Tom (Male) Cat can't wee (pee)...

[a1]

Hi Patch,

I am posting this on behalf of my neighbour...

Her Cat (Male) hasn't been to the toilet for 4 days! (Pee).

I don't know for certain how old he is, but he has to be around 8 or 9 Years old?! (He's a Persian).

She took him to the vets Friday Morning, The Vet gave him Two Injections, Massaged his Bladder/stomach area and the cat emptied his bladder all over the table.

The vet prescribed Antibiotics for him and she brought him home.

He didn't go to the toilet the rest of the day (Pee or Poo) and was very lethargic. She took him back to the vets this Morning, Where they kept him im to operate.

They were unable to operate as he was not Stable enough. They wouldn't even let her go in to see him, before she came home.

Vet have said that the cat is over weight. The important factor here is that her cat is feed on Dry food.

Thank You on behalf of my neighbour for any help, information, or advice you maybe able to offer, without the fact that you haven't actually seen him.

Admin.

 

[Apache]

The cat is suffering from feline urinary syndrome - FUS. This is really a spectrum of diseases but in male cats can often end in a blocked bladder. The reason for this is the urethra (the pipe from the bladder to the outside) narrows significantly as it passes through the penis.

Causal factors include bladder infections, obesity, diabetes, stress, presence of urinary crystals and being fed dry food [particularly cheaper dry food]. With dry food there is a higher mineral content for the cat to deal with and when a cat consumes a wet food it is taking in water, which it has to drink with a dry food.

It is a medical emergency once the bladder is blocked and Veterinary attention should be sought straight away. If left it could lead to a ruptured bladder, kidney failure or even death. It's serious.

What the vet will usually do is either operate straight away to try and pass a catheter into the bladder via the penis, and then flush the bladder. This is only appropriate in cats caught early. In more sick cats it is common to pass a needle through the body wall into the bladder to relieve pressure whilst the cat is stabilised for the anaesthetic. They can have all sorts of weird things going on with the electrolytes in the blood [things build up as the body can't excrete them, potassium is the one we worry about the most].

Depending on many factors depends how the treatment pans out, but it is common to leave a urinary catheter in for a day or two and keep the cat on IV fluids to flush the build up of waste products from the kidneys. The cat may need antibiotics to treat an infection.

Once this has happened to a cat is is very likely to happen again so we need to look at prevention:

1. It is vital to keep stresses to a minimum - cats are really prone to stress and a visitor, building work, new pet, house move, etc can all upset them.
   
2. You must encourage the cat to drink water [a moving water fountain can help here]
   
3. Special feed is likely to be prescribed depending what is found in the urine [we can usually change the urinary pH and stop the struvite [usual crystal in cat urine] from forming]
   

Some cats reoccur despite our best efforts and there are certain supplements that have little science behind them but anecdotally seem to help some cats.

 

[Apache]

Phew - what I don't like in this case is the 4 day duration of passing no urine. Time will tell what lasting damage has been done to the kidneys.

:|

 

[Apache]

This is an example of a pet water fountain

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cat-Mate-Pet-Water-Fountain-Drinking-Bowl-Cats-Dogs-/250653294421?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Cats&hash=item3a5c19bf55

 

[a1]

Thank You Patch.

 

[Apache]

There is a Feline Advisory Bureaux leaflet here

[it may be more up to date on this than me]

And a case study on a cat with a blocked bladder here

 

[Apache]

Thank You Patch.

No bother

Can you feed back how the cat gets on, please?

 

[a1]

I will Mate - Or better still, my neighnour will - I know she will be very grateful to you.

I have just e-mailed a link to the thread. She is a member, but can't remember her password and she has been too worried over her Cat.

I did say that I would start a thread for her.

 

[green-hornet]

I know this is mainly directed at cats, but can dogs suffer the same ailment? Or is it more common for cats because of their diet?

I have a puppy who is about 12 weeks old now and I have noticed her squating for a pee but nothing comes out, she appears to be fine now and passes water normally.

I do not want to hijack the thread, as its very important for the lady involved, but if this type of ailment can effect dogs it would help to watch for the signs, Thanks.

 

[Apache]

I know this is mainly directed at cats, but can dogs suffer the same ailment? Or is it more common for cats because of their diet?I have a puppy who is about 12 weeks old now and I have noticed her squating for a pee but nothing comes out, she appears to be fine now and passes water normally.

I do not want to hijack the thread, as its very important for the lady involved, but if this type of ailment can effect dogs it would help to watch for the signs, Thanks.

GH - dogs can suffer this condition but it is [almost] exclusively a problem of males due to the narrowing through the penis. Dogs bladders usually get blocked by stones formed from the crystals in the urine. It is a lot less common than in the cat, but remains a medical emergency.

Your ***** was likely suffering from cystitis and this can affect cats too. Usually [but not always] cystitis is a female problem and a blocked bladder is a male problem. Both will strain to pee, but with cystitis drops of bloody urine will usually be present where as with a true blockage no urine will get through.

 

[green-hornet]

Thanks Apache, my wife already suspected possible cystitis and started immediate treatment (as women do), as always very usefull information, and I do hope the lady's cat fully recovers.

 

[a2]

Latest update.

The cat has had 3 enimas now and still hasnt gone to the toilet. hes on a drip now and the vets keeping him in another night.

 

[Apache]

Latest update.The cat has had 3 enimas now and still hasnt gone to the toilet. hes on a drip now and the vets keeping him in another night.

thanks for the update

[enema ]