UPDATE**Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

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RockStar033

RockStar033

Member Since 2012
I don't even know where to start!

Last night at around 1am, i noticed Annie acting funny, and kept an eye on her. I usually can tell when she has pee problems, she wonders around all confused and can't sit still. I watched her go to the litterbox and i heard the pee hitting the floor. she was in the box but her bum was at the edge so she peed outside the box. I cleaned it up, and sat back down. She ran under the christmas tree and started pawing the floor, i figured she hadn't finished her duties because i was watching her, so i sat back down and she went back to the box and i snuck up and watched her try to pee only too see a blood clot come out. I thought ok, i'll take her to the vet first thing in the morning.
This morning woke up, saw she was still running around confused and peeing blood in random spots. I called the vet and told them im bringing her in. So i shot her insulin, loaded her up, and in i went to the vet.

It wasn't my usual vet, it was the emergency vet. He checked her over and said he could tell her bladder was really swollen and tender and she was probably in pain. He said that i should have xrays done, blood work, urine culture, as well as an overnight stay on fluids to flush out her system etc etc etc... the list went on. He said i should have all this done within a week, instead of just one thing at a time, otherwise she will never be fixed. Although it makes sense, and i understand, it's just not financially possible so i told him. The quote he printed me had a grand total of $2000.... and that is without the dental she so desperately needs. She also has a heart murmur and he thinks it may be caused by her infected teeth, and he says it may also be the cause of the UTI's... but he said they won't know until they do all the tests, and xrays to see if she has a stone or something.

So needless to say i started bawling, i called my husband and waited for him to come talk about it. The vet left me in the room until he got there and i sat there and thought...... and thought.... and i came to the conclusion that we just cannot afford all this work. I am actually considering having her put down. There is no way around this, we cannot afford this, we can't even afford payments, as i know my vet will do payments with us, but we have SOOOO many payments every month as is... She needs so much work done and i'm at a LOSS right now..... i've been crying not stop.

Annie is 14 yrs old, Diagnosed Diabetic in April 2012, this is her second UTI in 8 months. Right now she has been laying on the floor just howling and crying.... My heart is breaking!!!!!! i don't know what to do.

The vet sent us away with pain meds (trimodol?) and he also gave her an injection of antibiotics that is supposed to last 2 weeks in her system. The Trimodol is a capsule, and i tried giving it to her as soon as i got home but its impossible to give it to her orally, and i can't get the darn thing open to sprinkle it on her food. I'm so stressed and upset.

we are going in tomorrow morning to talk to our real vet about everything and options. I just almost feel like it's time to let her go, but i want it to be justified!!!! i can't fathom giving her up because A) noone will take her. and B) I've had her for 14 years, she will not be the same happy cat living in a new home at this age, and i'm worried she may just end up in a shelter and put down anyway!

My heart is breaking and i'm crying as i'm writing this. I do not know what to do. She's my pumpkin!!! my baby!!!! I do not want to put her down, but there comes a point.... and i'm trying to figure out if that point is now!!!!!!!!
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

Hello

The shot your vet gave your cat sounds like Convenia and that is for skin infections and is not for UTI. Also the pain med is Tramadol and also is not recommended for use in cats.
I would take her back to her regular vet, I am not sure after giving her the Convenia shot what other antibiotics they could give her for the UTI but, also Buprenex would have been a much better pain med as tramadol can cause I think kidney failure in cats?
What did they give her before when she had the UTI? Hopefully some of the others will come along soon and comment. It sounds like you just need a vet that knows what they are doing. They can ultrasound her bladder which is not that expensive to see whats going on. Hope some of this helps, but do see what the others here say.

Terri
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

((((((((Star)))))))))
I'm sorry Annie is feeling so poorly. It looks like you were testing and keeping up and that does sound like a UTI/bladder issue.

The problem with Convenia is it stays in the system for two weeks. It can't be undone so if your cat reacts negatively to it, it makes them feel worse.
I hope your real vet has more experience.

