Rocky's Mom
Member
Hi there,
I posted here a while ago about my cat, Rocky who is diabetic, at the time he was hypo and I got a lot of support from everyone here which I was so grateful for.
I apologise for the epic history, but I think it's important that you know how we got to this point. Please read the entire post before responding, I know you'll see red but it gets better and I finally did get to the truth. I really just need some advise, anything that will help me and especially Rocky. I am desperate.
I have a new problem, he has recurring cystitis. It seems to have started july 2010, at first he was straining while in the litter box, squatting but nothing happens. I took him to the vet because I thought he may have been constipated. He wasn't. They tested his urine and it was clear, they did an ultra sound and it was clear. The even took x-rays. They sent him home and he seemed to be better. I had no further symptoms from him. At the time I was still feeding him Hills MD, and was told to continue. In Jan 2011 he had another Depo-medrol injection, only half a dose for his asthma, which is quite severe, just to see if half a dose will work as well as a full dose, and it did. 2 weeks later I noticed incessant licking and took him to the vet, they did another urine analysis and it was clear. Once again I was told that it was nothing to worry about. So at this point I was still under the impression that I was a overprotective, over zealous mom, or that's what I was being led to believe. (never in a million years did I even think that cystitis was even a possibility) Also note that at this point he was no longer being fed HIlls MD but canned, low carb food.
Then march came around and I battled to get his BG under control, it was all over the place, mostly high, he started vomiting and I took him in for a ketone test, they took a urine sample again, but this time he seemed to have reacted very badly to this. As soon as they brought him back to me I noticed he looked more off than usual (he hates the vet's office) he started salivating profusely, I asked the vet if it's possible that they hurt him, he said absolutely not, then he started panting, the vet had done the test strip but was waiting for a another test that was being done my a machine of some sort. Then he started vomiting in his cage, by this time I was beside myself with panic. They finally took us into a exam room (all of the above was done while in the waiting room because I rushed in without an appointment). While on the table Rocky just urinated everywhere, he was lying down, and the urine was just flowing out of him, and there was a lot. He was in a huge amount of distress, after what seemed like an eternity, his vet decided to admit him, he was put on a drip and given a mild sedative to calm him. They did extensive blood tests (including kidney and liver function) and finally came up with the diagnoses that he had Hypokalamia, which was explained to me as low levels of potassium. He was given intravenous fluids. Once again he was given the all clear bladder wise. Instinctively I knew there was something wrong with his bladder, I knew that the urine extraction caused his distress but I was powerless because they were ADAMANT that that was not the case.
On the 20th of April I took him in as by now I knew he had cystitis ( I googled his symptoms, should have done this long ago) because he was licking constantly and he was urinating everywhere. I saw another vet (same practice though) I explained his symptoms I also explained his adverse reaction he had to the last urine extraction, and she decided not to test his urine but to just give him an antibiotic injection, Cefovecin(through all my research on the net everyone seemed to say that antibiotics was the way to go). She said that if it doesn't clear up in two days to give him the Baytril tablets she'd given me (as back up, because it was easter weekend, and in case it didn't clear). After two days he was symptom free, a whole different kitty! Playful, talkative and active. So sweet. The two days after that it came back with a vengeance. Everything was wet, he seemed upset and quiet, licking licking licking, I was up all night with him. I started the baytril the next morning, another 48 hours and he was all better. In the mean time I had gotten him Royal Canin Urinary Food (wet), apparently this would help prevent another attack. 8 Days into his 10 day course of Baytril he started again. I was so disheartened. I just didn't know anymore. I got up at 4am, as I wasn't sleeping anyway, and started researching again. It was only then, that I learnt that there are two different types of cystitis. That antibiotics without a culture and sensitivity test was incorrect, that I needed to increase his water intake by adding water to his food, that I needed to get him clumping litter, that he needed pain meds and that he should only eat twice a day. Within a day of doing this he was better, even more playful and active as before and I thought we were getting better. A day later and it's back, last night I gave him some metacam (just a drop and gave him even more water in his food) this morning he seemed a bit better although quiet, this evening it seems worse than before.
I need help please! He's going back to the vet tomorrow morning. I am at my wits end.
