Chester went to the vet today..after hours

I hadn't been to the vet in almost a month (which is really good for me, over the past year it seems like someone's been sick every two weeks). Today I saw Chester trying to pee in the dog pillow (very weird) so I took him upstairs and put him in the littler pan, he proceeded to try to pee, didn't do anything, went to the cat bed and tried again, didn't even produce a drop.
I work in a vets office and I've seen how fast cats can die from being blocked. So of course, instant panic and tears ensued. My vet clinic is a big one so I called the on call Dr, who just happend to be my vet (who's fantastic) and we went right in. Turns out he wasn't blocked, but there was a little blood so my vet thinks his bladder is probably just irritated. Chester is on antibiotics, pain meds and glucosamine/chondroiton (coats the bladder) and my vet showed me how to palpate the bladder so I'll hopefully be able to tell if he gets blocked. Muchkin has the same thing, with the irritated bladder so I'm wondering if it's my food. I feed Chicken Soup adult light.

Has anyone else had kitties with irritated bladders that arent actually blocked? It's so weird. I'm going to try to get a urine sample (difficult with 7 cats) to bring in.
Good grief

I have PH issues here which a varied diet has helped...

what are you feeding ? I will see if any of the Ingrediants stand out as common culprits

I feed this
http://www.chickensoupforthepetlover...light_formula/
they all got some canned food on Thanksgiving, maybe that irritated something but my vet said probably not.

My girlie (Mazy cat) with FLUTD will have an irritated bladder if her pH gets off, or she picks up an infection, but of course she's in much less danger of blocking than a male.

It is not uncommon for males to have an infection or irritation with out being blocked, because it can mean he just hasn't gotten to the point of being blocked yet.

Your quick action saved Chester a lot of pain and misery, so be proud. A male cat can block from irritation alone if it is left untreated, because irritation causes inflammation. His urethra is so narrow.

Did your vet do a urinalysis to check for crystals? Perhaps Chester needs to be on a prescription food. Or an all canned grain free diet could be tried first, if he isn't full of crystals. He needs a lot of fluid to keep his bladder flushed, and the best way to accomplish that is to feed a canned diet.

Originally Posted by MonaxLisa

I feed this
http://www.chickensoupforthepetlover...light_formula/
they all got some canned food on Thanksgiving, maybe that irritated something but my vet said probably not.

Click to expand...

Per the link above

Ingredients
Chicken, chicken meal, cracked pearled barley, ocean fish meal, powdered cellulose, white rice, potatoes, oatmeal, millet, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural chicken flavor, salmon, turkey, duck, flaxseed, sodium bisulfate, egg product, potassium chloride, methionine, choline chloride, dried chicory root, taurine, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extractKnown tummy irritant , parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


Crude Protein \t32.0% \tMinimum
Crude Fat \t9.0% \tMinimum
Crude Fiber \t8.0% \tMaximum Fat IMHO should be 15 % or more even with wt control issues as cats need fat and protein... 8% fiber is often too much for many cats ( ave is 3-5% )
Moisture \t10.0% \tMaximum
Zinc \t120 mg/kg \tMinimum
Selenium \t0.4 mg/kg \tMinimum
Vitamin E \t300 IU/kg \tMinimum
Taurine \t0.1% \tMinimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids * \t1.7% \tMinimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids * \t0.3% \tMinimum
L-Carnitine * \t40 mg/kg \tMinimum

A big one MISSING is Magnesium .. calcium and phosphorus minimums and max s are also helpful

The fish is a BIG red flag as they are not saying exactly what fish and this could vary bag to bag

Wow, thanks a lot. Ugg, I hate to switch food (I have five bags stocked up) but maybe I'll start looking around for something else. Do you have any suggestions? I really like more natural/holistic foods.

I havent had a UA done but when I get urine I will, just to see what's going on.

you have a pm ...

My first recommendation that could aid you in using up your stock is to BUY and give WET food ... I actually found my I hate wet eater s like pate food with Water mixed in

Hi there, My cat is just coming off crystals. I find a automatic water fountain a life saver. He drinks probably twice as much water now and it keeps him flushed out and urine can't stagnate and cause all kinds of nasty things.

I used aquarium gravel (smooth and dust free) to get a sample. Just put him by himself for a while. It worked great for me. I got a real clean sample.

It's a tough thing to go through. that things work out for you and your buddy!

Are they just eating the dry or are you feeding canned food too? I think too much dry can cause more problems. Charlie is in the vet's now - with a 2nd UTI. But I feed dry, canned and raw. However, some cats don't do well with changes in diet, so we are stopping the raw (as he's been on dry/canned for 2 yrs with no problems.

I know the feeling.

I feed only dry with occasional canned treats. They do have two fountains and they're always drinking out of them. He's still in the LB for a long time but he's eating and drinking so I think he's feeling a little better (refused a treat yesterday!). The gravel idea is great! I might be able to find that at the dollar store (which would probably be open today). I'm going to try and get a sample tonight.

My boy was diagnosed with struvite crystals in September - per vet, I started feeding Hills CD dry and wet. He never was blocked - but I was getting the tiny little bits of urine, so I suspect we were on our way there. As of Monday, his urine was great per the sample drawn by the vet.

I'd already had the water fountain (which is a great idea - hint for Santa, if nothing else!), but IMO the prescription food has done what was hoped for. I'd really talk to the vet about possible diet change, and please don't reject prescription foods before a talk with the vet. As a layman, the label didn't look so great to me, but the proof has been in the pudding, at least so far.
And, cost wise, other than the initial sticker shock ($34 for 10 pounds dry, a little over a dollar a 5.5 ounce can), it really hasn't been that much more than feeding a mid-range food - the prescription stuff is rich, so the vet told me how much to feed. It's been going a long way.


The only issue we had was some soft poo, but vet and I think it might have been due to Hill's being richer. So far, a few doses of Talon powder seems to have worked wonders, and crossing my fingers it continued.

I so wish there was one perfect food, or one perfect diet plan, for our babies - but, I don't think so. What I do think is working with your own vet is key - keep them totally in the loop with any diet plans, etc. If nothing else, I've made separate appointments to talk about food - letting them know in advance that was my purpose. At least that way, if anything untoward happened, we were both ready to consider another option, yet be on the same page.

Good luck, I know you're anxious to find a resolution that works for you and the kitty.