My poor Ace has a UTI, home remedy experiences or suggestions please?

I am feeding him Apple Cider Vinegar in tuna (with water, and I add extra purified water for more fluid intake), along with some crushed Vitamin C tabs (500mg a day) because I read on several sites the C can help him fight it because it acidifies his urine, and the Vinegar could work as a home remedy and possibly get rid of it. I found this information all over, so I'm really hoping it works. I also have a friend who said for his female cat, he just did the vitamin C and she was back to normal within a week.

I'm also giving him the inside of a cranberry supplement capsule once a day (been doing this about three days so far), I looked all this up none of it is harmful for him. I haven't noticed him peeing blood, good sign as long as I just haven't seen it, but he is peeing small amounts frequently and sleeping tons, and peeing in weird places. I'm keeping purified water available near him and a litter box for easy access.

I'm looking for anyone who has had experience with home remedies for this, what did you try, what worked? How much of what worked did you give? I'm to pieces over this and can't stop crying, I don't need a lecture or anyone to say the word vet. I know that's the best option but I'm a stay at home mom and my husband was laid off, looking for work. In this economy work is not easy to come by, don't judge me, just help me please. He's my best friend and I'm so worried, I can't sleep or eat.

Already called vet, no payment plans, and the Carecredit thing denied me because I don't have great credit and neither does my husband. I don't know anyone to borrow from, and I've worked for animal shelters for years, he's an unfixed male, grown, just a plain old tabby, and has a slight skin condition I constantly battle with because he is allergic to fleas (I bathe him regularly and he's got a flea collar) so I know they aren't going to bother with treating his infection (plus I couldn't tell them about it or they'd know he was mine, and charge me) no one would want to adopt him, he'd get put down I know how it usually goes in those places unless they animal is young, healthy, and pretty. Oh I'm also thinking of adding his dry food to purified water and add a little milk so he might drink more of the water? I don't have a fountain and he isn't taking as much interest in drinking as I would like. I don't have money to supply wet food as often as he would need it to do any good, my mom helps me out with cat food right now and she just gives me dry. Is there ANYTHING else I could possibly do to help him fight this? Has anyone else successfully fought a UTI with home remedies?

Unfortunately, these problems usually aren't actual urinary tract "infections." Typically the problem is an overproduction of crystals in his urine. This causes an inflamed bladder wall, an inflamed urethra (urinary tract), is very painful, and he runs the risk of becoming blocked. Male cats have very thin urethras, and when they block, the urine backs up in their systems, becomes toxic, and can kill them within 24 - 48 hours.

The incidence of actual infection in urinary problems just 1-2%:

Please note that when the abbreviation "UTI" is used, the 'I' must be defined. Does "I" mean infection? Or does it mean inflammation?

It is very important to understand the difference if we are to stop overusing antibiotics and start using more pain medications when cats exhibit signs of urinary tract problems.

Studies have shown that otherwise healthy cats (no kidney disease, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism) - that are showing signs of urinary tract discomfort - have only a ~1-2% chance of having a UT infection yet antibiotics are prescribed very frequently for these patients. The veterinary community needs to address this very serious problem involving the overuse/abuse of antibiotics.

Roughly 99% of these otherwise healthy cats have sterile (no infection) cystitis. This is because the feline is very good at saving water to stay hydrated which results in a very concentrated urine. (Urine Specific Gravity (USG) >1.040) Concentrated urine is a very hostile environment that does not readily support bacterial growth. Therefore......

Urinary tract infections are rare in cats without a concurrent disease such as kidney insufficiency, diabetes, or hyperthyroidism.

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This is the section in the article: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth#Urinary_Tract_Infection__ It is written by a vet.

