Update on Erin, I've got a mighty sick kitty.

[Archae]

Erin, my tabby male:



Is staying overnight at the vet's office.
Turns out he has urinary blockage, sort of like when humans get kidney stones.

[joeybee12]

1. Aw, poor kitty...

...they can treat that though, correct?

[Call Me Wesley]

2. We went through this, too.

Good vibes for Erin coming! :hi:

[Archae]

3. Thanks.

What all did you have to do with your cat?
Any advice?

[Call Me Wesley]

4. We caught it early,

so main course was an injection with antibiotics and spasmolytica (sp?) It can be lethal, especially with male cats, since the urine cannot pass anymore and goes back to the kidney, resulting in kidney failure.

If the bladder is too full, the vets usually try a catheter.

After this, we keep our cat on a healthy diet. The vet advised Hills diet, but we have since changed to Royal Canine Exigent 35/30, and the vet is okay with it. He gets some additional bio food (almo natura, not available in the US I think) and fresh boiled fish and chicken.

Just kick all the cheapo cat food out.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

17. My little guy had that a couple of years ago and my vet was pretty clueless

gave him anti-biotics and sent him home, said he had an infection. I ended up rushing hm to the emergency vet who knew right away what was wrong , gave him some injection and medicine to dissolve the crystals and gave me a prescription for the Royla Canine prescription cat food that deals with this. Saved his life.

I did TONS of reading about this - more websites and books than you can imagine. If you use dry food use ones that are specifically labelled urinary tract formulas - the issue is that many catfoods are just plain too high in something that makes the urine too something (sorry for the technical language - ha!)which creates the environment for the crystals to form and these formulas try to address that. I feed mine both wet and dry food. An occasional course of the prescription food is good to do.

ALSO and this is major --- I read on a few of the more knowlegable and technical sites that seafood cat food seems to increase the propensity to form crystals. I banned all seafood catfood from the house and I think that is making a big difference.

ALSO major - you have to encourage water drinking because that is vital in fighting this. You want the cat to pee a lot. We bought one of those cat drinking fountains which is supposed to up their water intake, and it does.

It's too bad my vet was so uninformed. I had to take my kitty back to him for follow-up and told him all the things I had read and he pretty much just said "really?". If my ittle guy ever shows signs again I am whisking him off to the emergency vet and skipping my vet entirely. It really made me think my vet is pretty worthless. I still use him for regular shots, etc. but that's about it.

[City of Mills]

5. Oh no...poor kitty

Happened to mine, unfortunately they had to remove his...his...well he's a she now. But no more blockages at least...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear Archae...

Good vibes for Erin, your beautiful boy!

I hope he will soon be well, and home with you...

:hug:

[soleiri]

7. My Ed kitty had the same thing

They were able to save his little pink triangle and he's on a special diet (CD), but 4 years later he's a happy, healthy kitty.

Best wishes for your handsome little guy.

[Bertha Venation]

8. Oh, no!

Sweet Erin, here are healing vibes for you. :hug:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. My late cat, Charles, got that many years ago.

This was in the '70s. At that time they did more, shall we say, extreme surgery on a cat's privates, so he ended up getting a peckerectomy. But he recovered just fine (he wasn't using it anyhow) and lived to be 21. I'm sure Erin will be fine, too.

[Demoiselle]

10. He's so handsome!

All the best for him and you.

[ET Awful]

11. We went through that with Quinn . . . twice.

The second time required some pretty major surgery unfortunately. He's doing fine now though (he's still MEAN though :)).

[Skittles]

12. ooh

those are bad; good thing he's getting care. Archae, you need to change his diet; when they get them they'll be prone to have 'em more - start Googling buddy

[david13]

13. I've gone thru that also. With a previous incarnation of Muffy, my

cat. I guess I have always had a cat named Muffy. As I like the long hairs.
dc

[BuelahWitch]

14. Vibes and good wishes for Erin and you

:hug:

[Happyhippychick]

15. Hope he's back home tomorrow. Poor little thing. :(

[graywarrior]

16. Awww, get better, kitty!

[applegrove]

18. My cat had that. I've kept him away from fancy cat treats and he has been

fine every since.