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My cat needs surgery....


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Its been a while since I posted here. Still been rehabing my shoulder but have been staying away from the internet for a bit.

 

But I need some help, and thought of you guys, sooo...

 

Over the weekend my cat has having trouble peeing. And when he did it was real dark at first, then turned to blood.

 

So I took him to the vet. They gave him an xray, showed it to me, and there was a little round thing in his bladder.

 

She said that male cats who suffer from urinary tract infection (which he has had for the past year) sometimes develop these stones. She said that he will need surgery. It will cost anywhere between $800-1200, money I dont have right now but can get in a month or two. She gave hime some medicine to help the infection and get him peeing, hopefully clear again. She also told me that the stone needs removed on the next infection. Which could be if the medicine doesnt work, or another 6 months from now.

 

What bothers me about this is that she said she had an xray from December that showed the formation of a stone, but back then they didnt tell me how to prevent it from getting any bigger! Like a different diet or whatever! (which sometimes seems like to me like they wanted the money for the surgery instead of me just getting a new diet)

 

I've been reading up on the surgery and I don't know if I want to put my cat, or myself through it. Basically they open up the cat and the bladder, remove the stone, and even perhaps restructure the bladder so if a stone happens again it gets passed through easier. Then after that they sew him back up. Side effects include him may not being able to control the bladder, and him uncomfortable to touch around the bladder area for the rest of his life.

 

This does not include every that could happen during the surgery, like death, a faulty surgery, etc etc.

 

AND the surgery doesnt fix the problem on why the stone formed in the first place! All it does is remove it and help new ones pass through him easier! They told me he could form them again for the rest of his life, despite the surgery, and a new diet anyways might help prevent that, but their not 100% sure.

 

Am I being misled on this? I feel lost. I love my cat, but if this isnt going to fix the underlying problem then all the surgery is going to do is remove a little stone, that will help in the immediate short term, but not the long term at all.

 

Why didnt they give me a special diet when the xray in december first started showing the stone? If the surgery doesnt fix the problem is it worth it? Can I get a second opinion from another vet? What about a new diet, which is less invasive and may disolve the stone? I heard some alternative vets have other things they can use, any hope in them?

 

Thanks!

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I am so sorry to hear about your cat. I don't have any experience with kitty UTI but I know it must be painful for him

I would definitely seek a second opinion, it seems like they should have said something about how to prevent the stone, or at least let you know that there might be a problem so that you could have started saving for whatever treatment he may eventually need. I am actually taking my kitty to the vet today as he has a mysterious leg injury. My husband lost his job in Feb. so I am hoping that it is nothing serious. In light of our broke-ass situation I spent a good chunk of time yesterday trying to find financial help for penny-less pet parents and found this website that might be helpful to you if you need to raise funds... it is http://www.fundable.com I didn't research it extensively or anything because I have an emergency situation so it won't really work for me. Just thought that it was worth mentioning though.

 

good luck!

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There is special cat food for cats who are either prone to urinary tract infections or bladder stones, but I'm not sure how much they would help with a cat who already has a blocked bladder.

 

I know people have had luck with using apple cider vinegar to clear up urinary issues in cats. I've given it to mine before for similar issues and it seemed to help.

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Its been a while since I posted here. Still been rehabing my shoulder but have been staying away from the internet for a bit.

 

But I need some help, and thought of you guys, sooo...

 

Over the weekend my cat has having trouble peeing. And when he did it was real dark at first, then turned to blood.

 

So I took him to the vet. They gave him an xray, showed it to me, and there was a little round thing in his bladder.

 

She said that male cats who suffer from urinary tract infection (which he has had for the past year) sometimes develop these stones. She said that he will need surgery. It will cost anywhere between $800-1200, money I dont have right now but can get in a month or two. She gave hime some medicine to help the infection and get him peeing, hopefully clear again. She also told me that the stone needs removed on the next infection. Which could be if the medicine doesnt work, or another 6 months from now.

 

What bothers me about this is that she said she had an xray from December that showed the formation of a stone, but back then they didnt tell me how to prevent it from getting any bigger! Like a different diet or whatever! (which sometimes seems like to me like they wanted the money for the surgery instead of me just getting a new diet)

 

I've been reading up on the surgery and I don't know if I want to put my cat, or myself through it. Basically they open up the cat and the bladder, remove the stone, and even perhaps restructure the bladder so if a stone happens again it gets passed through easier. Then after that they sew him back up. Side effects include him may not being able to control the bladder, and him uncomfortable to touch around the bladder area for the rest of his life.

 

This does not include every that could happen during the surgery, like death, a faulty surgery, etc etc.

 

AND the surgery doesnt fix the problem on why the stone formed in the first place! All it does is remove it and help new ones pass through him easier! They told me he could form them again for the rest of his life, despite the surgery, and a new diet anyways might help prevent that, but their not 100% sure.

