Advice on Urinary Issues with Civvie

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Rachel

Rachel

Member Since 2013
Hey all,

I mostly hang around in the PZI forum, but wanted to get some more eyes today if possible. We're heading to the vet in a bit (they open in roughly an hour). My civvie Elektra had a UTI two weeks ago. We had her on antibiotics that seemed to clear it up. Today, she's back to straining to pee in the litter box and now straining to pee outside it...anywhere. I don't think much, if anything is coming out. What concerns me is how this came back so fast. Last time they said there were no crystals and not an excessive amount of bacteria....but enough. Why would this recur so quickly?

Any advice, suggestions, or anything else is welcome!
 
Hi! I'm new to the forum and to diabetes, but your problem sounds very familiar to me. ;)
What is your cat's urine pH? Is it high?
If the pH is relatively normal and they find no-to-low bacteria again, they should consider interstitial cystitis as a possibility. My non-diabetic cat had this (it was stress-induced for her) and it took 3 different vets to figure it out, but once the dx was made, they gave her a cat-safe anti-inflammatory and some glucosamine, and her symptoms disappeared the same day. I know humans who have this and it feels exactly like a UTI, plus has the same symptoms.
But I would definitely do a culture & sensitivity before starting on glucosamine b/c it can lead to a little urinary retention (at least in people).
Also, what antibiotic was she on? Was she urinating normal by the end of the course?
 
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Hi! Thanks for responding. She was on clindamycin. She was definitely normal within 3 days of the antibiotics and has been fine all this past week.

I'll ask about the pH when I go in. Will the C&S tell them about the interstitial cystitis, do you know?

Update: She's managed a few drops of pee on the floor. They definitely have blood in them. Sigh. Poor girl.
 
Rachel said:
Hey all,

I mostly hang around in the PZI forum, but wanted to get some more eyes today if possible. We're heading to the vet in a bit (they open in roughly an hour). My civvie Elektra had a UTI two weeks ago. We had her on antibiotics that seemed to clear it up. Today, she's back to straining to pee in the litter box and now straining to pee outside it...anywhere. I don't think much, if anything is coming out. What concerns me is how this came back so fast. Last time they said there were no crystals and not an excessive amount of bacteria....but enough. Why would this recur so quickly?

Any advice, suggestions, or anything else is welcome!
Click to expand...

Oh Rachel! I'm sorry to hear this! I've no advice, just love and support, because symptoms such as this in a bean are JUST AWFUL. So stressful. (Been there)
I consider myself ultra fortunate that none of mine have ever had a UTI or any of these symptoms.
I would be panicked and a total wreck watching her straining. :nailbiting:
Sending you good vibes sister. You too Elektra.:kiss:
 
Rachel said:
Hi! Thanks for responding. She was on clindamycin. She was definitely normal within 3 days of the antibiotics and has been fine all this past week.

I'll ask about the pH when I go in. Will the C&S tell them about the interstitial cystitis, do you know?

Update: She's managed a few drops of pee on the floor. They definitely have blood in them. Sigh. Poor girl.
Click to expand...

Blood can be in the urine with interstitial cystitis or UTI. The trick about diagnosing interstitial cystitis is that the urine is mostly sterile (no bacteria), and yet, they still have UTI symptoms. They can look under the microscope to see if there are bacteria (or crystals) in the pee, but sometimes they will convince themselves if they see just a couple that it could be a UTI (when really it was slide contamination or something).
If the clindamycin helped, I am inclined to think she's having a second UTI and that the antibiotic just didn't kill off all the bacteria the first time and it started regrowing in there once the antibiotic was cleared from her system. A culture and sensitivity would be the best way to figure out the best antibiotic for the bacterial strains she has. If her urine pH is too high (not acidic enough), she can get recurrent UTIs more easily- so I would try to get a pH number from them today. Good luck!
 
Do you know why clindamycin was prescribed? That is not typical for a UTI.
Was the urine cultured to determine there was an infection?
How long was clindamycin used? Some times 28 days is required.
 
Not sure why that was what they used Larry (my normal vet is out today so I couldn't ask). They checked for bladder stones, said they don't believe that's it, but it'll be sent to a specialist just in case. Yeah, I sprang for an xray and radiograph...I already expected that since she hadn't been cured last time. They had some problems getting her urine, but got a bit. She's going to look at it, but said more likely we're going to have another course of antibiotics (which I expected) since in this case, it may just be that we didn't treat long enough last time. Anyway, she's going to check out her urine and call me back. She called now because they had to sedate her to xray her (she's NOT friendly...to anyone...even me. I told the to sedate her if needed and I'd pay. Hate to do it, and I wouldn't for anyone else, but she wouldn't be testable without it). Thanks for the good wishes and advice everyone! I should know about pH and everything after she's had time to get through the urine sample.

Also thank heavens for Care Credit.
 
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