Here is a link that might shed some light on what's similarily going on.
http://catinfo.org/#Cystitis_

If you haven't read www.catinfo.org, there is a lot of knowledge there from an experienced vet. There is also a link about Convenia. http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

I will flag someone to help who can tell you what medication would be better.
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

First, since Annie did not have a bad reaction to the Convenia, she's probably OK. Usually, if there's going to be an allergic reaction, it takes place quickly -- just like with humans. So tuck the information about Convenia away for the future.

Tramadol IS used in cats. The only thing to be aware of is that in some cats, it can cause BG numbers to drop. Tramadol is NOT a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, which is the class of pain meds that have been associated with kidney failure. It is an opioid. This link directly states that tramadol is safe for cats.

I don't know much about the ER you went to. There are some ERs that will try to pad the bill, especially when you are worried and they think you will agree to anything. Blood in the urine is an indication that there's a UTI. Hopefully, the antibiotic will help. What I do think you need to invest in is a sterile urine draw for a sample (it's called a cystocentesis) and a culture and sensitivity so the vet can know what bacteria is causing the problem and give you an antibiotic to treat the infection. Fluids will help but you can learn to do that at home at minimal expense. In the meantime, add as much water as you can to Annie's food. There may be some other things you can do that will help Annie's bladder. For example, Cosequin, which is often used for arthritis, can help to sooth the bladder lining. This is inexpensive and available over the counter or on-line. Talk to your vet about it.

At this point, you've gotten an antibiotic into Annie. That's probably the most necessary first step. Lots of cats here get UTIs. Some diabetic cats are prone to them due to the sugar in urine being a good feeding ground for bacteria. The important thing is to find out which bacteria is the source of the infection and getting your kitty on an antibiotic that targets that bacteria. There's no way that someone with a cat prone to UTIs is going to spend $2000 every time this happens. So, deep breath. Make an appointment to see your vet tomorrow and don't jump to catastrophic conclusions. One step at a time!
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

Red blood cells in urine is not really that good of an indicator of an infection. Many cats just have inflammation of the urinary system which cause red blood cells in the urine with no infection. A urine culture is the best way to determine if there sin an infection. If there were no white blood cells and bacteria in the urine then it is likely not due to an infection.

Tramadol can be safely used in cats as a pain med. It tends to be more sedative than the more expensive Buprenorphine (Buprenex).

My Smokey is presently on tramadol because of red blood cells in urine with no white blood cells or bacteria
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

Thanks everyone.

I may be thinking unrationally due to seeing the bill and all the work that needs to be done. But the fact still remains, we have zero money to do this right now. We have tapped out all our resources. Even payments aren't feasible right now.

I can't wait to talk to my real vet tomorrow
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

(((Star)))

Deep deep breath. Larry is right because I dealt with this very thing with Gracie for a couple years and she never had any infection....she had only inflammation and stress brought it on. Since she is now on the antibiotic, a urine culture and sensitivity will not do you any good because the A/B will have started working on any bacteria by the time you are able to get her to her vet tomorrow. I think it is worthwhile to contact your vet for any other ideas and to try and get buprenorphine. Tramadol tastes unpleasant so unless you can get the capsule in her via a pill pocket, I'm not sure I'd sprinkle it on her food. Whether the litter box episodes are caused by a UTI or just inflammation, it is painful so a pain med is really important for Annie.

One step at a time.....it usually takes about 24 hours for an A/B to kick in but if it is inflammation and not infection, you could see her continuing the behavior for several days. But a pain med will help relieve her pain and anxiety.

Can you google "Care Credit" and see if it is available to you in Canada?

eta: also...be sure she gets plenty of water. Add lots of extra water to her food....be sure her water bowls stay full with fresh water and if you have a fountain, that's even better.
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

The ER vet wasn't thinking.
While it might be optimal to do everything at once, the reality is you need to prioritize.
1) possible UTi - antibiotic given; may need a different one later so discuss w/ vet
2) dehydration - add some extra water to the food; learn to give subcutaneous fluids at home
3) dental - if her mouth is not painful, begin teaching her to allow brushing the teeth Cat Info has some tips on that
4) non-bacterial cystitis possibility - add glucosamin
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

Thanks again everyone!

