Feeling frustrated, Vet doesn't know what is wrong

Hi...I am new here, and this is kind of long.

We adopted a Mainecoon 2 years ago and she was about 3 or 4 years old. She is big and weighs 15 lbs. A few months after we got her, we saw her scooting on the carpet, and took her to the vet. He said her glands needed expressing, so he did that and everything was fine for about the next year and a half.

This last January, she started scooting again, and her backside looked kind of irritated. She was also going in and out of the litter box a LOT and doing a weird meow. The Vet said her glands were not full, and he felt she had a bladder infection and gave her antibiotics. We did not have any testing done at that point. We did the antibiotics and she got better...no more scooting and litterbox behavior was normal again.

Now to the current problem. About 4 days ago, she started scooting again....and going in the litter box often. But this time, her backside is very red, kind of swollen and irritated. She is clipped short back there, but there hair around her anus looks wet, and dark. She is constantly cleaning herself.

We took her to the Vet again yesterday....he said he thinks it's solely due to her weight/size and that she cannot clean herself and is getting irritated. BUT, IMO...if this was the case, why would she be able to go for long periods of time with no problem? I would think if she couldn't clean herself, this would be an ongoing problem. Plus she has been continually wet back there these last few days and I think it's from her cleaning, the Vet says it's wet from urine? She had no temperature. He also thinks she might have a UTI again since she is using the littler box a lot and gave her antibiotics again.

I am ready for a new Vet....I just think there is more going on.

I know this is long and rambling...but can anyone shed any light on what might be going on?

Thanks

I hope others will have a specific idea as to what this may be, but I do have a strong suggestion. Get a second opinion. I would never accept being treated for a uti that my doctor didn't specifically check me for and tell me I had. Why in the world is this vet treating your cat for anything without confirming it? A cystocentesis is *easy* to do (so long as there is a suitable amount of urine in the bladder), provides the most accurate urine sample for testing (except that it is possible blood in the urine may come from the method of obtaining the sample). I've never had one of my cats act upset or traumatized from having one done (it is done by the insertion of a very fine needle - think long but the width of a whisker or two - through the skin into the bladder. It's quick and accurate.)

I would see a second vet asap, this girl needs a workup where testing is done.

Yes a second opinion is in order for sure.

I am taking her to a new Vet this morning, I will post back what they say.

I agree - find a new vet. Treating for a UTI is completely useless unless you know for sure that is the problem. She could have any number of problems from urinary stones to constipation to just being too chubby to clean herself properly. A full workup including abdominal palpation, bloodwork, and urinalysis is in order to get to the bottom of this. Any vet who would treat for a UTI without doing a urinalysis first is not a vet I would trust.

HI....I went to a new Vet yesterday and LOVED her. She does not feel my cat is too big to clean herself. She did a full exam and kept her for a few hours so they could get urine and she will call with the results today.

I think I am cluing into something. There is always some kitty litter outside her box, but lately there have bene tiny poop clumps too. When I clean her box, I don't take the lid off, I just reach and scoop, and hate to say it, don't really pay attention to what it looks like. Well this morning there was diarrhea on the floor next to her box. I am thinking she has had this for a while and might be the whole problem. I just couldn't tell, because she has clumping litter and like I said when it's all mixed with the urine clumps, I really didn't notice. I know...bad cat mommy

She eats Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul, dry and gets nothing else. Why would she get diarrhea now? And this could cause the scooting and irritation, right?

I just want to throw another idea out there, something you might want to watch, since you mentioned a problem with your girl's anal glands. My Sophie had what our vet considered a rarity in cats--her anal glands became infected & ruptured. I had no clue anything was bothering her until I found the fluid from the glands; apparently, she'd gone into the bathtub to "cool herself off" by rubbing her glands on the porcelain & left smears of bloody pus behind. Like your kitty, Sophie had scooted on the carpet a time or 2, and after the glands ruptured her rear end had a distinctly wet appearance. I gave her a course of antibiotics & used warm compresses (try that sometime! LOL), and it cleared right up.
Just something to think about.
Hope your kitty's new vet can figure out what the problem is.

The Vet called with her urine results...she said there was blood and one crystal. I told her about the diarrhea, and she said that very often they will get urine issues too and it goes hand in hand.

She is going to give her metronidazole for the diarrhea, and said continue on the antibiotics for the urine infection. She said she will check her again in about a week.

I asked about changing her food and she said not yet...we don't want to try too many things at once, just wait and see how she does first.

Oh...and here is my sweet kitty

She is lovely! What a sweet, pretty face

She's lovely. I just wanted to comment on your issues with your first vet. I had a similar experience. My Lucky is about 13lbs and the vet started lecturing me about "killing my cat" and soon she would have diabetes and wouldn't be able to clean herself etc....

I went to another vet very upset and she told me that while Lucky could stand to lose a little weight she was cleaning herself great, she was in great health and might just be a "big cat".

I am so glad to hear that you talked to the new vet, never hesitate to get a second opinion (and if necessary a third or a forth). I will never settle again for a vet i'm not 100% satisfied with.

Good luck and hope your little girl feels better!