Kitty (Simba) urination question....(long post) update...a normal #1!

[catsrule]

I had to take Simba to the Emergency Vet's today. He ran to his litterbox six times in a row and only let out a couple of drops of pee-pee. No blood. I called Vet emergency and they said I should bring him in, it was an emergency. So I took him in, (after he ran and hid under the bed from us) and they felt his blatter and did an ultrasound, his blatter was empty! They couldn't even test his urine, that is how small his blatter was. So they said usually when they are blocked, their blatters are somewhat full. They are pretty sure it isn't blocked, but can't be 100% sure since they had no urine to test. So they said to watch him carefully and he may have an infection and gave me antibiotics. He plays and eats fine. Would never had know he did this if I wasn't cleaning the litterbox at the time. So doesn anyone have any idea why he would do this? I was cleaning the litterbox, he just did number 2, and their was some pee but don't know if it was his or Cali's. So if his blatter was empty and if he doesn't have a blocked thingie, why would he go in/out six times in a row and only leave a drop? He acts fine.

He just peed, and it was purrrfectly normal, now I think there isn't a darn thing wrong with him and it was just a behavior thing! I will continue to watch though...darn cat!

 

[Serena]

It sounds like a urinary tract infection to me. But I'm just guessing. I hope he feels better soon.

 

[catsrule]

The vet gave me antibiotics to give to him, that is what she thinks also. I just have never seen him do this before, he has always peed fine. Hope this is all it is. Any ideas what causes a urinary tract infection? He is nuetured.

 

[helenabear]

MJ, I have no idea... I just hope that he gets well soon!!!

 

[catsrule]

Thanks Elaine. He acts fine.

 

[sammi]

I've been dealing with this problem since just before Christmas (also to the ER Vet's)with our fur baby Willy. Willy had been running to the litterbox too and before Christmas he had blood in his urine. This problem is called FLUTD (feline urinary tract disease) and it's a real frustrating (as well as expensive!) problem. I went through complete horror 7 years ago with yet another of my cats who actually had to have major surgery to help him.

FLUTD is a complex problem with many different symptoms such as straining to urinate but nothing, urinating in places they don't normally go and constant licking of themselves. It has to do with the food that the cats eats and the amount of water he/she is drinking. If the cats doesn't drink alot of water (many cats don't) then the urine becomes concentrated and becomes alkaline instead of acidic which is what a normal cat needs...with a pH of around 6 being normal. These cats tend to not drink alot and therefore urine becomes concentrated and bladder becomes irritated and thus we've got this problem.They can also start to form crystals....Willy has struvite crystals and being a male cat they can get totally blocked up and within 48 hours die from this, whereas female cats have a much larger urethra then a male and they won't block but they still have a lot of irritation. Also stress can cause a cat to have this too. It's so very complicated and very frustrating to say the least. Willy has been given antibiotics too although most cases of FLUTD are not bladder infections at all but irritation to the bladder.

Your vet will have to do a lot of further testing if it keeps up and try to rule everything out. If after everything is ruled out then they call it "Idiopathic Cystitis" which means Cystitis (inflammation) caused my unknown origin. Ughhhhh can you tell I'm so tired of this.

When you buy cat food for him check and make sure the magnesium levels are low as high magnesium levels will cause all this to start.We have Willy on prescription food from the vet. Willy had been on Science Diet CDS for the past 2 years since he had his first episode of this and even then still had problems. The vet last Monday has put him on Science Diet SD to try and disolve the crystals.This has happened twice in a month.

Good luck with Simba and if I can help you with anything more just ask.

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

Originally posted by catsrule
Would never had know he did this if I wasn't cleaning the litterbox at the time. [/B]

Whenever I clean my cats' litterbox, it's like a bell goes off in their heads that it immediately has to be messed up again. I mean they each (I have 3) go in there right away after I clean it to do their business! I just don't get it.

I am certainly not saying there is nothing wrong with Simba (but I hope there's not!), I am just mentioning this since you said he visited the litter box six times while you were cleaning it. That sounds exactly like something my guys would do.

Hope he's okay!

 

[SugarBear]

My cat went through the same thing and it was a urinary infection.

 

[Pop Daddy]

He will be alright MJ

 

[browneyes]

Poor King Simba! I hope he gets to feeling better soon.

I don't know what cuold cause a urinary tract infection other than an irritation in that area or something like that.

 

[catsrule]

Thanks everyone! It is weird because he does always drink water from his water dish and just yesterday he peed normally, and he probably had a normal pee this morning cause there was some in the litterbox and his blatter was empty, the vet said it was so tiny she had to use the ultrasound to see it, which it is usually at least partcially filled if he couldn't go. I gotta chase after him and watch him go to the potty and see how he does. He acts like his normal self. I'll be giving him these antibiotics and watching him go!

 

[Dan Murphy]

 

[catsrule]

Thanks, Sammi. Hope your kitty is doing ok. Thanks for the food advice. I think I do need to cut out some of the junk food I give him now and then, like some of my lunchmeat from my sandwich when he 'begs'.

 

[Cruisin]

I hope the handsome Simba is feeling much better soon.

 

[DocRafiki]

Sammi's been doing his/her research. Good summary!

Don't worry too much. It doesn't sound like he is blocking. Did they tell you how to check for that just to ease your mind? His belly would be tense and painful to the touch if he were in trouble. The inflammation just makes him feel like he has to pee.

They usually start showing improvement after 2-3 days of antibiotics. If he doesn't, let your regular vet know so they can give him some relief. You should still get that urine checked whenever he can save up enough urine to test.

Seriously, don't worry. We see about 5 cases of this a day and it's usually no big deal. Keep the water flowing.

 

[catsrule]

Simba thanks everyone for their {{{HUGS}}} and concern. His mommy drove through 4 inches of snow to get him to the vet today!

 

[catsrule]

Thank You, Doc Rafiki! Thanks for the belly info! He was just showing me his belly an hour ago and I was rubbing it and he was purring away! It is such a relief to hear that! She did say I should get his urine checked in a couple of days also to be on the safe side. I worry to death about my baby. Poor DH, I don't worry half as much about him!

 

[Kitty 34]

{{{{HUGS}}}} to Simba and a PM sent to you, MJ!!

 

[catsrule]

Got it Kitty. He just did # 1 and it was perfectly normal! That darn cat, I think it was a behavior thing, but I will continue to watch. I think there isn't a darn thing wrong with him now, and he got me whacked out for nothing.

 

[DocRafiki]

Originally posted by catsrule
Poor DH, I don't worry half as much about him!

Of course not! He can fend for himself!


Food that stays down
Poop that is solid
Pee that is yellow and flows freely (but not too freely)


These are the things that make me happy