My Experience With Blockages and PU Surgery

[ursulalynn]

T tiffanybc
Sorry - I read too fast and forget details - I see upon a re-read that you did opt for the surgery! I hope my very non-medical-professional overview of the procedure made some sense at least....
As for immediately after surgery (the part I was most worried about), just keep him as calm as possible. I cleaned the bathroom and put some blankets and stuffed animals in there, and a litter tray of shallow dust-free pellet litter. I used the lid of a cardboard box and lined it with a trash bag because his range of movement won't be very big because he'll be sore. You can trim the box lid so it's very shallow and he won't have to climb over a tall side.
I'd bring a book in there and sit with him during that first few days home, so he wouldn't get lonely.
Expect a fair amount of bruising on his tummy, and some blood (if you notice the stitches look strange or there is fresh blood or ooze call the vet right away to check in!)
Since he can't clean himself with a cone on, you can take a clean washrag and moisten it with warm water and pat at his undercarriage, just to remove some of the caked up stuff. But just pat, very gently, you don't want to disturb the stitches while they are healing!
Make sure he's got fresh water and company and you give him his medications on time. And keep his siblings OUT until he's well! No playtime for a while, just rest.
Lemme know how it goes!!!

 

[tiffanybc]

@ursulalynn

Thank you for replying.
I'm still waiting for a call from my vet to see if he has gone through the surgery yet. I've been worrying for days and the thought of this surgery makes it worse. He's only 2 years old and will be 3 in a couple of months. He's so full of life that seeing him in a cage at the vet makes me quite sad. How long has your kitty been in hospital after the surgery? That's what worries me as well. As much as I would like him home I would want the vet to keep an eye on him after the surgery. Just in case of anything.
How long did it take for your kitty to recover fully from the surgery?

Thank you so much for the additional information. It really does help!

 

[stewball]

Anyone know of anywhere that offer financial support or short term loans for these kind of ops? X

If you're in England you should really get cat insurance especially if it happens again. I suppose this is like bolting the door after the horse has escaped.

 

[stewball]

@ursulalynn

Thank you for replying.
I'm still waiting for a call from my vet to see if he has gone through the surgery yet. I've been worrying for days and the thought of this surgery makes it worse. He's only 2 years old and will be 3 in a couple of months. He's so full of life that seeing him in a cage at the vet makes me quite sad. How long has your kitty been in hospital after the surgery? That's what worries me as well. As much as I would like him home I would want the vet to keep an eye on him after the surgery. Just in case of anything.
How long did it take for your kitty to recover fully from the surgery?

Thank you so much for the additional information. It really does help!

Stupid question coming up. Does this ever happen to a female cat? I do have a reason for asking.

 

[ursulalynn]

T tiffanybc
The vet kept him three days or so, so that they could monitor him for a while.
Honestly I expected them to keep him longer than that so when they called me to take him home I was tearing my hair out, I was so worried I would muck it up!
But from what I understand, the healing process will be a lot more pleasant for your kitty if he is resting at home with familiar faces at home. It's a big relief to be at home and less stress will help the process along.
While he is there though, don't worry too much about him - he is in trained hands, and on one heck of a medication cocktail right now! He is just gonna be sleeping.
I visited my boy after work while he was at the vet - they'd bring him out in his goofy cone and I could pet him for a couple minutes.
I'm sure your vet wouldn't mind if you want to stop in and check on him!
Hope all is well and keep us in the loop!

 

[ursulalynn]

stewball
The blockages can, yes, but I gather it is far more rare!
They are caused by an unbalanced pH in the cat's digestive system; crystals start to form in their bladder that aren't broken down properly. This can cause them a lot of discomfort and pain when they are trying to urinate. I know it's more common in males, but bladder crystals do show up in ladies once in a while.
I imagine since a PU surgery is for males, that they would just change a female's diet and up their water intake?
I don't know if a female repeatedly blocked what they do, though. I don't think blockages are common.

 

[ursulalynn]

T tiffanybc
Oh! And in terms of complete recovery, probably about three weeks?
About a week of intense recovery (including those days at the vet), a week and a half or so he was gradually improving day by day (and getting PISSED that his kid brother had run of the house and he didn't - that's when I knew he was starting to feel better!), and a handful of days at the tail end where he was healed but had to lumber around in his cone.
That reminds me! When they get your boy home, get a small box (like a shoebox or something cat-height) that you can put his food and water bowls on! Makes it much easier for him with a cone on - if they were on the floor my fella would just get frustrated and accidentally knock them over (or INTO his cone... Very messy!).

 

[ursulalynn]

T tiffanybc
The Bathroom Recovery Spa:

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• ursulalynn
• Apr 13, 2016

First day home:

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• ursulalynn
• Apr 13, 2016

Today, back to giving mom a headache (5 months later):

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• ursulalynn
• Apr 13, 2016

 

[stewball]

stewball
The blockages can, yes, but I gather it is far more rare!
They are caused by an unbalanced pH in the cat's digestive system; crystals start to form in their bladder that aren't broken down properly. This can cause them a lot of discomfort and pain when they are trying to urinate. I know it's more common in males, but bladder crystals do show up in ladies once in a while.
I imagine since a PU surgery is for males, that they would just change a female's diet and up their water intake?
I don't know if a female repeatedly blocked what they do, though. I don't think blockages are common.

