Aftercare Urethral Surgery

[Plumchell]

Our cat, Eddie just went through the surgery. We did a ton of research on what to expect, but mostly found people searching for help. Here’s what we did, experienced and how we got through it.
Our home has two dogs and two cats. Dogs came first and raised the kittens. Dogs are primarily downstairs and cats have free roam of the house. All get along quite well. We use the Feloway plugins and spray, but we’re concerned this was not enough, as our other cat suffers from ADHD and has had a problem in the past with couches and dog beds. We’ve cleaned couches too many times, put barriers up, but both cats were using them for litter boxes.

Eddie suffered 3 blockages in a short span, so we decided the PU surgery was the best route. Each episode was costly due to hospital stays, catheters and medicine, not to mention damaged furniture, dog beds, our stress, and most importantly, the fact that our guy was in so much pain.
The surgery went well, and the vet assured us we should be fine. We had the pain meds and the shot to prevent any UTI’s. Eddie was confined to our bathroom (it’s quite large) wearing a cone and we provided plenty of soft places to snuggle down on. He had lots of attention, and our other cat was able to easily hop the gate to hang out with him.
We like the large crystal type of cat litter and the vet agreed it was the best choice to help keep his behind clean, and prevent litter from sticking to him. We also had an open litter box with a mat to help keep the litter from tracking. For the most part, Eddie used the box, missed sometimes, but then it started to get messier. He began to use the towels, floor, cat beds, or anything soft to pee on.
We consulted and brought him back to the vet for check ups, all good and on track for healing.
About 3 weeks into the process, we were allowed to remove the cone, but all agreed to keep him on pain meds and continue confinement until he demonstrated he was able and willing to use the litter box regularly. Now, the tricky part - how to get him to start using the litter box again. The litter boxes are always kept clean and fresh, so that’s not an issue. The dogs don’t have access to them and they are in quiet places. After researching and consulting, we changed the litter to walnut shells and found a brand that claimed it was great for retraining cats to use the litter box. Eddie showed interest right away! He was about half and half on using the box - progress for sure. The only down side is that the litter is extremely messy. The final trick was to take a small towel that was used to clean up a missed pee and put it into the litter box and leave it. It worked! I began to slowly change out the litter back to the large crystals and we are back to that now.
Next step in our progress, Eddie did get a UTI and we are in the process of clearing it up. He went on a 10day course of antibiotics and we are day 3 of being off them. He has begun to lick himself and has begun to pee on the floor,so we are back to the vet for another round of antibiotics.
After further consulting with the vet and our local pet supply, we are all in agreement that it’s time to take back control of our home. We found Scat Mats on the internet to train dogs and cats to stay off furniture and have decided to put cats on and keep them on CBC oil.
This is a huge commitment and requires lots of patience, but it’s worth it!We are at the end of the chapter and just about ready to have everything back to a happy, harmonious home. All in all, it’s been about 6 weeks of recovery.

 

[mservant]

That is quite an ordeal your household has been through. It is fantastic to know your cat is in recovery and seems to be coping well with using litter again too.
It is interesting to hear how you approached this. Do let us know how these mats go.

 

[Plumchell]

Unfortunately, we are not through this ordeal. Eddie's new urethra is full of scar tissue, so the vet has had to create a whole new route. Meanwhile, our other cat, Stax is going through some serious anxiety issues that do not seem to be helped with medication. He spent the weekend howling and screaming and peeing all over the house. He does not have physical issues, this is all mental. We are hanging in throughout this and hope to have resolutions soon.

the mats are great for both dogs and cats staying off furniture.

 

[mservant]

It is tough supporting cats through anxiety. What medications / other supports have you tried for Stax? There are some interesting calming suppliments and calming foods on the market that might be worth talking with your vet about if you haven't been through those already?

 

[catsknowme]

In working with mostly ferals, I have found the "art of grooming" to be a very effective way to add comfort and add bonding. It is not the standard hygenic grooming but rather a mimicking of the basic mama cat-kitten interaction. I use a cheap plastic comb and place my thumb horizontally across the comb's teeth for depth control. Most cats prefer between the shoulders and the crease between the skull & the ears. Also the delicate top of the forehead, especially by the opening of the ears and around the eyes (these areas require the lightest touch and a shallow tooth depth). I use soft, short, concave strokes. I have several semi-ferals who are FIV+ and I give them this grooming during flare-ups. I also used it for my now-tamest cat Silver when she had a fractured leg (after the trauma of being injured, caught, taken to the vet and treated then brought inside, she was miserable) and she went from resistant to eagerly awaiting her groomings. It calms them and seems to ease their discomfort.
I am very interested in your use of the CBC oil. I am looking forward to reading your updates!
Also, did your vet give any opinion of why Eddie has those awful issues? How old was he when he was neutered?

 

[Plumchell]

It is tough supporting cats through anxiety. What medications / other supports have you tried for Stax? There are some interesting calming suppliments and calming foods on the market that might be worth talking with your vet about if you haven't been through those already?

Hello,
It's been awhile, and we are now able to share the final results of our saga. Sadly, after 3 years of trying to help Stax out with his mental disorder, we had to help him over the rainbow bridge. He was miserable in his life, and we tried every possible way to help. In the end, the poor guy had a few happy moments when we held him and petted him, which helped to release seratonin, however, it would only last a minute, then he would go back to screaming. We have comfort knowing we tried every avenue and that he was never harmed, only loved. The first 2 years, medications including natural herbs, prozac and CBD helped, however, it was short lived and the final year became unmanageable for him and us. We consulted with various vets and one that had been to a mental health convention for cats, and all agreed, we ran out of options for our boy. His life was better with us than any place, as we loved him and took care of him from the moment we rescued him at 6 weeks old.

Unfortunately, we are not through this ordeal. Eddie's new urethra is full of scar tissue, so the vet has had to create a whole new route. Meanwhile, our other cat, Stax is going through some serious anxiety issues that do not seem to be helped with medication. He spent the weekend howling and screaming and peeing all over the house. He does not have physical issues, this is all mental. We are hanging in throughout this and hope to have resolutions soon.

the mats are great for both dogs and cats staying off furniture.

Final update on Eddie - we went though 2 surgeries to unblock his new urethra and after the 2nd one, he is great. No more toilet issues, no stress from our other cat's mental issues. We have switched to Worlds Best litter as it is corn, non toxic and clumps great. After the 2nd surgery, Eddie recovered quickly, the litter box training with the walnut litter worked and he's now a healthy, happy, spoiled kitty. We are grateful we had the Veterinarian team that we did to help us through these rough times.