Rescue remedy?/stress UTI

cla517

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Stress UTI/Rescue remedy question

After reading the post below regarding a cat blocking from stress and using Rescue Remedy to help, I have a question.

My Simon blocked from stress in December. I came back from a trip and had one very sick kitty. We are going away for 8 days in May and I am totally petrified that it will happen again.

If I use one of the rescue remedies just before we leave, will that help avoid him blocking again? If so, which one should I use? Are they something that goes in the food, something that is in the air?

Thanks!
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ldg

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Bach's Flower Essences are herbal concentrates that should be added to food or water. The one referred to in that post is Bach's Rescue Remedy (for calming). It can be purchased from a lot of places - this link will take you to a page full of options:

Bach's Flower Essences search on Meowhoo.com

(I went to www.meowhoo.com and searched for "Bach's Flower Essences")

You can also try purchasing Feliway. If you are going to board your kitty, leave instructions for them to spray a little bit on the walls of his cage/condo with Feliway every other day (at about cheek height), and leave the instructions for them to add the Bach's Rescue Remedy to his food or water, whatever the instructions say (I've never used it, so I don't know what the instructions are).

HOWEVER, if a petsitter is an option - that is, if there's a person or service that can feed and care for your kitty in your home while you're gone, you might want to consider purchasing a Feliway Plug-in as opposed to the spray bottle. The plug-in lasts for a month or two, and it will "radiate" into the air, just like a home plug-in air freshener would. It has no scent to humans, but is a synthetic hormone that mimics the hormone in cat's cheeks. That's what they rub onto you, their things and your furniture as "friendly" scent markers.
You can likely purchase Feliway at the same place you can purchase Bach's Rescue Remedy.
 

ldg

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Ooops! Forgot to say - I don't know if it will prevent the UTI. It may, and it certainly won't harm your kitty in any way. It should help lower his reaction to the stress of being left behind.

If he's going into boarding, please notify them that he did get a UTI when you last took a vacation, and make sure to leave your vet contact info. He ought to be treated as soon as he develops the UTI. I don't want to scare you, but the irritation of a UTI can cause a blockage. Male kitties, due to the physical construction of their elimination system, let's call it, are prone to physical urinary tract blockages. If his urinary tract becomes physically blocked and he is unable to evacuate, the toxins will back up in his system and it can kill them within 24 - 48 hous.

Again, I don't want to scare you, but it can be serious. So if someone is petsitting, ask them to watch out for "lots" of little teeny clumps in the litterbox instead of just a few larger clumps of pee. This means that Simon is traveling to the litterbox over and over again, because the irritation in his bladder/urinary tract makes him think he has to pee. I don't know if you've ever had a UTI, but I have, and they're extremely uncomfortable, and sometimes painful. It is the exact same for kitty.

The Bach's Rescue Remedy and Feliway should help, and could potentially help prevent a UTI. But it's best to be safe, and make sure whoever is caring for Simon knows what to look for and has vet contact info (and yours wherever you are on vacation as well!) so he can get on antibiotics when the problem starts (if it does), and not have to wait for you to get home for help.
 

donnageorge

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Originally Posted by LDG

Bach's Flower Essences are herbal concentrates that should be added to food or water. The one referred to in that post is Bach's Rescue Remedy (for calming).
Regarding how to prescribe Bach remedies to a cat...

One of our cats, Sully, was prescribed Bach Rescue Skin in a 12oz bottle with a dropper. The instructions from our holistic vet were to apply a 1/2 dropperful amount three times daily directly to Sully's mouth, 15 minutes after Sully eats.

There was no mention of having to mix it into food or water. And Sully seems quite eager to take the remedy each time, as if it was a treat.
 

ldg

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Thanks donnageorge! It didn't occur to me that they would be given directly to kitty
, but of course, apparently that's the case. I was trying to make the point that unlike Feliway, it's not something "in the air."


BTW - did they help Sully's condition? (Even though it was for something completely different).
 
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cla517

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LDG--Thanks for all the information! Actually, it's a blockage that I'm afraid of. He blocked the last time. Poor babycat spent 4 nights in the vet and scared me to death!

I am having friends/family come in and take care of the cats while we are away. I am just going to cross my fingers and pray.
 

ldg

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I hope all goes well! Do try both the Rescue Remedy in concert with the Feliway. It really might work.

And the info to whoever's petsitting about taking him to the vet if there's lots and lots of little clumps in the litter might get him the meds he needs before he even gets a blockage.

Good luck!
 

donnageorge

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Originally Posted by LDG

Thanks donnageorge! It didn't occur to me that they would be given directly to kitty
, but of course, apparently that's the case. I was trying to make the point that unlike Feliway, it's not something "in the air."


BTW - did they help Sully's condition? (Even though it was for something completely different).
Yes, the Rescue Skin seems to help calm Sully and also assist in getting rid of whatever was causing her skin allergies.

(She is also taking a dropperful of another Bach remedy for organ cleasing, mainly for her liver and kidneys. And the vet recommended switching her to a fresher, raw food diet to further de-toxify her body. Suffice to say, the changes we have seen from the holistic treatments have been positive and significant, both for her and her sister Ari.)

Hope this helps,
Donna and George
 
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