Please help Non diabetic with crystals

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J

j_o

Member Since 2012
Please help it's been forever since I've been here but you all were a great help with our first diabetic Boomer and then when we adopted Oscar who has never needed insulin since he moved in. Now I need your help with another one of our boys. Merc is at the vets again for the third time in a month. He was peeing where he shouldn't and we took him to the vet they gave him some antibiotics and sent him home.....well he blocked....loaded with crystals. He was hospitalized for 2 nights on an iv with a catheter. Sent home with meds for 10 days he finished them last Wednesday. Last night I noticed him straining and nothing coming out....back to the vet fluids administered and over night again. They did a urinalysis and no crystals but full of blood so they did an ultrasound no stones but he still wouldn't pee he has since had another catheter put in and there was a blockage again. Night number 3 at the vets
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Once we get him home what do we feed him he hates the crap that the vet sells and he eats Wellness can food with water added. Is there anything I can add to his food to help prevent this? He's a 2 year old Rag doll. Don't want to feed the grain filled crap from the vet because we have done the whole diabetic thing before because of that. Please help!
 
Hi Jen,

I'm sorry to hear that Merc is having trouble with blockages. One of my boys (sadly no longer with me) had to be catheterized once. It's not fun. :(

Here's the link to Dr Lisa's page about urinary tract health from catinfo.org. Maybe you might find something there to help you with Merc's food and drink.

I hear you about the carp vet foods. I think they're at the root of Saoirse's current health problems, too. :( (All started after she was prescribed RC Urinary s/o dry food.)

I hope Merc feels better soon.
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Has anyone ever tried any of these things?
Cranberries have been shown to contain a compound that prevents bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall and tissues of the urinary tract, so cranberry juice can be added to the food or drinking water. Always choose a natural, pure juice that is not sweetened. Fresh or dried cranberries can also be added to the diet. Blueberries have also been shown to have the same effect.

Herbs can also help to support long-term urinary tract health and provide soothing relief for certain conditions.

  • Echinacea tincture is often recommended for acute infections and can be helpful for UTI’s.
  • Uva ursi is also recommended for bladder and kidney infections. It is believed to have an antiseptic action which cleanses the urinary tract.
  • Horsetail helps to eliminate urinary tract infections and is especially useful for conditions where blood is present in the urine.
  • Marshmallow herb is very soothing and helps to reduce inflammation and irritation of the urinary tract.
  • Nettle has a strong affinity for the genitourinary tract. It is a natural diuretic and has a history of use for urinary tract infections and inflammation.
 
I have a civie with urinary issues - idiopathic cystitis. They are scary when they have episodes. :bighug: I did try cranberry on him for a while, there are lots of treats/additives out there with cranberry for pets. There have been some studies that show that glucosamine condroitin can help firm up the bladder wall, so I've been giving that. Cosequin is one such product. After his last episode, the vet gave him a series of 4 weekly injections of Cartrophen (Adequan is similar in the US) and that seems to be working - knock on wood. I'm also giving him Pet Naturals UT support treats - it has glucosamine and D-mannose that are supposed to help. But the big thing is making sure he gets lots of water in his food. My guy isn't big on drinking water, so I add lots to his food to help keep him flushed out.
 
I have used Cosequin - you cat get that from vets, Amazon, EntirelyPets.com. There are other similar products, usually for arthritis/joint relief, in pet stores.
 
Thanks Wendy :D Can't wait to get my boy home tomorrow the catheter was taken out today so as long as he pees over night he can come home. Will be getting some of the Glucosime and the one pet store sells a urinary remedy that is suppose to help so will give that a try too looking for a natural solution so I don't have to have the poor boy on vet food forever (oh yeah and they want us to switch the other 4 too)
 
Merc gets to come home and I get to talk to the vet I trust today :D will start him on the crap vet food for a while but then will be looking to get him off before other issues come up
 
Just wanted to send you some :bighug:. We are going through the same thing with one of our cats, I'm about to go visit him at the vet. Hopefully ours can come home tomorrow.
 
I would say they can't hurt if you have struvite crystals
Product Facts:
Active Ingredients Per 1 Chew:
N-Acetyl Glucosamine (Shrimp and Crab) 100 mg
D-Mannose 50 mg
Bromelain 50 mg
Cranberry Extract 50 mg
Inactive ingredients: arabic gum, brewers yeast, calcium sulfate, canola oil, chicken liver
flavor, citric acid, citrus pectin, glycerin, maltodextrin, mixed tocopherols, oat flour,
propionic acid, rosemary extract, rye flour, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sorbic acid, soy
lecithin, vegetable oil, water.
 
