Normal amount/consistency of scooped pee: canned versus raw diet

ritz

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I've been feeding my resident cat Ritz raw for over a year.  I know what "normal" poop/pee is for her.

I am fostering Twiddledee, an adult male cat (neutered in January 2012) about the same age as Ritz--two to three years old.  At the cat colony I gave Tdee wet and dry food.  While he is with me, he is getting only wet food (mainly Fancy Feast Classic and Wellness, sometimes Core or BBG).  He doesn't seem to miss the dry food.  I slip in a few morsels of raw food, sometimes he eats it (goat!), sometimes not (chicken thigh).

The difference in quantity and heaviness of the urine is striking.  When I scoop Tdees litter box, the pee is heavy and large.  I don't know what is a 'normal' weight is of pee for a cat feed wet food.  Does this seem odd to anyone?  Brand of litter is the same.

Thanks.
 

Willowy

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Is he larger than Ritz? That may be the reason. . .bigger cat = bigger pee clumps. Because I don't think a canned-food-fed cat would make less pee than a raw-fed cat, I usually hear the opposite.
 
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ritz

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I'm ashamed to say he weighs LESS than Ritz, although built a little differently.

Tdees pee is more (which I expected) and heavier, it's the heaviness I'm concerned about.
 

Willowy

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Liquid all weighs the same :dk:. So if it weighs more I suppose it's because it's soaking into more litter because there's more of it? Maybe he's drinking a lot of water in addition to his canned food because of being on the streets, where he had to drink clean water whenever he found it. Do you have a way to keep track of his water consumption?

If you think he's peeing more tthan is reasonable for what he takes in, you might want to have bloodwork run to see how his kidneys are doing.
 
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ritz

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Yes, I thought of getting some basic blood work done.  I don't have a reliable way of monitoring Twiddledee's liquid intake, though yesterday when he found Ritz' water bowl, he drank a fair amount.  He has a water bowl next to his litter box.  I almost *never* see Ritz drink.

The vet estimates his age between two and three years old.  Teeth good, lungs fine.  TDee is a sweet, affectionate, submissive, calm cat, definitely previously owned

Twiddledee is also exhibiting intermittent limping in one leg/paw, though it started out on the other leg/paw.  The vet manipulated his paw/legs every which way and could find nothing wrong, though that particular day, TDee wasn't limping.  Vet said to bring him in next time he starts limping. 

Arthritis fits the symptoms, but 3 years old is really young to have that.  Either that or, as the vet said, he's a lot older than he looks.
 

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How often does he pee? Chumley pees once a day (rescued at age 3 or 4, feral), so his pee clump is HUGE. The others all pee a couple of times a day. Is he peeing less frequently than Ritz?

And if he is that age, it may not be arthritis. Chumley was hit by a car or something and has bones that healed that were never set (visible on x-ray) and has restricted range of motion (70%) in his right foreleg. Just like a human, weather changes make him favor that leg. One of the ferals, Tabby, was limping last year. We weren't able to trap her to get her in. She stopped limping. MONTHS later, she was limping again. That time we were able to trap her. The vet could find nothing wrong, and x-ray showed no prior break. There was no swelling... but the theory is she sprained her ankle, and sometimes it's sensitive, or she jumps on it wrong. Could be your boy had prior sprain(s)?

FYI, Flowerbelle has almost no ball joints left in her hips. I started using krill oil instead of salmon oil for her omega 3 supplement, and the difference is really quite amazing. She hates the krill oil, so I just pill her with it - but Chumley loves it, so I squeeze it out onto his food. I buy the NOW Neptune Krill oil (500mg). If you want to try it for Tdee, make sure you get the gel cap, or it'll be impossible to pierce.
 
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sugarcatmom

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Twiddledee is also exhibiting intermittent limping in one leg/paw, though it started out on the other leg/paw.  The vet manipulated his paw/legs every which way and could find nothing wrong, though that particular day, TDee wasn't limping.  Vet said to bring him in next time he starts limping. 

Arthritis fits the symptoms, but 3 years old is really young to have that.  Either that or, as the vet said, he's a lot older than he looks.
This part stood out for me. Alternating limb lameness is one sign of some particular strains of the calicivirus: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/121604.htm
Two strains may produce a transient “limping syndrome” without signs of oral ulceration or pneumonia. These strains produce a transient fever, alternating leg lameness, and pain on palpation of affected joints. Signs occur most often in 8- to 12-wk-old kittens and usually resolve without treatment. The syndrome may occur in kittens vaccinated against FCV because no vaccine protects against both of the strains that produce the “limping syndrome.”
Lyme disease also manifests with similar symptoms: http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_lyme_disease
Many cats with lyme disease do not exhibit any symptoms. Those that do may have recurrent lameness of the limbs due to inflammation of the joints. Others, meanwhile, may develop acute lameness, which lasts for only three to four days but recurs days to weeks later, with lameness in the same leg, or in other legs. Better known as “shifting-leg lameness,” this condition is characterized by lameness in one leg, with a return to normal function, and another leg is then involved; one or more joints may be swollen and warm; a pain response is elicited by feeling the joint; responds well to antibiotic treatment.
Not sure what sort of testing one would need to do to verify the cause, but thought I'd mention it in case it provides some clues. No idea how this would be related to the peeing, if at all.
 
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ritz

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Thanks everyone. 

He pees several times a day, maybe two or three.  he weighs 10.2 pounds, a good weight for him.

I did some research about shifting limb lameness and the vet mentioned that possibility as well but also said that is unusual in cats. On Wednesday, the vet manipulated TDee's leg/shoulder/paw/neck every which way and he had no reaction.   He called an orthopod specialist while I was there and the orthopod suggested simply bringing TDee in next time he is limping and they'll perform another physical exam.

Murphy's Law being what it is, he started to limp the next day, Thursday.  I felt the paw and TDee had little reaction.  It didn't stop him from jumping up/down on the sofa or bed.

He and his presumed brother/litter mate showed up the same time, healthy. When I TNRd Twiddledee, in addition to rabies vaccination, he was also given Calicivirus shot. Hopefully that reduces that possibility.   I saw TDee and Twiddledum on a daily basis from January through August (when I moved), and he never exhibited any sign of lamness before early October.  I see TDee every weekend, and a woman twice a week.  My gut feeling is (a) it isn't serious and (b) a pulled muscle/tendon or *very* old sprain.  X-rays wouldn't show any soft tissue injury or arthritus, unless very advanced.

I didn't think it was related to the peeing issue, but thought I'd throw it out there; stranger things have clicked.  TDee is such a sweet cat (except he MEOWS LOUDLY A LOT), very submissive, the ideal cat for Ritz--and anyone with more than one cat.

Finally, would a blood test (for kidney function) also test for Lymne's disease?

Thanks again.
 
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ritz

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Thanks.

He may have eaten an infected mice.  Depending on the cost, I may suggest the blood work also include a test for Lymne's disease (and kidney function).
 
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