Blocked Cat

[Aiman]

My male cat Hazel, 5, was seen for a blockage 6 days ago after he struggled to urinate but couldn't. His reports said he has struvites and needle like crystals. They catheterized him, gave him IV fluid therapy and put him on antibiotics and homeopathic drops to dissolve the crystals. Later,he dribbled pinkish urine (i know its blood mixed with urine)everywhere. I took him back the next day and they flushed his bladder through the catheter. He somehow managed to pull out his catheter after the flushing. We were asked to monitor him for a day and see if he pees on his own. He started leaking and squirting blood as soon as we took him home. Back to the vet we went, the doctor catheterized him again and now he's doing better. He doesn't dribble all over the house but goes to his litter to pee a fair amount of urine. He doesn't drink (so i feed him water through a dropper) but he's eating the prescribed food. They've asked us to continue the medication and bring him back after 3 to 5 days. My only concern is, he's still bleeding a little through the catheter. Sometimes the urine is yellow, sometimes pink and then if he strains there are a drop or two of blood. Also i noticed there was some litter stuck in the catheter so i cleaned it with a tissue. The doctors were worried about the blood he's losing and asked us to feed him well and on time. I'm anxiety ridden about the blood in his urine as the vet said his urine should be clear by now and its a public holiday so all the clinics are closed. I will surely take him to the vet tomorrow but right now I don't know what to do!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Is the vet food dry food?
Can you make some unflavored Pedialyte? or Kitten Milk Replacer? There are recipes on the internet, also there's kitten glop. These aren't anti-inflammatory or anything like that, but they'd help with hydration.

 

[Aiman]

Hi! Is the vet food dry food?
Can you make some unflavored Pedialyte? or Kitten Milk Replacer? There are recipes on the internet, also there's kitten glop. These aren't anti-inflammatory or anything like that, but they'd help with hydration.

Yes its dry but I mix it with water and he still eats it. Also, he drank water on his own a while ago but peed blood. I am worried sick i just want him to get better now

 

[Furballsmom]

Try one or two of these, it'll give his system something different to work with, more nutrients and more hydration.

Try making this;
tent test for dehydration and home-made pedialyte recipe - The Daily Kitten

Also, try making one of these;
Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines. --This website has a number of kitten glop recipes, with ingredients that you may very well have in your house.

 

[white shadow]

.
Aiman - please do not give your cat anything except the Rx food and water until (at least) you can have him re-examined tomorrow.

The Rx food is specifically formulated to counter existing crystals and prevent their recurrence - it does this by changing the urine ph from alkaline to acidic.

Adding this, that or something else to a cat's intake at ANY point may change the urine's ph..........doing it now could defeat the whole purpose of using this Rx food and, in fact, send the whole situation back to square one.

It's about 10 hours since you posted......how has he been since then? Any changes?
.

 

[Aiman]

.
Aiman - please do not give your cat anything except the Rx food and water until (at least) you can have him re-examined tomorrow.

The Rx food is specifically formulated to counter existing crystals and prevent their recurrence - it does this by changing the urine ph from alkaline to acidic.

Adding this, that or something else to a cat's intake at ANY point may change the urine's ph..........doing it now could defeat the whole purpose of using this Rx food and, in fact, send the whole situation back to square one.

It's about 10 hours since you posted......how has he been since then? Any changes?
.

Yes he has been eating the food that was prescribed by the vet for his condition. And he drank water by himself as well! There has been 3-4 drops of normal colored urine and 2-3 drops of blood. Everything else is much better than before, the only thing I'm worried about is the blood. The doctor said as long as he's eating on his own there's no need to panic? And to bring him back on monday, after two days that is.

 

[white shadow]

... he drank water by himself as well! There has been 3-4 drops of normal colored urine and 2-3 drops of blood.....

The doctor said as long as he's eating on his own there's no need to panic? And to bring him back on Monday, after two days that is.

It's almost 24 hours since your first post......he has drunk water...and, only "3-4 drops of normal colored urine"...and "2-3 drops of blood"......

I am concerned by that. Two more days after only producing this?

Are you able to get him back in today?
.

 

[Aiman]

It's almost 24 hours since your first post......he has drunk water...and, only "3-4 drops of normal colored urine"...and "2-3 drops of blood"......

I am concerned by that. Two more days after only producing this?

