HI Everyone Well, Aurora continues to do great OTJ - I continue to check her weekly on Sunday's though I seem to have gotten lazy with my spreadsheet but I keep a paper in the kitchen drawer and she is usually always in the 60-70 range. Last week she had a very odd episode. I was getting their breakfast ready and she went to the living room and laid on the fireplace marble. Her left side was rising and lowering quickly and she opened her mouth for a brief second. I thought she was going to pass a hairball so I ran and got some papertowel but she just continued to have that rapid breathing or heart rate, I'm not sure what was going up and down so fast. She moved under the coffee table and stayed there for about 20 minutes but then came out and went to the basement and wanted to play string and then she came up and ate and she was acting normal for the rest of the day. We wondered if maybe her blood glucose dropped too low so we gave her a can of fancy feast with gravy and that really seemed to pep her up. The next day Friday we gave her another can. Well, I guess that was too rich her her (the vet strongly feels she has IBS ) and that triggered the runs. I noticed on Monday this week that there weren't any of her pees in the litter box. I continued to watch her and Monday night she was on the basement area rug and was being weird so I quickly ran for some papertowel and caught the pee just in time. We lifted up the rug to find about 3-4 other spots. Thankfully I had some natures miracle ( Which BTW I don't think works very well at all, I can still smell it in the rug ). Took her to the vet yesterday - ran a full blood work up with thyroid, did an x ray to check her chest, and a urine sample to send for culture. The blood work was all completely normal including her glucose. Side note, the vet is really pressuring me to get the alpha track monitor and strips because she just doesn't understand the human #'s. I told her I refuse to pay the cost of the alpha meter strips...not sure how to convince her that what I'm doing is fine Anyways, her urine appeared to be cloudy and she gave her a convenia injection and sent us home. She slept most of the day/early evening but when she got up she did use the litter box. I have those blink XT security cameras and set one up over looking the rug she's peeing on and sure enough at 4am she peed on the rug again. Ugh. She seems really weird, going all over and her tail is wagging back and forth. Drinking quite a bit of water despite blood work being all normal including thyroid results. She has been drinking lots of water for months now...... I'm torn on the rug - part of me says remove it completely but then I have more of those same shaggy area rugs from Costco so I feel she will just pick another to make her toilet. Should I just keep the current rug and keep cleaning that? Urine culture won't be back until at least Friday or Saturday. Perhaps the strain of bacteria isn't responding to the convenia? I sanitized the litter box in the basement so it's fresh with all new litter. I also put a spare litter box right beside the rug she's peeing on and she did use that a couple times but also went on the rug as well. Her eyes are big.... I'm at a loss. I'm exhausted too. Just looking for some words of advice on how to handle this and if I'm missing something with this water drinking....could she just be super stressed and need an anti anxiety med? Thanks everyone! I'm going to bed but I"ll check for responses in the AM.
Hi Nicole. I’m glad Aurora has been doing well. Your vet should have cultured the urine to see what type of bacteria and which antibiotic to use. Convenia is likely not the right choice. Many here refuse to use it because if a cat has a bad reaction there’s nothing you can do and it stays in their system for several weeks. Max did receive it a few times but that was after a dental. He did not have a bad reaction thankfully. I bet Aurora is trying to let you know she needs the right antibiotic. Unfortunately that means another trip to the vet for a urinalysis and culture but that’s what I would do.
Hi Nicole! I'm sorry to hear that Aurora isn't feeling well. Hopefully the culture results will be available soon so that you'll know for sure if she has a UTI. Has anything been happening that would cause her stress? What did the vet say about the heavy breathing? Not sure that a UTI would cause this symptom?
Poor Aurora. It sounds like she may have a UTI. When Furball had one she was uncomfortable and because she couldn't pee in the lb she looked for other places to pee. I hope the test results give you some answers. If it is a UTI, you can get some D-Mannose and give it to her. It helped Furball and it won't hurt if she doesn't have a UTI. I bought capsules and divided them into thirds and put the powder in smaller capsules. Sending prayers.
Hey there and sorry that Aurora is having a problem. When they have UTI and or crystals in there urine, they will associate the LB with the pain and start going out of the box unfortunately. Also, they will seek out cool surfaces to lay on like the fireplace marble hearth or a bathtub. I hope the culture will clearly show what is going on and the right AB will RX. I agree with Tiffmaxee about the Convenia. Lots of us, including myself stay away from it for the reason Elise mentioned. And the indications for it are for skin infections and seems like it is RX incorrectly by a lot of vets. ( it's a big money maker as it's pricey) Carfurby gave good advice about the D-mannose. You can also buy it loose and add 1/4 tsp in the food a couple times a day. When I added it to Forrest's food, he didn't seem to know it was there but, that can be an ECID thing. Keep us posted and glad that she is still doing well OTJ wise. I would test her daily for now until you know the immediate problem is over as an infection can send kitties out of remission quickly.
