07/55 - Small Kitty - Sad sight :(

Good morning everyone,


Those who followed my (last posts) know that I’ve been dealing with an issue that was not funny at all. Small Kitty or Big Brother (or both) had taken my 4 rooms apartment as a litter box. One corner had so much urine that the wooden floor turned black and the lamp rusted away. Completely fixing all urination sites took me almost a month. If you look at the post(s), a possible diagnostic had been found (or so we thought) and an urgent action plan was put forward. Results came up right after, putting both kitties on anti-depressant, adding an extra litter box, deeply cleaning the 2 other ones and throw the old litter away and put new one seem to work. Every day there is 2 small spot + I’ve seen both doing a good job. Each time they’re done with doing it I give them threats to congratulate them. So far so good, until the last few days.


Every day I could see one kitties going to the litter box then the other but not during the few days. Big Brother is doing it fine but not Small Kitty. As I’m receiving Amanda @Osha and her daughter in a few days there was no margin of error on the urination file. Concerns were at a high level yesterday when I came back from the office. So much that I set myself on my knees and walked in every room sniffing the bottom of the walls and furniture in the search or urination traces, thank God, I found nothing.


The veterinary had evoked different possibilities to explain the comportment, some where eliminated. The one that came on top was a comportment issue, fixed with pills. Another was bladder/uti infection, fixed by urinary test (no infection found). Next test that could answer other questions were scan to detect ‘’rock’’ in the bladder, weird bacteria with advanced/expensive blood work. But still, the comportment was most probable. I think that this can be eliminated with something that happened this morning. When Small Kitty came out of his night ride outside he was in a complaining mood, meowing for no apparent reason. The good boy brought up some interesting clue in what he did next. He walked to one of the 3 litter box, set himself in standby mode (see video) and just stayed there for more than a minute. I felt so sad that I took him in my harms and started petting him, he didn’t purred. Once back on the floor he went to the second litter box with the same way, belly down on standby (see video). Again, after some time he went away and went to the third litter box (video). This time is scratched the litter meowing to get out again. By then I had to prepare myself so I stopped observing. Once done I resumed to find the same exact comportment but with a slight difference. He stayed in the litter box for litter more time. When he came out I found that something came out but it was solid, still no urination.


This scenario shows (I think) that he has good will and no bad intention, now that he’s on pill. But there is still something wrong. How can an animal evacuate solid and keep the liquid on hold ? (he pooped but didn’t pee). I’m very very very concerned with the situation, if I had the financial means to pursue the investigation I would run to the vet tonight to have the scan and deep blood test analysis made. Thing is that fixing both kitties this month cost 500$ more and reloading strips for a few months another 300$. After full month travelling with all what’s involved this vet thing maxed credit cards and drained my account.


I feel very very sad right now, see the video and you’ll see why, I think my little guy is not in a good shape. He’s eating, drinking, playing, purring but I don’t know what hiding behind the health door. See the videos, very sad sight.

(Sad Sight video)

Hope all of you are having better chance with your kitties.

Sébastien

Last post

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I'm so sorry this is going on, Sébastien. It's hard to know if he's peeing at all because he goes out at night. You say he's been better since your first post about this and starting him on ProZac. If I understand correctly, you haven't found any peeing inside your apartment recently. If it is the sterile cysitis it can come and go over time and it's possible that this is another flare. The Prozac seems to have helped but maybe not 100%. Something to consider. What you want to be aware of is the danger of a full blockage. That's an emergency.

When Teasel was having his frequent episodes my vet prescribed Cerenia for its antiinflammatory effect, buprenorphine for pain and prazosin, an antispasmodic for the urethra. Maybe SK needs some other meds to help.

I know you're tapped out financially right now. Would you reconsider switching to a human meter to reduce testing costs? Strips are expensive everywhere in Canada but human meter strips are about half the cost of AT strips. Just an idea. Maybe Amanda can get you a Walmart ReliOn meter and a big supply of cheap strips from where she lives.

 

Hello. I would suggest removing the lid from the litter box. I have read that many cats do not like the confined space. In the case of a multiple cat home it is also a matter of safety. The cat using the pan needs to be able to see the other cats in the vicinity and escape rapidly if necessary. My Harley is in the habit of sitting within 2 feet of the litter box and staring at the cat trying to take care of business. Harley has also pounced on the cat exiting the toilet. It is a miracle I do not have toileting problems!

Harley is such a weirdo.

 

Yeah, I did that. Two have no lid and the one in the kitchen has it on. The one with lid is not used that much but
in his distress moments this morning he used it as well.

Very good suggestion, thanks Michele !
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My vet prescribed those meds for Teasel even after we'd decided it wasn't a UTI bit the idiopathic cystitis thing. The symptom management helped during his flares.

 

We did intra-muscular Adequan injections in a cat with interstitial cystitis with dramatically good results. His behavior was much like SK. He would just go and lay in the litter box for a while but nothing would happen. Here's one article: https://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/march/adequan_cats_dogs-7028

So sorry your buddy is having such a tough time, I know that you are stressed. I hope things turn around soon.

 

Sorry I don't have any helpful advice, but I'm sending loads of prayers and vines for Small Kitty.

 

You people are very very nice. The issue is physiologic but also emotional and you're attacking both.
All of your ideas and advice inspire me. The visit to the vet (two actually) were to get results. We got
part of it but a big step is yet to be made. I'll call the vet trying to get it progress within the same ''package''.
The 500$ they got didn't fix Small Kitty completely so I'll call them and try to get the meds without another
250$ visit. When someone is calling me for a computer problem and it's partly fixed they call back and
it's my job to pursue the process in making it working fine. Hope they will have the same vision as I do.

Keeping you up to date ! Thanks for your support. Will make Small Kitty work as a fine tuned computer

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WOW, another cat with the same symptoms !! Ouff, happy we're not on a deserted island. It's so weird that it was to be
the title of my post. The cow ''hormone'' (Adequan) is quite heavy duty, will need a very open minded vet. I'll give it a try
suggesting it.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience !

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My vet also suggested I use Cosequin (glucosamine/chondroitin) to help with Teasel's bladder inflammation. I used it for a while but his problem stopped before I could say whether it had a positive effect. Adequan is much heavier duty but is also used for arthritis problems in cats, dogs, horses, etc. There are a number of FDMB members who give it to their kitties for arthritis.

 

Have you tried D-mannose? it can be very helpful for bladder/UT issues. And yes, it is sugar, but not the kind that will affect blood glucose. I use the NOW brand from amazon.com but they say it only ships to the US, so maybe Amanda can order it for you.

 

This was actually back in 1999, and it was VERY unusual at that time. I don't know if it is more commonly done now -- like Kris, I think that it is used mostly for arthritis -- but the vet at the specialty hospital that we took our boy to in 1999 (he was just a wee lad, less than 6 months old) had gone to school under a Professor at the University of Virginia that kind of specialized in all things bladder related, and she contacted him and that is what he recommended. I should have added that we did try oral Cosequin first, without any results.

I am not saying it is definite, but those sad looks in the litter box looked so familiar. My boy would also, at times, cycle through having teeny-tiny pees (really just a few drops) all over the house outside the box, but as long as it was on something light in color, you could see a tinge of pink (blood) in it from the inflammation. They said it was because as soon as any liquid hit his bladder, it would burn from the inflammation so he would try to get rid of it right away even if he had just gone 1 minute earlier. He was SO sad, and so miserable, I truly think that getting him on the Adequan saved his life because I wouldn't have let him suffer forever if we couldn't have found something to help him.

Good luck, and enjoy your visitors soon