Question about possible UTI

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by Sar

Tanya, I have to agree with this!

When Tibby makes a mess in his carrier, I wipe him down with a damp flannel (face cloth) and get as much residue off as possible - rinsing the cloth between wipes. It's a lot less stressful for everyone that actually washing them, but you do have to keep them confined so that you can follow them closely to get a swipe with the cloth.

Poor Dori and poor you

i have some pet wipes [similar to baby wipes] that i use similarly. i agree with Sicycat, too - i'd be vet shopping after this!

 

[squirtle]

I tried to get her tummy, but it was hard. She was so stressed out and fighting so hard. She was clinging onto the faucet and the side of the counter and then me. I tried to do what I could as quickly as possible. I hated stressing her out more

I left my office at 3:45 angry that I hadn't heard from them. They were supposed to call me and tell me when they had a sample so I could pick her up. I got there and spoke to the doctor. She said Dori did not do well while she was there and gave them a very hard time. She fought them on everything. She said they managed to get Subq fluids in her and that forced her to pee. She has crystals and a bad UTI. They gave her Royal Canin urinary formula to eat for 2 weeks and Clavomax for 10 days. Then they want her back in for the day... I don't think that will happen. I just don't understand how she could be so wet from urine. I live literally 2 minutes from the vets office. They are in my neighborhood. There is NO way this could have happened in the time between them putting her in her carrier when I arrived and the house. None.

 

[sicycat]

Originally Posted by squirtle

Ok, I think I need to calm down. I can't tell you how upset I am. When I say she was drenched, I mean drenched. There is no way this could have been from one accident in the carrier. No way. Ijust want to get this off of her and calm her down. Maybe her being covered like that bothers me more than her, I just want her to be comfortable.

I am getting angrier too just thinking about it! There is no way in hell my vet would let my cat go home in that condition without even offering some kind of explanation or cleaning her up!! I would be telling them off that is for sure.

I hope you will update your other thread with the results of the urnalysis.

 

[sar]

Tanya, that is very concerning about your vets

I'm sorry to hear that they feel Dori has crystals and a bad UTI

I would, however, be inclined to get a second opinion from another vet who will tend to her needs as they should

Tonnes of }}}VIBES{{{ flying over to you both with many

 

[sicycat]

Oh I didnt see your reply. If they gave her subq fluids that could cause a lot of pee but jeez what you describe does not sound very normal. What kind of food exactly did they give you? Is it Royal Canin Waltham Urinary SO in a green and white bag/can? If so that will probably not get rid of the crystals, that is more for crystals maintenance. The only thing that ever worked for me (and Zoey) was Science Diet s/d to get rid of the crystals, now she's on the SO and C/D dry for maintenance.

 

[squirtle]

Originally Posted by Sicycat

Oh I didnt see your reply. If they gave her subq fluids that could cause a lot of pee but jeez what you describe does not sound very normal. What kind of food exactly did they give you? Is it Royal Canin Waltham Urinary SO in a green and white bag/can? If so that will probably not get rid of the crystals, that is more for crystals maintenance. The only thing that ever worked for me (and Zoey) was Science Diet s/d to get rid of hte crystals, now she's on the SO and C/D dry for maintenance.

Why would they want you to bring her back for the day??

I'm sorry. I asked that the threads be merged.

The food is Royal Canin Urinary SO- 30. Oh and yes, it is Waltham. It does say it is for maintenance. ARGH! I don't understand why I have so much trouble with vets.

Oh and they want her back to do another urinalysis.

 

[sar]

Originally Posted by squirtle

Oh and they want her back to do another urinalysis.

When do they want her back for the day?

 

[sicycat]

Originally Posted by squirtle

I'm sorry. I asked that the threads be merged.

The food is Royal Canin Urinary SO- 30. Oh and yes, it is Waltham. It does say it is for maintenance. ARGH! I don't understand why I have so much trouble with vets.

Oh and they want her back to do another urinalysis.

Ok well they tried to put Zoey on the SO to get rid of the crystals and she was on it for 3 weeks and it didnt do squat, so I would either find a new vet or ask your current vet to put her on Hills Science Diet S/O for at least 2 weeks before they check her urine again for crystals. That is the only food that is specially made to get rid of the crystals. They cant be on it long term..after that THEN you can try to switch to the SO but even so, my vets dont want Zoey on that because its not strong enough to keep her crystals away. She eats it for canned food but her main meals are Science Diet C/D dry which is supposed to make the urine more acidic to keep the crystals from forming.

