Not a UTI (Sterile Cystitis ???)

Hi All - I just heard from the vet about Simba's urinalysis. There was no bacteria or crystals at all. She is concerned that there was blood in the urine and also the glucose levels were very high. She wants to do a Glucosamine Test to see if he has diabetes. I am taking him tonight to have blood drawn for that. She said the two may or may not be related. So, he doesn't have a UTI; she called it Sterile Cystitis. Is this the same as FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorder)? From what I have researched it sounds like this can come and go and there is really no cure except to treat the symptoms and make various changes, food, etc..., which I am currently doing. Is this what you are dealing with BeanDip? I'm so bummed right now. I would hate for him to have to deal with this forever. Now, I'm just praying that he doesn't have diabetes as well. I won't have the results from that test back until Sat. or Mon. I just want him to be comfortable. He started on his new food 2 days ago and seems to like it so I'm happy about that. My vet mentioned Metacam again for his discomfort, but I'm afraid to give him too much because long term use can apparently cause kidney problems.

My understanding is that FLUTD covers a range of conditions, and your baby's condition is one type that falls under the umbrella. Sounds like another term for "idiopathic cystitis" meaning they don't know what causes the symptoms. I will cross my fingers that he doesn't have diabetes. Please keep us updated!

I tend to get long-winded about this issue. My apologies in advance.

Yes, this is what I've been facing with Beandip. Beandip hasn't had any problems with glucose levels, though. We have had blood in the urine...it's been awhile, but we did early on. As I understand it, the blood indicates inflammation in the bladder. Steroids have helped Beandip with the inflammation and pain, however they have long term risks, including possibly contributing to diabetes later in life. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm more comfortable w/prednisone than I would be with metacam. Seems to be the lesser of 2 evils.

whuckleberry's right...FLUTD is kind of a "catch all" term for lower urinary tract problems in cats.

I can't remember, did they tell you what Simba's pH was for the 2 or 3 urinalysis tests he's had so far?

I do believe in the C/D food, despite the ingredients. I do not, however think that is was a whole lot of help in Beandip's case. Mainly what the food will do is try to keep the pH level @ 6.2-6.4 and will also cause kitty to drink more, urinate more, and consequently drink more again (thanks Jean ) ...to keep things "moving" in the bladder. We were on the dry C/D for over a year and it's highly debatable that it helped or not. It certainly was never enough for Beandip....but it has helped a lot of other cats.

Numerous times last year, I got better and better at seeing the signs in Beandip and would take him in for U/A's pretty often. In the beginning, we had some crystals...enough to block him once. I think that time he had a verifiable "real" urinary tract infection. That's the only time that I think he had a true infection, rather than just pain and inflammation that caused him great trouble in the litterbox. It is still worrisome, though...because inflammation and/or spasms that some cats have can still cause a male to get obstructed...because whenever they "hold" their urine too long, the trouble starts piling up in the bladder.

Recently I changed Beandip's food and he started showing some signs of trouble. Diet change has been known to bring on an episode in cats w/this condition, so it wasn't a big surprise. I rushed him in...and this time we found NO crystals, blood, nor bacteria. He was squeaky clean, but still would squat and nothing came out. For some reason, his bladder felt full when it was empty. That's all it was.

The whole thing still worried me so I spoke to the vet about his food change (i.e. I fessed up)...and now with her support I've managed to get him on an all "wet" diet (mostly raw, Bean's preference over canned), with the help of an acidifier "on the side" to control his pH. Don't try this at home...talk to your VET as Sharky would say. He was very resistant to giving up his dry food, but we're getting there. Meanwhile (knock wood), 2 weeks later I now see the Beandip that I've been missing for 1.5 years! It's hard to explain or believe, but he's a totally different cat. He's been an anxiety-ridden reclusive cat for more than a year. It was so bad that I had lost perspective on what was "normal"...but now I see the friendly, social Beandip that I knew before. I just hope it lasts, but I think it will. I think a dry food diet of any type is just about the worst thing for a cat with this condition. Beandip didn't want to change, and that delayed me...but I couldn't stand it anymore.

If you're feeling inspired at all you might look at this link
http://catinfo.org/#Transitioning_Dr...o_Canned_Food_

So, yes it's sometimes a long and frustrating process but now I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I do not know much about Feline Diabetes, but I do seem to remember that stress can throw off that test...so let's hope that's all it was.