Cat licking himself quite excessively and appetite has increased

Gaia2014

Over the past few days I have noticed that my male cat has been licking himself a lot lately (especially around his behind)... I've also noticed that he is visiting his litter tray more than usual (when indoors) and seems to be visiting his usual toilet spots more outdoors. He doesn't seem to be constipated because he has done his business as usual (evidenced by litter tray contents).. but the licking continues.

As I say, he seems to be eating more than usual. Other than that he seems his usual self despite having a heart condition... I think he may have worms. I've given him a frontal tablet today (1 tablet). I'm due to take him to the vet later this month for his annual vaccine and intend to mention this then... Anybody else's cat (s) behaved like this? I think I worry about him more due to his heart condition. But, I hope it's nothing more than a case of easily treated worms in this case.

Iain_L

Personally, if I was seeing such a change in his behaviour and it would appear that he is in a little discomfort, I wouldn't wait until later this month, I'd take him to the vet now.

It's not fair to him to just "hope it's nothing more than a case of easily treated worms in this case".

He is obviously uncomfortable about something.

Iain

Gaia2014

I took him to the vet this morning. He has cystitis and has been prescribed appropriate medication...Otherwise in good health.

Iain_L

Gaia2014 wrote: »

I took him to the vet this morning. He has cystitis and has been prescribed appropriate medication...Otherwise in good health.

Good news, hopefully he'll be a happier lad soon.

Gaia2014

Hope so... he's sleeping it off at the moment. He's also had his annual flu vaccine, so probably feeling a bit under the weather all things considered... was pleased to learn that his heart condition is stable though. Glad I took him down today. I wouldn't have waited though. Too worried.

Better_Days

Just to make you aware, cystitis can be very serious if not picked up quickly. It can be more of a problem in male cats as the 'tubes' are thinner.

See here:

Male cats may develop enough crystals in the urethra (the narrow tube carrying urine out of the body) to cause an obstruction. This obstruction prevents elimination of urine from the bladder. If the obstruction is not relieved within 48 hours, most cats will die from kidney failure and the retention of toxins that were not removed by the kidneys. Because the urethra is relatively larger in the female cat, the emergency posed by complete obstruction is almost always found in male cats

http://www.homevet.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=381:what-causes-cystitis-or-fus-or-flutd

We had a male cat that repeatedly got cystitis. In the end he had an operation called a perineal urethrostomy.

In this surgery, the distal part of the penis is removed and the more expanded section of the urethra then is opened up and sutured to the surrounding skin to widen the urethral orifice. A perineal urethrostomy will decrease the likelihood of future obstruction but will not prevent the symptoms of cystitis or lower urinary tract disease that already may be present.

http://www.animalmedcenter.com/faqs/category/urethral-obstruction-and-perineal-urethrostomy-in-cats1

Hope thats not TMI for any chaps reading :eek:

The main thing is it sorted out the problem for our kitty who lived to be 19.

Gaia2014

A quick update. My cat is now at the vets for an overnight stay. Noticed that he didn't pass any urine when he visited his litter tray twice. I rang the vets surgery and they suggested bringing him overnight for monitoring. The have given him extra pain relief and something else to help the bladder. He is in no discomfort and his bladder is still small (so not sign of retention per se). However, i think it is prudent to keep him in overnight for observation. I also read that male cats are more prone to complications, so I don't want to take any chances.

Better_Days

Thanks for the update. Hope kitty is OK.

It will be worth keeping a close eye on him in the future as the problem may reoccur. One of the reasons we had the op done on our kitty was that we were worried about going on holiday, and that a cattery might not monitor him closely enough.

Gaia2014

Thanks Better Days. I'll know more in the morning. Hopefully he will have passed urine. Otherwise, I'm guessing they will have to try other interventions. The vet did report that his bladder wasn't distended during his check up this afternoon. But, it's a worry all the same. I hope he won't require the op your describe. Fingers crossed.

I might seek some advice about reducing his weight too (he's 7 kg) and whilst he's not obese I would say he's slightly on the larger side. He has two wet pouches a day and a bowl of dry food available all day alongside plenty of water of course. I've noticed his appetite has been greater lately for some reason, even during this period of cystitis.

GwylimT

Gaia2014 dry food is the biggest cause of urinary problems and kidney problems in cats, despite this many vets advise dry food! The best thing you can do for him is to remove all dry food from his diet and even add water to his wet. It is not advisable to add water to dry food due to its bacteria content from being stores for long periods.

Gaia2014

Really, I didn't know that. So what is recommended. Three pouches of wet each day?
Also, I've heard that a lot of wet food contains sugar... do you recommend any particular variety of wet food? I tend to give mine a variety of brands. He does seem to have a particular favourite though.