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Chris | 10 months ago
NEED ANSWER TODAY ASAP!!!! TIME SENSITIVE Urinary Blockage And 2nd Catheter In Already For My 4 Year …

NEED ANSWER TODAY ASAP!!!! TIME SENSITIVE urinary blockage and 2nd catheter in already for my 4 year old male cat, who has been in ER vet hospital since Sunday:

Full story:
Hi, my male 4 year old cat has been in vet ER hospital since Sunday (3 days now). They said he had urinary blockage and inserted a catheter. His blood tests and x-ray were normal, they said we caught the blockage in time. On Monday evening his urine through catheter and in the collection bag was clear and he was alert.

They removed the catheter at 10am on Tuesday (yesterday) and then at 2:30pm same day they said he did pee small amount once… BUT then they said he was straining to pee …and they reinstated the catheter! Is this ok, to give him so little time after first catheter removal, only from 10am to 2:30pm on Tue, before reinserting it??
Before and after reinserting this 2nd catheter, the vet said he felt an urethral spasm and thinks that’s the reason for 2nd “blockage”. My cat is very stressed so maybe irritation from catheter and stress is causing spasm? Is there anti spasm and anti inflammatory meds he can get, to reduce irritation and spasm risk? Can he get less liquids to allow more time for the spasm and irritation to calm down before he tries to pee? Can we wait longer to reinsert catheter 3rd time?

If they remove the catheter again today…..and he again can’t pee….what is the procedure? Can I take him home to see if less stress can calm him and allow him to pee? How long to wait at home? Can I give raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar with water?  Should I take him to regular vet if he blocks again? Take him directly to MEDVET in Chicago to have PU surgery? How do I transport him….1h drive….anything I need to do/know? I am in Chicago/ North Indiana area.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your cat. I’m also sorry to say that I don’t have the answers to your questions. I never know how a patient is going to do. Every case is different. I do think that it is fair to ask for affordable options and help with managing a patient’s care at home. For example can you try at home medication or sq fluids? Also learning how to palpate your cats bladder to assess his status at home. Often clients can learn how to monitor and manage some of the care and this will help everyone.

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Diana | 10 months ago
I Have A Male Cat That’s 2 Years Old. He Was Recently Taken To The Hospital …

I have a male cat that’s 2 years old. He was recently taken to the hospital because he couldn’t pass urine. For him to get a catheter alone was 2,000. We brought him back home and it’s been two days. As of now, his bladder feels pretty large and almost solid. I ended up massaging his bladder until he got a good amount of urine out. Am I still able to monitor him or is the only way for him to recover is with a PU? I will not be able to afford it at full price, especially already have dropped 2,000 on the first visit.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello.
    I have written numerous pages of information and tips on this disease. Please see my blog at kmdvm.blogspot.com

    I would at least ask a vet to empty the bladder via cystocentesis. I would also ask about how much it is to place a urinary catheter and ask to go home with it in place to see if a few days at home with it in will help resolve the underlying issue. In some cases a vet tech can help you manage this at home. This is all very out of the box but your cats life is at stake.
    I would also like to have as much information as you can provide about where you went and what they offered for options. Along with any invoices and estimates they may have provided. If you are near Maryland USA I will help if I can.

    1. Diana Post author

      I went to blue pearl in Tacoma and they only offered the 2-3 hospital stay with a catheter in while they keep an eye on him for around 5-7 thousand, or just flush him out and send him home for 2,000 or euthanize him. I’ve asked if I can just bring him home and monitor him there but they turned that idea down. Since then we’ve been giving him the prescription food with the pain killers and the medicine for the muscle spasms. We’ve tried massaging his abdomen last night and we got a good amount of fluid out but I’ve tried four times today and couldn’t get the same result. All the vets are also closed.