@Judy and Boomer; @tiffmaxee; @carfurby; @Bobbie And Bubba Hi Everyone, sorry for the late reply, work has been absolutely crazy for me. So here is the 411 on everything. They did take a urine sample via needle and sent it for culture but that takes 3-5 days so it's not back yet. They opted for the convenia because she's had it before and because of her IBS she felt the convenia was the best choice to avoid another episode of the runs. I triggered that by giving her the fancy feast and potentially caused this. I did call the vet tonight when I got home and they said there was a preliminary result back and it wasn't showing anything. She said there was a small amount of protein but nothing to point to a UTI. I have heard of D-mannose before, when I was part of the renal cats group they suggested it but I thought it only works if the infection is E. coli based - it won't work if it's another bacteria. I can certainly pick some up and try. I believe I have some slippery elm, is that soothing to the bladder? As far as something else going on it's Mulan - she's the super jealous one, younger, she is only 4 and Aurora is around 12. Mulan loves to hunch down low and shake her butt and take off after Aurora and Aurora usually hisses and punches her. Mulan literally will try to jump on Aurora like she's trying to ride a horse. I don't know if Mulan has scared Aurora in the litter box - a couple times when I have been home I have witnessed Mulan trying to ambush her when she's in the litter box and she gets in trouble right away. I'm hesitant to put Mulan on any meds for this behavior because she already is on atopica 5 days per week for her severe allergies and also allergy shots 2x per week. I feel with an immune suppressant drug already, I don't want to load her up with something else. I thought maybe Aurora could benefit from something to help take the edge off - what do you all think of that? I still feel like Aurora is acting like she has a UTI - I don't believe this to be sudden marking behavior - seems odd to me that the culture isn't showing anything. They suggested repeating it again but to me that's seems like a waste of $$. They also suggested possibly referring me to a specialist for an ultrasound but with normal blood work and the x ray showed the bladder to be normal - what else could it be? Her teeth seem to cake on tarter quickly - the vet said her teeth need a scraping but that her gums looked good. I don't think dirty teeth have anything to do with this sudden change ? Ugh, I'm at a loss. I did put the spare 3rd litter box right beside the carpet and she has been using that so that's good. Natures miracle isn't really helping with the pee smell in the carpet. I switched to spot shot regular, not the pet one and sprayed the carpet with that so I'll have to see tomorrow if it passes the sniff test. A friend of mine from the gym has 5 cats and she said she's tried everything out there for pee smells, all the home remedies, and nothing really works 100%. Thanks! ~ Nicole
Hey there. Have you tried Feliaway? It might help both cats to cam them. I have had great results with Natures Miracle. At the end of Forrest life , he was peeing everywhere! I would blot up the urine with paper towels until I couldn’t see any more wetness in the paper towels and then put the NM all over where the urine was. I could not detect any urine smell after that and I think I have a keen sense of smell . As far as the teeth, any tartar can cause inflammation and inflammation can cause higher numbers. But the two issues with teeth and peeing aren’t related.
Hi Nicole, I'm wondering what, if anything, the vet said about Aurora's heavy breathing that one time you witnessed it?
@Judy and Boomer the vet wasn't sure about her open mouth breathing. She did the x rays and did what she called a cat o gram, no idea what that was but it got her heart and bladder in the image and all was fine. The open mouth was literally for maybe 5 seconds and it was only 1x. We're really not sure. That evening she did bring up a hairball on the basement carpet that she is now peeing on - it was really big. I didn't see her throw it up but I don't believe it belonged to Mulan since Aurora spends most of the time in the basement area ( partially finished basement ). @tiffmaxee would you mind posting to Maureen or Erika for me? I haven't been on that site in years, not sure if I even have a working log in anymore. @Bobbie And Bubba yes, I have used feliway in the past. My game plan is to buy 2 of them and have one diffuser in the basement where Aurora spends most of her time and another for the kitchen area where Mulan sits. I'm also going to go tomorrow and buy another one of the extra jumbo litter boxes that I have and I'm going to put that one in the basement as well but around the corner where Mulan isn't going to see Aurora using it - hopefully that gives her some privacy. I have one of these jumbo boxes in the main floor laundry room and one in the basement but I'll add the 3rd jumbo and also keep the spare beside the carpet until things seem to calm down. I don't believe that she doesn't have a UTI - Aurora always uses the litter box - seems odd that she would be acting sick, having that breathing episode, and start peeing on the carpet....plus she's down 2 full lbs from 13lbs 11 oz from November 2018 - now to 11 lbs 10 oz or something close to that oz as of Tuesday. She eats - so not sure besides the IBS that could cause that. Her labs are excellent - thyroid excellent, kidney results are slightly on the high end of normal but the vet said everything looked really positive. I wonder what meds would help to take the edge off for her? I did have Mulan on the amalytriptaline ( spelled wrong I'm sure ) as an attempt to control her crazy itching and that did really chill her out but did nothing for the allergies. I think Mulan just scares Aurora a lot though at times Aurora seems to really handle it well, maybe it really does bother her. Hopefully the feliway will help as well.
