UTI but no money for vet

I am 99.9% sure my cat has a UTI, because she occasionally gets them and it is usually cleared up right away with antibiotics. Since she has not had them within the year the vet will not prescribe anything without seeing her. Just to walk into my vet is $75 plus the cost of tests and medications. I simply do not have it right now.

Is there anyway I can get it without a prescription? Or any home remedies that may work?

what antibiotic was prescribed in the past ?

The last one was Clavamox

I have rats and there are so many groups that help with dosing and info on how to mix meds when they're sick. Like if you have amoxicillin on hand they help you mix and dose. I've never found anyone who'll do that for cats I could check with one of my rat groups if you have any amox tablets onhand, I know in humans that treats UTIs, if you tell me cat's weight I could at least try. Idk what else to tell you. Links never have lead me anywhere so I know how you must feel. You might be able to find a vet who will work with you if you have at least some of the money.

do you have any VCA or Banfield (in Petsmart) pet hospitals near you? if you do, the links at the bottom of this post will at least lead you to a free exam. then you will only have to pay for the urine test and medication. 

Also see this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read

I would not give the cat any medicine or treatment, whether a prescription or OTC or home remedy, without the advice of a vet.

Unfortunately there really isn't a home remedy that will treat a UTI.   Here is an article that may be of assistance.  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-you-cant-afford-a-veterinarian  Some rescues will help in some situations.  Can you borrow money from a friend or family member?  Have you heard of Care Credit?  It's a credit card you can apply for and use for Veterinary Services and Dentists and things like that. 

You can buy amoxicillin in capsules for fish. The end of the world survival experts say they are the same as the ones used in people. Basically they come in human grade capsules which are broken open and sprinkled into the fish tank. I may have used some myself the last time I needed to go to the doctor but they had a eight week wait! Not that I think it is a good idea to self treat, but when you have an infection eight weeks is to long to wait!

After waiting the eight weeks, my doctor called and told me they only gave me a twenty minute appointment when I needed a forty minute appointment so they wanted to reschedule for another three weeks! Absurd!

Anyhow vet depo sells fish antibiotics in various dosages so you can pick what you want and read the reviews! Lots of people use them for pets.

If your cat has urinary crystals which is possible, try switching to Purina urinary tract formula. I highly recommend purina urinary as my cat who survived a blockage has done so well on it.

Obviously self treating is not ideal and I don't know how well amoxicillin will work compared to clavamox.

There are several antibiotics for swine and cattle. Avoid those. I remember someone killed their horse with one of those.

It amazes me that people can self treat their chickens, cows and pigs with massive amounts of antibiotics and build up resistant bacteria, yet the rest of us must see the doctor or vet every year. I'm sure the main cause of antibiotic resistance is from bacteria in food animals. Every time you buy uncooked meat it is full of bacteria which ends up in your kitchen/****.

If your cat does have crystals you are risking a urinary blockage by not seaking veterinary treatment. That's probably why the vet wanted to examine your cat. My uncle is in the same boat. His car has died, he is on disability and I know he has no way to pay for the vet. Instead I have to send him medications and money. If something happens, he calls me. He has been lucky his cats are healthy.

I have no idea why but this forum doesn't like the abbreviation for refrigerator.

D mannose or cranberry capsules may help prevent infections.

Unfortunately I have already maxed out my care credit card. I get paid on Friday and will take her Saturday if it does not clear up (sometimes with a lot of fluid she actually clears up on her own). I just hate to see her so uncomfortable for that long. It just really annoys me that the vet is doing this over money when I know that they are aware of her situation. She only needs to go on the antibiotics once or twice every 1-3 years. She is also getting to be quite old and the trip stresses her out even more .....grr!

@sarah Ann - I actually always had her on that food but recently switched her off of it. Not she has a UTI, so it looks like im going back to it.

Sarah Ann said:

You can buy amoxicillin in capsules for fish. The end of the world survival experts say they are the same as the ones used in people. Basically they come in human grade capsules which are broken open and sprinkled into the fish tank. I may have used some myself the last time I needed to go to the doctor but they had a eight week wait! Not that I think it is a good idea to self treat, but when you have an infection eight weeks is to long to wait!