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Ada | 10 months ago
My Cat Was Recently Diagnosed With Hyperthyroidism. The Research I’ve Done So Far Suggests That …

My cat was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The research I’ve done so far suggests that radio iodine therapy is the best course of action. There are 2 practices that provide this treatment; Radiocat in Catonsville, MD & Mid Atlantic Feline Thyroid Center in Queenstown, MD. I’m trying to determine which practice would be best for our cat. I already know one of them does not have availability until early June, but I don’t want that to be the deciding factor.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I do agree that this is the best treatment method available. I have had clients use both. They were all happy with their experience and outcome. So I would chose based on schedule availability and location.

    Please let me know how about your experience and feedback is always helpful to provide guidance for others.

    Dr Magnifico

    1. Ada Post author

      Dear Dr. Magnifico, thank you for the very quick response! We have Maka scheduled for May 13th at Mid Atlantic. She will be on medication until the end of April as we prepare for the procedure. Hopefully by early June she’ll be back to normal. Thanks again, Ada

    2. Ada Post author

      We were notified a week ago that the pharmacy does not have I-131 available. The treatment was rescheduled for May 28th. I’m hoping this is not a supply chain issue. Our cat did not tolerate the medication well and we had to stop it after about 2 weeks.

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Jessica | 10 months ago
We’ve Had My Dog For 6+ Years. Up Until About 3 Months Ago, He Never Got In …

We’ve had my dog for 6+ years. Up until about 3 months ago, he never got in the garbage and only stole food off a counter one time that we’ve known of. However, this is not the case now. For the last three months, he has started regularly getting into the garbage and recycling bags. He stole a loaf of bread off the counter the other day. The only thing we can think of that has changed is that we started giving our cat wet food instead of dry. But it seems weird that this would be the thing to trigger the behavior. Any ideas? And what can we do to train him out of it? He only does this when we are out of the house.

2 Responses

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  1. Laura

    First: get a full “senior” bloodwork panel done. Rule out anything medical.
    Second: hide all trash and all food. Counter and garbage surfing are self-reinforcing. Lock the trash away, get a locking can. Remove all food from all counters and put them in a secure cabinet. Lock the fridge with a child lock, if necessary.
    Third: Crate when you can’t supervise.

    This is usually medical if it’s sudden like this, but you need to be proactive in your prevention, and it’s always a multiprong approach.

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Teresa | 10 months ago
Torn Ligament In Cat’s Back Leg

My cats are patients of Jarrettsville Vet. I am reaching out please to get information for my friend. They are located in Michigan and Her 7 year old indoor cat hurt its back leg. Her vet told her that she needed to see an orthopedic specialist because the cat tore a ligament. They made an appointment and were told it would run $250 for the visit plus whatever they needed to do to identify the problem and surgery could cost up to $8000. They are a young couple with a small daughter, and are looking for other options. I thought I had seen a video that Dr. magnifico did regarding anti-inflammatories, pain meds, and cage rest. Can you please Point us in the right direction as to what she should do. I recommended that she contact her vet to see if those options were available to her through them and she could try that route first before seeing a surgeon. I am so blessed and grateful that Jarrettsville Vet is close to me and offers options such as those. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Her appointment at the surgeon is tomorrow.

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello
    I’m sorry to hear about your friends cat. I’m also not sure what advice I can give as I don’t. Know what kind of injury or diagnosis this is.
    I do however think it is important to be honest about your financial abilities and express that to the surgeon. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for affordable treatment options and insist that they be provided.

    1. Teresa Post author

      Thank you Dr. Mag for your advice and I will forward that to her this morning. It is so difficult for us as pet owners to deal with the emotions, concerns and worry in the moment, without being given all possible available options instead of just surgery or amputation. This country most definitely needs more vet practices like yours! We will see you on our next visit and thank you for your time.

      Teresa, Girlfriend & Panda Bear

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Jean-Pierre | 11 months ago
My 16 Year Old Cat Has Hard Poop It Hurts Him To Pass. I Helpped Him Pass …

My 16 year old cat has hard poop it hurts him to pass. I helpped him pass a hard peice last night in the tub with warm water.

I have to release his anal glands every so often. I plan on giving him an enima via puppy feeding tubes with 1/3 pet Ema, 1/3 water soluble medical lube and 1/3 warm water.. with a totally amount of 30cc

Questions are can I use tap water or should I use distilled? Can I use puppy feeding tube.