 

Am I being misled on this? I feel lost. I love my cat, but if this isnt going to fix the underlying problem then all the surgery is going to do is remove a little stone, that will help in the immediate short term, but not the long term at all.

 

Why didnt they give me a special diet when the xray in december first started showing the stone? If the surgery doesnt fix the problem is it worth it? Can I get a second opinion from another vet? What about a new diet, which is less invasive and may disolve the stone? I heard some alternative vets have other things they can use, any hope in them?

 

Thanks!

 

Hey! I'm a certified veterinary assistant and I will try my best to evaluate this situation and help you decide what to do for your cat.

 

First of all.. If they saw the stone forming in his bladder, they should have told you!! Most bladder stones formed in cats are called "Struvite crystals". They are sharp, jagged shaped, and extremely painful for the cat but in the early stages they can be dissolved by a special cat food that changes the urine's PH to become more acidic. Struvite crystals are often caused by a diet high in ash, which is determined by the levels of magnesium and potassium in the food.

The food most vets use to dissolve such crystals are usually Hill's S/D or Medi-Cal. Both available in kibbles and wet food. There's also food to prevent the crystals from coming back. Hill's and Medi-Cal both make such foods, but there are also other brands you can get at a pet store that are low in ash and good for cats with FLUTD.

 

My advice to you would be to get another vet. How can you trust vets that didn't even tell you your cat was sick in the first place when the disease could have been reversed? If they are in it for the money, they don't care about the welfare of your pet, and that's awful. They shouldn't even be vets.

Also, I think you should get the surgery done. Cats with FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) can live quite well if they are put on the right diet. I would suggest feeding your cat wet food once a day in addition to dry food, and feeding a low ash, specialty food such as the ones I mentioned above. Your vet should be able to tell you where to get low ash foods, and how to read the pet food label. The reason I mentioned wet food is because drinking lots of fluids is important in this illness. Cats don't usually like to drink a lot of water, so the moisture rich food can provide more fluid for your kitty.

 

Again, this is a common illness, and many cats can live through it once diagnosed. I had a cat with it several years ago, and he only got crystals once. He stopped getting them after he was put on a special diet.

 

I hope I was some help to you ^^

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Thanks for all your help!

 

Marcina... I read somewhere that even if I can change my cats diet now with a certain type of food that it may be able to dissolve the stone without surgery, is this true?

 

The website site I read it from (cant remember, some alternative health vet) said that if after 6 weeks it doesnt work then its time for surgery.

 

What do you think?

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I'm sorry about your problem---my cat has had this problem throughout his life. He has had a surgery.... but if I feed him say 4 dry meals in a row (that aren't low ash) I see

him having trouble peeing again. Food is key, and I think it strange that they didn't advise you on preventative measures.

Good luck.

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Thanks for all your help!

 

Marcina... I read somewhere that even if I can change my cats diet now with a certain type of food that it may be able to dissolve the stone without surgery, is this true?

 

The website site I read it from (cant remember, some alternative health vet) said that if after 6 weeks it doesnt work then its time for surgery.

 

What do you think?

 

Yes you can dissolve the stones without surgery.. depending on what type of stone it is. It also depends on the size. If the stone is large enough to cause a blockage then it needs to be surgically removed. If the cat is unable to urinate then it will die

 

Actually in my above post I mentioned a type of food Hills makes called S/D that dissolves small struvite crystals.

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Sorry to hear about your cat's problems.

 

Last year, our cat who has has a nearly lifelong battle with UTIs had to undergo major surgery because the last time, it nearly killed him (we'd been through over a dozen bouts both major and minor up to that point). He was blocked and would keep getting blocked every time the seasons would change - very odd, but that's how it went. We had to bascially authorize the vet to give him what could be deemed a sex-change operation in some ways, as they changed his anatomy from male to female (to word it simply) so that he wouldn't block any more. It was a last resort, there were no guarantees that it would be completely successful, but it was for the best. He's happier than he's been in years (probably because he never blocks up or gets minor frequent infections any longer), has been perfectly healthy, and it was a good decision overall. He was suffering frequently the way he was, and this definitely fixed him up properly. I feel bad that he had to go through so much grief (there was a long 4-week healing process that wasn't pleasant afterward), but in the end, it is what either saved his life or prevented him from being in hell from recurring problems. He'd been eating no dry food and had been on high-quality wet food for the bulk of his life, but even with an ideal diet, it just wasn't enough to prevent these issues.

 

Hopefully your cat can avoid such drastic measures, but if the surgery turns out to be necessary and can improve your cat's life quality in the long term, then it may be best. But definitely, get a 2nd opinion if you can, it never hurts to look for another vet who can confirm the suggestion or state that it's not necessary. Best of luck in helping your kitty out!

