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Kari | 5 years ago
Female Cat With Urinary Blockage

Hi, my female torti Dusty has bumps on her tongue… The vet had me give her doxycycline liquid and prednisone for 2 months… the bumps didn’t change, but while I was there, she also told me to stop giving her wet food. About a week or so ago I stopped her wet food (which is Sheba Perfect portions) and just gave her the puro a one sensitive stomach hard food she has been eating for 2 years (I was doing 50/50)… I noticed she is having issues peeing… no pain, but she takes me to see she is only peeing about a teaspoon or so and she does it very often… she isn’t showing any signs of pain or lethargy, and eating fine. I tried to feel around but not sure if I found a bladder or not, nothing feels hard and she only complains as much as usual so I don’t think anything hurts.
I’ve watched videos on expressing a bladder and catheterizing a male, but I can’t seem to find any info on females (still looking)… my mom’s dog had 3 bladder stones for over a month just peeing a few drops every time and then all of a sudden they just popped out so I’m trying to weigh the cost-benefit with the local vet. Today is Sunday and I wasn’t about to go emergency if she wasn’t in pain, but I’m still afraid they’ll want $500+ to do anything since just a physical with no blood tests or shots is over $100 and I’m sure they’ll want xrays, etc. I’m in Florida and I know vets here charge 2x-3x more than other places.

Any info will help
Female
Indoor
Shorthair
About 10 yrs young
No signs of sick/injured/pain

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    When it comes to cats displaying issues with urination we always worry most about urinary blockage, which can be life threatening. This is less common in female cats. A blocked cat will typically frequent the litter box (obsessively and continuously), and produce no, or very little urine. A cat with bladder inflammation will do the same but NOT typically have a full, hard, distended urinary bladder, which is why an exam by a vet is imperative. We cant tell the difference without an exam and usually a urinalysis.
    I have to admit that I never recommend dry over wet for cats. I just find that dry has no benefits.. Not teeth, certainly not weight, and for urinary issues wet it better as you can add water and start to diurese the urine.
    If your cat is calm and comfortable you can probably wait until morning to be seen.
    If all else failed you could ask the ER vet to just assess for blockage and then ask to be seen by your vet (assuming they can and will have time to see you) tomorrow. If her heart, temp, color, respiratory rate and bladder are all normal I bet they would have trouble saying that she isnt stable enough to wait a few hours.
    I always think it is important for pet parents to be proactive, but also provide an honest admission of budget and ask for assistance to make care affordable and accessible. We all owe our pet parents and patients that. Please let me know what happens. Good luck

  2. Kari Post author

    Thank you. Yes, the only thing is her lack of pee. Today I put her back on the wet food and added water and her pee doubled this last time. Also, since everything I read seemed to say blood in urine, and she wants me to watch her pee, I took a paper towel and put it under her and her pee came out colorless… not red, or even yellow , but the paper towel looks like I put water on it…I will not it is a stronger smell than I would expect, smells like pee, but I don’t think I’ve ever noticed her pee have a smell before (maybe because I never had her pee on a paper towel before, I dunno)
    Tomorrow I plan to take her in, they were good about seeing her same day when I took her in for a checkup (2nd trip to a vet in her life…1st was her spray trip when she was about a year old) hopefully they won’t rake me over the coals.
    Also I found a video that says to add ACV and water to the food and I happened to have some here so I added it…and she still ate half of it it (I was surprised because she can be picky)…

    While I’ve got your attention, since one reason they say in the videos is stress, my husband thinks this may have been caused by my recently changing them to a litter kwitter as I have started toilet training them.. Can holding it in cause a problem? And what are your thoughts on toilet training cats?