He gets wet food in the morning and dry at night I am going to give him just wet from now on and I was hoping to find a laxative that is safe to use for everyone humans dogs and cats.

I might start giving him iv fluids under his skin because he’s never drank enough water.

Thank you

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I really have to recommend that you see a veterinarian for help with this. I would want to check things like hyperthyroidism or anything that might cause muscle loss or weakness. I would also be concerned about joints and joint pain causing him to to be reluctant to use the litter box. Maybe a pain medication like gabapentin or solensia might help. Also adding something like Purina hydra care or canned food with water added can help. My point is there are lots of things to talk about that might help the underlying cause for this.

    1. Jean-Pierre Post author

      Thank you I’ll call a vet tomorrow, he seems better today, I started giving him water in his pate food Purina, he has no problem with his litter box, he had a hard peice of poop he could pass it was breaching so I sat him in warm water and that worked, I can fell his colon it seems like normal amount in there but it’s a little hard.

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Chris | 11 months ago
Hello.  Can You Please Cut And Paste This To Pawbly.com And I Will Reply There.  …

Please help with removing nasal polyp.

Hello,

My girlfriend has a cat she rescued almost 10 years ago.  Her name is Kitty.

She has quite a bit of difficulty breathing.  We have taken here to and from several local veterinary hospitals and they have prescribed various antibiotics and steroids.

After almost 6 months these seem to offer little relief to our poor little Kitty.

I am willing and able to drive Kitty anywhere within 500miles to try to remove the polyp.  We can stay for a few days if you need us to.

The local hospitals want over $10k total in several rounds of scans, xrays and preoperative over several weeks.  We can’t afford this.  Someone will be be able to make a real difference in Kitty’s life they would agree to meet with her and do what they can. 

I would also add that my girlfriend has a deep love of animals.  She regularly helps local shelters and hard luck cases like when she found Kitty.  She cleans and grooms pets for a living and volunteers her services to local shelters. You would be making an incredible gift to her.  I don’t have $10000 but I would gladly pay fairly for the procedure and arrange for our travel to you.

Looking forward to your reply.

Thank you,

Chris

6 Responses

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  1. brian

    I think I might be able to help. I’ll look into this immediately and let you know what I find out before today’s end.

    Respectfully,
    Brian

    1. Chris Post author

      Hi Brian, I am in Ottawa, Canada. I actually reached to your clinic…Dr. Krista Magnifico fyi.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello.
    I would be happy to help BUT I do not have a scope to do what the specialist would do. So unless I can see it behind the soft palate to avulse it I can’t do what they can do. Also polyps are much less common in older cats (like over 3 years old). It is more likely to be either infection or mass (possibly cancerous).

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Shay | 11 months ago
My 18 Year Old Cat (long Hair) Has Been Having Some Issues For About 2 Weeks Now. On 2/10/24 …

