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Name: spankyx0711
[ Original Post ]
My cat "Captain" has what we believe to be uti's about once every week to two weeks. He all of a sudden has no appetite, no thirst, and when he tries to "go" his tail twitches and he can't pass urine. He also tries to "go" in weird places. All of these symptoms are indicative of a urinary tract infection so we treat him with this paste from our vet that has cranberry extracts in it. The problem is usually gone by the next day after this treatment. However, the uti's seem to be getting worse. We've treated him twice so far today and he's made no progress. He seems to be in great pain as well for he refuses to lay down completely (he's not letting his hind end touch the ground, bed, etc). I was reading online and I think he may have urinary tract disease which has led him to develop bladder stones. They say certain kinds of bladder stones can be dissolved with a special diet, but we've already changed his food. So our next option is either surgery, or having the vet flush it out with a catheter. Anyone know how much these cost, how long the recovery is, how long until the next uti, just any information in general will be extremely helpful. I also read that this can be fatal and I'm worried sick. I can't take him to the vet until monday so any replies are appreciated. thanks.
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Name: atomic snowflake | Date: Nov 12th, 2006 12:08 PM
If he's unable to pass urine then that's classed as an emergency and you need to contact an out of hours veterinary service.
I've never had a cat who's suffered from this problem before, but a catheter flush would certainly be cheaper than surgery.
If infection gets into the kidneys then that can prove fatal as can bladder rupture if the bladder becomes full of urine which he's unable to pass.
I really would try to get hold of a vet if I were you.
If you have this treated successfully then you may be able to prevent more infection by the special diet and cranberry extract. Long-term antibiotics may also be an option in the case of recurrent infection. 

Name: staceykelley | Date: Nov 12th, 2006 6:53 PM
my kitty bear had stones ond they had to be removed by surgery it cost us over 5oodollars then he was put on special food after that are u 100% sure that its uti my little man was brought to the doctor as soon as he was acting strange and it was so painful for him they say male cats get it more them female unfortuatly my man developed kidney problems and had to be put down u need to take him to the vet and keep him there till hes better cause it is very painful 

Name: spankyx0711 | Date: Nov 13th, 2006 1:16 AM
i'm taking him to the vet first thing tomorrow. i talked my mom into it. i can't believe her sometimes, she said that if it was God's will for him to go then it was time for him to go. I was like, so if I suddenly came down with bird flu or something you wouldn't take me to the hospital to be treated because it's God's will? if we have the medical technology and access to it, then obviously it is not God's will for my cat to be in this much pain and suffer and die from it! I told her that if the vet said the problem is too severe than i much rather have him put down than suffer. she finally agreed and is allowing me to take him to the vet. $500 doesn't sound that bad. I was expecting something in the $1000s considering animals don't have insurance. 

Name: staceykelley | Date: Nov 13th, 2006 3:53 AM
you can get pet insurance they actually have that i dont have it i should for when my pets get sick but they do have it i was gonna get it but then changed my mind cause i dont like people dipping into my bank account im so glad ypur taking him to the vet thats the best place for him 

Name: Lizzi | Date: Nov 13th, 2006 3:44 PM
Aww Spanky! That's awful! I have a cat too,she is 10 years old. Luckily she has been really healthy all these years. I can't answer any of your questions,(sorry!) Sometimes I worry and wonder about what I would do if something was medically wrong with my kitty because we don't have much money as it is and if she ever needed anything done I'd be in a hard spot of what to do because those kinds of things can be costly so I hope she remains healthy! I love my cat almost as much as I love my son! That sounds crazy but I really do love her alot! I've had her since she was just a few weeks old and she is really attached to me too! She knows she's (mommies girl!) I love her to pieces! I dread the day when I have to choose a pricey surgery or put her to sleep because as much as I won't want to I will probably have to put her to sleep when that day comes! It will kill me to do it and I will probably not own another animal after that. She is 10 now and I hope she will have another healthy,happy 10! 

Name: spankyx0711 | Date: Nov 13th, 2006 7:58 PM
i wake up this morning to Captain moaning. He looks ten times worse than he did yesterday. Here it is, 2 in the morning and I really didn't think he'd make it to 8 when the vet opened. He was walking though which is progress but you could barely call it that. it was more of an army commando crawl thing. he even drank some water this morning and then passed out face first into it. it's so heart wrenching to see him like this. i took him to the vet and they took x rays and his bladder is so swollen that it's putting pressure on his kidneys which are swollen too. they said he had a severe bladder infection and was on the brink of kidney failure. they told me that they were going to put him under general anestesia and insert a catheter to flush the urine out and i was relieved this was his first option instead of surgery thinking i'll get away with only spending around $500. Wrong. He said at most $1000. I started crying right then and there and had to ask about putting him down. I couldn't even get those words out of my mouth. He said for $70 they put him down and bury him. So for $70 effing dollars you can kill my cat but it costs nearly a grand for him to live?! I opted for the catheter and figured when he got his next infection, which the vet told me he probably would get another one seeing as he has a history, we'd put him down then. But we're all going to enjoy our time with him until then. He's such a great cat. Never any behavioral problems whatsoever and soooo beautiful too. He always gets complimented even by my boyfriend who HATES cats. Thanks for all the advice guys. 


Name: spankyx0711 | Date: Nov 14th, 2006 3:40 AM
The vet called me at about 1 in the afternoon and said he's making a real turn around. They said that we could have him home as early as tomorrow afternoon. I thought this was great because we just wanted him to be comfortable again. And then we were going to spend our remaining time with him until he developed another infection and then have him put to sleep. Well, I get a call at 7 from the overnight vet and she tells me Captain had a seizure and that he won't make it through the night. I asked if he was still sedated or on any pain medication, she tells me it's wearing off. So then I ask if it was okay if we had him euthanized tonight. So me, my mom, my little brother and sister all said our goodbyes. I'm so heartbroken and I wish he never had to suffer in the first place. He wasn't even old! He was only just 4 years. He's in a better place now and thanks everyone for your replies. 

Name: atomic snowflake | Date: Nov 14th, 2006 11:56 AM
I'm sorry about your bad news :-(
You did your best for him. 

Name: spankyx0711 | Date: Nov 15th, 2006 4:28 AM
thanks atomic 

Name: Lizzi | Date: Nov 15th, 2006 6:43 PM
I'm so sorry Spanky! I have a cat too and I know how much you loved your Captain! Wow,4years is awful young,I'm so sorry for you,I truly am! 

Name: spankyx0711 | Date: Nov 18th, 2006 5:31 AM
thanks lizzi. well i went and picked up his ashes today and they gave me this little poem with his paw print stamped on it and some of his fur. now he'll always be with me. 

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