Cat with bladder crystals not pooping!

[Allison.Mau]

Hi all!

My cat Jack unfortunately was diagnosed with bladder crystals after I observed odd behavior going in and out of his litter box last week. He went to the vet on Monday (3/4/24) and they gave him an antibiotic shot and he is currently being transitioned to prescription Hills Science diet for urinary care.....i am slowly transitioning him and he will probably be eating 100% his new diet by tomorrow (its been 6 days). Good news is that he is showing MAJOR improvements with his urinary issues and is now using the litter box normally in that department...however...I'm noticing his bowel movements are out of whack. Normally he goes #2 once a day.....but since Monday (it is now Sunday)...he's only gone twice! (BIG poops when he does). He last went Friday morning....it is now Sunday evening and he hasn't gone since.....is this normal??? orr.....? My vet is closed today but I will call in the morning..but in the meantime....any advice? Thanks!

I am seeking reassurance from cat owners who's babies have experienced bladder crystals at a young age and are now older and doing fine. My 2 year old boy Jack was just diagnosed with bladder crystals and has a urine PH level of 8.5 . This was determined when I took him to the vet after I noticed he was using his box more often. He was given an antibiotic and will now be on a prescription diet. Thankfully he is showing MAJOR improvements and is now using his box normally....thank goodness.. I am so sad that this happened to him at such an early age. I did all of my research and thought I was doing everything to my power to avoid this. He drinks from a fountain....he eats dry and wet food but I make sure his meals has plenty of moisture etc etc. I know this isn't the end of the world for him...but I am also a very paranoid person. Please share your success stories and give me hope that he will live a long and healthy life

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Are his poops of normal consistency - not hard or too soft? Other than being bigger, if they are normal, it could be his system adapting to the new food. If they are a bit hard, you could try giving him 1/8 tsp of Miralax to start with and see what happens. Just mix it in with one of his wet food meals. And of course ask the vet about this too.

The biggest issue with a cat that develops crystals is the need for lots of moisture to keep his bladder flushed, as that helps to reduce the urine PH level which reduces crystal formation, So, ideally, it would be best if he were on a wet food only diet - you can work on that over time, if possible.

Multiple water dishes/fountains around the home - a lot of times a cat will drink more as they roam about the house and pass by a place to grab a drink.

There is no way to know for sure whether this is a life long issue for Jack. Time is the only thing that will tell you that. All you can do is keep him on the prescription food for now - ideally moving to wet only - make sure he gets plenty of fluids, and monitor him with routine check ups with the vet. If it is managed and monitored, there is no reason to believe he won't live a long and happy life.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Just a quick note on using Miralax. Be sure to dissolve it in a little bit of water first before adding it to the wet food. What I do is measure out 1/8 teaspoon of Miralax right into the empty food dish, then add in a little warm water (maybe one to two teas.), stir it until it's dissolved, then just plop some wet food right on top of it and give it to my cat. Once he eats that, then I add more wet food. I don't usually give him all his wet food with the Miralax because I want to make sure he laps it all up first. The Miralax is supposedly odorless and tasteless, so that part isn't a problem, and it doesn't gel up like a lot of those type of products, another plus!