Cat with bladder stones

MalMonroe

Hi, I wondered if anyone had ever had a cat with such stones and if so, what action they took. 

sheramber

not a cat but have had two dogs with them.

It depends on what kind of stones they are.

Whether there is a total blockage or partial blockage.

 One was treated by special diet and medication o dissolve them and then medication for life to prevent recurrence.

The other treated with a restricted diet for life  and medication until they were gone. That  was due to the kind of stones he had which his  breed can be are prone to.

MalMonroe

Thank you @sheramber.

I took our cat to the vet the other day because I thought she was constipated. But it turned out that she has a bladder stone and no constipation. Thankfully no blockage as yet.

Because she 'crashed' when they anaesthetised her just to examine and Xray her (she has a feral background but is fine with us at home), the option of surgery was not going to be an option so the vet came up with two alternatives - diet or euthanasia.  That was not a good day.

Naturally we were very shocked at the euthanasia option, so we are trying the diet. Which, to my surprise is going really well so far. 

I was just looking for reassurance really that there might be some hope - there's no way we can get medication down her, we've tried. But we want to give her the best possible chance without causing her any suffering. I just wish she could have the operation which the vet said is fairly simple but I feel that'd be the same as taking her for euthanasia as we can't guarantee she'll be okay under the sedation. She's 12, which I don't think is a bad age but our previous cats lived to be 17 and 18 respectively - and she's always been an indoor cat. That was the first time she reacted so badly to anaesthesia. She was fine during her neutering - although that was some years ago, obviously.

For now we're just monitoring the situation and hoping the diet will help her - although the vet said it will be about 6 weeks before any real improvement can be seen.

Thank you so much anyway for responding, and it's been really helpful to just get this off my chest!      

donnac2558

Usually they will remove them but as your cat cannot be put under hopefully the diet works.

Brie

MalMonroe said:

That was the first time she reacted so badly to anaesthesia. She was fine during her neutering - although that was some years ago, obviously.

Is it possible that the kidney stones and the bad reaction are related in any way?  Perhaps once things have calmed down a bit the operation may become possible.  

Lots of hugs for you and your kitten (they're all kittens no matter what their age)

MalMonroe

donnac2558 said:

Usually they will remove them but as your cat cannot be put under hopefully the diet works.

Thank you, yes that is what the vet said, so we are crossing our fingers. At least she really does seem to like the diet food. So far, she's usually a very picky eater but maybe she realises that this new stuff is (hopefully) going to help. 

MalMonroe

Brie said:

MalMonroe said:

That was the first time she reacted so badly to anaesthesia. She was fine during her neutering - although that was some years ago, obviously.

Is it possible that the kidney stones and the bad reaction are related in any way?  Perhaps once things have calmed down a bit the operation may become possible.  

Lots of hugs for you and your kitten (they're all kittens no matter what their age)

Thank you, yes, she will always be our kitten. We found her at the side of the road when she was tiny. The vet then said she was about 6 weeks old. She was starving hungry and had fleas and a sore eye but recovered well under our spectacular care (!)  We are hoping our care will do the trick again   . . .  we can only try, anyway.     

DD265

One of our cats (5.5yo now) has had bladder stones.

He was struggling to urinate Easter 2020. Vets had trouble getting a catheter in (and he has a tendancy to pull them out) and he ended up having surgery in June/July. The stones were removed and sent for testing but the lab lost them. We've been feeding a urology diet since.

In May/June last year we noticed he was straining again and took him, plus a urine sample, to the vet. I would recommend taking a urine sample every time you go, if you can, as it really speeds up proceedings! Pro tip: the sample pots available from pharmacies (usually £1 each ish) are way bigger than the ones vets tend to supply and therefore easier to use. He was diagnosed with an infection but the antibiotics weren't really helping. Vet did ultrasound, saw a stone, performed surgery but couldn't find the stone anywhere, so none of us know what that was about. Vet has made some educated guesses about the type of stone, but these were less relevant in 2021 as the vet found that the bladder was really badly inflamed. He had a course of steroids which were gradually reduced and touch wood he's been OK since.

We keep them on the urology food (two cats, brothers from the same litter, so combination of it's easier and hopefully reduces risk for the second cat), have two water fountains on the go with filtered water, are meticulous about the litter trays and have Feliway upstairs and downstairs. We'd stopped the Feliway in spring last year so whilst I can't be sure it helps, I daren't risk it now. At this point our best guess is that the root cause is stress related, and that something happens in late winter/early spring (we moved to this house in Feb 2019) which triggers him; perhaps more neighbourhood cats hanging around. We also feed him literally anywhere in the house that he desires; sometimes he's fine eating alongside his brother, other times it's the conservatory, living room or upstairs in our home office. Anything to get the wet food down him.

At our last checkup/booster appointment (October/November), the vet suggested we go back in early spring to discuss preventative medication, so I'll be booking that appointment next month. This could be anti-inflammatories or steroids, depending on what the vet thinks at the time. Our cat is really good at taking meds but the steroids can be injected, though this allows less control over the dosage. The vet also mentioned keeping weight down, though that's definitely something we struggle with, particularly as they are indoor cats, and he's a proper fatty right now.

Food wise, we feed:
Royal Canin Urinary S/O Adult Cat Food Wet Morsels in Gravy (this is beef, they also do a loaf)
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Feline UR (Urinary) St/Ox Wet Food Pouches (this comes in Salmon or Chicken)
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Cat UR (Urinary) ST/OX Dry Food (chicken, but also available in fish)

Animed Direct is usually the cheapest but frequently have stock issues with the Salmon, so I end up at Pet Planet then. We push them to have more wet food than dry where we can, but the dry food does encourage them to drink and it's good for their teeth at least.