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Jessica | 5 years ago
Hi I Just Recently Became A Mommy To A Blue Nosed Pit Bull. The Person We …

Hi I just recently became a mommy to a blue nosed pit bull. The person we got her from lied to us about her age. I came to find out she is only 4 weeks old. She was already weaned off of her mom’s milk for the most part when he got her. The “breeder” was feeding her an entire can of wet pedigree dog did with kibble mixed in. I knew right away that was horribly wrong. I went to pet smart and bought the ready made formula to start her back on. I went home and immediately tried to get her to drink it. She refused to drink any formula. She was starting to act lethargic and I wasn’t sure if it was due to the car ride home or her lack of eating so I added a small spoonful of wet puppy food and mixed it in with the formula. She immediately began to devour it. When I brought her home that same day her poop was normal and formed. The next night she began to have dark diarrhea. It was squirting out of her poor little butt. She’s been doing that for 2 days now. I called JV yesterday(Saturday) and spoke to a receptionist. She recommend continuing the formula and adding puppy kibble in and letting it soften for her to eat. I went out yesterday and bought Purina pro plan puppy food. She began that around 4 pm yesterday. She wasn’t drinking water up until yesterday but she is now. So de starting the kibble and formula mix her diarrhea is not so runny anymore but in 2 bathroom breaks back to back I did notice some blood spotting in her poop. It’s not a lot, it’s literally a few spots mixed in. Is that something I need to be concerned with? Do I need to bring her in to the walk in clinic today or should I wait longer to see if her poop begins to become normal again? She is sleeping a lot but I was told that she will do that for her age? When she isn’t sleeping she will run around and play, wag her little tail, she has 2 stuffed animals that she will playfully bite and drag around.
My question after giving you this info is should I bring her in to the vet? I know she can’t have any shots yet but I’m worried she is sick and don’t want her to die on me. ????

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I hope the receptionist told you to consider the ER. I cannot tell you if she is stable, or healthy enough to wait to come in at 1. I do always have to caution people with illness , any kind of change in behavior or fecal output and the tiny babies like you have are even more fragile. I think that if you are worried you are safest going to the ER.. I also know that in some cases I have to refer the patients I see on Sunday to the ER as we cannot provide the in patient care that we need to provide them,
    Please keep me posted. I really hope that everything is ok. I would also hope that you call the appropriate authorities to report the breeder. Most people are not as kind and able as you are to care for a neonate.

    krista

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MaryPat Feiss | 5 years ago
Probiotics

Preferably Dr Magnifico (our vet)
I am wondering about prebiotic and probiotic to help with a healthy digestion for our 3 dogs. Do you recommend and if so, what brands?
I recent watched this video below and it all made sense to me but his brand is kinda expensive. Between eating grass, eating poop, stinky breathe and itchy skin, my dogs could all benefit if it’s true.

https://caninecodes.com/index_191127A.php?n=fb

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    I like fortiflora (available over the counter) or proviable. The world of probiotics in vet med is very poorly overseen or regulated so stick to a credible manufacturer. If you have questions let me know. Ideally a healthy dog on a good diet with an adequate exercise plan and emotionally balanced home life shouldn’t / doesn’t need them. (In my opinion).

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Yvonne | 5 years ago
Hi, I Took My 15 Year Old Cat To The Vet Because She Wasnt Eating. He Gave …

Hi,
I took my 15 year old cat to the vet because she wasnt eating. He gave her a shot for nausia and 1/4 tablet of mertazapine. It has been over 12 hours and still has no interest in food.. She has not gotten blood work yet. But I cant get to the vet untill Monday, it is Sunday. What should I do? Thank you

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The problem is that you don’t know what’s wrong with your cat so it is not possible for me to offer solutions. The problem isn’t that she can’t eat it’s that she won’t and there is a reason she isn’t. So you have to uncover that. ASAP. I don’t force feed cats, although in some cases we will try to gently syringe feed, but it is critical to understand that even this comes with risks. Like if you force food into the mouth and she rejects it or fights it, the food can accidentally go into the lungs which can cause aspiration pneumonia and make a bad situation worse. For cases like these I always recommend the following; exam, blood work with urinalysis and xrays. If your cat is at risk I discuss FELV and FIV testing. I also recommend hospitalizing and starting iv fluids. For some cats they just need to be rehydrated and treated medically for a little push of help and then they do ok. Others need a feeding tube placed. It depends on the cat and the diagnosis.

    1. Yvonne Post author

      Thank you Krista for answering. My next step is blood work. Thank you

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Lupe | 5 years ago
My 6-year-old Cat Has Recently Had Some Trouble Breathing And Has A Snoring Sound When Breathing In.