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Sorry to hear about your cat's problems.

 

Last year, our cat who has has a nearly lifelong battle with UTIs had to undergo major surgery because the last time, it nearly killed him (we'd been through over a dozen bouts both major and minor up to that point). He was blocked and would keep getting blocked every time the seasons would change - very odd, but that's how it went. We had to bascially authorize the vet to give him what could be deemed a sex-change operation in some ways, as they changed his anatomy from male to female (to word it simply) so that he wouldn't block any more. It was a last resort, there were no guarantees that it would be completely successful, but it was for the best. He's happier than he's been in years (probably because he never blocks up or gets minor frequent infections any longer), has been perfectly healthy, and it was a good decision overall. He was suffering frequently the way he was, and this definitely fixed him up properly. I feel bad that he had to go through so much grief (there was a long 4-week healing process that wasn't pleasant afterward), but in the end, it is what either saved his life or prevented him from being in hell from recurring problems. He'd been eating no dry food and had been on high-quality wet food for the bulk of his life, but even with an ideal diet, it just wasn't enough to prevent these issues.

 

Hopefully your cat can avoid such drastic measures, but if the surgery turns out to be necessary and can improve your cat's life quality in the long term, then it may be best. But definitely, get a 2nd opinion if you can, it never hurts to look for another vet who can confirm the suggestion or state that it's not necessary. Best of luck in helping your kitty out!

 

My cat had that same "sex change" operation----I guess that's a good description. Believe it or not, he still humps stray sweaters or whatever soft thing I mistakenly leave out.

BUT he still has problems despite the surgery so I still have to be mindful of his diet.

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Okay, I just saw the posts on this and will jump in as the resident veterinarian on the list. I do mainly horses now but have done small animals as well for most of my 20+ years as a vet.

 

First off, if you do not have a good level of trust with your veterinarian, find another by asking around.

 

Second, depending on the size of the stone it may or may not dissolve or get small enough to pass. But conventional medical treatment may buy you some time. And as someone else stated if at any time he cannot urinate it is an emergency and potentially life-threatening.

 

Third, from my personal experience the key is high quality wet food. Cats are not meant to eat hard dry processed nuggets. They are meant to eat live kill which contains a lot of water. So when they are not fed high water content food it stresses their urinary tract system. High quality canned food or feeding a real food raw diet is the best thing you can do long-term for your kitty.

 

There are also Chinese herbs, Western herbs, nutritional therapies and acupuncture treatments that can help. You can find a local holistic veterinarian by going here www.holisticvetlist.com.

 

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Dr. Debra

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Follow Marcina's and Horsedoc's advice and also search for methods of prevention. Could you ask a vet to do the surgery but not restructure the bladder? Then change the diet and give things to prevent stones reforming. There might be some helpful info in these sites. I don't need to tell you to be careful in evaluating the information they contain:

 

http://www.denes.co.uk/advice/fact_sheets/bladderstones_and_gravel.php

 

 

This site also has lots of info, mainly about oxalate stones, including:

 

 

 

Stone Prevention

 

Retrieving the stones is generally the easy part of calcium oxalate stone management. Prevention of future stones is more challenging. If the patient is one of the 35% with an elevated blood calcium, then steps should be taken to control the calcium level and determine why it is high (see hypercalcemia). If blood calcium levels are normal, the following regiment is recommended:

 

Step One: Feed a Protein-Restricted Alkalinizing Diet

These therapeutic foods are high in fiber, not restricted in phosphorus, and mildly restricted in protein. Canned....

 

 

Step Two: If Oxalate Crystals Are Present, the Urine is Not Dilute, or if the pH of the Urine is Acid, a Greater Percentage of Canned Food Should Be Used and a Potassium Citrate Supplement Should Be Added

 

Potassium citrate is available in chewable form, capsules or liquid. It is a natural stone inhibitor. The goal urine pH is now 7.5.

 

In 2 to 4 weeks, another urine sample is performed.

 

 

Step Three: If the Urine is Still Having Crystals or Other Undesired Properties, a Vitamin B-6 Supplement is Introduced.

 

A population of cats has been identified for which a B-6 deficiency leads to oxalate stone development. This may....

 

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1741

 

------

 

And there might be something here:

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/ Put 'bladder stones cats', in the search box.

 

Good luck to the little moggy.

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Thanks for all your concern and help!

 

The medicine they gave him seemed to be working for a while, but Sunday morning he was in and out of the cat box again, a one red stop I got real worried about. The past couple days I had ran out of the raw meat I usually feed him (horsedoc! been doing this for a wee bit) and fed him some kibble I had. I think that's what did it. Cause right when I gave him the fresh fish and red meat the rest of the day he started peeing with no blood in it at all, and peed a lot.

 

I'm going to ask a couple friends today and ask around about vets.

