Female cat peeing every 3 days almost like clockwork

sunnim

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HI Everyone - I am new here and desperate to help my girl. 

Tempi was spayed March 11th and within 3 weeks of her spay someone had started peeing outside the litterbox.  I was unsure who so I started to separate the suspects one at a time but found it wasn't them.  Then I caught Tempi in the act.  We took her in for a UA in house, started her on Clavamox due to finding bacteria in  the in house culture.  Just a month later we are back again for another UA which was set off and it was negative for bacteria.  Just a few days later we were back and ran another in house culture but again no bacteria but there was blood in her urine.  She was given a diagnosis of Idiopathic cystitis, given Buperex and Phenoxybenzamine - she is using the box again but only going every 3 days (seriously almost predictable now).  Due to the Idiopathic Cystitis dx, she was also given Gabapentin to be given daily forever.  She has been so dopey on the Bupernex and Phenoxybenzamine that she has wore a lot of her raw.  Her face is just yuck no matter how much I wash it.  She simply needs a bath to really be able to clean it up.  She is only urinating every 3 days and I am thinking a cat on a raw diet, this just cannot be normal.  Thankfully she is using her litter box but still I have her caged so I can watch her amount of output.  Does anyone have any thoughts?  She didn't have any issues at all until AFTER she was spayed...which I find odd.

I am taking her for a second opinion this week...but open for any other ideas or thoughts on this.

Thank you in advance!

Sunni
 

mservant

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I feel for you both, for the worry about Tempi and also the pain she must be in with this condition.   I also had a cat with Idiopathic cystitis though wasn't given that diagnosis for a long time in to her presenting with the symptoms.   I felt so sad for her every time she got sick as she would look like a miserable little wet rag and always seemed to know it meant she would have to go to the vet (which she was terrified about).  

Have you asked the vet about any potential connection with the spay surgery.  It is difficult with female bodies and how close together everything is, but also the cystitis can be triggered so easily by stress and sadly it seems some cats are just prone to this developing - as my snowleopard did.  

What I found with snowleopard was that she developed a fear of her litter box and seemed to associate it with the pain of urinating - for her this played out as only using her tray for urine - and high spraying which I think is quite common for cats with cystitis.  Her urine would often miss the tray so I moved to a covered tray, but because she sprayed so high it would drip / run out from the join between the tray and lid.  I ended up keeping the tray on puppy pads to save the floor.    The other consequence was not using the tray for poop.  I guess I was lucky as at least the poop was easier to clean and didn't have the same lingering odour issues of inappropriate peeing.   She would always poop close to the tray so I would leave paper down for her to use - which she did most of the time.   She was never a cat for covering her poop so didn't find it distressing not having any soil or litter to cover.

Another issue I became aware of was that snowleopard would sometimes drip urine, esp when she had a more severe inflammation or an infection.  I kept a supply of puppy pads for furniture, plus a couple of large, waterproof backed washable picnic rugs that were soft for her to curl up on while also protecting beds and furniture.  

I think the medication and pain control is now much better understood (from what you are describing with Tempi's maintenance meds), but even without that I can confidently say that my fuzzy-babe lived a happy life bullying her sister right up until she was almost 18 years old.  She passed suddenly due to brain tumours no one knew she had, she was fit, active, still ruling her sister with an iron paw, and it was completely unrelated to her cystitis. 

Does the vet know what might be best for cleaning away the med's?   It might be there is something you could use on a wipe to reduce any distress or drying skin from regular bathing.

 
 
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sunnim

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Thank you for your reply!

I am pleased to report that Tempi shocked me last night by peeing TWICE about 3 hours apart and poohing once -- all in her litterbox!  As I said, she is in a big 5X5 cage to save my furniture as she ruined our leather couch and we had to replace our furniture as a result.  Her first few weeks in the cage she was not using the box at all.  Now she is back to using the box but as I said before, it is infrequent being only every 3 days like clockwork until last night.  Honestly I will be curious to see if she goes again tonight.

Yesterday AM was her last dose of the Phenoxybenzamine and her Buperex finished up last Thursday.  Now she is just taking the Gabapentin daily (usually in the evening as it is only once a day and this works better for me as a routine).  My vet also had put her on Clomicalm but we stopped that last week because I had read that cats with potty issues should not be on this - issues such as Cystitis.    

