Bladder infection

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beckyandwinston

Member Since 2012
My gorgeous boy Winston is having a round of antibiotics for a bladder infection, six months after his last one. Is there anything i can do to prevent it happening again. He goes through enough with his diabetes and hate seeing him poorly again.
 
water, water, water, water...........

Well, I need to ask you about his diet. Is he eating dry food or canned food?

We recommend low-carb canned food for diabetic cats because of several reasons.

1. low-carbs help keep the BG numbers lower
2. easier to get most cats to eat some wet food during a hypo event then to eat the dry food
3. wet food is processed quicker. This means when feeding during a hypo, the wet food will work quicker to bring the BG numbers back up.
4. water content. Dry food has such a low water content that many cats will be slightly dehydrated often. Wet food with it's higher water content keeps the cat better hydrated.

Dr Lisa Pierson has an informative article on her website on urinary tract health. http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

UTI's are believed to be more common in cats fed dry food. Cats have no natural thirst drive, so they usually do not drink enough water. A dehydrated cat means the urine gets more concentrated. Diabetic cats when unregulated already spill excess glucose in the urine. This sugar rich environment is a wonderful place for bacteria to grow.

A lot of cats with UTI have a urinary tract inflammation, not an infection. Only a C&S (urine culture and sensitivilty) can diagnose this properly. Most are sterile and antibiotics will not help.

My cat Wink had 2 incidents of UTI since I've been fostering him. I add 2-3 tablespoons more to the canned food , mix and stir until the consistency is about that of applesauce. No UTI's since I've been doing this additional water in his diet and switched him to canned food. It made a big difference for us.

Yes, I've oversimplified things a bit. Please read Dr Lisa Pierson's article for more information.

And make sure your cat is getting more water in his diet. Water, water everywhere and kitty will not drink. ohmygod_smile ohmygod_smile
 
Are you sure it was an infection? What lead to that conclusion?
A urine culture?
Bacteria found in a urine sample taken cystocentesis?
 
Was the diagnosis based on a cystocentisis (urine drawn with a needle) and culture and sensitivity (urine watched to see if bacterial growth occurred and what antibiotics would treat it)?

Some cats have frequent urination, even with blood, as a result of interstitial cystitis, an inflammatory disorder of the bladder lining. Glucosamine may be helpful for those cats.

Has an x-ray been done? Bladder stones are a perfect hiding place for bacteria and are an irritant in themselves, plus if large enough, take up bladder space.
 
Its probly more like inflamation or cystitus. He was really sick then kept going to his tray but hardly passing anything then he kept squating & passing urine over kitchen floor. He had the same about 6 months ago, exactly the same symptoms. He has wet food which i mix with water anyway so may need to mix a bit more? Vet said he wasnt dehydrated & has lost a bit more weight. Am constantly worried he has something else like kidney problems?
 
Test for dehydration

Pull up the scruff of his neck and release.
If it stays pulled up (tented), he is moderately to severely dehydrated and needs fluids.This is something you can learn to do at home.
 
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