Help he's still not peeing!!! The vet took the catheter out Wednesday night and Merc spent all day Thursday there and still hadn't peed. The vet said his bladder wasn't really full but seeing as how he didn't want to eat their food and they have weird tasting town water I'm sure he avoided that too it doesn't surprise me. Since he has been home he has had 3 meals with lots of extra water added and is currently on his 4th and still no peeing!!! Starting to worry that he'll have to go back to the vets tonight for the weekend.....Any suggestions? What can I do to get him to drink enough that he actually has to go? I can't afford too many more vet bills he's already over $1400 in bills.
 
Is he making trips to the LB or trying to urinate anywhere? Typically when blocked and the want to urinate but cant they will make frequent trips to LB or try to urinate anywhere. I have had tow cats with blockages and was always nervous when they came back from the vet after having to be catheterized
 
Nope hasn't been to the litter box at all that I've seen may have been over night but really doesn't look like it. I felt his bladder like the vet showed me and it doesn't seem to be overly big....but surely he has to go by now....
 
After being catheterized cats typically get medication to help them urinate. I do not remember the specific meds but there are at least two different ones.
 
Just speaking to the vet they said he's OK as long as he pees by tonight if not he needs to go back for a recheck.....never wanted to see a cat pee so bad in my life!!!!
 
You might "Mom cat" him. Take a warm, wet, washcloth and wipe the area. Sometimes that will trigger voiding as it did during kittenhood.
 
I have a cat who had multiple problems with this. He is also a picky water and he won't eat anything with fish. He did not like the expensive rx food that the vet recommended. It ended up being ash. Ash content should be less than 3%. Since I started feeding less than 3% ash content, he's not had a problem. I fed avoderm wet a long time because it was also low carb and my other cat had diabetes. When that cat passed, I found a lower cost friskies. All food has ash content in the tiny nutritional print on the can. Good luck!
 
I'll check out the ash content on his food thanks. He finally peed after being to the vets....on the bathroom floor but at least he peed. He is currently on water added wellness and getting UT treats and NaturPet Kidney Remedy. The vet said to try them they wouldn't hurt him and might work if we couldn't get him to eat the vet food
 
Hi Jen,

Saoirse had to have calcium oxalate crystals removed a few years ago and was put on prescription dry food to prevent them returning (as mentioned above). She also had a urinary tract infection about 18 months later (although that might have been triggered by my other cat bullying her at the time).

After Saoirse was diagnosed with diabetes and pancreatitis last year, I followed Dr Pierson's recommendations on feeding wet, low carb food and also adding water to Saoirse's meals. She has been on the wet diet since summer of last year. Saoirse had an ultrasound this week for her digestive system but I asked our vet to also check for presence of any uroliths in her bladder. Her bladder was urolith-free. I thought it might be helpful to you to know that Dr Pierson's recommendations worked for us.
 
I had a female Himalayan that had calcium oxalate crystals. After years of trying to figure out what triggered her issues, I feel like two things were the main causes...fish and stress. She would have problems after being left alone for a couple of days while I was out of town or when she ate a lot of fish flavored food. After eating only chicken or turkey food, she rarely had a problem. She lived to be 19.

Now one of my boys has crystals and stones too. He had PU surgery about 6 years ago but due to that also has frequent UTIs about every 6 weeks to two months. I have to continuously check his urine with Siemens Multistix test strips for blood and pH. My vet gave us Potassium Citrate Plus Cranberry tablets. There was somethng at the citrate that was supposed to help him. I give him 1/2 to 2/3 of a tablet when he needs cranberry. If his pH is greater than 7.5, I have to give him more. His pH needs to be 6.5-7.5 normally. If the ph is less than6.5, he is more likely to develop stones or crystals and he does not get cranberry. If it is greater than 7.5, he is more prone to infections. All my kitties including the diabetic one ate Wellness for several years before boycotting it a few months ago. I have been giving Fancy Feast Classic Chicken or Turkey and Giblets since. I worried because fish is listed as an ingredient but he has not had an infection in 3 months now which is a record. I do add water to the food every meal. I use distilled water. Not sure if it really makes a difference but I read where it does. With all his infections, I was ready to try anything. I am lucky that he will pee in small plastic bathroom cups that I place in the litter box and not cover them up. That makes it easier to test his urine regularly.

I just bought a bag of Dr. Elsey's senior litter to try. It says it helps with urijnay tract issues. Haven't put it in the litter box yet.

Hope you find a good solution for your cat soon.
 
Thanks for all the good info.....we think that a change in food triggered Merc's issues but not 100% sure. He is peeing......on the floor....willing to try anything to help the poor guy out
 
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