What to expect after having bladder & urethra stones removed?

Hi, My cat Romeo had bladder & urethra surgery three days ago and had a catheter put in. He had the catheter taken out yesterday and started to pee on his own. There's still a hint of orange in his urine, not much. I was in such a rush when I went to pick him up because I was late for work I didn't have time to get any answers for all the questions I had. He's on medication. Meloxicam & clavamox. He's acting like his normal self just getting up and sitting down slower. Is it normal for his stomach to be a little hard after surgery? His stitches are a slight red but nothing out of the norm after all it's only he had surgery on thursday. I just have so many questions. He keeps licking his genitals. Is that normal after having a catheter taken out?

What else can I do for him? I'm picking up his prescribed foods tomorrow (tight budget) and I'm making sure he's drinking his water. 

I use a shirt instead of a cone everytime I see him trying to lick his genitals. He likes it better than the cone and it stops him from doing it. He never used the litter pan that much to begin with but I havent seen him try to go today as far as I know. I was gone for a couple of hours.

He doesn't act like he's in pain. Do cats try to pee less after because it's still painful?

Most of what you describe is normal after this surgery. However, I would write up your questions and either email or call your vet and get your questions answered. The vet should have provided you with after surgery care information and what to expect.

One other thing - I would really caution you about using meloxicam/metacam. This is the FDA warning label on its use for cats which should be one-time only. http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/newsevents/cvmupdates/ucm231254.htm

I'm sorry your cat is having to go through this. The catheter definitely irritates the genitals and can cause inflammation in the urethra. It can take a couple days for everything to settle out. As vball91 said, the meloxicam is a cautionary medicine because of its negative effect on the kidneys. Your cat can be experiencing pain however, so you might ask your vet about an alternate pain med, Buprenex.

If your cat continues to have difficulty peeing, you might also discuss with your vet giving your cat a temporary anti-spasmodic. With all the irritation your cat has experienced in the bladder, that type med can help contract the bladder while relax the urethra, helping to empty the bladder and allow it to heal. There are actually several options depending on your vet's preference.

I assume your cat had oxilate stones removed? I don't know what prescription food your vet is recommending, but I would suggest it be wet food over dry. High moisture is always a plus when dealing with bladder issues.

I hope your cat feels better. Do follow up with your vet.

vball91 said:

 
Most of what you describe is normal after this surgery. However, I would write up your questions and either email or call your vet and get your questions answered. The vet should have provided you with after surgery care information and what to expect.

One other thing - I would really caution you about using meloxicam/metacam. This is the FDA warning label on its use for cats which should be one-time only. http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/newsevents/cvmupdates/ucm231254.htm

Click to expand...

So do you think I should ask my vet for a new medicine?

He only has to take it two more times.

And the dose is really small.