Jasper has difficulty peeing

Jasper seems to be having difficulty peeing. When he does go, it is tiny. What could be causing this?

Well, I'm not going to make a diagnosis for you online because I haven't had a cat with those symptoms, but I can definately tell you its time for a vet visit. Difficulty urinating and small amounts of urine are certain signs that something is wrong. If you can get a urine sample too, I think that would be useful though the vet might be able to get some as well. Good luck, and vibes for poor Jasper.

I would get a vet appt. ASAP. Difficulty urinating can be crystals/UTI, among many other things. Males who suffer from those block quickly & a blockage can be fatal. My Cow was blocked to the point that a matter of 2 hours & he would've died.

Get Jasper to the vet ASAP. He could have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or worse, is developing a blockage. Blockages are nothing to fool around with -they are life-threatening if untreated.

Agreed...he needs to go to the vet now.

Should I call the emergency vet tonight or can I wait until the office is open in the morning?

Ooh no that doesn't sound good. Male cats especially are prone to blockages in the urinary tract, which is life threatening. If he's struggling to go, that is not a good sign and needs to see a vet ASAP. If it is that, he will need immediate treatment and possibly a prescription diet over the longer term to alter the pH of his urine and maintain it at the correct level.

Originally Posted by KaraBear

Should I call the emergency vet tonight or can I wait until the office is open in the morning?

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Sorry, I posted at the same time as you.

Personally I wouldn't wait until tomorrow if he is struggling to urinate at this point, but the best person to ask is the vet (whether it's your regular vet or your out of hours vet at this point) - give them a call and describe his symptoms and they will tell you whether to bring him in now or if it can wait

If he's only dribbling, I would go to the emergency vet now.

It's very painful for him. At this point if he gets treatment right away, you could escape the complications...they creep up quickly in this situation.

Thanks for being a good Meowmy. I'm glad others more knowledgeable posted, because I would have told you morning would have been okay. Best of luck for poor Jasper, I hope he feels better soon!

Thanks everyone for your help.
We called the vet and she took him right in at 10 pm. It only took her about 20 minutes to meet us there. She spent a half an hour talking to us and explaining what she is going to do. She is putting a catheter in right now and will call us when she is done. She thinks Jasper will be there for two days or until he can pee. It was very hard for me to leave him there. That is the farthest and longest he has ever been from home. I was amazed at the kindness of the vet - and it wasn't even our regular vet or clinic.
She said we had caught it early before he had got dehydrated which is good.

This has been a stressful few days for me as I just had to make an early morning emergency hospital trip last Thursday taking my husband to the hospital as he was in severe pain. Turns out he has a kidney stone. My two men are stressing me out!

Hopefully you're at the vet now. Definitely go tonight--they can catheterize him and help establish a normal urine stream before he gets to the point of being fully blocked. Despite emergency vet fees, it will cost less to treat him early--blockages can be deadly if left untreated, and they can cause permanent damage.

I am sending you and Jasper hugs and prayers from Mississippi, please let us know something when you find out.

aww, the poor little fella. good thing you brought him in right away! and poor you, sounds like you've had a hell of a week! *healing vibes to you and your men*

Just checked and saw you'd taken Jasper to the vet - I'm really glad you got him in tonight! Sounds like you wound up with a good vet - I know how hard it is to leave your baby at the hospital, so getting a kind vet is comforting.

Please keep us updated on how Jasper is doing - sending lots of good thoughts for your little guy (and hubby too!)

The vet just called back. Jasper is doing fine. There was a blockage but it wasn't crystals. She said he is really dopey but he managed to get the collar she put on him off. He'll have to eat a special kind of food for awhile. I will probably have lots of questions for everyone here about that when I find out more.
Thank you for the well wishes

I'm glad to hear he's doing better. Thank goodness you took him to the vet when you did! I am always so relieved when members take others' advice and take their babies to the vet - there's a lot who refuse to listen.

Sorry you're having such a rough week, I really hope it gets better for you. At least the things you've found are really treatable. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want - there are a lot of knowledgeable people here who have been through what you're going through now!

I am glad that Jasper is feeling better, please continue to let us know how he is doing.

Glad to hear he's doing ok, it sounds as if you have access to great out of hours vets! It is very stressful if they have to stay in, but at least you know he is getting good care. And he will be home soon Hope your husband is on the road to recovery too!

I just came back from visiting with Jasper. He was not a happy camper at first but was soon purring away. They took out his catheter while I was there and it got caught. They tell me he has a very small urethra. The vet thinks he may be prone to blockages. She said if it became a consistent problem, she would reccommend him having a sex change. I"m feeling very overwhemled. I just want him home but he won't be ready to come home until tomorrow. Even Kitty, our other cat who he teases all the time, was missing Jasper. She was crying out of loneliness when I came home and she never does that.