 

[sharky]

Poor Dori/// YES FIND another VET//// you know I am not yelling/.///

PM Tammy she is great with the bath thing... what shampoo do you have for BRODY>>>???? It may be okay provided it does NOT have TEA or TEE tree oil

 

[snosrap5]

Oh no Tanya! Poor Dori! Lots and lots of hugs to you and Dori. I would be so angry! I hate the thought of you having to go back to the drawing board with vets again. But it just doesn't sound right with this vet!

 

[squirtle]

OK, things have finally settled in a bit here. Dori is resting underneath my bed. She has a full tummy and has almost dried from her unexpected bath. She cuddled up with me a little bit ago. It made me happy because I was worried she was going to be upset with me for a while due to all the stress she went through today.

Originally Posted by Sar

When do they want her back for the day?

They want her to come back in two weeks. The vet did say that if Dori was much better we may be able to avoid the exam and another urinalysis. She wanted to avoid stressing her. I like that she wanted to avoid that, but at the same time, Dori really didn't show many symptoms of being sick. I don't feel comfortable not having another UA to know for sure...

Originally Posted by Sicycat

Ok well they tried to put Zoey on the SO to get rid of the crystals and she was on it for 3 weeks and it didnt do squat, so I would either find a new vet or ask your current vet to put her on Hills Science Diet S/O for at least 2 weeks before they check her urine again for crystals. That is the only food that is specially made to get rid of the crystals. They cant be on it long term..after that THEN you can try to switch to the SO but even so, my vets dont want Zoey on that because its not strong enough to keep her crystals away. She eats it for canned food but her main meals are Science Diet C/D dry which is supposed to make the urine more acidic to keep the crystals from forming.

I double checked with the vet and called RC. They did say the food was formulated to dissolve struvite crystals. The vet said they are more sucessful with the RC than with the Science Diet. I am not sure what to do.... I gave her a can of it a little while ago and she gobbled it down. At least she likes it. I wish there was a way to know if it is working without taking her in.

Originally Posted by sharky

Poor Dori/// YES FIND another VET//// you know I am not yelling/.///

PM Tammy she is great with the bath thing... what shampoo do you have for BRODY>>>???? It may be okay provided it does NOT have TEA or TEE tree oil

Thanks, Jennifer. We are back to the drawing board with looking for a new vet. This is very frustrating.
I used wipes on her head and face and she smells much better. I am going to give her a break for tonight and see how she is tomorrow. If she is still smelly will PM Tammy because I would like a way to clean her up without another bath... Poor girl has had enough stress.

Originally Posted by snosrap5

Oh no Tanya! Poor Dori! Lots and lots of hugs to you and Dori. I would be so angry! I hate the thought of you having to go back to the drawing board with vets again. But it just doesn't sound right with this vet!

I am very frustrated with all of this. I feel terrible because for her infection to be so bad, she must have had it for awhile. She was peeing over the edge of her box a while back, but I assumed it was because I switched litter boxes. Then when I was told it could be a sign of a UTI, she pretty much stopped doing it so I thought she was fine. I should have taken her in to be sure.
Things just didn't feel right with this vet and the situation today. I was worried that I was over reacting because I seem to have a problem, trusting vets and after dealing with four of them in a two year span I was beginning to think it was just me.

 

[sicycat]

Originally Posted by squirtle

I double checked with the vet and called RC. They did say the food was formulated to dissolve struvite crystals. The vet said they are more sucessful with the RC than with the Science Diet. I am not sure what to do.... I gave her a can of it a little while ago and she gobbled it down. At least she likes it. I wish there was a way to know if it is working without taking her in.

Well all I can say is I really hope it works for Dori. It did not work for Zoey and I feel like I wasted a lot of time with it when I should have just put her on the S/D in the first place because that cleared up her crystals much faster. She had a LOT and her ph was off the charts so maybe that has something to do with it. Hopefully it will work for Dori but from my experience I cant help but be a bit doubtful. Do you happen to know what Dori's ph is?

 

[snosrap5]

Originally Posted by squirtle

I am very frustrated with all of this. I feel terrible because for her infection to be so bad, she must have had it for awhile. She was peeing over the edge of her box a while back, but I assumed it was because I switched litter boxes. Then when I was told it could be a sign of a UTI, she pretty much stopped doing it so I thought she was fine. I should have taken her in to be sure.
Things just didn't feel right with this vet and the situation today. I was worried that I was over reacting because I seem to have a problem, trusting vets and after dealing with four of them in a two year span I was beginning to think it was just me.

