Please help -- blood in urine

I came back from a 3 day trip last monday and found Lucas going into the litterbox every 10 minutes, but barely anything coming out. He had also peed in spots around my apartment. On Tuesday morning I took him to the vet, who did an urinalysis and found out he had a minor UTI, and prescribed him medication.

He started taking the meds, and seemed to be getting better, but this weekend, again he's peeing pretty much everywhere around my apartment, goes to the litterbox every few minutes, licks his genitals all the time, and just now, after he went into the sink, I noticed his urine has blood, as it's a pinkish color.

The vet is only open on business hours, so I won't be able to take him back tomorrow because of my work schedule, but I'm calling them up to see if there's anything else I can give him, and hopefully pick it up straight from work.

However, as of now I'm really worried. Is there anything I can do until I can call the vet in the morning? Blood in urine certainly doesn't sound like "beginning of an UTI" specially after taking the meds so many days.

Aside from this, he's acting normal, eating fine, not acting sick, so no other apparent symptoms.

Thanks.

It dosent matter if he took Meds for days. Coco has Blood for 2.5 Months and needed 6 boxes of Antibiotics in 2006. She just finished Cephalexin because the Clavamox didnt work this time and she barfed it up. Her urine test last week finally was neg and no Blood in it. It took 5 Boxes of Clavamox and 1 Bottle of Cephalexin this time ti get rid of the infection. I hope it dosent come back. I hope your Cat will be ok.

Maybe its a blockage, you said that he's having a hardd time going so maybe he's partially blocked up! I bet the crystals are causing the bleeding! I would try to find an after hours vet! (Im over paranoid, I had one die this way)


Good Luck!

He had no crystals whatsoever when he went to the vet last week. There is urine coming out, but it's very spotty (it's a dot-size at a time). I don't know if the blood is coming from inside, or if only his genitals are irritated as he keeps licking it all the time.

I just called the vet and the woman who answered said to keep giving him the same meds. How can they said that if he had a very minor UTI a week ago and is now peeing blood? Obviously the meds aren't working. My whole place smells like urine (it doesn't help that I have carpetted floors), and I can't even blame Lucas for it. I asked her to have the vet call me back, and also requested an e-collar so he can stop licking himself. I can drop him off tomorrow before work there (I take the bus into DC to work, so have to arrange to drop him off during the "off hours" before they are open), but I would like to at least give him something today for it. If I go there straight from work, I can catch them before they close up (not enough time to pick Lucas up and take him with me though).

Can you get a second opinion, just to make sure he is not blocked, i think it might be that .... i would not let too much time pass...

If he's producing urine, he's most likely not blocked. Did you change his diet when he was diagnosed, or are you just giving him meds? If you didn't change his food, I would recommend doing so. Is he getting any wet food? Do you have a water fountain for him? I know this sounds crazy, but all of that does help.

I'm going through the same thing (again...this is Scotty's second time).

As far as appropriate diets, I would do some research online or talk to your vet.

Good luck!!!

Originally Posted by emrldsky

If he's producing urine, he's most likely not blocked.

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Not blocked completely, true, but if he's only producing dot-sized urine every time he tries to go --- and he has very frequent urges to go --- then he's gotta be partially blocked, right?

Sometimes meds take some time to work, but since he seems to be relapsing so to speak I agree that perhaps different medication is necessary.

Originally Posted by RobertM

Not blocked completely, true, but if he's only producing dot-sized urine every time he tries to go --- and he has very frequent urges to go --- then he's gotta be partially blocked, right?

Sometimes meds take some time to work, but since he seems to be relapsing so to speak I agree that perhaps different medication is necessary.

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Not necessarily. A lot of the time, the urethra is just irritated, causing the cat to feel the urge to urinate when they really don't HAVE to go. In other words, the dot sizes could just be all the urine that is left in the bladder, but the urge to go continues.

This is apparent when the bladder is not full and the cat still strains as if it is. Scotty just got over this step in his recovery. Also, the presence of blood in the urine can be caused by smaller crystals that are being passed through the urethra, but are causing irritation as they are passed, but have also irritated the lining in the bladder.

When in doubt, always just call and ask to speak with the vet.

Update... I talked to the vet (instead of the assistant who spoke to me before) and she said he could be blocked and it was better not taking any chances. Was able to borrow my coworker's car to drive home, pick him up, drop him off at the vet and come back to work within the hour (taking the metro+bus during non-rush hour back to my place to grab my car would have taken an hour each way). They were waiting for him when I got there. They're doing a blood test, urinalysis and x-ray to make sure there are no stones, etc. It'll be a $400 bill, but if they figure out what it is, it's worth it. Don't want him to be in pain.

I should find out this afternoon.

Wish him luck!

I hope your Cat will be ok. I loss Frisky and Bogart to Blockages when I was a Kid.

