Lucky's UTI

This morning, I found blood in his urine. Took him back to the shelter vet, he has a UTI with "sand"...I had to buy a prescription food...Royal Canin Feline Urinary SO...$40.00 for 8 pounds....He is now on pain meds and antibiotics for 2 weeks, and no other kind of food. We had to separate him from the other pets.

I am in tears.  This cat was at the shelter for 3 months before I found him.  He is 23 pounds/6.5 years old....He was surrendered because the original owners could no longer afford his care?????  Lucky should have been on premium cat food while at this shelter.  I have another adopted cat, Ming...no UTI's and I ALWAYS use premium cat/dog food (Blue Buffalo/Purina Pro Plan).  This shelter vet would not confirm that this UTI issue was an issue before our adoption.

Even though I adopted Lucky only 5 weeks ago, they charged me the full price for the visit this morning.  If this cat had been adopted my anyone else, he would been euthanized this morning.  Lucky is a huge sweet, gentle, loving, purring guy.  I am retired and on a fixed income.   I need info about food that is affordable for a cat with this issue.

Maybe I need to join another thread?  This cat has been trying like heck to use the litter box!

THX - Luckysmom

The vet prescribed pain meds and antibiotics on 10/13/2015.  Also, prescribed food.  I had to separate Lucky. 

Good news!  Lucky is doing GREAT!  No more blood, he is peeing normal, eating normal!!!  He loves the RX food.

Vet tested his urine - it looks like the crystals will resolve with more meds and the food.

Lucky is behaving like a normal cat now!

Hi Lucky's mom.uti's are so common with cats & kittens it is truly an epidemic.The So food has sodium in it to make your kitty drink water.it is not a cure all.I wish.Stress being a huge contributor of struvite crystals.I belong to the feline Flutd group at yahoo and it is in major over load of post of kitties being blocked etc.Huge money etc.So it really is not a shelter thing.in fact most the members who join they've had their cats for yrs then this sprouted up.Your baby must feel a lot better.It is so painful.And yes I agree totally with the other poster as per buprenorphine if you are using it or someone else it is NOT to be squirted down the throat.It is designed to be placed just inside the cheek it then plunged.It absorbs in the saliva/mucous in the mouth .Very powerful drug.Yes I have used it.It is highly used in vet care.But crystals they are literally all over the world.Not a shelter problem unfortunately.They are not here enough to observe a kitty going in & out in & out.And they are probably fed dry which is a culprit in it self & stress being a huge cause .Try being in a shelter situation.Very stressful for kitties i would think.But worldwide whether raised in a mansion or one roomed flat.I don't know if I spoke to you before or not.So many people dealing with this.If not & you would like to educate yourself about struvite crystals.utis's etc in cats please join  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FLUTD/info Super compassionate group that deals with every urinary issue in cats/kittens.Hugs C. P.S. it is all about the PH of your cat's urine.They teach you to do urine testing with test strips to keep an eye out on ph levels & what they mean.Plus a whole lot of other neat stuff!!!

Lucky is doing great!  Lucky is still on prescribed food.

We started Lucky on filtered water.

I am living with the cat blockages struvite nightmare too. Maxicat has emphysema /asthma after spending his first 4 years of life with a chain smoker. I've spent soooo much time worrying about his lungs, I didn't know he had developed urinary issues. One morning, 2 weeks ago, he was on the floor writhing in pain and our other 2 cats were hissing like crazy. I rushed him to the vet and spent the entire day crying that we'd lose him. The vet cathetered him, flushed out the blockage and sent us home with Urinary SO dry food. He then was rushed back to the vet every day,with the same severe blockages, so much in pain, for the next entire week, plus he stayed all weekend, he couldn't pass urine on his own. Recathetered and monitored every day for a week. The stress overload for my poor kitty and me too. I was terrified he wouldn't come home. As for the feeding, all 3 cats in our house sleep together / live together / eat together, so there's my petfood budget tripled in a day. They are all happy with the dry SO, but hate the canned version. But they love pate canned food so I've been trying to find a pate canned food without ash, or as little ash as possible. Lots of conflicting advice out there, I'm so confused. Help!?

