Tuxedo's Having Surgery Monday

Tuxedo started litter box hopping back in September. Couldn't find crystals or bacteria or anything to cause it. Doc put him on Cosequin to build up the lining of his bladder wall. A few weeks later (3?) he seemed better.

Last week he started litter box hopping again. Took another trip to the vet. Doc was mystified. A mobile ultrasound unit visits the hospital weekly and it has a much higher resolution than the one at the hospital. So we dropped Tuxie off this morning. He was sedated, they filled his bladder - and found the cause of the irritation. He's got a small clump of crystals and "calculi" embedded in his bladder wall. It causes him no pain, but makes him feel like he has to go to the bathroom all the time.

They can't be dissolved with Albeta (which we use for Shelly's struvite crystals). He's got to have surgery. It is, thankfully, not emergency surgery. So he goes back in Monday (Doc let us bring him home, even though the sedative hasn't worn off. He's wobbling around, kneading, purring and bumping up storm - such a loving guy he's turned out to be!). He'll likely come home Tuesday afternoon.

What is it with our male cats and crystals? Shelly has been prone to colonitis and struvite crystals since he was a year old! Lazlo has been to the vet to be catheterized 2 times in the last 1 1/2 months with blockages from calcium oxylate crystals - next time he gets blocked, the vet wants him to have surgery to enlarge his urethra. The entire household is on a Science Diet X/D diet (for the calcium oxylate crystals). But before that all we had out was either Royal Canin Sensitive Stomach, Science Diet Sensitive Stomach or I/D, Purina NF (for kidney health) or Purina Urinary Tract Health formula. And for the past two months we've been putting out only distilled water.

Poor kitties! And poor Tuxedo!

Laurie, what a tough time! You and your family remain in my prayers, and your darling little Tuxedo is at the top of my prayers Monday!

Thank you so much - I can't tell you how much we all appreciate it!

Poor Tuxie has been through so much in his short life. But... other than the first two kitties we rescued (Lazlo then Sheldon), we kept rather than adopted out all of the other kitties because we knew they were going to be a financial burden. But when they're going through something it's just so much heartache! Gary's been going insane watching poor Tuxie straining in the litterbox these past weeks. (Not that I'm jumping for joy, lol!)

The GREAT news is that Tuxie's autoimmune disease (his body thinks his red blood cells are a virus and attacks and kills them) is really under control now (knock wood!). It's been over 100 days since his last shot of depo-medrol - and his hematocrit is currently 34! (Normal is between 25 and 40 - 24 and below is anemic. For two years Tuxie fought between 12 and 30 - at one point it got down to 7, and Doc said that was it - he was out of bullets. Tuxie just wouldn't wake up one morning. Gary was beyond a wreck. And then we hit on the Depo-medrol, and that was the magic steroid that worked for him! And Tuxie was SUCH a trooper throughout the whole thing. He had to go to the vet every day for a month or two, then every other day for like 8 months. One of the reasons we moved to this house is so our trip to THIS vet would be about 15 minutes instead of 45 min to an hour!) Sorry... just babbling. He's just been through so much, and we love him so much, and it's been so awful these past few weeks with him so miserable and no answers.... But at least we have an answer and a solution now....

Oh sweetie, hugs and loves and more hugs and please get better headbuts and sooooothing calming licks from KittenKiya's Clan.

Poor Tuxie! I'm glad the vet has been able to pinpoint the problem. Tuxie will be in my thoughts, especially on Monday. Jamie and I are sending him

Sending big vibes and lots of hugs for both of you

Poor kitty! Hope everything goes ok on Monday!

Poor Tuxedo. I will certainly keep him in my thoughts and prayers and send tons of {{{{{get well soon vibes}}}}} to him.

for a successful outcome on Monday

Laurie - me and my boys are sending many good vibes for Tuxedo and lots of calming vibes for you!

Many vibes, Laurie! that everything goes well, and your sweet boy is back to his old self soon.

I had the same crystal issues with Lucky. We didn't have time to try new food since the blockages were happening one after another. He was at the vet for over a week before they could do the surgery. He is good now. I still have him on special dry food b/c he had one bladder infection a few months after the surgery. My doc said Orange cats are more prone but he thinks it's all genetics. Seems to be a very popular illness the past few years. My uncle's cat went through the samething before Lucky did.

Many vibes for {({({({({(Tuxedo)})})})})} and lots of Laurie for you and your family.

Poor Tux! He's been through so much this past year. You know I'm sending good health and surgery vibes his way!

Tons of good vibes coming your way! Tuxedo sounds like a wonderful kitty. I understand the frustration from UTI's and crystals. Have you thought about bottled water (i've heard that sometimes the sediments etc in tape water can help cause crystals/infections). One of my other friends had a cat with chronic bladder infections, and a switch to a raw diet cleared it up. Just some thoughts that came to mind when I was reading your post.

Keep us updated...headbutts from my crew

Sending many, many vibes for Tuxie

Aww, fingers crossed for him. Wet food can be a big help with UTI problems, I dont know where you live, but in the UK you can get tablets called Cystaid (they are non prescription) that help the lining of the bladder - those and wet food helped my male foster's cystitis issues dramatically.

Thank you so much for the best wishes, thoughts, vibes and prayers!!!!!!!!!!!

We've chatted with the vet about diet, and if he thought an all meat or raw food diet was best, believe me they'd already be on it.

The problem is that we have one cat that has a problem with Struvite crystals, and one cat with a problem with Calcium Oxylate crystals. Until Vet does the surgery and has the clump tested, we don't know what type of crysals Tuxie has.

We have Albeta for Shelly (to acidify his urine because of the Struvite crystals) whenever he has a problem, and ALL the cats are on a Science Diet X/D diet (because of Lazlo's calium oxylate crystals).

All the water dishes/fountains in the house get filled with DISTILLED water - not just bottled water. There are NO minerals at all in distilled water.

And thanks for the info on Cystaid. I looked it up, and basically it's the same as Cosequin - the main ingredient being Glucosamine.

Things sure can get complicated when you live with multiple kitties.

Tuxedo

hi, i'm relatively new to this board, but i wanted to tell you that i'll be thinking of you and tuxedo tomorrow. sending lots of good vibes your way.