This is the whole article: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

This condition is caused by the food he's fed and a state of chronic dehydration from the dry food. The only way to correct the problem long term is via diet: one that targets a urine pH of 6.0 - 6.5 and increasing his water intake to keep his urine dilute. Because you can't afford better quality cat food, can you afford to feed him a raw diet? It naturally provides the moisture he needs and the proper urine pH. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249593/raw-feeding-costly

The other problem is that if this is crystals and not an infection, urine acidifiers will not help unless the crystals are struvite. These are most common, and caused by urine that is too alkaline - usually from a high carbohydrate content in the food fed. If the crystals are calcium oxalate, urine acidifiers will not dissolve them. The only thing that can be done for those is alter the diet so his body doesn't make them in such quantity, keep his urine dilute, and flush them out - if they're small enough. This is usually done at a vet via either catheterization or subcutaneous fluids.

Do you have anything you can sell? Because your cat really needs a urinalysis.

Here are suggestions for ways of finding vet care:

http://catcentric.org/care-and-health/financial-assistance/
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read

Otherwise, your best bet is to get a syringe, and get as much water into him as possible. Just be careful administering it, you don't want to have him aspirate it into his lungs. But if urine stops coming out, you have no choice but to get him to a vet and ASAP, or he will not live.

Many vibes you're able to find a way to get him the care he needs.

What LDG said!

Urinary issues are very complex, as you just read.

Until I read your post, I thought the only "home remedies" were preventative measures like feeding only wet, monitoring water intake and urine passing, and yearly urine tests (imho).

Vets are generally a cash business, I would recommend 1 of 2 things.

Either find  your SPCA and beg and offer them volunteer services for vet care (shot in the dark).

Or call vets and tell them "I need a urine anlaysis for my cat, what is the cheapest I can get it for, Im broke"

Most vets want you walking in so they can charge you an office visit, especially if its a new patient.

I dont know where you live, but we have 100's of vets here.  I would call ones that are 1 vet privately owned.

If they offer you medicine, tell them you need to shop around (they are obligated to write a script).

Orbax the medicine my cat took for toxic bladder was sold in a liquid form she hated. I researched and saw it was a human drug, so I got the pills took them to a pharmacy and let them "compound" it for me, the liquid form they made was clear, and my cat swallowed it.

(retail orbax liquid med is like oatmeal)

I sent you a PM with some tips on how to help Ace. Just so you know though it doesn't necessarily have to cost that much to take him to the vet. Mot vets would probably want to do a urine analysis to find out exactly what's going on but if you can't afford it most vets would just choose to treat it based on the symptoms with a broad spectrum antibiotic like Amoxicillin. You can always ask to get a written prescription for the medication instead of getting it from the vet which is much more expensive. Meijer's pharmacy fills prescriptions for Amoxicillin and some other common antibiotics for free and I think Walmart sells it for $4. That way all you would have to pay is the vet exam which is usually between $35-$50 depending on the area.

You could also call around to see if you can find a vet that will do only a urine analysis if you bring in the sample (you can get one at home by using something non-absorbing as a litter and scoop up the urine from the litter box). That way you will know for sure if he has a UTI or something else.

If you don't mind sharing where you live maybe I or someone else could give you some pointers of where to turn for help.
 

To determine if an antibiotic is needed, a urine culture would need to be done. A urine analysis will provide information about the composition of the urine and will indicate whether or not excessive white blood cells are present, which can be an indication there is infection, but does not mean there is.

If the problem is crystals, an antibiotic will not resolve the problem.

I know you said to not mention the word vet, but if you would just hear me out; if you took the money you are spending on tuna, Vitamin C, vinegar, purified water and flea collars and saved it, I bet you could find a cheap vet that would take you. Maybe even cancel the cable and not eat out for a week. I just know that I would feel terrible letting my cat sit around, just hoping he doesn't block and die. I'm sorry that sounds harsh, but it has happened to many people here on TCS.

As far as his fleas, I would just keep him indoors and get rid of the flea collar. The collar and all those baths may be irritating his skin more than actually helping him. I'm pretty sure there is someone here on TCS who is selling/giving away some flea medicine for cheap. I'd try getting some from them to solve the flea issue once and for all. :nod:

Find a vet that takes care credit.  You can apply and receive it the same day.  It has saved me many times.