Are you able to get him back in today?
.

Yes i took him back to the vet, they think its cystitis that's causing the blood. He's peeing a fair amount of BLOODY urine .They gave him medication for pain and spasms and asked me to bring him back on monday for further tests. They haven't been very forthcoming about his condition .He's acting fine, is alert and eating and drinking on his own. It's just the blood in his urine that is making me lose my shit to be honest. Is it normal for a cat who has been Catherized twice to bleed this much everytime he urinates?

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, that's right, didn't you say he pulled out the catheter the first time? I'm hoping that didn't cause any damage, can you ask them about that?

 

[Aiman]

Oh, that's right, didn't you say he pulled out the catheter the first time? I'm hoping that didn't cause any damage, can you ask them about that?

He did, but they put it back in again after a day because there was still some obstruction .Now they'll take it out on Monday.I just want him to stop bleeding now.

 

[Furballsmom]

Well, what I was wondering is if there was some damage that's causing the bleeding, as opposed to his bladder that's bleeding. Can they clarify that?

 

[Aiman]

Oh, that's right, didn't you say he pulled out the catheter the first time? I'm hoping that didn't cause any damage, can you ask them about that?

There wasn't any damage they said. But now they all his symptoms are telling that its a severe case of cystitis. Tests will be done on Monday. I dont know if cystitis is easily curable or not?

 

[Furballsmom]

Maybe this would be informative for you; Cystitis in Cats

Increased exercise, increased water consumption, frequently cleaning the litter box (at least once daily if not more often) and reducing stress are things you yourself can do to help, according to that. You might see if your vet agrees with these things.

 

[Jem]

My cat had severe cystitis. And yes it can go away. The blood you're seeing in the urine is basically the lining of the bladder. When a cat develops cystitis the bladder and urethra becomes inflamed, those inflammatory cells will shed. I sort of compare it to a woman's menstrual cycle,where the lining of the uterus sheds. Obviously not as much and not for the same reasons but the same concept of the cells leaving the body. You may even notice small clots in his pee as well. If he is still peeing though don't fret too much. He may have also caused some irritation when he pulled his catheter out.
My little guy took a couple of months before he regained normal function again, but it has been over 5 years and it has not returned.
Stress reduction is first and foremost. Stress itself can cause the inflammatory response of the bladder, so do everything you can to keep him happy.
Also, ask your vet if you can put him on the canned version of the RX food, that way if his water intake is not the best, he will be getting the moisture from his food.
Feel free to ask me about my experience, I'm not a vet, but I might be able to ease your mind.

 

[white shadow]

...He's peeing a fair amount of BLOODY urine

Well, that's a relief to hear.

You had said:

"3-4 drops of normal colored urine"​

And, that's what prompted me to ask if you could get him back in today.

IF he's peeing normal or near-normal amounts, then yes, you can relax and just continue to monitor his output.

I see that someone has Googled something for you.......in this case, that information appears accurate, although I wouldn't be recommending commercial sites for medical references.

A well-respected Veterinarian has written an article on urinary tract disease, and that has a section about cystitis that will cover off what you need to know - that's here: Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection

When you've read that, I suggest you skip down and read through the section about "Prescription Diets".....because it's very likely that once he's finished treatment, you will be told that he will need to stay on this food for the rest of his life. That simply is not the case. These "diets" are very helpful to first, resolve the current crisis and, second, help to stabilize the acidity of the cat's urine. The "Prescription Diets" section is right here.

Once he has recovered fully (and, an scrupulous Vet will be upfront with you on this) you can safely change away from that food and transition him to a canned food that is as close as possible to his natural food: mouse.

Cats evolved as meat-eaters.....when a cat is eating a diet of meat, the cat's urine is automatically slightly acidic.....and everything 'works' as it has evolved to do. Meat also has a very large amount of water content....that's why a cat eating a diet of meat (not dried up meat - so, not from a bag!) won't usually drink a lot of extra water. As cats evolved, they were desert animals, relying on their prey for their water supply. In Egypt, where cats were treasured and mice were abundant, cats ate the mice....not the grain (which attracted the mice).

I'm going to presume that he was eating dry food all along before this problem occurred. You'd be doing wonders for yourself and him if you were to change to wet foods.