Her face is a mess from her being so dopey on the Phenoxybenzamine and Buperex...she almost could not eat her food easily -- more pushed it all over the plate as tho she was drunk.  Now she is eating better having those drugs no longer on board.  But her face is a train wreck from wearing her food.  I plan to give her a bath this week as she is due.  Being a Persian she is very used to baths and does well...I have had this girl with me over a year and we have routinely bathed weekly since she joined our home.  It wasn't until her spay we began having issues. 

My vets office has several vets in it.  I have a couple I routinely prefer to see and one of them did her spay.  I asked about the connection of the spay to this behavior and was told although not impossible it was unlikely there was a connection other than stress.  Which of course is possible.  But that was when we first started to have the issues and I didn't see her again after that.  I know that the vet who did her spay, would be handling this different because my concern is valid after nearly 3 months of not resolving this so far. The other vet we have been seeing has more or less dismissed my concerns...talking over me, not listening, etc.  This is why I am requesting a second opinion as I want someone to answer my question as to if it is possible the spay is connected to this behavior or not.  I am only trying to help my girl and if the things we have done were helping her, then I would not feel the need for a second opinion, but they are not.  Urination every 3 days from a cat who is on only a raw/wet diet -- it seems very strange to me.  

However, if I see Tempi has pottied again tonight, we might just cancel the second opinion appointment for now.  But I would like to see more frequency in her urination first.

Thank you again for your reply!
 

mservant

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Good to hear you have seen Tempi urinating more frequently, and in her litter too.  Also that she is fine about bathing.  

I think you have probably read up quite a bit already from what you have posted so far, but in case there is anything additional to help you, here's an article about Idiopathic Cystitis.  It also contains a few other useful links.
[article="0"]Feline Idiopathic Cystitis How To Improve Your Cats Life Quality  [/article]
I hope you find a vet who listens and had time for Tempi, to care for her over her life time.  Such an important thing but so few animals have such an experience.  At least she has you standing up for her and making sure she gets the best care you can find.  Good for you.  
 
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sunnim

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My regular vet is awesome but often in emergency cases such as Tempi's, we don't get to pick who we see. Regardless - I have good news to report.  It seems, now that Tempi is off all drugs except for the Gabapentin she seems to be pottying again and IN THE BOX!  Also they are not huge potties as tho she has held it a long time.  These are normal size (not too small either)....she peed again last night and then another was there this morning when I got up.  I am feeling pretty good about the fact she is finally going and more routinely.  I am relieved and will be canceling our appointment tomorrow if this continues tonight.  They are closed on Wednesdays or I would just call them today.

Thank you for the article -- it was informative.  I am always willing to learn!
 

paiger8

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I'd take this opportunity while she's still caged to grab a blacklight and make sure you got all the pee spots in the house cleaned with a good enzyme cleaner. I'd hate for this illness to start a behavioral peeing trend. I've had a cat with UTIs before, and even after the UTI was gone, she'd pee outside the box because she could still smell it. 

Glad she's feeling better though!
 
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sunnim

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Great Tip Paige!  I have lament floors and have used an enzyme cleaner to clean them several times since all of this happened as a matter of fact.    But I had never went over everything with a black light.  So not a bad idea at all to go over them and make sure I didn't miss anything (always possible)!n  Thank you!

I have water proof furniture covers on the way to protect the new furniture as well.  She won't be joining the house until I have those delivered and on the furniture for sure. 

In the meantime, I am very pleased she is feeling better.  Her behavior shows me just how much better she is feeling.  Her eyes are not glazed over where you nearly see her discomfort, she actually bolted from the cage last night while I was cleaning it (she had not done this in the past couple months), and when I put her back she bellowed out a few cries of protest.  Such a good sign she is feeling better.  So once my covers arrive I will allow her time out with us supervised and as long as we have no accidents, in a few weeks, I will hopefully be able to allow her full run of the house again.  Cross your fingers!!!!

Thank you both for your replies and advice -- it is much appreciated.
 

mservant

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It is great to hear things are so much better.  
     You are very welcome.  I remember how awful I felt for my furry one when I finally learned what her diagnosis was and then realized how much pain she had endured without me knowing about it.  It is wonderful that your vet has picked up on it so early, and can hopefully prevent Tempi having to experience the pain of chronic inflammation.

What I did find was that when snowleopard did develop bladder infections they seemed to almost instantly be severe, with blood in urine and her looking really ragged and unwell (plus temperature with hot ears).  One thing I do recommend is keeping a close eye long term so you pick up as soon as Tempi might be feeling a little off colour or her litter visits are changing at all.  Best of all or course would be that she stays well and her maintenance medication means she does not get sick very often.  
 
 
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