She already tried CareCredit and was denied.

Thank you for all the responses guys, I really appreciate it. Just since this post I've stopped the vitamin C in case it's crystals and actually making him worse, and I've been focusing on getting as much fluid into him as I can...just today he seems more lively, I hope it's a good sign. My husband JUST got a call back about a job making ten an hour today! First paycheck he's going to the vet. I hope he can make it that long, could be two weeks or more but the situation is looking up. He's peeing small amounts, but still peeing, I think that's good.

Keep it up with the fluids! But try to give him as little fish as possible (fish can make urinary problems worse). It may not even be a UTI or crystals (although of course keep acting as though he culd block). One of mine has intersticial cystitis and, if she gets ANY kibble will pee small amounts all over the house and sometimes the urine will have blood in it. But it's not a UTI or crystals. Friskies only costs about 50 cents for a 5.5-ounce can, definitely cheaper than tuna, so if you can switch him to canned food (non-fish flavors) I think it would help.

Oh that's GREAT news!!!!!!

Willowy said:

Keep it up with the fluids! But try to give him as little fish as possible (fish can make urinary problems worse). It may not even be a UTI or crystals (although of course keep acting as though he culd block). One of mine has intersticial cystitis and, if she gets ANY kibble will pee small amounts all over the house and sometimes the urine will have blood in it. But it's not a UTI or crystals. Friskies only costs about 50 cents for a 5.5-ounce can, definitely cheaper than tuna, so if you can switch him to canned food (non-fish flavors) I think it would help.

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If you haven't stopped the fish, I would consider doing that too. :nod:

Come on Ace!

Oh - if you let us know where you live - even if it's just a county and state - we may be able to help you find a low-cost clinic where you can get him neutered for very little. :nod:

And hope your DH gets the job!

I live in Beckley, WV. Husband got the job, but because of the weird pay periods he won't get a paycheck for a MONTH. I'm going to try and find a vet or might let me make a small payment on whatever cost, maybe if I just pay the office visit, if I can prove my husband has a job and sign a promissory note to pay the rest when he gets his first paycheck. I think the humane society MIGHT be my best bet- looking into other places that help with vet costs. 

I stopped with the tuna, that sucks though. Really made him drink lots of water. Now I'm just adding a bit of milk to a bowl of water with dry food soaked in it, doesn't like it has much but it works for the most part. I could get tuna with food stamps, so I still can't get canned kitty food but soaked it should work? Thanks for all the replies. He's back to sleeping most of the time now, also. I guess he just felt energetic for a few hours. 

LDG said:

Oh that's GREAT news!!!!!!

If you haven't stopped the fish, I would consider doing that too.

Come on Ace!

Oh - if you let us know where you live - even if it's just a county and state - we may be able to help you find a low-cost clinic where you can get him neutered for very little.

And hope your DH gets the job!

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http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth#Urinary_Tract_Infection__  

This link ^ I was previously given in this thread said a trick is the use tuna water to get him to drink more, adding water like I was doing. It doesn't specifically say to scoop out the actualy tuna after adding water and letting it sit, but can do this? Is the tuna water just as harmful to urinary problems as the tuna itself?

IwuffAce said:

I am feeding him Apple Cider Vinegar in tuna (with water, and I add extra purified water for more fluid intake), along with some crushed Vitamin C tabs (500mg a day) because I read on several sites the C can help him fight it because it acidifies his urine, and the Vinegar could work as a home remedy and possibly get rid of it. I found this information all over, so I'm really hoping it works. I also have a friend who said for his female cat, he just did the vitamin C and she was back to normal within a week.

