URGENT*PLEASE HELP MY CAT:(

3 days ago,I noticed my cat (Zilli Bean,male,about 4yrs old,Tuxedo)became very sluggish and over all uncomfortable,So I watched him and noticed he could not release his urine or bowels.A few hors later in the am I took him to the vet.i was never at this very before and I'm not sure my cat was taken care of properly.i just would like to know if what I'm experiencing with him is normal or bad since I brought him home today.The vet said a blockage had formed in his urinary tract,can be common in males?so he sedated him and inserted a catheter. He said normally it takes him 5 mins,but Zilli has a very small opening,and he said it took him quite some time. Before giving me the option of the catheter though,he gave me the option of putting him down!! I of course could not do that,but is this that serious of a condition that after a 5 second examination that is a humane option?When picking up Zilli today iwas told he ate a little this morning and that because my cat can be pretty uncooperative with strangers,being at home for the rest of the week was the best idea. He gave an antibiotic and pain pill to him,along with more for Tomorrow and special wet cat food for urinary tract issues.i must say that Zilli's overall mood and actions are much much better then when I took him.but my concerns now are,he still is constanly goin into his litter attempting to urinate and I see nothing.very small bowel movements if any as well.his room is set up with plastic covering the floor and I can see the cather is dripping out a urine/light blood mixture(was told was normal) so I hope this is him releasing unknowingly so its at least exiting his body.im just concerned cause he seems to still have to go and cant.also,he was sooo hungry when he got home.idk why the vet said he didnt want food....idk im very concerned and just would like honest advice and feedback,and how worried I should be about his condition and if he was cared for properly....I love this little fuzzball

O yes also he is VERY disturbed by his cathter.vet said if he doesnt stop messing about with it using his mouth it will have to be removed and not much else will be able to be done PLEASE what can I do To keep him from getting to it.shouldnt the vet have put a cone on him???im so worried

There are a few recent threads on the forum about dealing with cat urination after catheter.

A urinary blockage that is not dealt with can be fatal. But it can be dealt with successfully in almost all cases, so it is not a reason to put a cat down right away (unless the owner took the cat to the vet way too late and deadly toxins were building up in the cat's body etc.). It sounds like you took your cat in promptly so avoided that horrible situation.

For the future, this is a condition that you have to stay on top of to ensure he does not block again (changing to a diet with more wet food etc.) etc. and of course taking him in again asap if he seems to be reblocking in the future. Lots of previous threads on this forum to help you out with diet and other issues to help your cat.

In fact, recently I was worried after my cat had difficulties peeing after a catheter was in him for bladder stone removal surgery, so for peace of mind I took him into the clinic and had the vet tech confirm that the bladder was not full - my kitty was peeing enough small amounts of pee that the bladder was never filling up and all was okay. But I needed to have the vet tech confirm that all was okay for my own peace of mind, so you can always do the same - the vet tech could feel his bladder very easily and let you know all is okay.

Many people on here have had cats that were blocking at some point, and they have managed it successfully so that the cat goes on to lead a long happy healthy life. So as long as you stay on top of things, your cat can still lead a long life with you.  

SkitzStatus said:

O yes also he is VERY disturbed by his cathter.vet said if he doesnt stop messing about with it using his mouth it will have to be removed and not much else will be able to be done PLEASE what can I do To keep him from getting to it.shouldnt the vet have put a cone on him???im so worried

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I agree with you, I would put a cone on your kitty to stop him messing with it. Why did the vet not suggest this but just said that nothing can be done? How strange. You might want to take you cat to another vet to get a second opinion and have a vet who will provide the support that you need to deal with this situation. Do you have a spare cone at home? I would be tempted to take your cat in to another vet asap and get a second opinion as well as get a cone for your kitty if required. With a supportive vet, you should be able to get your kitty through this just fine. But you need a supportive vet, not a vet who seems to want to just give up.

Yes, your kitty needs a cone, you can get them at Petco I believe.  Blocking in cats is a life threatening condition that can kill them.  It will take several days for your kitty to clean out it's bladder, usually 3-5 days with the catheter.  You need to increase the moisture in your cats diet, so if your vet gave you dry food, take it back and demand cans.  I have 2 cats who have bladder issues, I don't feed them prescription diets from the vet and they do just fine.  I add additional water to their canned food each meal and they have a fountain to encourage more drinking.  I also give them Cosequin which helps with bladder inflammation.  This website is an invaluable reference for kitties with bladder issues, I encourage you to read it, it's written by a Veterinarian http://catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth  Essentially the premise of increasing the moisture in the diet is that it keeps the bladder flushed out so they don't form crystals as they are flushed out when the cats pee.

I completely agree about your vet, he certainly doesn't have alot of compassion for the fact that this is a loved pet, not disposable.

His comments are a bit bothersome, as well as him not realizing that probably all cats who leave there with a tube attached is gonna mess with it and will surely need a collar! Wow..

Some cats who get a blockage have a tendency to have them recur, not always by no means, but what this means is, a permanent change in his daily diet.

As cprcheetah mentions, it doesn't take the pricey prescription foods but alot of water intake, dry takes water away from them, canned adds it in.