I posted here a while ago about my cat, Rocky who is diabetic, at the time he was hypo and I got a lot of support from everyone here which I was so grateful for.
I apologise for the epic history, but I think it's important that you know how we got to this point. Please read the entire post before responding, I know you'll see red but it gets better and I finally did get to the truth. I really just need some advise, anything that will help me and especially Rocky. I am desperate.
I have a new problem, he has recurring cystitis. It seems to have started july 2010, at first he was straining while in the litter box, squatting but nothing happens. I took him to the vet because I thought he may have been constipated. He wasn't. They tested his urine and it was clear, they did an ultra sound and it was clear. The even took x-rays. They sent him home and he seemed to be better. I had no further symptoms from him. At the time I was still feeding him Hills MD, and was told to continue. In Jan 2011 he had another Depo-medrol injection, only half a dose for his asthma, which is quite severe, just to see if half a dose will work as well as a full dose, and it did. 2 weeks later I noticed incessant licking and took him to the vet, they did another urine analysis and it was clear. Once again I was told that it was nothing to worry about. So at this point I was still under the impression that I was a overprotective, over zealous mom, or that's what I was being led to believe. (never in a million years did I even think that cystitis was even a possibility) Also note that at this point he was no longer being fed HIlls MD but canned, low carb food.
Then march came around and I battled to get his BG under control, it was all over the place, mostly high, he started vomiting and I took him in for a ketone test, they took a urine sample again, but this time he seemed to have reacted very badly to this. As soon as they brought him back to me I noticed he looked more off than usual (he hates the vet's office) he started salivating profusely, I asked the vet if it's possible that they hurt him, he said absolutely not, then he started panting, the vet had done the test strip but was waiting for a another test that was being done my a machine of some sort. Then he started vomiting in his cage, by this time I was beside myself with panic. They finally took us into a exam room (all of the above was done while in the waiting room because I rushed in without an appointment). While on the table Rocky just urinated everywhere, he was lying down, and the urine was just flowing out of him, and there was a lot. He was in a huge amount of distress, after what seemed like an eternity, his vet decided to admit him, he was put on a drip and given a mild sedative to calm him. They did extensive blood tests (including kidney and liver function) and finally came up with the diagnoses that he had Hypokalamia, which was explained to me as low levels of potassium. He was given intravenous fluids. Once again he was given the all clear bladder wise. Instinctively I knew there was something wrong with his bladder, I knew that the urine extraction caused his distress but I was powerless because they were ADAMANT that that was not the case.
On the 20th of April I took him in as by now I knew he had cystitis ( I googled his symptoms, should have done this long ago) because he was licking constantly and he was urinating everywhere. I saw another vet (same practice though) I explained his symptoms I also explained his adverse reaction he had to the last urine extraction, and she decided not to test his urine but to just give him an antibiotic injection, Cefovecin(through all my research on the net everyone seemed to say that antibiotics was the way to go). She said that if it doesn't clear up in two days to give him the Baytril tablets she'd given me (as back up, because it was easter weekend, and in case it didn't clear). After two days he was symptom free, a whole different kitty! Playful, talkative and active. So sweet. The two days after that it came back with a vengeance. Everything was wet, he seemed upset and quiet, licking licking licking, I was up all night with him. I started the baytril the next morning, another 48 hours and he was all better. In the mean time I had gotten him Royal Canin Urinary Food (wet), apparently this would help prevent another attack. 8 Days into his 10 day course of Baytril he started again. I was so disheartened. I just didn't know anymore. I got up at 4am, as I wasn't sleeping anyway, and started researching again. It was only then, that I learnt that there are two different types of cystitis. That antibiotics without a culture and sensitivity test was incorrect, that I needed to increase his water intake by adding water to his food, that I needed to get him clumping litter, that he needed pain meds and that he should only eat twice a day. Within a day of doing this he was better, even more playful and active as before and I thought we were getting better. A day later and it's back, last night I gave him some metacam (just a drop and gave him even more water in his food) this morning he seemed a bit better although quiet, this evening it seems worse than before.
I need help please! He's going back to the vet tomorrow morning. I am at my wits end.
