My fingers are crossed

Micky has been to the vet twice in the past couple months or so for UTI-related symptoms. The first time, they found very apparent crystals in her urine and signs of an infection. They gave her a prescription for Clavamox, in a dropper, and instructed me on the doseage: two drops a day, twice a day.
A couple weeks later, she was still urinating on my bed and a chair, even after using PetZyme spray to eliminate oder, plus buying a new litter box and putting it in a different place. I took her back to the vet.
They asked me if Micky's Clavamox was out, and I took it out of my purse and showed them the half-full bottle. The vets told me it should have run out a long time ago, and that the proper doseage is *one dropper full*. Now, I think I'd remember if I were told to give her an entire dropper full of medicine. Anyway, this time, without a urinalysis, they prescribed a pill to be taken orally.
Now the pills are gone, she still pees on my bed and the chair (but also uses her box), I even bought Boundary spray and saturated my bed with it, and it's supposed to be a smell that cats don't like... So I brought her to the vet again today. Third time's a charm, I hope. I'm supposed to bring Micky back tomorrow for another urinalysis, to rule out bladder problems, and the vet gave me a Feli-way plug-in, which is supposed to produce feline-destresser pheramones. They might also prescribe a type of kitty-Xanax. I'm also going to put a plastic cover on my mattress to try to neutralize the smell.
While I'm really hoping that this vet visit makes more of a difference, I'm still just wondering, "What the hell is going on?"

I'll keep everyone posted on what happens. This has been going on for a long time now, and I really would be devastated if I had to give her away.

While they are treating for the infection, it doesn't sound like the actual crystal issue is being addressed. If she still has crystals in her urine, it will cause her bladder and urination pain, which can result in the inappropriate elimination you are seeing. Has her diet been changed to address resolving the crystals in her urine?

Hi Is Micky spayed???? Is it possible that she is stressed out for some reason? Are you gone all day @ work or school? Is she the only animal ? She could be lonely. Sorry for all the questions, just some things that could contribute to the innapropriate (sp) peeing other than a medical condition. Have you took her to a different vet for a second opinion? They might also offer different treatments if she still has crystals. I agree with AmyH, if you have'nt already changed her diet you really need to switch her to a really high quality food,the vet may even prescribe some for her. Good luck, let us know what her urine analysis results are. The kitties and I are praying for you both.

Hi Susie, my fingers are crossed with you on this one..I don't have any suggestions as I have never gone through this before..but please keep us posted..

Originally Posted by AmyH

While they are treating for the infection, it doesn't sound like the actual crystal issue is being addressed. If she still has crystals in her urine, it will cause her bladder and urination pain, which can result in the inappropriate elimination you are seeing. Has her diet been changed to address resolving the crystals in her urine?

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Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that. We took her off the cheap Friskies and put her on the prescription feline c/d diet. She seems to like it.

Originally Posted by chichismom

Hi

Is Micky spayed???? Is it possible that she is stressed out for some reason? Are you gone all day @ work or school? Is she the only animal ? She could be lonely. Sorry for all the questions, just some things that could contribute to the innapropriate (sp) peeing other than a medical condition. Have you took her to a different vet for a second opinion? They might also offer different treatments if she still has crystals. I agree with AmyH, if you have'nt already changed her diet you really need to switch her to a really high quality food,the vet may even prescribe some for her. Good luck, let us know what her urine analysis results are. The kitties and I are praying for you both.

