Suspect UTI or crystals in urine?

Just based on my experience, I would definitely line up a vet and arrange for a follow up urinalysis and check up and also a discussion regarding diet.

I still follow my boy to the litter box to see how he's peeing. It's nervewracking. I hope you have clear sailing from now on, though.

Good morning everyone, this is not a good update

It's 6am right now, and I've been up since 5:30 watching Allen go in and out of the litterbox trying to pee, we're at 10 times. He struggles to pee and then gets out and licks himself like crazy down there. I thought the antibiotic was working but it's making me sick to watch him do this.

I'm making an appointment as soon as my sister's vet clinic opens, but I have a midterm at 10:30am and won't be able to take him until after!

Okay, so after talking to my mother (I love my mom, she always calms me down and makes me realize other options), I'm going to call at 7am, see if anyone is there at the clinic, and if I can, swing by right at 8, drop him off, take my midterm, and then go back after.

I'm going to have to call my trainer I ride with and tell her that I need to stop lessons for a while because I'm expecting some vet bills and I can't pay her, pay the vet, and try to pay down my credit card debt at the same time. But that's totally fine, I can not ride for a while and deal with it.

I am sorry your boy is going through this. I may have missed this, but does he have the crystals?

My vet put Beeba on a urine acidifier tablet plus s/d. The s/d was for 3 months. He is now on c/d indeffinately.

The prescription food is really medicine..I know others have differing views. But it works.

I hope your boy gets better. You will join the group of us called "litterbox freaks". We are paranoid about that little urine clump!

I am sending vibes. With the right treatment and food, I am sure he will eventually be peeing as he should.

My prayers are with you both - and, until you go through it, most of us dont know that most vets will have early drop off, just because pet parents often have to run to work. Sure, ideally we'd be there too, but sometimes you just can't. I'm hoping you got him in and that the vet can help.

I've been through this - if this vet also suggests prescription food, please please go with it, at least til you get a resolution. My own boy will be on CD until/unless the vet tells me to switch.

Please update us when you can.

Oh poor Allen! I'm so sorry to hear he had a relapse. I sure am glad to hear that you're getting him back into see the vet ASAP! Hopefully they'll be able to figure out what to do for him and he'll get well soon!

If he were my cat, I'd get him on the SD/CD right away. Talk to your vet about it first though, as he may have other advice/treatments.

Get well soon, Allen!

I am sorry to hear about the relapse
As others are saying, please please put him on a prescription diet ASAP - like today!!

Okay, new plan of action courtesty of new vet (who I like - she is a stern, spectacle type with a no-nonsense attitude )

1. Allen finishes his antibiotic course, est. 2 days more
2. 24-48 hours after antibiotics are done, make a tech appoint for early AM for a urine collection and analysis
3. She will call me with the results

In the meantime, she wants me to get him on the basic Hills Science Diet adult food, and introduce wet food into his diet once we get the issue solved - totally okay with this.

In the first analysis done by my parents' vet, it showed that there was blood in his urine, so that tells her it's likely a UTI or possibly crystals - she'll know when the analysis is done. He is also not blocked, so he is passing urine, just very small amounts. There wasn't enough today to get a urine sample, so we have to wait.

She also gave me pain pills to give him 2x a day. She thinks the constant in/out of the litterbox is due to bladder cramps, which are painful and makes him think he needs to go.

If it is UTI that is still not resolved, or crystals, we'll modify his diet and pursue treatment. So I am hopeful and moderately optimistic. And I think Allen is a little loopy on the painkillers, even 1/2 a tablet

KittKatt - thanks for the PMs

I'm so glad that things aren't as dire as they could be. I hope the pain meds help out.

When I took my boy to the E-vet when he was peeing little tiny pees, he got a pain shot - and I think it made a major difference in his ability to pee without fear. With Dante, the e-vet also put him on a course of antibiotics...a week after finishing, my regular vet drew a sample and found struvite crystals. At that point, we went to prescription food....prior to that,the e-vet and regular vet kept him on his normal food. Sadly, Dante really like dry food more.

I was blessed - so far, with the prescription food we've been doing quite well. I hope the same is true for you and Allen.

I'm really glad that you took Allen to another vet: this one sounds like she has more sense.

The pain meds may make Allen a little loopy as you say, but he'll be much more comfortable now that he's not in pain. Just be sure to watch him so he doesn't try jumping up onto any high surfaces: I'd hate to see him lose his balance and get hurt.

Let us know how everything goes!


P.S. You're welcome!

How's Allen doing today - and how are you doing!

Something is still wrong!

I'm supposed to take him in today at 8am for a urine draw and had orders to take his litterbox away overnight so his bladder will be full, but I couldn't. He'd just look for it, cry, start to dig on my bed, etc.

Just now he peed a little bit on his fleece bed, and he's peeing blood. I managed to get a lot of it into a syringe I had on hand, so maybe they can test that.

What the hell is going on with my cat?! I'm so stressed and sick of this, and I KNOW he's in pain and it hurts. I can't stand watching him go in and out of his box repeatedly and try to force himself to pee.

