UTI

My Cat has had a UTI for at least three months now, they have put her on 4 different anti biotics and the infection is still there. They are claiming its stress, but I cannot see what has changed to cause that stress. She will not pee in the litter box, only on rugs, clothes and anything else on the bathroom floor. Any ideas on what to do next?

I'm sorry your cat still has UTIs. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is: has his urine been cultured? What bacteria is still present? Maybe a more precise/complete urine analysis is needed.
Ritz is prone to stress induced UTIs. What is not stressful to us humans can be stressful to cats; for example, the UPS truck stopping in front of the neighbors house. The noise a television sometimes makes. A new cat/kids making noise. New scents (detergent), paint.
I have Feliway plug ins, try to play with Ritz as much as she wants, and supplement her diet with L-theanine. Some posters have reported good results with some of Jackson Galaxy's remedies, as well as Rescue Remedy and composure type treats.

Ritz gave some great advise. My vet also at first thought my cats FLUTD was triggered by stress and want him on an antidepressant. But they just found now that actually his urethra is too narrow which will continue to cause him problems until we get him surgery to fix it. But as your cat is female, it's not her urethra. But IF infact it is stress, I don't know why they haven't prescribed anything other than antibiotics yet... you could try calming sprays, collar, treats, there's a variety of things at the pet store. I would ask your vet about cranberry supplements to help clear it up.

Hi @Joe Cusic: I am sorry to hear about your little girl's troubles.

UTIs can definitely be caused by stress as Ritz mentioned. Taking steps to reduce this by creating a calm environment, will help to reduce future occurrences. Cats are very routine creatures, so even changes in their environment, diet, litter box location, etc., can be stressful, so it is important that there be consistency in their day to day routine. 

As for solutions to addressing the recurrent infections, if antibiotics are not proving to be effective, you might want to look into D-Mannose. This is a natural supplement of a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits such as cranberries, peaches, which works to remove common types of bacteria such as E.Coli from the urinary tract system when bacteria binds with this sugar and gets flushed out in the urine. It has been proven to be very effective in eliminating bacteria, and stopping inappropriate urination due to cystitis. I have a young male who is prone to changes in ph which can lead to struvite crystals, and I give him the NOW brand of D-Mannose : http://www.nowfoods.com/D-Mannose-Powder-3oz.htm

You can read more about D-Mannose here : http://www.vetinfo.com/d-mannose-for-cats.html

I would agree with Ritz that it is important to get a urine culture with sensitivity test done, to see which bacteria you are dealing with. To give antibiotics without the benefit of this test, is introducing something that may not work at all to address the infection. It is not good for cats to continually receive antibiotics as they can impair the digestive system over time. If you can pick up a good human-grade antibiotic such as Natural Factors Double Strength Acidophilus Bifidus and give this to your girl in her wet food for a few days, this will help to replenish her gut flora.

Best wishes for your girl ...

Agree about the antibiotics. But should be given at least two hour s apart.

Originally Posted by oneandahalfcats  

If you can pick up a good human-grade antibiotic probiotic such as Natural Factors Double Strength Acidophilus Bifidus and give this to your girl in her wet food for a few days, this will help to replenish her gut flora.

Best wishes for your girl ...

Click to expand...

Ooops! Just noticed my mistake in the above ...  The correct term is bolded for reference.