I'm also giving him the inside of a cranberry supplement capsule once a day (been doing this about three days so far), I looked all this up none of it is harmful for him. I haven't noticed him peeing blood, good sign as long as I just haven't seen it, but he is peeing small amounts frequently and sleeping tons, and peeing in weird places. I'm keeping purified water available near him and a litter box for easy access.

I'm looking for anyone who has had experience with home remedies for this, what did you try, what worked? How much of what worked did you give? I'm to pieces over this and can't stop crying.

Click to expand...

What I did for my boy is followed the protocols from these two sites: Catinfo.org and Holisticat.com.

I used the following supplements recommended at H-cat:

• Cornsilk, which I made into a tea--the no-caffeine stuff--can use cornsilk found in bulk or capsule form and brewed into a tea (just strain it so only the tea is left). 5-10mL either mixed in food or via syringe by mouth, 2 times a day.
• Slippery Elm Bark (SEB) (from capsules or bulk form), mix in just boiled water to form a runny egg white consistency (it will thicken as it cools, so use approx 1/4 teaspoon powder to two tablespoons of  boiled/hot water). Give 5-10mL 2-3 times a day. Do not give with other supplements--wait approx 30-60 minutes before or after. Some kitties will lap this up, others won't. You may have to syringe by mouth. Can mix with a small amount of food, but not in a whole meal, as this is a less effective way to get this into our little bubbies.
• Glucosamine Sulfate (from capsules, not tablets) 500mg divided between day and night meals in most painful days, then 250mg twice a day for an additional week or two.
• D-Mannose (NOT cranberry supplement because it contains bezoic acid; D-Mannose is the active ingredient in cranberry that helps kitties) I used just a pinch mixed in meals.
• Colloidal Silver if some type if infection may be suspected (most kitties do not have an infection; it is rare). I used Source Naturals Wellness colloidal silver, 30ppm, 3 times a day. Can mix in food or syringe via mouth. I have to say that I didn't use CS for very long because it is so rare for kitties to have an actual infection. But it can't hurt.

And water! Lots of water! Mix extra in food, syringe via mouth, or use Lactated Ringers Solution (LRS) that a vet can give you to do sub-Q fluids. Stick with the general rule of thumb of 5-10mL per pound of kitty's weight for the day. Water helps flush crystals and sediment out that can be so painful and cause blockages--especially in boy kitties.

Stress can be a big factor in this, so I also gave Abby L-Theanine from capsules, 25mg twice a day mixed in his food. It helps to relieve their stress and calm them.

Please note that all of capsule supplements above are human supplements. Make sure to look at ingredients and choose capsules to get the least amount of fillers.

It didn't take long for my boy Abby to start feeling better. The next time Abby got this, I knew right away and started our regimen and by later that day he was fine. He's had no recurrences over the years.

I would not feed tuna to kitties, but use a good grain-free meat-based canned food. Never kibble (dry food). Great info at catinfo on diet. (I feed a balanced raw ground diet, but add more water than I used to.)

I might have missed something I used for Abby, so if I think of anything I'll post back.

IwuffAce said:

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth#Urinary_Tract_Infection__ 


This link ^ I was previously given in this thread said a trick is the use tuna water to get him to drink more, adding water like I was doing. It doesn't specifically say to scoop out the actualy tuna after adding water and letting it sit, but can do this? Is the tuna water just as harmful to urinary problems as the tuna itself?

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Yea, the tuna water is used just because it's tasty, so it will get them to drink more than they ever would on their own. Make sure you are getting tuna packed in WATER and then remove all the tuna (and make a tasty sandwich for yourself ) and add water to what's left in the can.

try giving him canned food, with water mixed into it......it's already about 78% water, and I know my cat will tolerate me mixing a small amount of  water into his food  at every feeding. Friskies is a good one for adding water, because it doesn't really do much to the texture of the food, but any pate style food will work. I ussed this method wen matt got dehydrated from the summer heat , and now he won't eat pate without water.....so I always know he's got enough.

WhollyCat said:

What I did for my boy is followed the protocols from these two sites: Catinfo.org and Holisticat.com.