So, you still do not know if there are crystals? It seems that would have been looked into right away. These male cats are so prone to them. It took about a day I think for me to find that out.

Beeba, my crystal boy, had his bladder flushed more than once to get rid of those nasty things, and was put on s/d right away. Along with a urine acidifier tablet once a day. He would not eat the wet s/d, so, even though I hate dry food, he is on c/d for who knows how long. Maybe forever. You have to remember dry c/d is medicine.

But I would push for them to look for crystals. Regular food will not help. They need to be on the medicated stuff. Buy a automatic drinking fountain. That will encourage more H20 consumption.

I think the fact that he is on Science Diet Adult may be contributing to him not getting better.

Of course, run all this by your doctor. I have had 2 cryatal cats and with the proper diet, those crystals should become a thing of the past.

I feel your pain....Ive been there and its awful. But it is treatable. Demand they look for crystals.

Well, Allen is at the vet now and will be until around 2 or 3pm - they need to wait until his bladder fills to get a good sample and test it. So I am waiting anxiously at work with my cell right next to my computer.

farleyv - I don't know if the SD is the problem. This morning was just the second time I'd mixed a little bit into his food, and I've had a feeling for many previous days that the antibiotic wasn't working.

It can be difficult getting a good urine draw - I once left my boy for a day at the vet's and they still couldn't get the sample; I was in tears at the vet's asking why. Same thing happened with my girl at her last senior panel...they got the blood, but she got so upset they couldn't get the urine. We knew she was coming in for a dental, so we ended up getting the urine when she was knocked out. Now, these vets have an ultrasound on hand, and we've gotten samples at other visits - just some visits don't go as well as others. It's frustrating.

And my boy simply will not use the plastic litter and I'm not strict enough with myself to confine him to the bathroom with the plastic litter for 24 hours...I cried too much.

Now, my e-vet and regular vet didn't immediately put Dante on C/D when he had the UTI....we waited til he had gotten through the antibiotics and they got the clear diagnosis of crystals.

And it could be Allen is just resistant to that antibiotic - happens in humans when an antibiotic that works for millions just doesn't work for the one (happened to me, in fact). Try and stay calm and wait for the vet to call and see where you go from there.

I hope the vet calls soon and you can get a good treatment plan worked out. I know from experience how frustrating and scary this can be.

^
I'm trying, but it's hard. I've been up since 4am with Allen, and although I love this cat to death, it seems like most of his life has been complicated with one health issue after another.

I just about lost it in the waiting room because some idiotic older woman had her bishon-shitzu-yorkie thing on a flexi leash, and kept on letting it sniff around the carrier, which I had at my feet with my jacket thrown over to keep Allen calm.

Damn dog would get sooooo close before Dimwad would reel him back in, cooing at him in a baby voice. Then he'd pull closer and she'd reel him back, he'd pull, she'd reel him back. I thought, "One more time lady, just one more, and I'm going to punt kick your dog across the room."

I'm a very protective mother

Please, demand a Prescription urinary diet pronto! Also, I would change his antibiotics - especially if he is on Clavamox - Clavamox is often used first, but quite a few times it doesn't work. Get another one, fast. Baytril is another option that is used very successfully.

I sometimes think vets must feel they treat the parents more than the pets! My boy was on Baytril - I was lucky, as once I got them into a Pill Pocket he actually ate them.

And it does seem like the health issues always end up with one cat. My little girl did have an anal gland infection once, but basically so far she's been perfect - iron stomach, good poo and pee, and never a litter box issue. My Dante - oh, first weekend I had him we went to the ER vet. Took a while to find a food that didn't upset his stomach, and his poo is still not perfect every single day, and then the litter box issues and crystals. I can't tell you how many times I held him on my lap and just cried out of weariness and frustration. Yet I love him dearly and really don't mind how many pairs of shoes I couldn't buy due to his vet visits! And so far we're blessed that Hills C/D wet and dry seem to keep his urine 'good'.

Hopefully vet will call soon.

Originally Posted by darlili

I sometimes think vets must feel they treat the parents more than the pets! My boy was on Baytril - I was lucky, as once I got them into a Pill Pocket he actually ate them.

And it does seem like the health issues always end up with one cat. My little girl did have an anal gland infection once, but basically so far she's been perfect - iron stomach, good poo and pee, and never a litter box issue. My Dante - oh, first weekend I had him we went to the ER vet. Took a while to find a food that didn't upset his stomach, and his poo is still not perfect every single day, and then the litter box issues and crystals. I can't tell you how many times I held him on my lap and just cried out of weariness and frustration. Yet I love him dearly and really don't mind how many pairs of shoes I couldn't buy due to his vet visits!

And so far we're blessed that Hills C/D wet and dry seem to keep his urine 'good'.

Hopefully vet will call soon.

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Yep yep - I call my Bugsy my lemon Kitty
But I love him so Much, I will have I lemonade stand for that little one! He is the love of my life the lil rascal!

Oh I know, those people at the vets with the dogs! No consideration at all sometimes.

I am keeping Allen in my thoughts today, only best wishes are coming your way for a healthy kitty soon!