My 6-year-old cat has recently had some trouble breathing. She gets a deep sounding snore when breathing in and can’t seem to take a complete breath. The snoring only seems to occur when she is breathing in, and not out. The snoring does sometimes stop. This mainly happens when she is sleeping, her breaths are softer and she seems to be able to breath better. I have also noticed that when I hold her mouth open a little bit, she is able to breathe in and out without any problem. She occasionally has sneezing fits, but they are very rare to see. There is no discharge from her nose, eyes, or ears. She actually has a very dry nose. I have also noticed that she has been eating less than before, but she is still able to eat and drink water. We took her to a vet, but they told us they would only be able to diagnose her with an endoscopy, which they said would cost us around $1,300. I’ve looked online for symptoms similar to hers and cats that had similar breathing patterns/sounds. The closest thing I have been able to find is something called a “nasopharyngeal polyp”. I’m a little lost on what to do. Should I continue with the first vet, and get a concrete diagnosis? or get a second opinion and maybe bring up what I found while researching online? The cost of the first vet is kind of high for me as I’m a college student, but If it is what my cat needs to be able to breathe comfortably again I’ll pay it.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think that it perfectly acceptable to go back to your vet and express your concerns. I also think it is completely inappropriate to not have offered loads of options, everything from medications to inhalers, to humidifiers your supplements to referral in this case. I also think that all vets should be willing to do a sedated oral cavity exploratory exam to look for a polyp. But that’s just me and lots of vets think I am too generous with my patients and clients. So maybe you should talk to your vet and ask friends family and all local cat people for a referral to someone who will give your more help and meaningful treatment options. Let me know what happens. Good luck!

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Nicole | 5 years ago
I Have A 12 Year Old Female Cat. She Was Obese For Several Years. I Managed To …

I have a 12 year old female cat. She was obese for several years. I managed to get weight off of her a few months before these issues. There has been a lot of urination outside of the box. The urination has been going on a long time and initially I thought it was behavior because I adopted a rescue dog in October 2018 she hasn’t been thrilled about the dog. Right around the time my cat turned 12 she started with the urination… February or March.

In the last couple of weeks her thirst increased significantly. Also just laying on her side on the floor, not wanting to be in her bed or on the furniture. She’s losing weight /muscle mass and she is hoarse. She is still eating, I had to coax her a bit one day so I made chicken broth from drumsticks she’s been drinking a good amount of the broth and ate chicken and her canned food. She’s actually been gulping the food down.

I can’t tell if this is kidney related or diabetes. I have not noticed bad breath. I am in a real bind and need to figure out what else to do for her till I can get money for a vet.

1 Response

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  1. Laura

    Inappropriate urination is often the first noticeable sign something is wrong. Increased thirst means this has been going on long enough to be a total body problem. I would put a lot of effort into getting her seen sooner than later…going too long can and will cause further damage to her already very sick body.

    (Dr. M told me bad breath is kidneys. Expect a full urinalysis and bloodwork, plus the possibility of subcutaneous fluids and prescription diet.)

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Ebony | 5 years ago
My Cat Got A FLUTD Diagnosis Yesterday Morning After Spending The Night In The Animal Hospital …

