Kiwi has cystitis :( (bladder probs)

Yesterday when I got home, I noticed Kiwi being more vocal....which of course could be cause he had missed me or something else... My kids said he'd been vocal for a couple days. Red flag. He's a quiet kitty.... he only talks when its food time or play time.

I watched him last night and noticed him going to the litter box, meowing, and coming back out. Red Flag #2. He later peed, but I wasn't quick enough to get to it before he fully covered it so I had no idea how much/little he peed.

Today I caught him in the box, and grabbed him out before he could cover it. His pee was about the size of a dime

Phone the vet, drop Kiwi at the vet because she couldn't manually get him to pee so they waited a bit to see if he would, he didn't, so they had to get some pee with a syringe.

Kiwi does NOT have crystals, nor does he have an infection

What he does have is bloody pee that they had to use a syringe to get.

He has idiopathic cystitis.

She said this could be caused by stress, which is highly possible with me being gone and Mark being in charge. I really want to point that out to people that cats (same as humans) can have stress related illnesses so if you can avoid a stressful situation, then do so as you never know what may happen

He has some antispasmatics to take for 5 days, and I've gotta monitor his pee.... So he's locked up in a room for the night so I can see if he pees. They could have kept him there, but it was more stress and I felt I could monitor him safely.

If no pee, he will go back to the vet in the morning to have his bladder drained and we'll do more discussing.

If he starts showing distress, its either back to my vet or off to the emerg vet if mine is closed.

We have to now monitor for blockage/plugs, as that can occur with cystitis.....

either way, my vet is gonna check up with us tomorrow....

so pee vibes would be great.....and feel better vibes would also be great. Best case scenerio is that his bladder or urethra is inflammed from stress, and now that I'm home, his stress should ease.

Kiwi start peeing PLEEEESSSEEE

Tuxedo was diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis. I believe he was given steroids to reduce inflammation. We got a water fountain to increase his water intake, and we started mixing a little bit of wet food with a fair amount of water several times a day to also increase his water intake.

He did not get better over a period of about a week, so they did an MRI. It showed nothign in his bladder.

He continued to have problems peeing and something was clearly causing him tenderness and pain in the area. A mobile MRI visits our vet every other week - it had a much higher resolution than the one they have. So we spent the $$$$ (and it was EXPENSIVE) to have the very high resolution imaging done. It was worth it, because he had a small stone (obviously so small a regular MRI couldn't see it) embedded in the wall of his bladder. He had to have surgery to have it removed.

But it solved the problem.

He was not as young as Kiwi is, so I don't have any idea if that's even a possibility.

I do know you should encourage him to drink as much water as possible - and if he's being isolated to keep an eye on him, you may want to take him off dry food (if you free feed) and give him several small meals of wet food a day instead.

Do you have Feliway? I know you're back home now.... but maybe that would help too?

for your baby boy!

Poor boy! Come on Kiwi, please start peeing. :vibes

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I really want to point that out to people that cats (same as humans) can have stress related illnesses so if you can avoid a stressful situation, then do so as you never know what may happen

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I can't agree enough. Almost every time Cotton's had a health flare-up it's when we're away for more than 3 days and he hasn't had someone staying in the house with him...we figure his abandonment complex kicks in and his health just drops.

I am so sorry that Kiwi has this...and so young!. My Zoe started at 6 months old and has chronic cystitis her whole life, she is 14 now. It sucks.

What I have found that works well is giving her Cosequin every day. Although it is supposed to be an arthritis supplement the GAGs in it also help strengthen the mucus lining of the bladder and prevent irritation. It won't make an episode go away, but it really does help prevent future ones. Zoe has done much better since she has been on it these last 5 years. She does also have CRF so I have to be extra vigilant for actual infections, which she does get.

Hugs to you and lots of for Kiwi to start feeling better!

gosh its certainly going round i hope hes ok soon hun. its looking like my mams cat has the same thing - stress after ive moved back home

Oh no! Poor Kiwi. I hope it clears up soon

Oh, best wishes for a good pee! I know how it is to keep checking and hope for a nice big one.

