode!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

OMG! Thanks for letting us know. It is struvite, so can be dissolved maybe? I know oxalate stones cannot, but that is one heck of a single struvite stone. Sure it is not multiple stones congregated together? Does the vet seem to think the catherization will also flush out the stones? Make sure you ask the vet about these aspects.

Continue to keep us posted. So sorry for everything happening at once. It sucks.

 

[Baba-Bleu]

The vets have been terrible. They only keep speaking about payments and giving very little information about Bleu.

From what I managed to squeeze out her they are wanting him home with 3 doses of Gabapentin only to give if he starts showing signs of struggling again. And to quote “give him the tablet, lock him in a dark room with a litter tray and leave him be”
She said his bladder has reduced in size and that the “stone” doesn’t look as big so she thinks it’s a collection of sediment and to keep him on the Purina Urinary food, Cystease capsules, Metacam and she’s going to give capsules for anxiety and stress to add to his food (similar to Cystease).

We have paid the bill and they phoned and said there was a muck up on their side and another £120 has been added

I don’t feel like he’s been properly treated at all. I don’t know what to do. I’ve phoned other local vets who said they would’ve taken over his care on discharge but can’t because of the current guidelines due to Covid/19 (not taken on new patients)

I honestly can’t stop crying. I feel like I’ve totally failed Bleu.