My 18 year old cat (long hair) has been having some issues for about 2 weeks now. On 2/10/24 he started throwing up at breakfast and didn’t want dinner, Stopped drinking and eating from that point and howl crying by sunday night into Monday. Got hospitalized on Monday the 12th got labs done, a urinalysis, semi ultrasound and xrays. He was severely dehydrated, negative for UTI, severely anemic (6.8 range was 10.9-15 ). Over night he got IV fluids and antibiotics and ate some the morning, labs were normal by discharge except for anemia. Xray ray did reveal, distended stomach with gas, arthritis, one small kidney. He came home didn’t really eat much, followed up with regular vet got subq fluids and appetite stimulant (rubs on ear), 1-2 days after he ate like a horse mostly broths and liquids foods. He is now constipated and vomiting again, not eating and lethargic. Took him to the vet 2/24/24 for subq fluids vet also gave him an enema. He has not pooped still its been about 30 hours. I tried to give him gabapentin yesterday but he threw up. This morning he threw up “poop” like vomit. We gave him 1/2 ish teaspoon of miralax this morning threw up a little while later more poop like vomit. Seems to have broken a bit of his k9 tooth off also, doesnt seem to bee botbering him… We are considering doing at home mineral oil enema with a baby enema glycerin suppository with more miralax. He has eaten a tiny bit of Broth treat today and gotten outside for 2 walks. Are we doing the right steps ? Is there more or less we should be doing ? Trying to get to a more equipped vet hospital but probably won’t be until Tuesday 2/2724. Should I seek emergency medical attention or waiting until Tuesday be okay. Planning to take him to regular small vet tomorrow for subq at the least.Please help.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like your cat doesn’t have a diagnosis and we are chasing treatment options that don’t seem to be working. This tactic always gets me concerned because it makes it very hard to know what to do next or where to go for help. If you can afford it I recommend you see a feline practitioner. This is a veterinarian who only sees cats, or has a veterinary practice that only takes care of cats. I would also ask about trying a steroid, appetite stimulant, feeding tube and better help with at home care if you do not re hospitalize for iv fluids and in patient care.
    I also strongly recommend that the constipation be confirmed with a recital exam by the vet before enemas are done at home.
    This is a tough case and your cat needs to see the vet.

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Joyce | 11 months ago
My 14 Year Old Cat Has Undergone A Wedge Excision Of Submandibular Tumor (AC) With Skin Flap 12 …

My 14 year old cat has undergone a wedge excision of submandibular tumor (AC) with skin flap 12 days ago. Surgery was rather successful, margin was cleared, drain was removed at post op day 6. He started to develop soft swelling (feels like a pouch of fluid) over his wound site and rather noticeably with some tension on the wound. He didn’t seem to be annoyed by the swelling (craving for food as always) and the site wasn’t warm. He was supposed to see the vet in a week time for off stitches. We wanted to consult the vet earlier but he’s out of town, anything we should be aware these couple days? Please help. Thank!

1 Response

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  1. Shiria

    Oh just saw this now. I hope he is fine and you got to see your vet?
    Sometimes fluids build up after a tumor gets removed. If he’s not in pain and eating normally I would say its okay to wait a week. Of course if it gets herder, the skin gets discoloured (red or bluish) you should go ealier.

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Haven | 11 months ago
16 Year Old Cat Lethargic With Labored Breathing; Has Not Ate In 24 Hours. We Took Her To …

16 year old cat lethargic with labored breathing; has not ate in 24 hours. We took her to the vet this morning and her lungs were clear and her heart sounded good and did not look enlarged. Her bloodwork showed that she did have elevated white blood count and kidney disease but not end stages. Also her electrolytes looked normal. The vet was thinking that a blood clot may have passed but it was not indicated with anything but the labored breathing. She also thought she may have labored breathing possibly due to being in pain from arthritis. She gave her an injection for this that can be given monthly and sent us home with a low dose of gabapentin in hopes that she can rest and recover. She also added fluid under her skin in case she didn’t eat today. So far there is no change in her, if anything she is more lethargic but this could just be the medication. Just hoping someone may be able to give us other ideas of what may be wrong. We are really hoping our old girl pulls through.

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like your vet did a thorough job in the work up. But. You still don’t ha e an answer that is hoping your cat feel better. For cases like this I would say to do two things. One, call the vet back and notify them of these concerns. And two seek a second opinion. If you can find a feline specialist go to them.
    Keep us posted and good luck.

  2. Shiria

    I agree with Krista here. One of my past cats also had kidney disease, he was not end stage, but every few months he woulds have a really bad week. Bloodwork weren’t that bad either. But he wouldn’t eat or drink, and sometimes even couldn’t walk. He needed daily fluids (the vet showed me how to do that at home) and was fed with a syringe. After 4-7 days he started to get better again.

    I would ask your vet to show you how to gove fluids udner the skin and feeding with a syringe, so that you can do this at home and help her for a few days. If she doesn’t get better it’s maybe nessecary to get a second opinion. But sometimes you just can’t find what is wrong :(.

    I wish you all the best!