Thanks guys

He had a pee sometime this evening..... it was bigger than the one this morning

He has NO interest in the food.... (urinary stuff from the vet) and I want him to eat, so he's going to get his favorite junk food with some added juice.

There was a reason the vet put him on antispasmatics over anti inflammatories, but I forget what that was. I think it had something to do with his bladder not being enlarged.... can't remember tho if that was the reason or not.

All the kitties have been eating mainly wet food for the past umm, at least a month minimum.... they get 1 cup dry food to split between the 3 of them, at bedtime.

I'll ask about some of your suggestions.... I did some reading and noticed that like Cosequin, glucosimine was also recommended, so I'll ask my vet bout those tomorrow.

Kiwi is 7 mos old......

I'm pretty sure cosequin is a pet formulation of glucosamine. Our vet had us start Tuxedo on it at the time - the thinking was that it helps build up the lining of the bladder wall, but I'm pretty sure that studies since then have shown no benefit one way or the other to using it for bladder problems. But it sure sounds like it helped for kittymonster's zoe!

bladder spasms would cause itty bitty pees

Originally Posted by LDG

I'm pretty sure cosequin is a pet formulation of glucosamine. Our vet had us start Tuxedo on it at the time - the thinking was that it helps build up the lining of the bladder wall, but I'm pretty sure that studies since then have shown no benefit one way or the other to using it for bladder problems. But it sure sounds like it helped for kittymonster's zoe!

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ohhhhh, ok..... I used human G&C for Brandy for her arthritis, and it helped.... so I guess I could see why it might help.... I'll definately ask the vet about this (she's the one that gave me the dose for Brandy).

Anything you guys think of that I should ask her????

Originally Posted by sharky

bladder spasms would cause itty bitty pees

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How bout blood? That was the main thing.... Vet said no infection, no crystal, but blood in the sample she pulled from him....that was the main concern.

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

How bout blood? That was the main thing.... Vet said no infection, no crystal, but blood in the sample she pulled from him....that was the main concern.

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lol this is based on humans Yes as it could break some vessels

Awww poor baby!

Vibes that he is just fine..

Ask the vet if there are diff flavors you can try. Not sure about Canada, but my vet has 4 flavors. Bear didn't care much for the origional C/D, but he liked the chicken & Tuna flavors. The origional one has a very sticky consistincy, the others are not so pasty.

Good luck for your boy!

Originally Posted by KatKisses

Ask the vet if there are diff flavors you can try. Not sure about Canada, but my vet has 4 flavors. Bear didn't care much for the origional C/D, but he liked the chicken & Tuna flavors. The origional one has a very sticky consistincy, the others are not so pasty.

Good luck for your boy!

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Thanks, I will ask..... ok, I just googled..... The one they have only comes in one kind

My vet carries MediCal, which seems to only have the one flavor.

I'm not too concerned about this, only because right now its not an infection or crystals and the vet is fairly certain it is not diet related because of it being cystitis.

BUT, now that I've had a bladder scare, I am going to see about preventatitive measures since I do have a house full of boys

OH, and HE PEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I put him in the room yesterday afternoon, so its been bout 16hrs or so in total, and he's gone 3 times. First one was smallish, but the last 2 were larger (as in what I'd consider a normal pee size ).

Oh Boy, more of these urinary probs! Hope you can clear up this up soon. Its tough deal.

The pee dance !!!!!!!!!!!!!! He PEED!

Continued this clears up and soon!

Talked to the vet this morning....she was happy that he had peed 3 times, so he's not locked up anymore

He's on the antispasmatics for 5 days, and I was told to watch for bloody urine, or straining, etc. and take him in if we get either. She said generally idiopathic cystitis clears in 5 days or so.

She also wants to give it a couple weeks before we do anything else (he's overdue for shots, and due for a neuter). So he's booked for Dec. 14th.

that this is over with....