I'm sorry you didn't get any clear answers from the vet. I've never heard that D-Mannose only works if it's e-coli. I just know it helped Furball when the AB didn't clear up her UTI. I don't think it can hurt if you try it. I hope you can figure out what is going on. Sending prayers.
I have used D-mannose for a couple of kitties and thought it was helpful, too. Sending vines for Aurora to get all sorted out and feeline fine!
Hi everyone just a quick update. Aurora seems to be feeling better. She’s using the extra litter box I out next to the area rug she was peeing on. I also went and got a fourth box and that’s around the corner where Mulan can’t see her so she has options. I purchased two of the feliway multi cat diffusers and have one in the rooms each of them spends the most time. For those who have used the d mannose how frequently do you give it? I read for 7 days and that’s it? Or as needed if I suspect she might have a uti? The vet called and said the culture did not show anything but something was definitely up she’s acting like her old self again. Momma can now settle down....talk about stress yikes!
I'm glad Aurora is doing better. When I gave Furball D-Mannose for a UTI I gave it for the time period I gave her the antibiotic. I think it was 7 days.
I'm glad Aurora is doing better. With one kitty who had UTIs, she was put on an antibiotic for two weeks, retested positive, and put on a different antibiotic for two more weeks (this happened twice). I continued the D-mannose beyond that a couple weeks to help make sure it wasn't coming back. I think it would be good to start it up for several days if you're suspecting something, although usually by the time we realize, it may be far enough along that they need antibiotics. If only they could tell us a few days sooner, "I'm feeling a wee twinge," or "I feel like I'm in the litterbox every two hours today!"
Hi everyone Boy what a roller coaster the last 24 hours had been. Aurora was using the litter pan I out next to the carpet pretty consistently for a couple of days but yesterday she went into the box and jumped out and peed right next to it in the carpet. . I have the security cameras set at night and they capture all her movements. She peed on the carpet at 345am. Something is weird, she’s going all over looking in the basement for a corner or something to pee on but so far she hasn’t. This morning she used the litter box a couple of times. I went and got the d mannose and gave her 1/4 tsp in some babyfood. How much do I give and how Often? 1x per day? I am supoosed to talk to the vet tomorrow but when we spoke in Thursday last week the prelim culture was negative though she said the urine was cloudy. I’m not dragging her back to spend another $200 on a repeat culture. I already spent $600 on blood work, urine culture, x Ray and exam. I am hopeful the d mannose works. I also bought some slippery elm bark though I won’t give both at the same time. I read the slippery elm is soothing so maybe after 7 days of d mannose I can switch, anyone have feedback on using slippery elm for an ibs cat?
Hi Nicole, oh, yes what a roller coaster. I would give the D-mannose and I believe it is safe to give 1/4 tsp twice a day. I am tagging @JoyBee&Ravan as she is the one that told me the proportions. From my understanding, it is helpful for kitties with bacteria in their urine and also it has been helpful in kitties that don't have any bacteria in their urine but are having UTI issues from stress. Vets tend to slam the kitties on an AB sometimes needlessly. Over use of ABs are not good for our kitties. I would try the D-mannose and see if she gets relief. I think she will. I am currently giving it to my 91 almost 92 year old mom who has had repetitive UTI and was on 2 rounds of ABs. So far so good. As far as the Slippery Elm Bark (SEB), just give it to her 2 hours away from other meds or supplements as it can interfere with absorption.
@Bobbie And Bubba thanks! Well so far so good I gave her the d mannose again tonight another 1/4 tsp and right after she licked it she went immediately to the litter box to pee. I have heard good things about the d mannose. My friend has ic herself and uses it and says it helps. Fingers crossed we have another good day tomorrow.
Wonderful news! I am not sure, but I think that with kitties prone to UTI, bacterial or stress induced, that they can stay on the D-mannose indefinitely. I hope some others that use it will weigh in.
Good morning! Wanted to share that I am continuing to give Aurora 1/4 tsp of the d mannose powder and 1/2 capsule slippery elm in baby food and she’s back to using her litter box consistently. The vet called and said the culture showed white cells but no infection so basically bladder inflammation. I am going to keep up with the slippery elm 1/2 capsule am and pm. She suggested cosequin sprinkle capsules but I think the slippery elm is doing the same thing. I have been giving her the vital essentials turkey fries as a reward when she uses the litter box. She typically never gets this many treats. Her bg this morning was 101 which is higher than usual sundays she is usually between 60-80 but I’m guessing this is just because of the extra treats.
Only thing I can suggest is to have Aurora's blood pressure checked. Glad the D-Mannose seems to be helping. Kidney infections can be difficult to diagnose. http://www.felinecrf.org/pyelonephritis_utis.htm#diagnosis_difficulties