He will likely be just fine, as soon as he recovers.

"Put him down".....can't get over that one...

I am sorry your cat is feeling so poorly. Like the vet said, these types of blockages, especially among males, are not uncommon. Often dry food can be a contributing factor. The site cprcheetah recommended is an excellent source for dietary information and explains how diet changes will help to prevent blockages and urinary crystals from recurring.

So far, his recovery sounds like it is going properly. It will take the antibiotics a bit of time to work. His urinary tract is probably swollen, irritated and sore. As it improves, he will start peeing more regularly. Catheters are always pretty uncomfortable feeling, although necessary. It sounds like it has given him some relief already, the poor guy! And his bowels will probably be unusual due to the meds. As long as he is eating, drinking and moving out some poop (even small amounts), he should be just fine. You should notice slow and steady improvement each day. I just don't like the vet's attitude :angry2:. Why on earth would they offer euthanasia as an option for a fairly straight forward, treatable condition?!

Unfortunately, there many vets are not cat people or overly cat friendly. Or, as in any profession, they can suffer from 'burn-out' and bedside manner is usually the first thing to go when that happens. Bedside manner is so very important. The fact that you are concerned enough after your visit to come here and have follow up questions that are unanswered speaks about your trust level with this vet. It is their job to make sure you are comfortable with and confident about any treatments given and what to expect when you get home.

If it were me and my cat, I would look for a new vet for your follow up appointment. Even though the work was done at one place, there is no reason why a different vet can't do the follow up visit. Cat-only practices are starting to become more common and it really makes a difference having a doctor who is a cat lover. My experience is that they tend to be more educated about cat specific nutrition, as well.

When I moved to a different state, I asked the clerks and customers in the local pet store for vet recommendations with good results. Online reviews can be helpful, too. It is obvious how much your love your little guy and you deserve to have a vet who shows the same concern for your cat's welfare that you do. I hope your kitty is feeling better soon.

happybird said:

Why on earth would they offer euthanasia as an option for a fairly straight forward, treatable condition?!
 

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I agree. One sad thing is that the horse world is probably even worse. As soon as there is any hint that a horse may have a lameness injury that won't allow them to be a "performance sport horse" (in other words, a work machine), many vets quickly offer to euthanize the horse. I've had this offered to me as an option when my horse had a lameness issue and we were not sure he would recover (and from which he did recover). The sad part is that many horse owners actually do want to do what the vet offers, as they don't truly love their horses. Sorry, got a bit off topic, but I hate it when euthanasia is offered as a first option when there are things that can be done.

Very concerned to read about the treatment your kitty received!

Nothing to add to the good advice given above accept to echo the suggestion to get with a vet who is more dedicated, caring and respectful (and to start planning now for a switch to a good quality wet food from dry). I have had many good vets, but also some duds. It happens. You need someone who is experienced but pro-active and dedicated to preserving life, not giving up in difficult but treatable circumstances. I would start looking now. Hope your kitty is doing better today and will have a full recovery.

First off, you absolutely did the right thing by taking your baby to the vet right away. ~~I, too, am disgusted at the vet's suggestion of putting your cat down, especially on the first visit for God's sake!!! This vet does NOT sound like he/she is at the top of their game and I would strongly suggest looking into another vet for your baby.

Our 5 year old cat, Marvin, has a tendency to get struvite (sp?) crystals in his urethra.  We were unaware of it until 2 summers ago when all of a sudden he couldn't pee.  Took him immediately to the vet.  They inserted a catheter (he, too, was hard to catheterize) and kept him at the vet for a few days, pumping him full of fluid and keeping the catheter in until he flushed out enough of the crystals.  (Marvin didn't come home with a catheter but I agree with the other cat parents that you should get a cone if your cat keeps picking at it.)  It took Marvin a few days to start peeing full force, but the vet had told us that his urethra would be swollen initially and less would come out.

We then had to put him on special food with an acidic ph to break up the remaining crystals.  We brought in urine samples every other week to see if the crystals were broken up yet and it took about 2 months.  FINALLY they all broke up and we now have to have Marvin (and our other 3 cats since they all eat together) on special prescription "maintenance" food that will keep his urine ph neutral and keep more crystals from forming.  It may sound like a lot of screwing around, but it really isn't.  I've had many cats over the past 30 years and none of them ever had urinary blockage/crystals issues.  However, it's more common in males because their urethra isn't straight like a female but curvy, and that's where crystals (if your cat is prone to them) get stuck.  We will probably have to have Marvin's urine tested a few times a year for the rest of his life to make sure new crystals aren't forming.

P.S.  In case you're wondering how to get a urine sample from your cat without it having litter in it, put Styrofoam peanuts into 2 clean litter pans and put the pans and your cat into a separate room for the night.  Styrofoam doesn't absorb liquid so any urine will just be urine.  Your cat will probably pee in one and poop in the other and bitch up a storm throughout the night because he's not happy with Styrofoam cat litter and being locked in a room.  However, it's cheaper than having to bring your cat into the vet and having them try to get urine...they, too, might have to keep him overnight, so why not do it yourself and just drop the sample off at the vet.

Good luck and, seriously, look into another vet.