Crystals in urine, 3 mos antibiotics & still problems

[mktomes]

Ok. Where do I begin?
About a year ago, my cat start peeing outside the litter box. Took her to the vet, prescribed her new diet, gave her antibiotics. Several months went by b4 I realized she is still urinating outside the box. Took her back to the vet, more crystals in urine, more antibiotics. And again, month or so later, we repeat the same thing. Still problems with her urinating other places other than her litter box. If I keep her confined to the bathroom, no problem. But that makes my bathroom smell to high heaven & I just hate keeping her put up like that.

Monday morning, I looked in her box & there was no urine. So I knew she must have pee'd somewhere else. She likes rugs. I go in my daughter's room & her rug is soaked with urine. I go in my youngest daughter's room & there is 2 piles of poop...one pile being really runny. I put her back in the bathroom & lock the door. Monday nite, my oldest dtr tells me she cleaned up a pile of poop in her room just the other day & it was runny too. Also Monday nite, I go in the bathroom to ck on her & there lays a pile of poop in the bathroom floor. I clean it up & right after I go to bed my youngest knocks on my bedroom door to tell me Ms. Kitty vomitted & 'went' 4 times in the bathroom floor. She said her poop was runny again.
I load her up again & take her to the vet. He has done all kinds of blood work on her, checked her again for crystals and nothing. Absolutely nothing. My vet is thinking that since I just bought a new bag of catfood, the food may be upsetting her stomach. He suggested I buy another bag of catfood & confine her to the bathroom until she uses the litter box again. He said which may take 2 weeks up to 2 months.

HELP!! Any suggestions?

She's a long hair calico, 6 years old, 12-13 lbs, spayed, declawed front & back..never goes outside unless she walks out on the deck when I have the glass sliding door open.

Mktomes

 

[rarepuss]

i'd say the runny stuff is from the new food, no question about it. Cats react immidiately to any change in their diet. I actually think it's time for a new vet - something's just not adding up.

btw, it's OK to change vets. I did it with Marsh twice already and once took him to a specialist because my regular vets had NO CLUE what to do with his eye infections. just an FYI.

 

[ghostuser]

First of all, she needs to be on a special diet for cats with crystals, perferably canned food. Eukanuba and Hills both make low pH food, and it's only available through your vet. I'm hoping the vet you've been seeing has done this, if not you really really need to find a better vet!

My friends went through the problem of getting a bad batch of prescription food from their vet. It was no picnic, but after getting their cat a good bag of food, she was back to normal in a few weeks. It's rare, but it's been known to happen.

I can't think of what could be the underlying cause of her problem, but there are many members here who have had this sort of health issue with their cats, and I'm sure someone can give you some ideas!

 

[cloud_shade]

I agree that the runny stool is probably a food thing. Peeing outside the litterbox can have a lot of causes. Did your vet do a urinalysis this time? You said there weren't any crystals. Was there blood in the urine? Cats can develop cystitis (basically an inflammation of the bladder). If the vet can't determine a cause, it is called interstitial cystitis or idiopathic cystitis. This can be very frustrating, but it isn't necessarily the vet's fault. It is actually fairly common. There are some medications that can be helpful in treating it, such as Elmiron (expensive) and Amitriptyline. Antibiotics usually don't help at all, but most vets try them anyway. Sometimes supplements, like Cosequin, can help.

My cat has interstitial cystitis, so I've been learning a lot about it lately. Her only symptom has been peeing outside the box.

Other things that you could try if you haven't already would be adding one or two other litter boxes. If you could add two, put the same litter you use now in one and a different type of litter in the other. If this is a behavioral situation, that might help. Make sure the litter boxes are in quiet places where your kitty won't be ambushed by kids or other pets.

 

[mktomes]

The food she's been on is Science Diets prescription S/D formula. I don't know alot about it just that is what the vet put her on. I picked her up last nite & got another batch of antibiotics to give to her for 14 days. It's just so aggravating. I will definitely invest in another litter box just to see if that will work. I just have to ponder on where I can put it.
Ms Kitty was upset yesterday with the vet as well. She hissed, spat, and bite him. She's probably thinking, "Ok you ding dong.... get me better. I'm tired of seeing you.

" Way to go Ms Kitty. I didn't think she had it in her. She's so laid back.. well, actually, lazy is a better word.
I got another batch of catfood & fed her last nite. So far, no runs. She stayed confined in the bathroom last nite. I'll just have to wait & see how it all goes.

