farleyv was correct

[otto]

Urine will crystallize when air hits it. I'm no chemist so can't explain it any better than that. That's why a good clean sample straight from the bladder, Cystocentesis, is best.

In addition, the urine needs to be sent out to a lab to be cultured, it is important to know what kind of crystals you are dealing with.

My FLUTD cat's urine is staying healthy and crystal free on the hills Prescription c/d also, and she will remain on it for life.

We've tried the canned flavors, but even though she loves canned food, she does not really love the canned c/d, so she is my only cat on dry food.

 

[the_food_lady]

Originally Posted by diggerled

The vet showed me the urine sample under the microscope. Crystals were present. She said this was normal and these were "good" crystals. Wonder why I am confused?

She sent home with me two cans of Hill's Prescription Diet c/d. Fat chance sasha will eat it.

Oh brother. Crystals of any kind in a cat's urine are not "normal" nor are they good, unless what she meants was that they're the type that can be treated by diet (of the 2 kinds, struvite and oxalate, only one of them can be treated by the prescription diet, the other cannot).

Is there any other Vet clinic in your area? These Vets sound like total dingdongs. Crystals and blockages in a male cat is nothing to play around with.

The ideal situation would be for you to go to another Vet clinic. Have them do a proper urine collection, which means doing a cystocentesis (this is the only way to collect a sterile sample of urine; it's very simple, they insert a needle through the kitty's lower abdomen, into the bladder, and withdraw some urine.....cat doesn't have to be sedated for this at all) and then doing a PROPER urinalysis AND culture & sensitivity of the sample. Just testing the urine they got in the carrier with a test strip is not enough. They should be running a proper urinalysis, I would say.

The blood in the urine can be caused by inflammation to the urinary tract from the crystals.

Are they basing the diagnosis of a UTI *only* on the fact that the urine tested high for blood? Both inflammation from crystals AND a urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause blood. To confirm a UTI, they'd need to see a high # of white blood cells present, the sample being positive for nitrite, too. And you would expect that if they examined the urine on a slide, under the microscope, they would see bacteria (though that won't tell you specifically what kind.........only a proper "culture and sensitivity" will tell you this, but a sterile sample of urine is required to do this)

If your cat won't eat the prescription food given, if nothing else, feed only good quality canned food............as it contains more water than dry food.

Search on google for "feline FLUTD" (feline lower urinary tract disease) and learn as much as you can about crystals, diet, etc.

 

[ldg]

BTW, I was chatting to Gary about this. He helped me remember - when Tuxedo was blocked, the vet was able to pass the blockage (one time) by expressing his bladder. A "clump" of stuff - crystals, tissue and blood - came out. Obviously VERY painful - and I don't know how to describe how large it was - the size of a good pile of lint in the corner of a pocket? - but the vet said "Wow that must have been VERY painful!" So I think this vet is nuts, and if there's another one to try, I'd go that route!

And just for the record, both types of crystals can - and need - to be addressed by diet. Struvite can be addressed by a diet that increases acidity; calcium oxalate by a diet that decreases magnesium and calcium. We use Hill's Science Diet c/d because it seems to work for both, because two of our cats had a problem with calcium oxalate and one had a problem with struvite. Thankfully they all like it.

 

[farleyv]

Yep, I second the suggestion of getting another vet. I just cannot imagine your vet saying "good crystals". I don't know what that means.

Hope you consider another vet since you have your own misgivings about her.

Please keep us informed.

 

[diggerled]

I hate to reenforce everyones misgivings about my vet but...
She called me this morning to tell me that she had prescribed too high a dose of the antibiotic, Clavomox. Instead of two droppers full I should cut the dosage to one. She said, "because of his weight, the dosage should be reduced". Sasha weighs eleven pounds.

 

[addiebee]

Originally Posted by diggerled

I hate to reenforce everyones misgivings about my vet but...
She called me this morning to tell me that she had prescribed too high a dose of the antibiotic, Clavomox. Instead of two droppers full I should cut the dosage to one. She said, "because of his weight, the dosage should be reduced". Sasha weighs eleven pounds.

Geez!!! Take your animals and RUN from this clinic. Is there any other facility near by within striking distance? Ask around for a recommendations....

 

[farleyv]

OMG, get the "@#$% out of that clinic! Red flags are going up all over the place!

What is going on with vet care? I can't believe it can be as good as it is around here and so bad other places.

Please, call around today and have your cat re evaluated. Get some input from others as to a good vet in the area. Your kitty is counting on you. You are paying, IMO, for below standard care. Vet bills are bad enough, but at least get your moneys worth.

It will be interesting to see the difference in care once you find a good vet.

 

[diggerled]

Sadly, I landed at at this clinic because the first two places I took Sasha when he was a kitten performed poorly. This clinic was recommended. As I mentioned before in this thread, this is Sasha's fourth doctor. I tried to get the doctor that saw Marlow for his fight wounds to see him, to no avail. That doctor is highly recommended. He also misdiagnosed marlows wounds and even missed some very nasty punture wounds on his head and ears. At least Marlow got an injectable antibiotic for my $135.

I am in the process of choosing the next vet. The one I'm contemplating is a thirty-five mile round trip through the city. He too is highly recommended.

 

[farleyv]

:Hope things calm down a bit for you in the new year. Peace of mind is everything.

I also hope you have found some good sites for struvite crystals. I devoured all the info I could on them. Nasty things!!

Good luck and happy new year. Keep us posted!

 

[ldg]

Yeah, we have a local clinic about 15 minutes away for problems we understand. But we drive our cats 45 - 50 minutes away when they need to see a good vet.

...and if we had an emergency that was life-threatening, we'd have to drive the 45 - 50 minutes, because they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can leave a message with the local vet after hours, and he'd eventually call back.

But he almost killed two of our cats, so.... The drive is worth it, no matter how unhappy the kitties are.

 

[diggerled]

The good news is Sasha's disposition has been perfectly normal throughout this ongoing ordeal. This morning he jumped at da bird like a wild man. He brought me his favorite mouse and played fetch a little while ago. He has been helping me insulate my crawl space. He's chasing Marlow. He's napping on my lap.

He's onto my tricks to get ahold of him so we can give him his medicine though. Becky is getting the hang of weilding the dropper. I'll never get the hang of holding him still. Of all $ I have spent the past week on his care, the nail clip job was the best value.

 

[otto]

Don't give up on finding a good vet. it took me 7 years and four practices after I moved here, to find a clinic I am satisfied with. And even then, I saw all the vets in turn before I chose the one I use, I LOVE her!

In those 7 years, the bumbling vets did cost me the much too early loss of one kitty, and another developed a megacolon, due to another's ineptness. Another diagnosed Tolly's seizures as "a behavior problem" and another said the seizures were inner ear trouble. It's a shame, but the bad vets are out there. But so are the good ones, so don't give up hope.

keep us posted on Sascha.

 

[diggerled]

I'm not going to give up otto. I am reassessing the situation daily. I am probebly going to go to the recommended vet in Newburgh, the town on the other side of the city I live just outside of. The vet was recommended by my niece, Amber. She was inspired by that vet's treatment of her own cat to go to nursing school. She is now working at a local hospital and studying to be a nurse practitioner.

I will not burn the bridge to the current vet. They may prove useful at some point in the future.