Here we go again!

Hey everyone, I hardly come to this site but I am at a loss as to what to do. Skylar appears to have ANOTHER UTI. This is like the 3rd or 4th one in a year. Last night he squated, scratched and peed in front of me on the bath rug. He did it again this morning so I bought him to the vet today. They are keeping him overnight to do all the tests. The vet was swamped and they fit me in without an appointment since it was an emergency. Can you guys give me advice on what kinds of questions to ask the vet? It seems like this goes away for a couple of months and then comes back. I've been feeding him the Purina One Urinary Tract formula too. What kind of condition could this be and can there be some kind of meds I can get him monthly or something to keep this from happening? It's like $226.00 every time I go to the vet! I know I shouldn't complain about the expense but I just don't want him to be misdiagnosed or something. Thanks for any advice you all can give.

Is it a UTI (urinary tract infection) or a blockage? If it is a blockage, then you will want to know what caused the blockage. There are two kinds of crystals that form that can lead to a cat blocking-struvite and oxalate. Different foods are usually recommended depending on the types of crystals. Another thing that often helps is giving the cat distilled water instead of tap water. Sometimes vets will recommend a supplement called Cosequin which can contribute to bladder health. Finally, in severe cases of a cat having repeated blockages, they can do a surgery that widens the urethral opening. There is a Yahoo group that deals with FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) cats that you might find helpful.

If there isn't a blockage and there isn't any infection, then your cat may have cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). Often, there isn't a known cause of the cystitis. Some cats respond to treatment with Cosequin or a change in diet that includes a high quality wet food. The wet food increases their water intake, which is especially important in cats that don't drink enough. It helps flush our their bladder. The other possibility in cats with cystitis is a medication that is used in humans as an antidepressant. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can be soothing to the bladder. This one is called amitriptyline.

I would talk to your vet about your concerns. Explain that you want to keep your cat healthy and you would appreciate any advice. Best of luck!

Hey. Well, I just got back from the vet. They didn't have the tests back from the lab yet so they let me take Skylar home and I will call in the morning. Cloudshade, I printed out your ideas to bring with me so I could ask the vet questions. Basically he said without the test results he really couldn't give me an idea of why this keeps happening and to take it one day at a time. I noticed that since we've been home, Skylar has peed a teeny tiny bit on the tile bathroom floor and in a corner of the tile floor by my front door. I think he may have done this once or twice before this week. If this turns out to be a behavioral issue, what are some things I could do? I doubt it would be behavioral though because it has been going away after being treated with the antibiotic. If it was behavioral, wouldn't it be a constant thing?

Has he had a urinalysis done before? Sounds like he has crystals. If so, you need to know what type. The most common are struvite and they are VERY irritating to the cat and will cause this type of behavior. I don't think the Purina One Urinary tract food is very good from what I've heard. If he has struvite, Science diet CD is the food to feed or another PRESCRIPTION diet depending on the crystals. It is very important he get on a good food and stay on it or you will have these repeated bouts. Also x-rays should be done to check for bladder stones if the urinalysis comes back abnormal.

Be very careful with a male cat!! If he stops urinating, this is a blockage and an emergency and he should be soon ASAP.

I agree with CTCat, sounds like it may be crystals since it is a repeating problem. I have seen a couple cats have a lot of luck with the prescribed Science Diet food...make sure to ask your vet about an alternative diet, maybe its something he is eating or drinking that is causing problems. Also tell your vet that you don't have an unlimited source of money to keep bringing him in, so all tests that he can run in one visit would be more beneficial to you rather than paying the charge for office visits again and again!

Last time I took him for this they ran all the same tests and he came back negative for crystals, he just had a UTI. Is there anything that I could possibly have in my home that could cause this? Could it be the cat litter? The vet also said that in worse case scenario a brain tumor could cause recurring UTI's because it would make the cat's system go all off-balance.