I don't come on the forums that regularly these days, but you're welcome to ask any questions and I'll try to pop in a bit more frequently

ETA, it's good to learn the warning signs for your cat. For us, if he goes outside the litter tray we're on red alert. When he's sore/blocked, he'll look for a quiet corner and/or soft surface. He also starts going to the litter tray a lot. Our trays are covered and out of the way in the utility, so we can't see he's straining without actively going to look, but it's quite easy to notice that he seems to be going that way often. If we do look, and there's any dripping or straining, it's to the vet as an emergency. I didn't know initially, but a blockage is life threatening, so I'm glad you took it seriously when you noticed something wrong too.

When he's having difficulty, we'll put an additional tray down in a different area of the house. We can usually tell which bit of urine is from which cat in the tray, based on volume and location in the tray generally, so we can get a feel for if he's urinating well.

MalMonroe

@DD265 - many thanks for that. It's really useful to know that there are alternative flavours and consistencies of food for our cat to try. So far, she is really lapping up the one the vet prescribed and charged for (cheeky) before even offering us a choice - which has amazed us since she is normally a very picky eater. (And although she likes wet food and most flavours, formerly if she ate anything other than biscuits - wheat and grain free, chicken only - she'd vomit.) She doesn't like the wet one though. It's Royal Canin biscuits. We'll probably stick with RC as that's the one the vet recommended and she likes it. 

Because our kit is formerly feral, and even though we rescued her from a very early grave at the age of around 5-6 weeks, she will not allow us to pick her up, collect urine or even put her in a carry case to get her to the vet. Last week was a one-off and now we've betrayed her in that fashion (grabbing and pushing into the case), she will ever be on the alert. From being shoved into the case until arriving home she was in a state of great anxiety and shock. Plus, she 'died' when they sedated her. They had to sedate her before they could even touch her but they did say that she wasn't the worst they'd ever seen. (I'd love to meet that one!) We were given some gabapentin - one tablet twice a day and although I've crushed it and tried to hide it (difficult with biscuits, even when served with a splash of water) she has refused to even try. She was Xrayed and given painkiller and antibiotic injections under sedation and according to the invoice they are supposed to last 14 days. 

She wasn't averse to being taken to the vets until she was spayed and microchipped years ago. I guess we'll never find out what happened at the vets on that occasion but she was never the same pliable little kitten again. We switched vets after that. 

Now she can't have surgery - the best option - because she died during sedation. Thankfully they quickly resuscitated her but warned that the op will probably kill her. Even then the vet was all doom and gloom, telling us about the difficult aftercare - which doesn't bother us at all. She was pushing us towards euthanasia and I've been thinking about reporting her for that. That same vet recommended euthanasia for my neighbour's cat too.

Anyway, for now she is on the biscuit diet which seems to be suiting her so far and the vet said it'd take about six weeks before we'd know if there was any improvement or not. She's still eating, asks for food when she's hungry, is alert, playful and curious and I was shocked when the vet mentioned euthanasia. She's 12 but she's not a lost cause so we're going to do the best we can for her because she deserves our best efforts. 

We have always monitored her litter tray and as she's an indoor cat it's easy and we continue to do so. Obviously if an emergency does arise we'll have no option but to rush her to the vet, as you say. (I've registered her with another one, this one apparently has an excellent cat care specialist. And having spoken to a vet there, they do seem kind. We'll see). 

When I went to collect her and the vet was speaking to me, as they do, Pashmina was growling all the time! So, recovered nicely, I thought. 

By the way, do you think there's a difference between male and female cats - I mean apart from the obvious. We've shared our home with cats for the last thirty years and the two before Pashmina were boys. So loving and malleable, both of them.  Before that we had a female and she wasn't half as loving. Of course Pashmina has a wild background but when we first found her she was quite amenable to a cuddle here or there but could turn aggressive as soon as look at you. It was a bit of a shock after having had such lovely boys. Still, they all have different personalities and we have learned that we are not in charge. 

Many thanks again for troubling to respond, I do appreciate your help and advice. 

DD265

Urine samples - you can get non-absorbant litter in a clean tray, then use a pipette to collect the urine around it. The brands I know of are Katkor and Catrine. We tend to run up behind ours when he's mid flow and just stick the vial under there. He often looks miffed but did get used to it.

We had Gabapentin too, amongst other things. Loxicom was the liquid anti-inflammatory but I think that was mainly post surgery/catheterisation. You can get little things - like a syringe with a claw on the end - to help get the tablet in but we found as soon as the tablets got wet as they'd turn to mush. I kneel on the floor, wedge the cat between my knees so he can't go anywhere, then open his mouth and chuck the tablet on the back of his tongue, and hold his mouth shut until I'm certain he's swallowed. There are a variety of paste treats on the market now that you could try if she likes those, or I've never been afraid of a little tuna in spring water as a bribe.

Vet sounds a bit odd, but it also sounds like you won't be going back unless you really need to, to avoid the stress. From what our vet said, it's fairly unusual for a cat to block up repeatedly once they're on the diet and any other environmental changes have been made, so hopefully that's true for you.

My parents had a female cat, and she was always standoffish, BUT they think she was hurt by a burgler, and she had to put up with us growing up. I don't really have any other experience with females, but our boys are the sweetest mogs. Male cats are more prone to blockages (the urethra is narrower through the penis, and one treatment option for recurring blockages is removing the penis), so that's something I learned in this process too.