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Blocked Cat Question
I have a male cat (about 4 years old) who was recently taken to the vet for having a blocked urethra. The vet had unblocked him and gave him a urinary catheter. He stayed at the vet for 3 days. He then came home and we watched him for a day. He still couldn’t pee on his own, was straining, and was trying to use the litter box every few minutes. We took him back to the vet and she was able to express his bladder by squeezing it. So, about 2/3 of the urine he had in him was then emptied out. She said that he didn’t seem like he’d ever be able to push his urine out on his own again and that the most humane thing to do was euthanize him. I couldn’t do it. My cat is a beautiful, perfectly healthy boy. The only ailment he has is his bladder issue. Right now, he is at the vet again with a catheter in. I will do anything to save him. Does anyone know any solutions to this? Is there any way that my cat can be saved? Please help!
My cat had surgery and stitches taken out. Is it ok if she swallows tiny remnants of the bandage tape?
Hello,
Without knowing more I would say it’s best to call the vets who did the surgery and ask them. Typically tape isn’t biodegradable in the stomach. A little tiny piece probably isn’t a problem. But the type and amount might be so call to check. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Foreign object on ultrasound after surgery? My cat had a bilateral chain mastectomy 5 months ago after a cancer diagnosis. The surgery went well and at her 2 week suture removal appointment the surgeon said everything looked great. However, soon after she developed a rather large seroma in her abdominal area. I took her to my vet and she drained almost almost 100 cc of fluid and tested the fluid to confirm it was a seroma. As expected. the seroma was back by the next week and has been there ever since (going on 4 months), though this time it was rather firm. I was told that the seroma should eventually go away on it’s own. The seroma doesn’t really seem to bother her at all. I took her to my vet 2 days ago for an unrelated matter and she was concerned that it hadn’t changed at all. She drained the fluid again so she could feel the incision underneath. She was concerned that something could be causing irritation or something could have improperly healed (she said it felt odd when palpitating the stomach). She suggested that I make an appointment with the specialty surgeon.
I took her in for her appointment today and he suggested that we could do surgery to remove subcutaneous tissue and place a drain. I really do not want to do a drain and would like to avoid another surgery if at all possible given what she’s already been through!! (and I already paid for a $3000 surgery) He said we could do a limited ultrasound of the abdomen first to make sure the body wall was intact. I agreed to the ultrasound. He called with the results and said the body wall was intact and the fluid was clear but a could see a “repeatable foreign object” near the front of the seroma that could be causing irritation and fluid buildup. It seems to me that this foreign object has to be a direct result of the surgery (flipped staple, something left inside…)?? It’s outside of the body wall. I’m very frustrated. He stuck with his recommendation of a $1,500 exploratory surgery and the drain placement. However, he did say it’s not an emergency as she doesn’t seem in any distress and has been living with it for months.
Advice on how to proceed? What questions should I ask? Should the surgeon take responsibility for this?
Hello,
It sounds like you have a firm understanding of everything that has been done. And a suspicion that is reasonable and understandable. With all of this I would inquire with the surgeon your concerns. If I were your surgeon I would offer to do it for free if indeed I was also concerned that I might be responsible for this. Your other option is to ask the surgeon for a referral from an unbiased unrelated surgeon who can give an honest assessment without bias or liability. Things happen. But ethical responsibility is paramount. You have options. Don’t be afraid to inquire, insist and exercise them. Please let me know what happens. I’m interested. Good luck.
Hey! Just found your page from YouTube, was wondering if it’d be possible to chat about my cat? Almost certain he has a nasopharyngeal polyp but I am having trouble convincing any vets in the Dallas area to sedate him and take a look without him first getting scans and tests that cost thousands of dollars. Is there anything I should be asking them for differently? He’s been fighting a URI for about 5 months now and we have done six rounds of antibiotics with steroids and antihistamines to help and nothing has stopped his symptoms from returning and we have only now made the connection as to why that is. He has the distinct snore noise while breathing and every other listed symptom associated, I just can’t afford the tests the vets are saying they require, it’s very heart breaking. Any help or wisdom is appreciated, we just don’t have the money to do much else and he is degrading quickly since his last round of antibiotics ended this week. I wish I didn’t sound so sure, we just are panicking that we have wasted so much time and money and may have missed our chance to best this this while we could and now may be unable to. Just heart breaking all around.
Hello,
My advise in these cases is to call and keep calling until you find someone who you trust and can afford. It’s honestly why I see so many of these. Call the shelters. Call the local rescues and call the foundations that support pet care and ask for a person they know and recommend. They are out there but sadly they need to be searched for. If you find someone please let me know so I can pass it along. Like I said the local rescues know who is fair and affordable. Start there. Keep me posted. Very best of luck.
