Hello everyone, I'm brand new here and signed up to get some of your opinions about idiopathic cystitis in female cats.
My 6 year old Siamese mix had never had any health problems until last November. Whoops, better mention in advance: her sister and she are fed high-quality dry and wet food, given distilled water, and their humans spend tons of time building them wall ramps/perches and cat trees, and are played with constantly. We worship them, pretty much, my husband and I.
Now. Back in November poor Pandora started getting quite clingy, way more vocal, and blatantly wanted me to accompany her to the litterbox. She was straining, and I realized the urine contained blood - so off to the vet we go.
This is no easy feat for her; Pandora is EXTREMELY sensitive and likely to bite anyone outside of my husband and I in the BEST of circumstances...but thank God, our vet is amazing and patient and familiar with fractious kitty antics. We did antibiotics after no crystals were found and bacteria was assumed. Next month, the infection was back; the vet prescribed more antibiotics without seeing her to avoid stressing her out.
When it happened for the third time, I took her back to the vet. They found nothing and we got the diagnosis of IC. More meds, Metacam and Zenequin this time. One month later, the fourth infection: Zenequin prescribed. Fifth infection: Clavamox. Last month, Clavamox again.
Bringing us up to this morning, when I sat on my floor and sobbed when I noticed my poor kid licking herself again obsessively in between litterbox trips. I can not bear to see her so uncomfortable, and it is having a HUGE effect on her personality. She's just not the same jubilant, cuddly cat when she feels ill and mom has to wrangle pills down her throat twice a day on top of it.
I have an appointment first thing Monday morning at 9:15 am. They want to do more tests, and I'm assuming this time it'll be an ultrasound or possibly an x-ray? Even though I'm pretty low-income (my husband drives a cab, I train dogs at a doggy daycare), I will not give up throwing every last dime at this problem if it helps Pandora. Money isn't a real problem. The REAL problem is that I'm starting to feel like a monster for having to put her through all of this crap (why can't I suffer in her place? sigh), and I'm wondering if its even humane to keep her in this constant state of pain. She isn't playful because her bladder probably feels full, used to sprawl out in bed with us but is now way less cuddly, and stays glued to my side all day when she used to have quite an independent routine. Pilling her sends her storming off for the next hour or two. Its devastating to see these changes in my once spirited cat.
What I thought was a small, treatable problem is morphing in to a very serious disease for my sweetheart. I don't even know what her chances of recovery are; if there are none, I can't possibly keep her in this state of misery. I'm scared at the amount of drugs she's taken in the last 8 months, having taken virtually none before.
I'm hoping to hear your stories about recurring IC bouts; did they stop eventually? I'm doing absolutely everything I can and I feel like its dumb luck now as to whether or not she gets over it. Thank you for reading!
My 6 year old Siamese mix had never had any health problems until last November. Whoops, better mention in advance: her sister and she are fed high-quality dry and wet food, given distilled water, and their humans spend tons of time building them wall ramps/perches and cat trees, and are played with constantly. We worship them, pretty much, my husband and I.
Now. Back in November poor Pandora started getting quite clingy, way more vocal, and blatantly wanted me to accompany her to the litterbox. She was straining, and I realized the urine contained blood - so off to the vet we go.
This is no easy feat for her; Pandora is EXTREMELY sensitive and likely to bite anyone outside of my husband and I in the BEST of circumstances...but thank God, our vet is amazing and patient and familiar with fractious kitty antics. We did antibiotics after no crystals were found and bacteria was assumed. Next month, the infection was back; the vet prescribed more antibiotics without seeing her to avoid stressing her out.
When it happened for the third time, I took her back to the vet. They found nothing and we got the diagnosis of IC. More meds, Metacam and Zenequin this time. One month later, the fourth infection: Zenequin prescribed. Fifth infection: Clavamox. Last month, Clavamox again.
Bringing us up to this morning, when I sat on my floor and sobbed when I noticed my poor kid licking herself again obsessively in between litterbox trips. I can not bear to see her so uncomfortable, and it is having a HUGE effect on her personality. She's just not the same jubilant, cuddly cat when she feels ill and mom has to wrangle pills down her throat twice a day on top of it.
I have an appointment first thing Monday morning at 9:15 am. They want to do more tests, and I'm assuming this time it'll be an ultrasound or possibly an x-ray? Even though I'm pretty low-income (my husband drives a cab, I train dogs at a doggy daycare), I will not give up throwing every last dime at this problem if it helps Pandora. Money isn't a real problem. The REAL problem is that I'm starting to feel like a monster for having to put her through all of this crap (why can't I suffer in her place? sigh), and I'm wondering if its even humane to keep her in this constant state of pain. She isn't playful because her bladder probably feels full, used to sprawl out in bed with us but is now way less cuddly, and stays glued to my side all day when she used to have quite an independent routine. Pilling her sends her storming off for the next hour or two. Its devastating to see these changes in my once spirited cat.
What I thought was a small, treatable problem is morphing in to a very serious disease for my sweetheart. I don't even know what her chances of recovery are; if there are none, I can't possibly keep her in this state of misery. I'm scared at the amount of drugs she's taken in the last 8 months, having taken virtually none before.
I'm hoping to hear your stories about recurring IC bouts; did they stop eventually? I'm doing absolutely everything I can and I feel like its dumb luck now as to whether or not she gets over it. Thank you for reading!