Anyone familiar with bethanecol?

My foster was just started on it. I've read some good reviews but was wondering if anyone on here has had any experience with it?

I can't say I've heard of it. Is it for UTIs or other urinary issues?

Donutte said:

I can't say I've heard of it. Is it for UTIs or other urinary issues?

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It's for urinary retention problems. My foster is incontinent and they're hoping it will help him control it a little more

I lost you there. Your cat can't be retaining urine and incontinent at the same time. They are mutually exclusive.

DreamerRose said:

I lost you there. Your cat can't be retaining urine and incontinent at the same time. They are mutually exclusive.

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Urinary retention is the inability to completely empty a bladder and because he cannot pee on command and empty his bladder he retains it and it distends. It gets so big that he leaks urine because it has nowhere else to go. So yes, essentially he is retaining his urine and is incontinent because of it.

Poor thing, that sounds so painful! Hopefully someone will come along that has experience with that drug.

Donutte said:

Poor thing, that sounds so painful! Hopefully someone will come along that has experience with that drug.

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Luckily it is easily expressed. I express him several times a day and he doesn't seem to feel is when it is large. He has very limited control over it. Sometimes he will climb in his box and dig around and he'll pee for a second, literally. Then he hops out. He's also semi fecal incontinent. He's pretty backed up but the vet says as long as he is going and doesn't seem to be in pain then I shouldn't worry too much right now. I have him on foods to keep his stool soft so it's easier to pass. He makes it in the box 70% of the time but sometimes he just isn't aware he's going. He'll just be walking around like normal. Poor guy wasn't given the luckiest hand. He also had his tail removed several weeks ago because he was biting it so hard it would bleed. It was pretty limp and probably a little numb. He's done really well without it

How did this med work out for him? I have a cat that releases no urine on his own and is fecal incontinent. We r always looking for new things to try with him.

krisrath11 said:

How did this med work out for him? I have a cat that releases no urine on his own and is fecal incontinent. We r always looking for new things to try with him.

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It didn't. Does your kitty have Manx syndrome or is it something else? Jag had some unknown neurological condition. I remember reading good things about it before we gave it an shot. I think it really depends on what is causing the incontinence and it wasn't right for his condition.

I'm sorry to hear than. Never hurts to try. Bob has a spinal deformality and what is left of his tail (it was docked when he was 2 days old) is like a tiny circle I guess that sites against his butt. They say it is the same as Manx syndrome though. How is jag getting along now? And how old?

My other incontinent kitty they (being the worst vet ever) claimed she didn't have Manx syndrome when I adopted her however her stub of a tail says otherwise. I think I have heard of that before, as catniss leaks urine but can't actually go on her own. Her bladder is much easier to express than Bob's. I don't know if it would be of any help to her at all.

krisrath11 said:

I'm sorry to hear than. Never hurts to try. Bob has a spinal deformality and what is left of his tail (it was docked when he was 2 days old) is like a tiny circle I guess that sites against his butt. They say it is the same as Manx syndrome though. How is jag getting along now? And how old?

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Ah okay. Let me see if I can find the picture of Jag's X-ray. The neurologist couldn't figure out what was wrong but my vet pointed out one tiny spot that may have been the reason for his problems. Does your kitty wobble at all? Jag's brother, Wibbly, was very ataxic but was not incontinent. Jag was slightly ataxic. He crossed the rainbow bridge shortly after his first birthday. After I fostered him he went back to the shelter where he had a room that he got to share with other kitties as they came through. He helped many of them find their forever homes. The shelter staff would put the shy ones in there and he'd help them gain confidence. He got sick and they found a tumor in his bladder and some other suspicious masses. His intestines were very thick and his lymph nodes were enlarged. He was at a no-kill cat only shelter and everyone there loved him but it would've been selfish to keep him alive. There wasn't anything they could do and these guys will go to very very far lengths to help the kitties in their care. It was a rough day for everyone there. It was an aggressive form of cancer. He has a little plaque now outside of his room in honor of him.

Awe, that brought tears to my eyes. Poor guy. I hope mine live forever, I would be devastated. At least he got to help other kitties! He has what I lovingly call drunk butt. He walks with a very prominent side to side strutt and he also falls over sometimes (I havent seen it in awhile as the older her gets the better he walks). He bunny hops when he runs still and he's just all out different but adorable. I'll post his x ray on here. Catniss doesn't have any as I just got her this week and have been trying to get her multi parasite issues under control. She I believe falls more under cerebellar hypoplasia (ch) because her legs go out to the side leaving her sitting quite often on her butt. She has extremely long back legs and a tiny bump for a tail though. The back one is catniss and the white and stripe is bob

Are these kitties Manx? I have a Manx that I got from a shelter and he was fine up until about 6 months ago. Now we are heading to specialist for answers. Wish I would’ve done more research on Manx syndrome.