I looked up care credit and apparently it's not available in Canada anymore.

We can't go this route though. We have loans already and various payments every week and we just can't take more credit. We can't mess up our whole financial future, and if we get another loan, we will be screwed!

I'm going to ask the vet about the Bupronex tomorrow.

She is getting plenty of water like usual, we put it in her food and she has a cat fountain.
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

Dear Star,

After having dealt with a LOT of bladder and urinary problems in a few of my cats over the years, I have learned quite a bit.

First, if Annie is crying, she definitely should benefit from the Buprenex. My vet sometimes sells the Buprenex at her place for an arm and a leg, but she did finally write a prescription for Ketchie for five vials at a time, which really cuts down on the cost if you can get it filled at a local pharmacy.

Ketchie has what is called "Interstitial Idiopathic Cystitis". A lot of times, there is no infection but extreme inflammation, and bleeding which causes terrible pain. It is comparable to humans that also can get cystitis.

I lost a five year old cat, Proto, in 2009, when he blocked. He also had this disease or condition, but we could not save him.

I had a cat in 1998 that blocked, and had to have surgery on him. This is harder, I believe on males, due to the penis being easier to get blocked, so with your Annie, she does not have that 'penis' problem, but it is still just as painful.

I almost put Ketchie down four years ago, when she was only 13, due to interstitial cystitis. She was doing the same things your Annie is doing. I got her through it, mainly with lots of water in wet food and getting her off of dry food. Dry is NOT good for cystitis problems.

It just depends on how much or how far, you can go with this, but if you have her on wet foods only already, add water, and if you can get Buprenex for her, that will really help. Keep her from any stressful situations, and away from any other furbabies, that might stress her out.

Having had cystitis myself, I know how terribly painful it can be.

Take care! If you decide it is time to let her go, that would be better than turning her over to someone else, since FLUTD or FUS is no fun to deal with and you would rather know that you eased her pain from this world. (FLUTD is feline lower urinary tract disease, or FUS is feline urinary syndrome).

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/cystitis-symptoms-treatments-in-cats

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/urinary.html

HUGS,
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
Re: Need advice, guidance please! Sick Kitty

Thanks again everyone

Just got back from the vet and when we were there he checked her mouth and discovered she has cancer under her tongue. He said it probably wasn't there 2 weeks ago even as it grows fast. There is a big hard Tumor there and her one side of her tongue is hard as a rock.

He is running tests on her today anyway with her bladder issue just so we have an answer but is not charging us for anything.

So..... I think the time has come. I know she is in pain and suffering, and I do not want to prolong it for her.

Such a sad sad day.

We go pick her up in a couple hours and we will bring her home and have her put down on Friday.
 
Dear Star,

I am so very sorry to hear this prognosis for Annie. But, at least you will give her this week. Is the vet giving Buprenex to you for her pain while you have her at home this week? Please ask for it. It is what has helped me keep Ketchie in comfort through all of her problems that have caused pain.

Cherish each day with her and know that we are all thinking of you and sending thoughts, hugs and prayers for Annie and your family.

(((HUGS))),
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
They should have labeled it for you. Call and ask.

That said, the oral pain meds I've given after dentals extractions did not need refrigeration.
 
Yes, the others are correct. No need to refrigerate. Just keep in cool, dark place. Did the vet show you how to give it? I usually put the syringe inside the side of my cat's gums. Doesn't taste the greatest, but it is not the worst.

Maybe others here have other ideas.

Take care. So sad, the price we all pay for loving these beautiful and innocent furbabies.

Hugs,
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
When I got the Buprene it was in a sterile vial. I draw it up in an insulin syringe. I was giving it subq. I'm so sorry for this news. It is so hard when our kitties get sick.

Hugs Sandy
 
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