Tanya, don't beat yourself about second guessing yourself!

Our babies are so tricky at times. They are so good at not letting us know they might be in pain. Some times the signs are so small we miss it or don't know it's even a sign.

I've gone through three vets in the last six months. It's been so frustrating finding someone who will actually listen to me. I sometimes feel they take the easiest route, to get you in and out. I feel I might have struck gold with my third so I'm in the process of moving everyone as the come due for their yearly visit. So if you have a problem, I must have the same problem. Hang in there!

 

[squirtle]

I don't know what her pH is... I have two questions to ask so far (I plan to call tomorrow)

1. Which type of crystal is it?
2. WHat is her pH?

Is it odd to just ask for a copy of the UA?

Eva, when you look for a new vet do you go meet with them before you bring one of the kitties in? I am curious as to the best way to find a GOOD one.

 

[snosrap5]

I'm very lucky and none of my crew has issues with going to the vet. I prefer to actually see them interact with my cats or dogs.

I had real issues with my old vet about vaccines for Takoda and we went round and round. She was so insistent that he had to have her vaccines and not the ones Nial gave him. All because she's a competent vet. She didn't see any problem with over vaccinating him. She actually said it was an old wives tale when people say you can over vaccinate.

That started my journey for a new vet! So Takoda has been my Guinea pig in looking for a new vet.

 

[pat]

Hey there...I'm so sorry..poor Dori! I read from about mid page three to now, and here are my thoughts.

One..it is totally unacceptable to discharge an animal drenched in urine...but this may be an issue with the staff responsible for care/preparing the animal for discharge versus the vet. I would tell the vet as this certainly reflects badly on them.

two - my vet sells a pump no-rinse shampoo..cleans and deoderizes, but no need to rinse it off, this is a godsend for pee and poo incidents.

three...the site I am going to list is graphic site, but I think a good one for you to look at for it's discussion of urine ph, calcium oxalate versus struvite crystals - treatment, food, difference in feeding (one is best with free feeding, one is not).

I went to the Royal Canin site re prescription diets and found this:
"Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease – Calcium oxalate urolithiasis URINARY SO™ (can, dry)
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease – Idiopathic or Interstitial cystitis URINARY SO™ (can)
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease – Struvite urolithiasis - prevention URINARY SO™ (can, dry)
DISSOLUTION FORMULA (dry)
CONTROL FORMULA (can, dry, pouch)"
If they are sure it is struvite, you would be on the dissolution formula..not a maintenance formula, imo. Can you check what the bag and the cans say? to see if they match any of the above? They don't list them as having a number in the name

Here is the site I'd like you to read over:
http://lbah.com/feline/flutd.htm

 

[sicycat]

Originally Posted by squirtle

Is it odd to just ask for a copy of the UA?

I always ask for a copy. It's not odd at all. I have a stack of them and I could probably translate it for you

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Sicycat

I always ask for a copy. It's not odd at all. I have a stack of them and I could probably translate it for you

Yeah it is not odd... and it aint hard to interupt I figured it out ... and with your med backgrd should be a cinch

 

[fwan]

I didnt get to read the whole thread, but my vet gave me this pack that looks like grains of salt, she told me to empty out the litter and make him go in it! and then a syringe to catch any pee, This has to be done tomorrow, while i am home the whole day, and then i have to run down to the vets office with it!

 

[squirtle]

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

If they are sure it is struvite, you would be on the dissolution formula..not a maintenance formula, imo. Can you check what the bag and the cans say? to see if they match any of the above? They don't list them as having a number in the name

Here is the site I'd like you to read over:
http://lbah.com/feline/flutd.htm

Thank you so much for the advice, Pat

This is a link to the Royal Canin formula they gave her.
http://www.royalcanin.us/vetdiet/felineurinary.html

I am going to read through the link you included this afternoon when I have some free time. Thank you for posting it for me.

I have decided to write a letter to the head vet at the office today. I don't want to let this go without saying something

Dori seems to be doing well. She slept with me just like she always does last night. The only thing I noticed was her hiding in the closet when I put my shoes on. She didn't come out to say good bye like she always does. I figure she thought I was going to try and take her to the vet again since I had to for the past 2 days.
She took her Clavomax well.