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Poor Duchess!
Sunday she started acting suspiciously like she had a UTI. She'd go to the litterbox every few minutes and deposit a couple of drops. She'd also occasionally deposit some drops in random locations. Not fun. I considered sitting in my vet's office without an appointment, hoping to get out of there in time for a 10am meeting at work.
She quit doing it. She was fine Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday. I had started to think I imagined the whole episode.
Wednesday she started doing it again with a vengeance. The house was a mess. (Fortunately, small amounts are very easy to clean up. Also fortunately, this stuff is rather dilute.) So I made an appointment and brought her in this morning.
Turns out they won't do a thing with her unless they can get some urine to check. Of course she didn't have any! Heck, I could have told them that before I went in. Sheesh. And of course Thursday is the one day that my vet's office isn't open all day, so they can't keep her and watch for a sample.
SIGH
So I bring her in again first thing tomorrow morning. Meantime, she's confined to a room with a moppable floor.
Poor thing.
She quit doing it. She was fine Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday. I had started to think I imagined the whole episode.
Wednesday she started doing it again with a vengeance. The house was a mess. (Fortunately, small amounts are very easy to clean up. Also fortunately, this stuff is rather dilute.) So I made an appointment and brought her in this morning.
Turns out they won't do a thing with her unless they can get some urine to check. Of course she didn't have any! Heck, I could have told them that before I went in. Sheesh. And of course Thursday is the one day that my vet's office isn't open all day, so they can't keep her and watch for a sample.
SIGH
So I bring her in again first thing tomorrow morning. Meantime, she's confined to a room with a moppable floor.
Poor thing.
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Also, do some research yourself on FLUTD, esp. type II -- overall the recommendation is that it is likely that there isn't much the vet can do. Make sure she gets enough liquid by feeding her a canned food diet, she might need some antibiotics, and potentially things could turn to crystals and cause massive pain or even create a blockage, which is the most dangerous situation.
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Thanks for the tip on FLUTD. Huh: infection as the primary cause seems to be rare, but FLUTD is "rarely seen in older cats" (which she is) and infection is a more likely possibility in that case. Hrm. Well, I have to admit I hope she's simply infected. I do not look forward to caring for an incontinent cat for the next decade. (She's eleven, but the last cat I had who died of old age lived to 21.5.)
Fortunately, she's clearly not blocked. That bladder was empty!
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She'd go to the litterbox every few minutes and deposit a couple of drops. She'd also occasionally deposit some drops in random locations.
I'd say it sounds like prostate trouble, except, uh... :-)
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Hope she's feeling better very soon.
Re: Hope she's feeling better very soon.
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I hope it's something easily treatable.
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If you are not happy with your vet, I suggest that you switch vets.
Keep us posted on how she does.
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I'll post results!
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Harlie got a UTI last year just as we were leaving for our honeymoon. She kept going to her box about every two minutes and didn't seem to be doing anything. And she was acting weird. We took her in and they thought that's what it was (UTI), then she peed blood all over the ER floor (of course this always happens in the middle of the night the day before we are flying somewhere). The docs scraped up her bloody pee and confirmed that it was in fact a UTI. They started her on antibiotics, but because she was still peeing blood the next day we had to board her at her regular vet while we were gone, rather than leave her with her catsitter here at the house. The antibiotics cleared everything up and she is now on prescription food which is expensive for cat food but way cheaper than kitty-ER. Since on the new food she has not had any UTIs or colitis (something she had a couple of bouts with when we first got her).
I hope Duchess can get diagnosed and on anitbiotics soon if she needs them.
We are very happy with our vet (both regular and ER), but we are on the other side of the bay, so not so good for you. But, yeah, it really helps to have vets you feel like you can trust. Our vets got tested early as Harlie had colitis not long after we got her (tends to be a kitten/young cat thing) and they were really great with the UTI thing. They were very nice when we called everyday from our honeymoon in Alaska to check on her.
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I shouldn't be laughing, I shouldn't, I shouldn't... but it's exactly what my kitties would do. Jackie's timing, in particular, can be stunningly bad.
Prescription food, huh? Low magnesium maybe? Wet food?
Glad Harlie is all better now!
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And thanks! We are happy Harlie is better too.
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Harlie's a sweetie. I love the icon you have with Harlie -- particularly the claw! That's excellent!
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Get a vet you're happy with...
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Good point. I'll stick with this one for the nonce, because I'm already halfway in on this particular issue, but I'll switch to (at the least) someone nearby for the next round of vaccinations.
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Gizmo thanks you!
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I will send healthy purrs to Duchess.
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If it makes you feel any better, Duchess may have gotten this because... lumps of bad stuff... can caught in her fur when she squats. If you are not as furry you might be less at risk.
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At any rate, Little Girl (my newest addition) is eldest at roughly thirteen, and the other two are roughly eleven, so I'm right there with you on the ages. They're all pretty healthy too, il-hamdulillah. And I know what you mean about the bills. Princess did a serious number on my credit card when she was eighteen or nineteen. She was lucky I'd just come off a lucrative contract. Cancer AND... oh heck, long story, but the Visa card cured her and she lived for three more years. I never regretted a penny of it, but I agree it wasn't cheap.
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My (now deceased) calico Bandit once had a UTI in her more senior years. I too worried about whether she would remain incontinent. Fortunately antibiotics cleared it up, and I think we were even able to keep her on the same cat food (Science Diet). (She lived to almost 15 years old. Natasha on the other hand, is about 4.)
Something also to check (but may not have anything to do with Duchess' condition): Is she dehydrated? If you pull at a scruff of skin on her back does it snap back with elasticity or go back slowly? If the latter, she may be dehydrated and could need sub-cue fluids... or just be encouraged to drink more. (I think of this because I had several kitties with kidney? disease that became dehydrated... and the "drops" left in the litter box by Duchess would concern me in this direction.) Something to check anyway... and if she IS dehydrated, definitely talk to the vet about it!
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It's good to know that antibiotics cleared it up and she didn't even need a diet change. Thanks!