I used the following supplements recommended at H-cat:

• Cornsilk, which I made into a tea--the no-caffeine stuff--can use cornsilk found in bulk or capsule form and brewed into a tea (just strain it so only the tea is left). 5-10mL either mixed in food or via syringe by mouth, 2 times a day.
• Slippery Elm Bark (SEB) (from capsules or bulk form), mix in just boiled water to form a runny egg white consistency (it will thicken as it cools, so use approx 1/4 teaspoon powder to two tablespoons of  boiled/hot water). Give 5-10mL 2-3 times a day. Do not give with other supplements--wait approx 30-60 minutes before or after. Some kitties will lap this up, others won't. You may have to syringe by mouth. Can mix with a small amount of food, but not in a whole meal, as this is a less effective way to get this into our little bubbies.
• Glucosamine Sulfate (from capsules, not tablets) 500mg divided between day and night meals in most painful days, then 250mg twice a day for an additional week or two.
• D-Mannose (NOT cranberry supplement because it contains bezoic acid; D-Mannose is the active ingredient in cranberry that helps kitties) I used just a pinch mixed in meals.
• Colloidal Silver if some type if infection may be suspected (most kitties do not have an infection; it is rare). I used Source Naturals Wellness colloidal silver, 30ppm, 3 times a day. Can mix in food or syringe via mouth. I have to say that I didn't use CS for very long because it is so rare for kitties to have an actual infection. But it can't hurt.

And water! Lots of water! Mix extra in food, syringe via mouth, or use Lactated Ringers Solution (LRS) that a vet can give you to do sub-Q fluids. Stick with the general rule of thumb of 5-10mL per pound of kitty's weight for the day. Water helps flush crystals and sediment out that can be so painful and cause blockages--especially in boy kitties.

Stress can be a big factor in this, so I also gave Abby L-Theanine from capsules, 25mg twice a day mixed in his food. It helps to relieve their stress and calm them.

Please note that all of capsule supplements above are human supplements. Make sure to look at ingredients and choose capsules to get the least amount of fillers.

It didn't take long for my boy Abby to start feeling better. The next time Abby got this, I knew right away and started our regimen and by later that day he was fine. He's had no recurrences over the years.

I would not feed tuna to kitties, but use a good grain-free meat-based canned food. Never kibble (dry food). Great info at catinfo on diet. (I feed a balanced raw ground diet, but add more water than I used to.)

I might have missed something I used for Abby, so if I think of anything I'll post back.

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Out of all of those things, if I could only buy one, which do you think is most crucial? 

Please refer to the forums rules:

No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

Information given by posters here are not based on your pet’s full history, and are by people who most likely do not have a degree in veterinary medicine. There are many home remedies, as well as approved veterinary treatments for cat health problems that may work for one cat, but be lethal for another cat. Please discuss any potential treatments with your vet first to ensure you are treating the right problem, and not potentially making it worse.

I'm sorry, I mostly just skimmed the responses here - and agree (wholeheartedly) with what I have read.

Did anyone mention that you probably should be feeding only canned, or raw? Dry food is only good for the occasional treat IMO.

I, also, will point you to the link that Laurie (LDG) referenced in one of her posts - http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth#Urinary_Tract_Infection.

Urinary issues are very dangerous - I hope you are successful.

P.S. my vet has warned me against feeding fish - even salmon because of the large amounts of magnesium that cause crystals - so - tuna isn't necessarily beneficial for urinary issues from what I understand.

jcat said:

Please refer to the forums rules:
No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.
Information given by posters here are not based on your pet’s full history, and are by people who most likely do not have a degree in veterinary medicine. There are many home remedies, as well as approved veterinary treatments for cat health problems that may work for one cat, but be lethal for another cat. Please discuss any potential treatments with your vet first to ensure you are treating the right problem, and not potentially making it worse.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jamie for this very important reminder!