My cat got a FLUTD diagnosis yesterday morning after spending the night in the animal hospital because they were checking for an obstruction. He hadn’t obstructed, but they couldn’t get enough urine for a urinalysis, so when we picked him up yesterday morning they gave us a container. I got a hair under 3ml, dropped it off and was told they’d run it and let me know if it was enough but I have yet to hear if anything has come from it. He’s on an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxant. He’s a very vocal and clingy cat, but he’s been very quiet since we brought him home. He produced a decent amount of urine yesterday, but he hasn’t done more than a little dribble for about 4 hours now. I was told, if there were no additional or worsening symptoms, to bring him in immediately if this reaches 12 hours with no output. He doesn’t yell or talk or grunt when he’s in the litter, just stays there for a while and scrunches his back up as he tries to go but can’t, and will turn around frequently. He’s walking normally and isn’t having trouble getting to sleep, he’s eating normally and drinking frequently.
I was advised to start a vet prescription diet made up of 90% Hills Science Metabolic Urinary Care + CD dry food and 10% wet food, but the vets didn’t have any and after making a few calls around, was told my best option was to order it online and wait. Waiting is very stressful, and I’d really like to know if there is anything else I can do in the meantime to prevent any further discomfort or an obstruction. I would also like to know if there is a safe way to get him to the animal hospital the fastest. I’m worried if he’s obstructed, picking him up and carrying him or putting him in his cage might cause even more pain or make his urethra rupture.
Any additional tips or advice is very much appreciated. Thank you for your time.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry but in these cases the only way to really know what is going on in the bladder is to palpate your cat to feel the size, firmness and pain in the bladder. I teach my clients how to palpate and I also advise giving at home sw fluids OR best yet hospitalizing with iv fluids until the urine runs clear and the patient is pain free and comfortable. I think that at this point if you are worried it’s best to see the vet ASAP. I also think it is important for the urinalysis results to be known. Lots of cats have cystitis and not a Urinary tract infection. Different things and therefore different treatment plans and options.
    Let me know what happens and above all else ask the vet to give you a diagnosis and both a short and long term treatment plan and help in getting through it all. If they aren’t helpful go elsewhere. These cats need a lot of oversight and assistance. You need to have a vet who will fo all of this for you.

    Best of luck !

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Talia | 5 years ago
Hello! I Just Discovered This App Via A YouTube Video, As I Now Spend My Days …

Hello! I just discovered this app via a YouTube video, as I now spend my days googling things like “Cat breathing loudly” and “normal cat breathing”…!

Since perhaps June I’ve noticed with increasing regularity my cat, Clover, breathing very loudly, sometimes to the point of waking me up with the sound. In September this progressed and my husband noticed her breathing freakishly fast and we rushed to a vet.

However 5 vets, including a specialist, many xrays, and treatment for gum disease later, no one seems to know what it is, and I can’t take the wait and see method they are prescribing. She is playing and eating and otherwise normal, but her breathing does seem to bother and annoy her and at times she looks very despondent.

The history is that almost two years ago I made the most terrible judgement call of my life and she got out the window of a new apartment and fell 4 floors. She was unable to use her back legs for a few days during which they kept her under observation and she needed stitches in her soft palate. She has made an almost complete recovery.

The accident happened exactly a week after our other cat contracted an unknown disease and died suddenly and shockingly at aged 5. I still haven’t recovered from our other cat’s passing and both my husband and I comfortably acknowledge that Clover is the number one love in my life, and I will do everything to keep her alive and happy. However we have reached our pet insurance limit and I am so concerned about what will be next.

I have done all of the internet researching there is to be done, and I just know looking at her and hearing her stressful breathing that something is very wrong. I don’t know if it’s connected to the fall, but it isn’t bronchitis or asthma both of which treatments did less than nothing.

If anyone has any advice or had a cat with similar symptoms please let me know what you think?!

5 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    I am very sorry that even after all of your vet visits and research, you are still at a loss. Other than finding another specialist, my only thought is if there is a teaching veterinary hospital/school that would want to take on your case. Hoping that some other Pawbly friends may be able to share mor advice with you. Very best of luck to you…????????

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In many of these cases I have found that these cats have chronic rhinitis. A friend scan if about the best way to identify this, but, it isn’t usually able to be cured, only somewhat managed with long term use of anti inflammatories and adjunct treatment options like minimizing allergens and managing weight. I have also tried cerenia drips and steroids to some help. Or even an inhaler to see if it helps. Ideally I keep these cats in a clean ventilated moist environment and minimize allergens to include all household cleaners, litter and even their own pet dander. Finding a diagnosis is a challenge as it isn’t infection and if it isn’t it is harder to cure. Some cats just snore no matter what we do.

    1. Talia Post author

      Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. It it usual for it to come on relatively unprovoked? Or could it be connected to the fall? Also, as it is deteriorating so quickly now, what is the likely time she can live with it?
      The whistling is relatively constant now, with every day becoming more extreme.

      We have an air purifier running constantly, I have never used harsh cleaning chemicals ever and we are in a small apartment, so her exposure to irritants is as low as I can make them.

      She was on cerenia but it did nothing and nor did the steroids.

      Thank you so much again.

      1. Talia Post author

        Also anti inflammatories did nothing I should add!

