This poor kitty cat! If it isn't one thing with him, it's another!
Tuxie almost lost his life a couple of times to an autoimmune disease "like" feline autoimmune hemolytic anemia but not that. After about 2 years, we'd finally gotten that under control, the only drug he has to continue using is a long acting steroid, depo-medrol - and he's down to needing that shot only about every 3 months.
A little over a month ago he appeared to have a UTI - which is very unusual in male cats. At that same time, Lazlo had to go to the hospital with a blockage. Turns out Lazlo was blocked not with the normal crystals ("struvite") - of course - but with the far less common calcium oxylate (sp?), for which there is no treatment other than diet change. If it were struvite, the albeta works to help acidify the bladder.
...anyway... Of course we became freaked that Tuxie was blocked with what was just going on with Lazlo. But OF COURSE it turns out that's not the problem. In fact, he has the symptoms of FLUTD (which would be incredibly rare in such a young male cat) - but without the actual disease. So it "looks like" insterstitial cystitis - but isn't, because there's no apparent inflammation of his bladder wall. !!!!!!!!!
He ran his course of amoxycillin - but the poor boy now has to have a pill of Cosequin every day. This will helpfully build up the mucous lining of his bladder wall, which should help him feel like he doesn't have to go to the bathroom all the time. But right now, the poor guy goes to the bathroom with basically a normal -sized pee - but still feels like he has to pee! So he hops from litterbox to litterbox up to like 10 times before he stops.
Our vet, who did so much research and called experts all over the country - to keep Tuxie alive - just had to laugh. He said he should have known it wouldn't be something simple with this cat!
C'MON COSEQUIN - HELP PROVIDE POOR TUXIE SOME RELIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuxie almost lost his life a couple of times to an autoimmune disease "like" feline autoimmune hemolytic anemia but not that. After about 2 years, we'd finally gotten that under control, the only drug he has to continue using is a long acting steroid, depo-medrol - and he's down to needing that shot only about every 3 months.
A little over a month ago he appeared to have a UTI - which is very unusual in male cats. At that same time, Lazlo had to go to the hospital with a blockage. Turns out Lazlo was blocked not with the normal crystals ("struvite") - of course - but with the far less common calcium oxylate (sp?), for which there is no treatment other than diet change. If it were struvite, the albeta works to help acidify the bladder.
...anyway... Of course we became freaked that Tuxie was blocked with what was just going on with Lazlo. But OF COURSE it turns out that's not the problem. In fact, he has the symptoms of FLUTD (which would be incredibly rare in such a young male cat) - but without the actual disease. So it "looks like" insterstitial cystitis - but isn't, because there's no apparent inflammation of his bladder wall. !!!!!!!!!
He ran his course of amoxycillin - but the poor boy now has to have a pill of Cosequin every day. This will helpfully build up the mucous lining of his bladder wall, which should help him feel like he doesn't have to go to the bathroom all the time. But right now, the poor guy goes to the bathroom with basically a normal -sized pee - but still feels like he has to pee! So he hops from litterbox to litterbox up to like 10 times before he stops.
Our vet, who did so much research and called experts all over the country - to keep Tuxie alive - just had to laugh. He said he should have known it wouldn't be something simple with this cat!
C'MON COSEQUIN - HELP PROVIDE POOR TUXIE SOME RELIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!