I had a little girl who blocked but not her bladder. I gave her oil. Nothing. The vet gave her about enema. Nothing. He operated. She died. I never knew what wrong. I was still new to cats so didn't know to ask. Dumb is what I was

 

[tiffanybc]

@ursulalynn
I have gotten my kitty back today. The surgery was rescheduled for yesterday instead of Tuesday. He has only stayed at the hospital for one day. I have done the cardboard box thing and placed his bowl on something.
It is only day one of him home and it's already stressful. He keeps moving around and wanting to jump. He does not want to be in one room. I'm just hoping for a speedy recovery and that everything goes well.

 

[ursulalynn]

T tiffanybc
Hooray that he is home with you, and remember that as stressful as it may be, it is a great sign he is already energetic!
My boy HATED being cooped up, too, and put up one heck of a fuss. It helps to just be there, bring a book or your laptop for Netflix and just hang out in there with him for a bit.
He's had a stressful week and wants to be with his mom.

 

[okeelady]

My "Monster" who I always said if he needed a heart transplant he could have mine.  I'm sitting here in tears now had the PU surgery when he was about two years old.  It was very scary but he lived to about 17 years old.  After the surgery for years he would pee blood and after numerous trips to the vet and a lot of money and antibiotics I finally took him to an emergency clinic one day only to find out that he had feline idiopathic cystitus (FIC) caused my stress and no antibiotics would have worked.  The vet told me that after about 4 - 5 days it would get better and it did.

It's was a long road going thru this surgery but the best thing I ever did................

 

[ursulalynn]

okeelady
I found out about FIC from my vet just the other day! I had gone on an overnight trip a couple weeks ago and even though my momma came round to check on them, when I got home my boy was urinating blood! I thought, oh goodness, not another infection! But I guess it was the FIC caused by the stress of me being gone. Poor kitties.
I have to throw out there how thankful I am for this site - reading stories about kitties that have come out the other end of this, and lived to be happy old cats like yours brings me so much joy. I will never forget how terrifying the situation was and how much it helped to have people willing to listen and give advice while we went through it! It made the whole thing a lot less lonely.

 

[tiffanybc]

@ursulalynn
He has had such a stressful week. He's been wanting to play but I don't want him to run around like crazy.
He has been sent home with prazosin, buprenorphine and clavamox. He's also on a strict diet of royal canin urinary so wet food. I feel bad that he only has that to eat. He keeps looking for some cat treats. ]: He also keeps trying to lick himself there and he's succeeded in positioning himself a certain way to reach that area. I'm just waiting for him to recover as quickly as possible he's had that cone on for far too long!
Also is it normal for him not to poop everyday or so? After he came back from the hospital he pooped on the third day. I was reading about it and it happens to some cats. Have you experienced this with your kitty?

 

[ursulalynn]

You may need a bigger cone if he's managing to fuss with the stitches. He will hate it, but it's better to be temporarily uncomfortable than to cause any harm to the area while it's healing up!
I know it sucks watching him being so restless an uncomfortable, but I promise it's worth it in the end. The prospect of a sudden blockage will be gone, and that is great news for his kitty future.
While I was at work when my boy was recovering, I'd put some mellow music on repeat on my laptop just outside the door. Call me crazy but I think it did help calm him down a little!
I do recall that I gave the vet techs a panicked poop-related phone call that second day after nothing showed up. They told me that because he hadn't really eaten solid food there wasn't much in there, and that because it is all bruised and ouchy in that whole region he is not too enthusiastic about pooping right away. They said to give him another 12 hours, and sure enough, there it was. If nothing comes soon, by all means, please give your vet a call and ask! I am not a medical professional, of course, so I can only speak from my own experience.
Do make sure that he is drinking water and eating, though. I know the food seems a bit dull, but he will get used to it, and bland is good for his tummy right now.
When he's better, I've come up with a couple methods to spice up my boy's prescription food:
As a treat (not all the time), keep some canned tuna fish in water on hand. I don't give my fella any of the actual tuna because mercury, whatever, I don't know (I eat the tuna - haha), but I put some of the tuna water in with his food and he goes after that bland old food like crazytown.
Sometimes I'll boil some plain chicken in water (no salt or anything added) and cook the stock down till it's really flavorful and mix that in. Itty bitty pieces of that plain cooked chicken can be a nice treat for him, too.
Don't worry. Your boy will be eating, pooping and PEEING in no time (never did I think I would cry tears of joy about a cat urinating, but life works in mysterious ways).
It's excellent he has energy. Sucks for him, and you, on the temporary front - but if he's full of beans that is a wonderful sign!!!

