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- Jan 3, 2010
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I just thought I'd post a timeline of my cat's (known) history of blockages and, eventually, PU surgery for anyone interested. Who knows, it may help someone that's considering the surgery for their cat.
Back in April I posted about a cat that had come into work blocked. When I posted, he had been at the clinic for nearly a month. At that point, he had blocked twice (once when he came in, then again after this catheter was removed). I brought him home at the end of April/start of May.
About a month later, about mid June, he was urinating small amounts again. Back to the clinic, he was recatheterized and was there for about a week. He pulled his catheter out (despite having a large ecollar on and it being stitched to him). Those were blockages 3 and 4.
About a month later, he was urinating small amounts again but more than the last time. We really didn't want to put a catheter in again - it was getting increasingly difficult insert the catheter due to scar tissue. He was put on antibiotics, valium and buprenex. It seemed to help and he seemed to be back to normal. Just before finishing the antibiotics, he blocked again. He was in the hospital for another week before he was able to come home. At this point, we decided to keep him in the bathroom so we could monitor him very closely until he was urinating completely normally again.
About 3 weeks ago, I came home from work to find him very weak in the litterbox. It was not like the other times he had blocked, his bladder was huge, hard and very painful. He was growly, which was not like him at all. I rushed him to the after hours clinic. Two vets attempted to insert a catheter but were unsuccessful. I received a phone call with the options - I chose exploratory bladder surgery (to see if there were stones that weren't showing up on the xrays) and they would try to put the catheter in that way, if that didn't work, they could perform the PU surgery.
Five hours later I got the call that he had made it out of surgery and was doing well. I could go visit him in the morning.
I went in the next morning to give him his meds and clean him up. He looked like Frankenstein. The poor boy had a big cone on, stitches all along his belly and up his rear. I had seen a cat after PU surgery a few months before, but it wasn't like this. It's different when it's your own cat. He was happy to see me - all chirps and purrs.
He's been home now for about two weeks. He has healed remarkably well and is starting to show his real personality. He's a wonderful boy and we're so happy to have him in our lives. He has roam of the house again and will be switching back to regular litter later today.
Back in April I posted about a cat that had come into work blocked. When I posted, he had been at the clinic for nearly a month. At that point, he had blocked twice (once when he came in, then again after this catheter was removed). I brought him home at the end of April/start of May.
About a month later, about mid June, he was urinating small amounts again. Back to the clinic, he was recatheterized and was there for about a week. He pulled his catheter out (despite having a large ecollar on and it being stitched to him). Those were blockages 3 and 4.
About a month later, he was urinating small amounts again but more than the last time. We really didn't want to put a catheter in again - it was getting increasingly difficult insert the catheter due to scar tissue. He was put on antibiotics, valium and buprenex. It seemed to help and he seemed to be back to normal. Just before finishing the antibiotics, he blocked again. He was in the hospital for another week before he was able to come home. At this point, we decided to keep him in the bathroom so we could monitor him very closely until he was urinating completely normally again.
About 3 weeks ago, I came home from work to find him very weak in the litterbox. It was not like the other times he had blocked, his bladder was huge, hard and very painful. He was growly, which was not like him at all. I rushed him to the after hours clinic. Two vets attempted to insert a catheter but were unsuccessful. I received a phone call with the options - I chose exploratory bladder surgery (to see if there were stones that weren't showing up on the xrays) and they would try to put the catheter in that way, if that didn't work, they could perform the PU surgery.
Five hours later I got the call that he had made it out of surgery and was doing well. I could go visit him in the morning.
I went in the next morning to give him his meds and clean him up. He looked like Frankenstein. The poor boy had a big cone on, stitches all along his belly and up his rear. I had seen a cat after PU surgery a few months before, but it wasn't like this. It's different when it's your own cat. He was happy to see me - all chirps and purrs.
He's been home now for about two weeks. He has healed remarkably well and is starting to show his real personality. He's a wonderful boy and we're so happy to have him in our lives. He has roam of the house again and will be switching back to regular litter later today.