Problems weeks or months after PU surgery?

spookythecat

spookythecat

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So...after blocking twice and having one of the worst possible case of crystals obstructing his urethra, my cat had to have the PU surgery and it was a white knuckle ride. After giving him three weeks to heal with once a week check ups, his stitches were taken out and I was instructed to watch him carefully and bring him back for another checkup in a week. He needed to have "the area" reopened as too much scar tissue had formed. He recovered from the light procedure but than got an infection. He was given antibiotics and retested a week later as he started throwing up from the anti-biotic, but was clear of the infection. He was given a clean bill of health and was manually squeezed to test his stream which is supposedly good.

It has been almost two months since the surgery and he's back to his normal self, however, now he is going back and forth to the litter box several times a day and only yielding small amounts of urine. Some of the pee clumps are only the size of a half dollar but he is peeing and doesn't seem to be sick at all, except that he cries when he goes to the litter box EVERY time. He cries and then runs to his scratchy pad to scratch it all out or something? Or he runs to me for affetion after using the litter box because I usually ask him about it. He just looks at me as if he's asking a question (sigh).

I feel so bad and it seems like the vet doesn't know what to make of it either. He's also had issues with constipation, which I sometimes give him a laxative according to the doctor's instruction, but he always cries and takes multiple trips. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Maybe his bladder has been stretched to the brink and his muscles aren't working properly? I love him so much and hate to see him in pain as he has gone through so much! I wish I knew what the problem is so that it can be fixed. I haven't been able to find much info....has this happened to anyone else's furry baby? 
 
red top rescue

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29 People have looked at this and no one has answered, so obviously no one has any answers for you.  I hate to see the question just out in cyberspace with no replies, so I will add my own very old and not completely identical experience from years before they ever did this type of surgery.  I had a cat who had been blocked, was unblocked, but still had trouble completely expressing his bladder.  My vet's instructions were to wait until he used the box, then take him into the bathtub and express any urine that might be left over (the vet showed me how to do this).  The idea was that the bladder wall was stretched and did not have good tone and the bladder would not empty completely.  For health, it needed to empty completely at least once or twice a day.  I followed the vet's instructions and withni a few weeks there was no residual urine left in the bladder after the cat had used the box.  He recovered with no further problems after that.

I certainly cannot say if this is the proper treatment for your cat, but you might try mentioning it to your vet, and if he/she thinks it is worth a try, take the cat into the office and get hands-on instructions on how to do this.  Maybe this will relieve his symptoms.  Good luck, and let us know how this turns out.
 
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goholistic

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@Spookythecat, the description of your cat's behavior doesn't seem right to me, either.  
  If your vet is out of ideas, perhaps it might be worthwhile to get a second opinion and a fresh set of eyes on all this.

One of the most complicated PU surgery cases I am aware of is of TCS member @elise1030's cat Theodore. Perhaps perusing those threads might help:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264960/my-experience-with-blockages-and-pu-surgery/90#post_3547454

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/278225/uthrostomy-closed-over

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/282195/theodore-has-taken-a-turn-for-the-worst-advice-please

My concern is that perhaps the opening is starting to close again from the scar tissue. @elise1030's cat had this happen a couple times and ended up getting another opinion from a vet who figured out a creative solution.

 
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spookythecat

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Thank you so much for your responses! I did call a different vet to ask if it would be worthwhile to bring my cat in for a second opinion - she suggested seeing a specialist because it sounds like a problem that might be beyond a general vet's scope of knowledge. I'm going to take him in one more time to see if he has scarred up again and to ask about learning how to manually drain his bladder. If my vet also recommends a specialist then I will follow up with that and I will be sure to tell you guys how this plays out.
Thanks again, I'm grateful that there are forums like these to discuss and learn about our pets with so many caring people.
 
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spookythecat

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It turns out that my kitty just had an extremely narrow urethra that wouldn't stay open. The vet tried to trim it back but it closed back up and he became ill again.

One day later I took him to a specialist who said that he needed the surgery all over again, which I couldn't afford.

I'm absolutely devestated to report that he had to be put down because I didn't have enough time to come up with $2700+ for a second PU surgery, after just spending $2500 + (the surgery was $700 plus follow ups etc. and the emergency bill was $800).  