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JOHN | 5 years ago
I Have A Two Year Old Male Yellow Lab That Has Already Had Two Obstruction Surgeries. …

I have a two year old male yellow lab that has already had two obstruction surgeries. Both of these, Scout stopped eating and drinking and was vomiting. Last week we believe he ate a sock in which he has been eating on and off, he is drinking, peeing and is pooping. He wakes up every morning wagging his tail and is in good spirits, just lacking some energy on the days he doesn’t eat. He weighed 80 pounds on his previous checkup, yesterday we took him to our local vet, he weighed 70 lbs. The performed an x ray on him and said they believe it was a soft material that he swallowed and couldn’t determine if it was in his intestine or in his colon. While at the vet Scout was wagging his tail, holding the leash in his mouth as he usually does and ate about 20 treats. My vet charged me $360 and told me they recommend me to go to the animal hospital for an ultrasound to get a better idea of where this sock is located. I waited for 4 hours for them to tell me that they performed the ultrasound, it was somewhat inconclusive, his colon was enlarged and recommended exploratory surgery. I requested we wait to see if he will pass this. They kept him overnight, asked for an $800 deposit and called this morning saying that he was the same, and took x-rays to say it hasn’t moved. Your thoughts, suggestions or advice?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I am very (extremely) concerned about e weight loss. In my opinion in a dog rhat age it is a huge red flag. It cannot be ignored and should absolutely put everyone on high alert that there is an issue. For this reason alone and the hyporexia I would say an exploratory is indicated after all other diagnostics have proven unhelpful.
    In my experience nothing (absolutely nothing except maybe a ct or mri ) at helping to put answers together. I also think that if they don’t find a foreign body that biopsy samples are helpful to diagnose weight loss (the worry is cancer). The other diagnostic option is a barium study. It’s old school but helpful in gi cases.
    Now I say all of that assuming there aren’t any budgetary constraints. If there are and a foreign body is on the list of possibilities I recommend an exam, cbc, and Chem panel and X-ray or ultrasound. If the patient is bright and active and eating drinking ambulating and NOT vomiting you can watch and wait as long as they remain acting and feeling normal. If they are vomiting or not acting like themselves the best to do is surgery. If surgery is not affordable call around and try to find a place it is more affordable. (For example it might be 4-6000 at a speciality hospital but 1-2000 at a general practice. If even this is not Affordable try a few days of intravenous fluids and lots of walking. Both keep the gut moving and help move stuff through. Hope this helps.

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Jasmine | 5 years ago
Hi, I Have A 15 Year Old Chihuahua Named Peanut. He Was Diagnosed With IVDD On Sunday. …

Hi, I have a 15 year old chihuahua named Peanut. He was diagnosed with IVDD on Sunday. He is able to stand for 30 seconds on his own and can walk a few steps before falling over. His right front leg and right back leg are the main limbs that knuckle over and give out when he stands. He can’t get himself to an upright standing position. He is currently on Gabapentin and galliprant. When the pain killers don’t have him knocked out he is crying and whimpering. He looks like he is pain and can’t get in a comfortable position . He is eating and drinking water. He is able to use pee and defecate on his own but most of the time does it while he’s laying down in his pen.

I feel so bad for him I’m honestly just crying all the time because it hurts to see him in pain and I feel helpless. I try and let him stand and walk for a few
Minutes a day with my support but should I be letting him walk? Or should I be trying to make him rest more? Also he doesn’t let me switch the side he lays on. He only lays on his right side . I know Dr. Krista said we need to switch the aside they lay on but he looks like he’s in more pain when I try to switch him to the left.

Any advice , thoughts, or feelings? I really just needed to not feel so alone in this.

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    I’m so sorry you are going trough this. Dr. Magnifico has a lot of videos regarding ivdd posted, and you might find them useful. Another thing to maybe try as far as getting him on his opposite side- when he has his pain killers in his system and is sleeping for close to it, perhaps gently maneuver him to the another side and see if that works any better. If he is not giving up, please don’t give up either. Best of luck to you both!!!!

    1. Jasmine Post author

      Thank you so much for the advice! I’m going to continue to fight with him as long as he can. He still looks like he’s trying his hardest!