That same Veterinarian has a very thorough article on feeding cats, written especially for folks who are using dry food: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

You might want to post a question about a replacement food for that "prescription diet" over in the Nutrition forum......actually, a better question would be "how to read and understand a cat food label".

I'm happy to see that Jem is here too!

At the least, post back after he sees the Vet Monday.
.



.

 

[white shadow]

.
Aiman - I had barely closed off there when I realized you hadn't said anything about pain medication.......were you given anything for him for pain?
.

 

[maggiedemi]

I agree, I would ask your vet if you can switch to the canned version of the prescription food or some other canned food.

 

[Aiman]

My cat had severe cystitis. And yes it can go away. The blood you're seeing in the urine is basically the lining of the bladder. When a cat develops cystitis the bladder and urethra becomes inflamed, those inflammatory cells will shed. I sort of compare it to a woman's menstrual cycle,where the lining of the uterus sheds. Obviously not as much and not for the same reasons but the same concept of the cells leaving the body. You may even notice small clots in his pee as well. If he is still peeing though don't fret too much. He may have also caused some irritation when he pulled his catheter out.
My little guy took a couple of months before he regained normal function again, but it has been over 5 years and it has not returned.
Stress reduction is first and foremost. Stress itself can cause the inflammatory response of the bladder, so do everything you can to keep him happy.
Also, ask your vet if you can put him on the canned version of the RX food, that way if his water intake is not the best, he will be getting the moisture from his food.
Feel free to ask me about my experience, I'm not a vet, but I might be able to ease your mind.

I'm glad your baby is okay now .You made me feel a little less anxious so thank you for that . I have increased his water intake, he's active, has been playing and having fun. The blood is still there in his urine .Sometimes it's all blood, sometimes i can see traces of clear liquid in it as well. I'm taking him back to the clinic tomorrow and will surely ask the vet about canned food .

 

[Aiman]

Well, that's a relief to hear.

You had said:

"3-4 drops of normal colored urine"​

And, that's what prompted me to ask if you could get him back in today.

IF he's peeing normal or near-normal amounts, then yes, you can relax and just continue to monitor his output.

I see that someone has Googled something for you.......in this case, that information appears accurate, although I wouldn't be recommending commercial sites for medical references.

A well-respected Veterinarian has written an article on urinary tract disease, and that has a section about cystitis that will cover off what you need to know - that's here: Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection

When you've read that, I suggest you skip down and read through the section about "Prescription Diets".....because it's very likely that once he's finished treatment, you will be told that he will need to stay on this food for the rest of his life. That simply is not the case. These "diets" are very helpful to first, resolve the current crisis and, second, help to stabilize the acidity of the cat's urine. The "Prescription Diets" section is right here.

Once he has recovered fully (and, an scrupulous Vet will be upfront with you on this) you can safely change away from that food and transition him to a canned food that is as close as possible to his natural food: mouse.

Cats evolved as meat-eaters.....when a cat is eating a diet of meat, the cat's urine is automatically slightly acidic.....and everything 'works' as it has evolved to do. Meat also has a very large amount of water content....that's why a cat eating a diet of meat (not dried up meat - so, not from a bag!) won't usually drink a lot of extra water. As cats evolved, they were desert animals, relying on their prey for their water supply. In Egypt, where cats were treasured and mice were abundant, cats ate the mice....not the grain (which attracted the mice).

I'm going to presume that he was eating dry food all along before this problem occurred. You'd be doing wonders for yourself and him if you were to change to wet foods.

That same Veterinarian has a very thorough article on feeding cats, written especially for folks who are using dry food: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

You might want to post a question about a replacement food for that "prescription diet" over in the Nutrition forum......actually, a better question would be "how to read and understand a cat food label".

I'm happy to see that Jem is here too!

At the least, post back after he sees the Vet Monday.
.



.

Thank you for the article. I went through it and It was really helpful. Yes he has been on dry food all along. I also used to give him some meat along his food once or twice a week which he loved eating. There's still blood in his urine but atleast he's urinating the same amount he used to before the obstruction occured .I am taking him back to the clinic tomorrow and we'll see if it's time to remove his catheter and What's his overall condition

 

[Aiman]

.
Aiman - I had barely closed off there when I realized you hadn't said anything about pain medication.......were you given anything for him for pain?
.

Yes .He's on antibiotics and pain meds and seems to be a lot more active than before! !