TomTom blocked again ... **update below**

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JL and Chip

JL and Chip

Very Active Member
My civvie TomTom had his initial urinary blockage 15 months ago and it nearly cost him his life. I posted about it on the old board.

About 9 months ago he blocked a second time and had to be hospitalized, but that time I caught it much earlier. He also had pyelonephritis and had to be on antibiotics and closely monitored for months.

Time passed and he seemed to be doing well. Then 48 hours ago he fully blocked again. I caught it and ran him to a vet where he was unblocked, flushed, and monitored for 24 hours. Except for the fact that he hadn't eaten much in several days, he was doing well and he came home yesterday afternoon. I started syringe feeding.

Tonight he is fully blocked again and I just took him in on emergency.

Every blockage has been a mucous plug. Does anyone know what causes them or have any suggestions for preventing it? I've done the strictly canned food thing, etc. and thought we were doing well, but apparently not. I'm wondering whether he found some forbidden dry food but don't really know.

I guess I'm looking at the possibility of a surgery now ("three strikes your out" theory ... or in this case, "three strikes and whack it off...") but the vet isn't sure that's the best course of action.

Positive thoughts are appreciated as well as any experience or input.

ETA: Just spoke to the vet again and Tom was also severely impacted with feces. That's a first, although I suspected it and had asked the other vet about it several times. Tom's one kidney also feels suspicious. I'm now also concerned about his liver and kidney status. Guess I'll know more tomorrow ...
 
Re: TomTom was blocked...then unblocked...and is blocked aga

JL, i never knew another tomtom beside my own....your post kind of freaked me out at first. now that i read it i just want to send you ((((hugs)))) i have absolutly no knowledge of this condition but i hope someone see it and can give you some words of wisdom. i can send you my heartfelt support and loving thoughts for you and tomtom.
 
Re: TomTom was blocked...then unblocked...and is blocked aga

no advice, but sending hopes and healing vines to tom tom for quick and easy recovery.

celi & binks
 
Re: TomTom was blocked...then unblocked...and is blocked aga

No advice but wanted to add my hugs and prayers for a quick and speedy recovery for Tom Tom.

Mel
 
Re: TomTom was blocked...then unblocked...and is blocked aga

I would go with the PU surgery now. My civi Lightning had a similar history. He even blocked after this first PU surgery. After the second surgery he has blocked since (10+ years).
 
Re: TomTom was blocked...then unblocked...and is blocked aga

I would highly recommend the PU surgery.

I have a kitty who had PU surgery back in like 2003. He is doing well-- except he does have a heart murmur and has some sort of latent infection that he is on Clavamox for 30 days (his neutrophils count was really high and was running a very low grade fever).

Anyhoo--- he is a BIG boy-- about 18 pounds. He blocked 2x before we did the surgery. The surgery was not so good the first time-- he had scar tissue built up that helped him block again. Then the surgery was re-done and he ended up being fine all of these years. We think his current infection is around that opening since he had some matted hair and he was not take some good care of his bottom end when grooming (he is now sporting a lion cut).

It has been a lifesaver and I would do it again in a heart beat.
 
**update** at E.R. ... yet again

So TomTom is blocked again . . . that makes the tally three times this week.

yesterday morning the report from the E.R. was positive -- he was eating and head-butting and rubbing against the cage, requesting (demanding?) attention in typical Tom fashion. However when he came home last night he was acting punky again, refused to eat, and was oozing black gludgy feces from an inflamed and hot rear end. He also wasn't urinating and probably blocked almost as soon as the pulled the catheter.

So we're back at the ER and he's one very sick little guy.

The E.R. is hectic so this is going to take awhile.
 
In the spring of 2009, one of my male cats had to have what is called PU surgery to essentially make him into a girl by cutting his penis to make the opening larger so that he could pass the stones. It was major surgery but seemed to work fine once he recovered although he still has problems with irritation as he tries to pass the stones. We had one major complication a few months after the surgery. He had gotten MRSA in his bladder probably due to an open catheter at one of the vet offices. He went to his vet and the emergency vet here and then I had to take him to a specialist outside of Jacksonville where he stayed in their office during the day and then in the emergency ward at night. the specialists were really great! He will always have chronic urinary issues because of him making the stones. (Because of the MRSa, I almost lost him as he had to take some really strong medicine that causes depression and not eating.) They were the calcium type not the struvite. I put him on Hill's c/d which is what my female Himalayan was on for most of her life because she had problems too. She was over 19 years old when she died. I figured out with her that stress was a major contributor to her urinary problems and fish cat food. So once I got her on a diet that was for the stones, she only had a problem about once a year. My cat now, Andy, was doing really good and had gone almost 3 months without a problem - that was progress! Then my other male, Bo, was diagnosed with diabetes. Now with the stress of Bo's problems and me having to take Bo to the vet a lot, the stress is killing Andy who has also had to go to the vet at least twice in the last month to get antibiotics and steriods. I noticed tonight that his pee pees were getting tiny again. I don't know what we will do with Andy! I tried to get a urine sample from his dribbles on the floor the other day and the vet called to ask if the urine was from Bo since the cat whose urine I brought in showed that the cat was a diabetic. If Andy is diabetic, I cannot treat him because he still acts wild and has not been socialized so that I can walk up to him and rub him, etc. Everything is at a distance unless Bo is around. Then i can touch Andy. There would be no possibility of giving andy insulin at all. I almost never got the pills down him when he had the MRSA. He had to be isolated for that but it would take two people to give shots at least.

Anyway, back to the urinary tract problems. Several years ago, a friend of mine had to get the same surgery for her male cat. He was fine and lived several years after that. Andy has lived a year past the MRSA diagnosis and a year and half since the PU surgery. If it had hot been for the MRSA, I think he would have had a lot fewer problems this past year. Now if he has diabetes, I just don't know what will happen. Good luck with yours! I hope he does better and gets along fine.
 
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