After waiting the eight weeks, my doctor called and told me they only gave me a twenty minute appointment when I needed a forty minute appointment so they wanted to reschedule for another three weeks! Absurd!

Anyhow vet depo sells fish antibiotics in various dosages so you can pick what you want and read the reviews! Lots of people use them for pets.

If your cat has urinary crystals which is possible, try switching to Purina urinary tract formula. I highly recommend purina urinary as my cat who survived a blockage has done so well on it.

Obviously self treating is not ideal and I don't know how well amoxicillin will work compared to clavamox.

There are several antibiotics for swine and cattle. Avoid those. I remember someone killed their horse with one of those.

It amazes me that people can self treat their chickens, cows and pigs with massive amounts of antibiotics and build up resistant bacteria, yet the rest of us must see the doctor or vet every year. I'm sure the main cause of antibiotic resistance is from bacteria in food animals. Every time you buy uncooked meat it is full of bacteria which ends up in your kitchen/****.

If your cat does have crystals you are risking a urinary blockage by not seaking veterinary treatment. That's probably why the vet wanted to examine your cat. My uncle is in the same boat. His car has died, he is on disability and I know he has no way to pay for the vet. Instead I have to send him medications and money. If something happens, he calls me. He has been lucky his cats are healthy.

Click to expand...

Clavamox (Augmentin) is a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate.  

I'm in the same position. I have a degree in Animal Sciences but I'm disabled with a deteriorating spine and other pain related issues and haven't been able to work for over 10 years. SSDI just isn't enough to live on. I'm so upset with the vet I used to go to for laying a guilt trip on me for not doing annual visits for my cats and dog telling me I should not have pets if I can't afford the outrageous charges just to walk through the door. I found that Pet Quarters in our area has a low cost clinic once a month. The vet is wonderful!There are also low cost clinics for those of us with low incomes that your local shelter should be able to help you find.  I buy vaccines online or at farm supply stores and vaccinate my babies. You can buy amoxicillin  for fish but be careful not to over or under dose. Feed your cat a good quality low magnesium (.04 -.09%) low phosphorus (.04-.08%) high protein wet food. If you feed dry Purina makes a UTI formula that my cats like better than Science Diet and is less than half the cost. They also make a canned food in chicken flavor.  Iams has two flavors of wet food in 5.5oz cans Savory Salmon pate and Select  Oceanfish pate and 3oz cans Lamb and Rice pate and Gourmet Chicken pate that are .03% magnesium and phosphorus. Add a tablespoon of water to the can to increase the amount of water your cat needs. Good luck with your baby.

I'm leary about suggesting this to others, but for me ... it has worked 2X now. We just moved and it totally stressed out Mikki and her pees got more frequent, but smaller amounts at a time... I kept a close eye on it with intentions to taking her to a vet of course if she seemed to strain or frequented the litterbox too much with no results... as she had a UTI a few years ago so I knew what to look for. I felt she was definitely heading into one due to the stress so I soaked a cotton ball in Bragg's apple cider vinegar with a dab of water to dilute it a smidge and rubbed it on the back scruff of her neck 3X a day... even diluted a bit in her food the first day until she was wise to it and wouldn't eat it (I don't blame her) so then continued with the scruff. About the 3rd day of doing this she was back to normal with her peeing . I do it once a day now... not sure how long I'll continue... I just have a hunch it's been really good for her. The last time she showed signs of a UTI, we were going to take her in to the vet when hubby got home from work so I began the Apple Cider treatment until he got home..and she let out a big pee...and never had any signs of the UTI after that pee so we didn't even take her in. Coincedence? maybe .... but again... I certainly think you need to know the seriousness of trying something yourself if indeed the kitty needs help by a vet. In our case...I caught it soon enough and it simply seemed to remedy itself with the apple cider vinegar. If you search apple cider vinegar and cats you can read up on it...but again...it's not a vet's advice!

As per 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.

If you cannot afford a vet, there are resources available to you to ensure your cat gets the veterinary care. There is an excellent article titled “When You Can’t Afford a Veterinarian” on this website, available at http://www.thecatsite.com/Health/76/...erinarian.html. Please read through it to find out more about the options available to you.