Mktomes

 

[hissy]

A couple of things.

First of all your stress level must be off the map, so try and be calm about this. Toss out all the old litter pans, and buy new ones. Invest in a cat fountain Pet Mate or Drinkwell as that will encourage her to drink more. Try and get her to eat canned food that your vet can prescribe for her. Also she is long-hair so brush her daily. She doesn't need any more obstructions inside of her. I would also take her to a feline specialist if she were mine. If you go to www.meowhoo.com and look under Health you will see the category. Perhaps there is one listed there in your area. Sometimes a new set of eyes can see what another set of eyes missed.

 

[iluvcandy]

I think you should try what the other posters said, especially Hissy about a feline specialist. All that time on antibiotics and no results. I would be worried about runny stools and vomiting, could your cat be dehydrated? Could you check her gums and see if they're pink or not? And the drinking fountain is a good idea, I think she needs more water. If you give your cat new food, you should introduce it slowly, just a few kibbles at a time with her regular food, alittle more each day, for at least 10 days. Is your cat eating enough of only the new food? Problems could result if your cat doesn't eat enough each day.

There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. If you had a medical problem and your doctor couldn't find out what it was, you'd probably go for a second opinion.
Just my opinion, but I agree with Hissy, a new pair of eyes might see what the first couldn't.

Jill and Candy

I hope and pray your kitty will be okay.

 

[mktomes]

I really appreciate everyone's post. I will do my best to be patient with her. I've had her since 1999 & want her better.
SinceI have to confine her to the bathroom, what wud be the best for me to spray, use in or out of her box for odor, what is the best litter?
For the spots where she's pee'd on the carpet & poo'd on the carpet, what is the best thing to use to lift up that odor & from keeping her from using that same spot again?
I heard cats do not like the smell of citrus, is this true?
Is there anything around the house I cud use to prevent her from using the same spot? Vinegar, lemon juice, etc?
I've already been told to buy a plastic matt w/ the spikes on bottom & turn it upside down (spikes facing up) & lay it down where she usually goes.
Any other suggestions?

Mktomes

 

[iluvcandy]

I use Cat-tergent from drs.fostersmith.com when my cat vomits. Another good one is Nok-out, but I'm not sure where you can get that, maybe Petsmart or online. Use it as soon as he poops and pees outside the box. After you clean it up, spray on the area, let it dry, then sponge it up. After it dries, vacuum it.

I use Swheat Scoop cat litter. If they don't have it in your area you can get it online, from Petfooddirect.com, I think. It's a clumping litter made from wheat that is natural. It does have some dust in it, but it's free of perfume and silica dust. I used to use Arm and Hammer but the clumping litter they sell in supermarkets usually have silica dust, which can be harmful, as are crystals to control odor. When I used it my cat and I used to sneeze from it, with Swheatscoop we don't. There's very little odor after she makes a poop, just make sure to use enough in the box, they say at least 3 in, enough to cover it. If you're home you'll be able to scoop it up right away, which will reduce odor. I know it must smell if she's confined to the bathroom. I personally would not use any spray, especially in a confined area. Another reason I wouldn't is that my cat has some breathing problems, and trust me, you don't want that for your cat.

My cat was on meds (prednisone and antibiotics) and I was pilling her for 2 months straight. She vomited after 5.5 weeks on prednisone, I took her to the vet next day as she has liver disease. This vet again put her on antibiotics as her liver enzymes were up, but not much. Ten days into the antibiotics she vomited again. I took her to the same hospital but saw a new vet. I told him I did not give her her last pill for the day because I didnt want to wake her up, i felt she needed sleep more than the pill. I also told him I believed she vomited because of all the pills, that her stomach was upset and irritated. He looked at her previous results from 10 days ago and said nothing was wrong with her, that she did NOT have liver disease, that her liver enzymes could be elevated from anything, that all the rest of her levels were fine, the bile duct was working fine, that it was probably stress from going to the vet and having a needle stuck in her neck that elevated her levels. He told me to stop all meds, she didn't need them. Her poop was soft/runny (previous vet said she's probably getting rid of toxins this way), but now that she's off the meds they're getting firmer, she's eating more and seems fine. That's why I think you should have a second opinion. I can't tell you how overjoyed and relieved I am that I did.

Jill and Candy

 

[mktomes]

I'm still having to watch Ms Kitty to make sure she urinates in her box.
Another question..... I've noticed she only pee's once a day and it's ALOT. Is this normal?

Mktomes