canbritmummy said:

I am living with the cat blockages struvite nightmare too. Maxicat has emphysema /asthma after spending his first 4 years of life with a chain smoker. I've spent soooo much time worrying about his lungs, I didn't know he had developed urinary issues. One morning, 2 weeks ago, he was on the floor writhing in pain and our other 2 cats were hissing like crazy. I rushed him to the vet and spent the entire day crying that we'd lose him. The vet cathetered him, flushed out the blockage and sent us home with Urinary SO dry food. He then was rushed back to the vet every day,with the same severe blockages, so much in pain, for the next entire week, plus he stayed all weekend, he couldn't pass urine on his own. Recathetered and monitored every day for a week. The stress overload for my poor kitty and me too. I was terrified he wouldn't come home. As for the feeding, all 3 cats in our house sleep together / live together / eat together, so there's my petfood budget tripled in a day. They are all happy with the dry SO, but hate the canned version. But they love pate canned food so I've been trying to find a pate canned food without ash, or as little ash as possible. Lots of conflicting advice out there, I'm so confused. Help!?

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I am not a vet, but, but I hope you will join the Yahoo FLUTD/FUS group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FLUTD/info   Lots of good info there.

Here are a couple of links from Dr. Lisa Pierson, the first discussing Feline Urinary Tract Health: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

And the 2nd is her Food List, look for foods that are high protein, low carbohydrate and low phosphorus. Some choices are Friskies Turkey Giblet for example.

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPublic9-22-12.pdf

Hi catbritmummy.

Wow what a name! Gee your little guy has been through it all.So good your were able to get him the help he needed.So much pain.I don't know of the lowest ash food,and it is actually the magnesium % not ash.But most canned foods don't list the mag.Just the ash.I can give you a group to join & ask.the flutd group @ yahoo.Mary & her team of members that's all they deal with crystals,stone,cystitis and urinary issue imaginable.I'm sure they have compelled a preferred list of foods.I see many members on there using the SO OR THE CD but I know Mary is teaching members how to test your kitty's urine pH using test strips which keeps you in tune with what really is going on.A ph of 6.0 is what you want.There may be some links here too.I'm sorry I have not had time yet to go around to this whole big site & find all that is available for info.But can offer you this group to ask question re: food canned or anything else that may be about your boy RE: & urination.Their link is  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FLUTD/info If you don't have an account with yahoo it is not hard.Just google making an account with yahoo & follow the prompts.it is free & everything.The flutd group does use some natural products as well that may interest you.Over 30 rs experience dealing with nasty urinary issues poor kitties have.HTH Hugs to the Babies.C.And yes I can tell you now filtered water is preferenced at that site big time...

Thanks very much to both of you for your replies, RuthM and MomofMaxwell :-)

Hey,

Lucky I doing great!  My 23 pound adopted cat.  We are using the prescribed food for both cats.  It is expensive...$42.00 for 8 pounds...He must use this for the next 4 weeks...after that - what food should we use?

I like Purina Pro Plan.  Do they make a food for cats with UTI issues?

Hi LuckysMom.

That is great news.I can tell you right now I don't think pro plan will cut it.Pls join the Flutd group at yahoo. They will steer you towards the correct food and advise you on how to keep monitoring Lucky as this can be life long.Food is not a cure all as you  will find out from the flutd group.But certainly is a good start!!!Mary &her Team will help in deciding what would be affortable etc in the way of foods.I can tell you right now as I have known her for 10 yrs All flutd kitties or kitties that have had struvite crystals the recommendation is canned food well over any dry.But they will work with you & your daily life in finding something that will work & help alot.They are truly a wealth when it comes to urinary issues in kittes.But so true that flushing the bladder from canned foods that are at least over 70% water helps so much more than any dry.The dry SO has sodium in it.Salt makes cats drink.CD helps dissolve crystals but still stress ,water intake,monitoring pee balls in the toilet & size are all crucial to keeping your cat from being blocked gain.And  it can happen over & over.It is nasty but is doable.Just follow their protocols & everything should be fine.Their link i thought you had but will give it to you again is:  https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FLUTD/info 

If you do not belong to yahoo please google how to make an account with yahoo(free) & follow the prompts.When joining tell her about your Lucky and what he has been through.I will let her know Lucky's mom is heading her way.OK? Hugs & great news!!! C.