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Thank you. She's at the vet right now for a urinalysis, hopefully with a fuller bladder this morning (than when I took her in yesterday), and hopefully not too pissed off at me. When I opened her cage this morning, she just stood in front of it and looked at me like, "Shoot, girl, I know you don't think I'm going in there..."
About the second opinion thing -- the place that I go to seems to have about four doctors who partner in that particular clinic, and by now, all four of them have seen her. So really, they do give me their own insights as to what may be happening, while still referring to the notes of the doctors (that they respect and work with) who had seen her previously. And yes, she was spayed when she adopted me.
You're right, she could be lonely. The nights when I have discovered urine on my bed, most of the time it's too late to wash everything (I don't have a washer/dryer, I use my mom's across town), I'll stay the night at my boyfriend's place. I know that she doesn't like it when I'm gone at night, but unfortunately, I don't have enough sheets (or two comforters, for that matter) for when I find the stain late at night. I'm not in school, so I'm there all day -- in the recent months, since she's had these bladder problems, I've tried to give her more attention. I'll play with her, or call her up on the couch to watch TV or something with me. But then when I have to go to work (only in the evenings, I'm a waitress) or when I go out somewhere, she does seem to have a bit of separation anxiety. It's nice to be loved that much, but sometimes I can't do any more for her.
I've been struggling to keep my head above water ever since I moved out, and have been ridiculously stressed out for most of this year. Sometimes, so much so that I couldn't get the energy to play with her or talk to her like I do nowadays. But when I got a better job in June, cut ties with people who brought stress to me, then started seeing my boyfriend (reeeally nice guy), the tension eventually got much better. I'm guessing Micky picked up on a lot of that, except now, the most stressful thing in my life has to do with her. Aaaand, how I totally can't afford to take her to the vet all the time.
The doctor she saw yesterday thought that it may be anxiety, and she may be right -- Micky, in personality, is a pretty skittish, rambunctious cat with*out* extra stressors in the household. So I'll see what the doctors think... I'm supposed to call by noon if I haven't heard anything yet (in which case, they probably need to keep her until she can pee). Thanks for all your support and opinions... I'll post later today on whatever goes on.

It is making more sense now! Did you have her prior to your moving out??? Yo upset her enviroment if you did. And yes, I am sure she picked up on your stress as well.If you can, I would suggest a companion, probably an older mellow cat to keep her company. I would not suggest a kitten this would only add to her stress,as you know they can get out of hand!!!! With her beeing skidish I would try to stay with her @ night when you get off work even if she has urinated in the bed. She probably thinks you are punishing her by leaving her there alone. The urine crystals might have started the whole innapropriate peeing thing, but i personally think she is very lonely. So if you cannot get a companion for her give her LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of special attention! And leave a tv on for her when you are gone so it is not soooo quiet you know what I mean, especially if you work at night she probably gets scared in the dark and it beeing too quiet makes her uneasy. ( I leave the TV on all day for my 2 )

No, I got her about six months after I moved out. The TV thing seems like a good idea; I dated a guy whose parents did that for their fluffy baby Sir Thomas.
And while I can't get another cat, I could save up for a new comforter set. I just got back from Wal-Mart... they have decent sets for under $50 (I'm obviously not concerned with silk fabric or high thread count). But while I was there today, I got a vinyl mattress cover thing for under $10... keeps the mattress dry, and it can be cleaned by wiping it with a damp cloth. So even if she does urinate on the bed, I can strip the sheets, wash off the vinyl cover, and whip out new sheets.
But *hopefully*, the vets can figure out what's bothering her. Leftover infection hasn't been ruled out yet. But if it is ruled out, we'll be taking steps to help my little stressball kitty.

Okay, so I got her back, after the urinalysis, and she still has an infection, but no crystals. They put her on another antibiotic (Cefadroxil), and if there isn't an improvement, then I'll have to take her in for an ultrasound to check for kidney stones or a congenital bladder problem. I reeeeally don't want to have to do that, because it'll be $150 just for the ultrasound, then additional costs for whatever they do afterward for her. (sigh). Wish me and Micky luck.

Awww I hope this antibiotic works for her!!!!!!Did they say where they infection could have came from -or what? Poor kitty!We are still praying for you both, give Mickey lots of kitty hugs from ChiChi and Murphy!

Originally Posted by chichismom

Awww I hope this antibiotic works for her!!!!!!Did they say where they infection could have came from -or what? Poor kitty!We are still praying for you both, give Mickey lots of kitty hugs from ChiChi and Murphy!

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thanks. they figure that the previous medications somehow didn't knock out the infection properly. who knows, maybe I gave them to her wrong or something :-\\ Situations like this, I always tend to feel like a bad mommy. I really hope she doesn't have kidney stones or a congenital problem. not only because it's really, ridiculously expensive for my broke self, but because I'd like for this fiasco to be over with. thanks again for the advice & prayers.

No problemo! Keep us posted! When does she go back? Is she still urinating in bad places? You might want to buy her a new box and fresh litter- she might associate the old box with her painful problem and not want to use it anymore- you might also want to move it do a different location so everything is fresh and new to her