I feel  awful for not being able to afford a specialist in the first place, and wish that I had payed more attention to pet insurance. I know that people are going to tell me it's not my fault etc. but I'm just pointing it out in case it helps someone in the future.

 

This was an extremely rare and complicated case that I believe required a specialist, although the specialist told me that there is no guarantee that it wouldn't have happened if I had taken him there first - maybe she was trying to make feel better? I'm trying not to beat myself up with would'ves and should'ves, as I have a lower income, and he was a rescue, but it is hard.

As for the crying in the litter box, the specialist wasn't so sure, but thinks it might have hurt to push when urinating because the bladder was full and/or the muscles and nerves of the bladder had been stretched to far and he was having a hard time pushing out the urine. If he had survived, there was a small chance that I would've had to learn to express his bladder- though not likely.
 
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sweetblackpaws

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Spooky, I just saw this and I am going through the same situation right now trying to make a decision on what to do.   I am so sorry about your kitty.    PU surgery, when there are complications, can seem never-ending.   My heart goes out to you.   
 
Beanniesmama

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spookythecat said:
So...after blocking twice and having one of the worst possible case of crystals obstructing his urethra, my cat had to have the PU surgery and it was a white knuckle ride. After giving him three weeks to heal with once a week check ups, his stitches were taken out and I was instructed to watch him carefully and bring him back for another checkup in a week. He needed to have "the area" reopened as too much scar tissue had formed. He recovered from the light procedure but than got an infection. He was given antibiotics and retested a week later as he started throwing up from the anti-biotic, but was clear of the infection. He was given a clean bill of health and was manually squeezed to test his stream which is supposedly good.

It has been almost two months since the surgery and he's back to his normal self, however, now he is going back and forth to the litter box several times a day and only yielding small amounts of urine. Some of the pee clumps are only the size of a half dollar but he is peeing and doesn't seem to be sick at all, except that he cries when he goes to the litter box EVERY time. He cries and then runs to his scratchy pad to scratch it all out or something? Or he runs to me for affetion after using the litter box because I usually ask him about it. He just looks at me as if he's asking a question (sigh).

I feel so bad and it seems like the vet doesn't know what to make of it either. He's also had issues with constipation, which I sometimes give him a laxative according to the doctor's instruction, but he always cries and takes multiple trips. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Maybe his bladder has been stretched to the brink and his muscles aren't working properly? I love him so much and hate to see him in pain as he has gone through so much! I wish I knew what the problem is so that it can be fixed. I haven't been able to find much info....has this happened to anyone else's furry baby?
Click to expand...
 
Beanniesmama

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spookythecat said:
So...after blocking twice and having one of the worst possible case of crystals obstructing his urethra, my cat had to have the PU surgery and it was a white knuckle ride. After giving him three weeks to heal with once a week check ups, his stitches were taken out and I was instructed to watch him carefully and bring him back for another checkup in a week. He needed to have "the area" reopened as too much scar tissue had formed. He recovered from the light procedure but than got an infection. He was given antibiotics and retested a week later as he started throwing up from the anti-biotic, but was clear of the infection. He was given a clean bill of health and was manually squeezed to test his stream which is supposedly good.

It has been almost two months since the surgery and he's back to his normal self, however, now he is going back and forth to the litter box several times a day and only yielding small amounts of urine. Some of the pee clumps are only the size of a half dollar but he is peeing and doesn't seem to be sick at all, except that he cries when he goes to the litter box EVERY time. He cries and then runs to his scratchy pad to scratch it all out or something? Or he runs to me for affetion after using the litter box because I usually ask him about it. He just looks at me as if he's asking a question (sigh).

I feel so bad and it seems like the vet doesn't know what to make of it either. He's also had issues with constipation, which I sometimes give him a laxative according to the doctor's instruction, but he always cries and takes multiple trips. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Maybe his bladder has been stretched to the brink and his muscles aren't working properly? I love him so much and hate to see him in pain as he has gone through so much! I wish I knew what the problem is so that it can be fixed. I haven't been able to find much info....has this happened to anyone else's furry baby?
Click to expand...
 
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