 

What Im more worried about is that after spending that much money on surgery, it doesnt fix anything except to remove the stone, and he gets a nother one again. It just seems silly to give him surgery that doesnt fix anything... Am I looking at this wrong?

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Since we're on the topic of UTIs in cats I was hoping someone would be able to help me. I have a female cat who is 7.5 years old and has had blood in her urine on and off for a few years. Last month I noticed she seemed to be in a lot of pain so I decided to suck up the money issue and take her to a vet. The vet did some tests and an x-ray. The x-ray didn't show anything unusual, but the tests were abnormal. She had heavy crystals in her urine and several other things where off kilter (I think ph balance or something along those lines). The vet told me she'd have to forever go on prescription food (Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary SO 33 Dry Food), prescibed some antibiotics and wanted to see her again in two weeks. Two weeks rolled around and he reran some tests. He said the crystals were getting smaller but she wasn't doing as well as she should be. The tests results were still slightly abnormal. He gave her another seven days of antibiotics and wants to see her again this Wednesday.

 

As I mentioned Daphne has had blood in her urine before. I did some reading about it when it first happened and realized it was time to upgrade her diet. I went from "normal" grade food to Purina's Urinary Health food and the blood cleared up. The money situation hasn't been so great so I stopped buying the higher grade food. A few months later the blood started showing up again and that's when I took her in. After a day on the Royal Canin food the blood cleared up and she seemed less moody (she is already a moody cat to begin with). I have this gut feeling that the vet will want to see her again in another two weeks after the upcoming visit on Wednesday. My question is does he really have to see her again? I know it's hard to say since I don't have the test results with me, but it seems a little much. I love my cats more than anything, and I'd do anything I can for them, but I don't have the extra $250-300 dollars a visit to keep doing the same tests over and over again. I also don't think it's fair to keep putting her through all the poking and prodding.

 

I was also wondering why there is prescription food? Is it simply to keep the cost inflated? I've talked to a few other people about this and no one has been able to come up with an answer. It seems ridiculous that the quality of "normal" pet food is so low and you need a vet to give you a presciption for the decent stuff.

 

Appreciate any help.

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Since we're on the topic of UTIs in cats I was hoping someone would be able to help me. I have a female cat who is 7.5 years old and has had blood in her urine on and off for a few years. Last month I noticed she seemed to be in a lot of pain so I decided to suck up the money issue and take her to a vet. The vet did some tests and an x-ray. The x-ray didn't show anything unusual, but the tests were abnormal. She had heavy crystals in her urine and several other things where off kilter (I think ph balance or something along those lines). The vet told me she'd have to forever go on prescription food (Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary SO 33 Dry Food), prescibed some antibiotics and wanted to see her again in two weeks. Two weeks rolled around and he reran some tests. He said the crystals were getting smaller but she wasn't doing as well as she should be. The tests results were still slightly abnormal. He gave her another seven days of antibiotics and wants to see her again this Wednesday.

 

As I mentioned Daphne has had blood in her urine before. I did some reading about it when it first happened and realized it was time to upgrade her diet. I went from "normal" grade food to Purina's Urinary Health food and the blood cleared up. The money situation hasn't been so great so I stopped buying the higher grade food. A few months later the blood started showing up again and that's when I took her in. After a day on the Royal Canin food the blood cleared up and she seemed less moody (she is already a moody cat to begin with). I have this gut feeling that the vet will want to see her again in another two weeks after the upcoming visit on Wednesday. My question is does he really have to see her again? I know it's hard to say since I don't have the test results with me, but it seems a little much. I love my cats more than anything, and I'd do anything I can for them, but I don't have the extra $250-300 dollars a visit to keep doing the same tests over and over again. I also don't think it's fair to keep putting her through all the poking and prodding.

 

I was also wondering why there is prescription food? Is it simply to keep the cost inflated? I've talked to a few other people about this and no one has been able to come up with an answer. It seems ridiculous that the quality of "normal" pet food is so low and you need a vet to give you a presciption for the decent stuff.

 

Appreciate any help.

 

There is prescription food because those foods are specially formulated for pets with medical conditions. It's of utmost importance to keep your cat on that food because FLUTD is a chronic condition. It never goes away completely, but with a proper diet you'll save money in the long run because you won't end up having to go to the vet and get tests and antibiotics because her urine PH is off again.

 

Yes, your vet does need to see her again. I know it's expensive but he needs to see your cat to know whether or not the crystals are dissolving, the antibiotics are fighting off the infection, and your cat is healthy. Simply having clear urine doesn't necessarily mean your cat is healthy. I'm guessing he's doing a urinalysis every time she comes in. It's a detailed test that tells the vet everything about the cat's urine which ultimately can tell him many things.. Such as how the kidneys are functioning.

 

Untreated FLUTD is deadly.. and you want to be very proactive about it.

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