Question: I have a 5-year-old male cat who has been hospitalized three times in the last year. The first two times for urinary tract infections, each the vet returned him to me with antibitotics and special UTI wet food. Jasper will not eat this.
The last time, he came home with Valium and again I purchased the special food, because the vet said this is the only thing that will work. I told the doctor I doubted he would eat it and the vet said Jasper ate the food for him. I keep asking him if there is something else I can put in the food he likes, and answer is there is nothing else. I can?t keep paying for the expensive hospitalizations and for the food he hates. Any suggestions? — Heidi
Answer: Urinary problems are very common in cats. They are generally caused by crystals that form in the bladder and urethra. In male cats the urethra is small and as the crystals build up and stick together they can form a concretion that completely blocks the flow of urine. This blockage can be life threatening. If a cat is unable to urinate he can die in 24 to 48 hours. If your cat is continually going in and out of his liter box and straining to urinate, it is an emergency and he needs to be rushed to a veterinary hospital.
Treatment consists of passing a catheter into the bladder to relieve the obstruction. Your cat will need fluids to help rehydrate him and flush out his kidneys and the toxins that built up in his system from the backup of urine. Sometimes the bladder has gotten so over-stretched and bruised it is unable to contract to empty properly and the catheter will need to be kept in place for a few days. Once your cat is ready to go home he must be watched very closely for signs of re-blockage.
Even though the bladder was flushed out at the hospital, crystals are still present and he could re-block. In addition, new crystals can begin to form. Crystals or stones can form if conditions are present that allow for growth.
Diet is the most important factor in crystal production. There are several diets that you can try if he doesn?t like the one you are using now.Talk to your veterinarian about which one to try next. Here is a list of some of the diets available to help prevent this problem: Hills prescription C/D or S/D; Waltham Urinary S/O; Purina UR st/ox; Iams Urinary S - Low pH or Urinary O - Moderate pH. Most are available in canned and dry varieties. Remember to slowly mix a small amount of the new food in with the old food daily.
One of the main goals is to try to get your cat to drink more water and empty his bladder more often. Feeding canned food can encourage this. However, you can add water to canned or dry food. Placing water bowls in several locations around the house can help, as well as cleaning the water bowl and filling with fresh cold water several times a day. Filtered water can also help. Many cats will only drink from a running faucet and now they have kitty ?drinking fountains? that are available at pet stores.
Dr. Baker
Baker Veterinary Clinic
1801 S. Congress Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
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