Yes it's Purina UR. I use it and my kitty has had no issues in over a year (knock on wood) the cheapest I was able to find it was here: http://www.adwdiabetes.com/

Lucky is doing GREAT! UTI issues...I have read all info on this site...We have Lucky on Purina Pro Plan UTI kibble.

Also, we provide 3 oz. wet food daily.  Also...whenever possible..we make a mash from peep foods...no fish.  Lots of protein, some rice, chicken broth, etc.

Visited a cat specialist - he said much of this is related to stress...

Also..clump litter is an issue...the clump litter sticks to their feet - they try to clean this and ingest it ---this messes up the urinary line...

we went back to clay litter...Lucky is doing great!

Hey all,

This started as a grooming issue...I had adopted a cat 9/4/2015...Lucky - 23 pounds...I needed a large cat so my GSD Chewy could play with him...

Originally I started asking about litter...Lucky was tracking clump litter throughout out house...then I noticed dribble spots...I thought he was throwing up from the clump litter while cleaning his paws...Then I found blood in the dribble...

We took him to the vet - turns out he had a UTI ...the doc expressed stuff from his penis.  Bloody  stuff.  Lucky was put on antibiotics and a special feed for recovery....

FYI - Lucky was an adopted cat from a rescue......PLEASE investigate health issues!!!!  This cat had litter box issues - and then we found he had UTI...

We kept him and worked with a Vet....

Lucky is doing GREAT!  No litter box issues at all!

Lucky cannot use clumping litter...we went back to clay

This cat would have been euthanized if we had not really investigated

sk

If your cat is having litter box issues - PLEASE make sure u get this cat to a vet.....many times this will be a UTI problem

Hey - I adopted Lucky in September.  I brought him home and he had litter box issues.  But - I kept him and found he had issues with clumping litter...and he developed a UTI....

I found litter tracking through out the house...I thought he was eating the clumping litter from his paws...I found wet spots in the house...I thought this was throw up...and then I found blood...

We took him back to the rescue vet...Lucky expressed bloody urine.

Turns out - this cat had a UTI.  Doc put him on pain meds and antibiotics for 2 weeks

I added another litter box...(I already had a cat Ming in my house)..

Here is the deal - Lucky has no litter box issues now.

PLEASE make sure u check out UTI issues!!!!!!

sk

I think clumping litter may be a cause of UTIs

One reason I Like Purina....

I had 2 cats who suffered from the Iams contamination in 2007

I think it's wonderful that you have persevered with Lucky. And it's definitely an important message to get out there about not giving up on rescued pets. biggthumpup.gif
So many cats get returned to shelters the minute there's a sign of trouble. It's unfair because the shelter environment is stressful, so it's not surprising that a cat will get sick there! UTI's are very common in cats; I've been through it myself with my cat Pushy. It's so important to keep at it giving them good care to help them through and keep them healthy.

Hey - I kept up with this cat, paid the vet and got this cat on antibiotic meds and pain meds...After $191.00 and 3 weeks ...this cat recovered and has NO litter box issues!!!!

He is a PERFECT cat!

My computer crashed 3 weeks ago and I lost all of my pix...give me some time and I will send some pix

Lucky is doing GREAT!  23 pound cat, rescued from Women's Humane in Bensalem, PA on 9/4/2015.

Lucky came to me with a UTI...I did not know why he was peeing all over the house until I found blood. 

Took him to the vet - after antibiotics, pain meds...this cat is doing GREAT and we love him!

I LOVE this guy...if cats are having litter box issues....PLEASE check out their health!!!!!