 

[tiffanybc]

@ursulalynn
The music thing sounds like something I would do.
He doesn't poop much and it's just concerning. I've been also putting water in his wet food. That's the only way he drinks water. I have not once seen him drink water from the bowl. I'm also pretty much feeding him with a spoon. (Pretty silly) it's the only way to have him finish all of his food. I might try the plain chicken but in the future since I'm still worried that something might go wrong.
The amount of energy he has is amazing! He's healing down there and the bruising is finally gone!

 

[ursulalynn]

T tiffanybc
Healing already? Great news!!!
I have to tell you, to this day my little dummy avoids his water dish like the plague. So does his brother. Fresh water every morning and evening, they don't care. Running water from a dispenser, still nope.
I just mix tons in with their food, as you said. And they HAVE to drink it to get at the food, haha.
As long as he's staying hydrated!

 

[jamiehendrickx]

My foster kitty, Dizzy, just had PU surgery on Wednesday.  I'll post his story eventually, but right now, I have some questions.  I have read all of the posts (yes, all 10 pages) and you have no idea how much it has helped me!  Actually, I'm sure most of you know that feeling quite well as it seems to be a commonly expressed sentiment.

He sees the vet tomorrow for a recheck and I have questions for the vet, but would value your opinions based on your experiences.

Food -- I was told to put him on Royal Canin SO diet, wet and dry. So, we did.  (After reading everything, he will be switched to strictly wet food starting tomorrow morning.)  When I read the ingredients, I was less than pleased.  I prefer foods that are more natural.  So, my food questions are as follows:

1.  I am considering switching him to the Raw diet and I'm wondering what your views and experiences have been with putting a PU kitty on the raw diet.  I've never fed raw before, but I've been doing a lot of reading.  Probably too much information for my own good.

2.  What do you want to watch for in ingredients when choosing a food?  I know you want "low" Magnesium and "low" phosphorus, but what is "low"?  Are there numerical guidelines for the percentages or milligrams?

3.  Are there other things to watch for in the food?

4.  Is there anything that absolutely should NOT be in the food?

5.  Treats - I need some healthy alternatives for him.  We used Temptations because they love them.  After reading about those, that will also be banned from the household.  I find a little cooked chicken now and then (boiled) is a good treat and I love the idea of the chicken water being put on their food, so I will instigate that immediately.  I would like to have some healthy kitty treats on hand for when I don't have the fresh stuff.  Any suggestions? 

6.  How do you handle feeding a special diet in a multi-cat household?  I often have foster kittens, so they have high protein & fat diets that will not be good for Dizzy.  The PU diet won't necessarily be good for the kittens, so I'm not sure what to do with regards to separating it.  Any thoughts?

7.  We have hard water at our house, but it's not that bad.  I was told it is in the "medium" range.  Numerically, I don't know what that means.  I was told by one vet (who I don't really trust) that I need to put him on bottled water only ASAP.  Does having hard water really make that much difference?  What is your experience with this?  It's not well water and it is filtered, but we don't have a water softener.  

Thank you all so much!!!  Finding this group has made a HUGE difference in my attitude and level of confidence.  This is something that we can handle and deal with and there IS help out there from people who have been through it before.  So many thank yous!!!!

 

[hellomisskitty]

I have a female cat who had struvite crystals. While not as extreme as having to have surgery, some of the treatment is the same especially re: diet. I had to switch my kitty to all canned RC Urinary SO. Despite not loving the ingredients, the SO did its job in disloving the crystals. I wanted to ensure she was stabilized so I waited a while to change her diet despite not being a fan of the SO ingredients. She was on that for about 11 months until I moved her to Nature's Variety Instinct canned. Recently, I started feeding canned Dave's pet food restrictioned diet canned:

https://www.chewy.com/daves-pet-food-restricted-diet/dp/101618

There are plenty of other great options but I would suggest that any changes in diet be made in conjunction with your vet.
As far a treats: I give my girl either Pure Bites freeze chicken or turkey and Natures Variety Instinct raw boost minis:

https://www.chewy.com/natures-variety-instinct-raw-boost/dp/42387

I hope some of this helps!

 

[hellomisskitty]

I forgot to add re: your inquiry about hard water. I actually read a article about this just the other day. I guess studies have shown that there is a higher incidence of cats seen for urinary crystals in areas where there is hard water. The general conclusion of the article was that there just is not enough data to establish a definitive connection. Easier than bottled water is a Pur filter system which is what is have. I figure if it can possibly helps prevent another issue down the line, I will try it!! If possible, put fresh water down in multiple locations in order to encourage your boy to drink more water. Some cats are really attracted to the moving water of a water fountain.

Lastly, look at ways to enrich Dizzy's environment. One factor linked to crystals in felines is stress. Regular playtime with you and things like cat tv (maybe a bird feeder at his favorite window?) go along way to reduce stress or anxiety in a kitty.
I hope Dizzy's checkup goes well. He is so lucky to have someone like you who cares so much to take care of him [emoji]128571[/emoji]