Originally Posted by CCSR79

Update... I talked to the vet (instead of the assistant who spoke to me before) and she said he could be blocked and it was better not taking any chances. Was able to borrow my coworker's car to drive home, pick him up, drop him off at the vet and come back to work within the hour (taking the metro+bus during non-rush hour back to my place to grab my car would have taken an hour each way). They were waiting for him when I got there. They're doing a blood test, urinalysis and x-ray to make sure there are no stones, etc. It'll be a $400 bill, but if they figure out what it is, it's worth it. Don't want him to be in pain.

I should find out this afternoon.

Wish him luck!

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Glad you could talk to the vet. Just goes to show, the vet knows best, lol.

I really hope that he's not blocked, because if he is, it could mean a very long week or so for you. for no blockage!

Good luck and I'll be keeping Lucas in my prayers!

So Lucas wasn't blocked, thankfully. He has idiopathic FLUTD, so he needs to be on a special diet for life. The vet put him on 4 different medications, though one is only for 3 days, the others should last a couple of weeks. He is still urinating in tiny bits, and there's blood everytime, but hopefully he'll get better soon.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Originally Posted by CCSR79

So Lucas wasn't blocked, thankfully. He has idiopathic FLUTD, so he needs to be on a special diet for life. The vet put him on 4 different medications, though one is only for 3 days, the others should last a couple of weeks. He is still urinating in tiny bits, and there's blood everytime, but hopefully he'll get better soon.

Thanks for everyone's help!

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So glad that he's not blocked! I did suspect, though, that they would want him on a prescription diet, as mine is on one as well for the same issue.

I hope he starts feeling better. Just give the medicine and food time and I'm sure it'll start to subside soon.

Yay! I'm glad you found out what was wrong with him! Poor kitty! It is my professional opinion that you snuggle up with him and give him kisses on his sweet little kitty nose!

I am glad he wil be ok. What Meds did he get? Coco is on C/D and was on S/D before taht because she had Stones. She was on the S/D a year ago for 2 Months.

Just wanted to add a correction. A cat (generally a male) CAN be blocked and still produce drops of urine. Your signs to watch for this are straining while using the litter pan, stepping out of the litter pan and using the carpet or floor but leaving small drops only. Blood in urine, growling when picked up, excessive licking of the rear end and lack of appetite, cries when he tries to go or tries to go and nothing comes out. This all could be bladder stones, crystals, urinary infection or blockage.

This is a serious and painful condition for a cat and no time should be wasted getting to the vet. Cats do die from this when it goes without being addressed. Untreated, they can die in two days. Females can also become blocked but it is more common with the males for some reason.

One of the best things you can do is pay attention to the pH in the food and also invest in several pet fountains. Moving water encourages cats to drink more.

I did have 2 Males die from it when i was a kid. They were the first Cats we ever had.

Originally Posted by hissy

Just wanted to add a correction. A cat (generally a male) CAN be blocked and still produce drops of urine. Your signs to watch for this are straining while using the litter pan, stepping out of the litter pan and using the carpet or floor but leaving small drops only. Blood in urine, growling when picked up, excessive licking of the rear end and lack of appetite, cries when he tries to go or tries to go and nothing comes out. This all could be bladder stones, crystals, urinary infection or blockage.

This is a serious and painful condition for a cat and no time should be wasted getting to the vet. Cats do die from this when it goes without being addressed. Untreated, they can die in two days. Females can also become blocked but it is more common with the males for some reason.

One of the best things you can do is pay attention to the pH in the food and also invest in several pet fountains. Moving water encourages cats to drink more.

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Please understand that I never said he couldn't possibly be blocked, but that it was unlikely. Not just because he was producing drops of urine, but because he was at the vet within the past week and they found no crystals in his urine at the time (even though they did begin medications for the UTI). Because it was only a week since the visit, AND because he was producing urine, my statement that he was most likely (not a definite statement) not blocked was as accurate as I could be. I'm not a vet, but someone who has experience with this exact situation.

However, I do agree about the degree of seriousness of the situation.

When in doubt, always speak with or go to your vet.

Lucas is finally peeing at regular intervals, as opposed to every 5 minutes in a different corner in my apartment, so seems like the meds have kicked in.

The vet said that I can check myself if he's blocked, that feeling his stomach you can feel it, and to check periodically just in case. Since he loves belly rubs, it's easy enough.

I don't remember the name of the medications I'm giving him. One was the antibiotic he was prescribed last week, one I had to order at CVS (still waiting for it, so he hasn't taken that yet, not sure what is it for), the other is something like clamavox? Not sure if I'm remembering the name correctly. Then another one in liquid form for only 3 days. (At work now, so can't look it up.)

The food is Royal Canin SO, but I'm having problems with it now, as Lucas didn't eat it last night or this morning. I give him the food, and he starts meowing loudly looking at me as if saying "what the hell?" asking for the old food, so I put a couple of pieces of his old food in, he jumps to his bowl, eats that, but doesn't touch the rest. He only ate it eagerly the first time I gave him, but that was probably because he had spent all day at the vet and was starving. He's supposed to be in this for life, but he's not touching it. Any ideas?