Hi! I have a question about my cat who will be 4 at the end of this month. Sometimes when he stretches, I notice that his rear end (particularly his anus) looks like it is protruding. I thought he had a hemorrhoid but then he stood up and walked like normal and it went “away”. I have another cat and I never noticed this on him. It’s not red, it just looks puffy sometimes. He is eating, drinking and playing like normal. I just want to make sure he is okay and he is not in pain or anything or if this warrants a vet visit. I tend to worry about my boys a lot because I love them so much but I don’t want to be “missing” something. Thank you so much!
Hello,
The colon is the very last part of the gi tract. It is held inside the abdomen by two sphincter muscles. When you stretch these circular muscles can relax and the colon can protrude a little outside of the anus. This would be my best guess at what is going on. But to be sure you can take a video of it to your bet and have them do a rectal exam to make sure it isn’t anything else. Some cats can get a rectal prolapse and this should be ruled out before dismissing this as “normal”. I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.
Hi , I have a cat which is 5 years old he has been going to vets on and off for about 2 years now with urinary tract infections I have got him on a special diet which is royal canin dried food and wet food specifically for cats with urinary problems I have a water fountain and leave my tap on all the time, fresh bowl of water daily, noticed he has been going in and out of the cat litter tray this morning and doing anything , I am tired of this keep happening and Bet he is too. What advice could you give me ? Much appreciated
Hello,
The best way to get the best help both long and short term is to have a clear precise diagnosis. This means it is important to know if we are dealing with calculi, inflammation, stress. Etc. Often there are multiple things that cause the issue so identifying which and how they contribute is very helpful on finding the treatment or cure. In some cases what you are already doing and diet exercise, supplements and mental stimulation are all that are needed. In others surgery like a PU can solve the issue. Please ask your vet about all of these or seek a feline specialist or internal medicine specialist. I hope this helps. Good luck.
My ex-feral cat has been diagnosed with a tape worm that the vet had us treat with a round of Cestex (25mg – 1 1/2x’s day for 2 days) this knocked the fecal test from a 4+ to a 2+ and they recommended the same meds again, knocked it from a 2+ to a 1+. Now they say do it again or come in and the cat can get a shot. The cat has had check up’s every year since coming inside, and tape worm was noted once before and meds given at the vet. Now they think she has had it for as long as she has been inside. Told it is a type of worm not normally seen in SE USA, more Pacific NW and could be caught from eating dead fish in a pond or frogs. When she was feral and coming to the door at night she would bring us frogs so this makes sense. Question is, is this type of worm bad for the cat long term? And does it pose any health risks for us? She really gets upset when being given the pills and does not travel well to the vet for shots. Any thoughts are appreciated, wish I could remember the name of the worm the tech told us on the phone.
Hello,
First if this is a tapeworm I consider them more gross than dangerous. So there’s that. Second they are caused by ingesting a flea so we start with treating fleas and tapes. And third (and best of all) all of this can be treated in one easy monthly application of revolution plus monthly. Easy-peezy!
Xox
Krista.
I should add one more thing. If your fecal is being sent to a lab they can help to diagnose it, assist with treating and help with any kind of zoonotic issues. I call them for help a lot. Hope this all helps. And in general very few cat parasites are dangerous to people. But you need to get the exact name of the worm to confirm this.
Hello,
I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. I have tested many of these guys and often they need a combination of medications and lots of intravenous fluid therapy. I don’t know enough about your cat to answer this. But I have not given up on these cats and I have had incredible success in finding the right combination to manage their condition. If you are more in agreement with your vets decision ask for a referral or find a feline specialist to help. Also ask about medications like a steroid, prazosin or bethanachol. all might help. I also have had some cats who needed to stay on iv fluids and a urinate catheter for almost a week. My point is I am like you. I don’t give up and I am happy to give these guys time and attention and all (so far) have pulled through because of this. I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you so much! You have given me some hope. I refuse to let my cat go without trying. I have one more question for you. My vet also mentioned that my cat “has no tone.” (when speaking about his bladder). Do you know what this means? I know you mentioned you don’t know enough about my cat, so I completely understand if you can’t answer this. But have you ever even heard of this before? Also, I found you through your youtube videos! Thank you for making them, you have helped me so much and are very informative. 🙂
How’s your kitty doing ??
Thank you for asking! We left him at the vet for a little more than a week with a catheter in. We recently took him home and have been monitoring him. He is peeing on his own again! It is truly a miracle.