Update on brown urine and question about bene bac

[Sara and Buttercup]

this is update from my post about my cat having brown urine i put up a couple of days ago. i posted this under the thread but wanted to start a new one in case people miss it.

went to vet yesterday. different one. she did urinalysis and blood work. very slightly anemic (29% low normal 30% red blood count i think, not sure). everythign else was pretty normal including liver/kidneys. urinalysis showed blood and a little protein and a little bacteria. i don't think there is any bilirubin or anything else. vet sent of urine for more detailed testing. doesn't know where blood is coming from but said not to be too worried right now. she ultrasounded the bladder. said she saw a small thinckening but consulted with another vet at clinci and he said it didn't look like much to him. anyway, she's have diarrhea again. i am going to call monday to get urinalysis results. if there is enough bacteria or whatever, she'll go back on an antibiotic. if not, i'm not sure. she said to get a full abdominal ultrasound on her in a month. i won't wait that long, maybe a week tops. and i'm going to make another run at going to a specialist i think even though this vet didn't suggest it yet. i am very worried about her. her diarhea is bad right now and other than b12 shots, she's not on anything for it.
i got permission to use bene bac which i haven't tired on her before but in light of the new blood in urine thing, i'm not sure if i should. could there be any reason not to start the bene bac in light of the fact that right now she has blood in her urine from an unknown cause? i would like to start it this weekend but now i'm not sure. isn't it just a probiotic? could there be any reason not to use it now? she's on tapazole too for the hypert.
i am really worried. right now she is stable but i don't want her to crash.
god i wish i lived in a big city. i would go immediately to a specialist. right now, i prob cant' get off work to go again for about 10 days.
any thoughts or advice appreciated.
i will try to post detialed lab reports tomorrow. too tired right now.
she seems ok, kind of lethargic. i just got home so i haven't had that much time to observe. id on't like having to undiagnosed, untreated illnesses going on at the same time. making me very nervous.
vet yesterday plan was to get full abdominal ultrasound in a month try to make her stick to hypoallergenic diet (nearly impossilbe, believe me i have tried) and wait for urine test to come back mon or tues to see if she should start antibiotic.
she said that sometimes cats with have blood in urine for reasons unknown and it's not a big deal. i personally don't agree with that, i mean, i am worried about it. she also said to hold off and going to a specilist right now. she said a 6 hour drive would be too stressful for her.
i am thinking she needs better medical care and that if i have to, i guess i am going to have to take her to seattle 6 hour drive.
i don't know what else to do.
thansk.

 

[BJM]

When I had a hyperthyroid cat (over 5 years!), there finally was a Tapazole doseage increase to a level which triggered diarrhea. This left me with either a cat having chronic diarrhea while controlling the thyroid or insufficiently controlling the thyroid to control the diarrhea ... or euthanizing the cat.

I was able to afford to do radioactive iodine (I-131) to ablate the thyroid and get her off the Tapazole, thus resolving the diarrhea issue. As she was a very senior kitty, they did caution me that this might uncover renal disease - when the thyroid is high, the kidneys are pushed fast enough that mild renal problems are covered up. This did occur and I had to begin renal treatment with sub-Q fluids, etc. Emmy made it to about age 19, before suffering some sort of seizure and passing before I could get her to the emergency vet.

If I were to have a senior, hyperthyroid cat again, I wouldn't wait 5 years to do the I-131 treatment. The 5+ years of constant vet visits for monitoring thyroid levels and watching for drug side effects were stressful on the cat and probably added up to what was spent on the I-131 treatment itself.

BJ

 

[Sara and Buttercup]

thanks. sounds like you went through a lot. she had the diarrhea before she went on the tapazole though. i don't think it's related in her case and her thyroid is normal now so high t4 causing diarrhea is also ruled out.

 

[ToddyTiger]

Just a thought.. and maybe this has already been looked into and I missed it in your last post. But could she have IBD? (Inflammatory bowel disease) That would certainly cause the diarrhea. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... 22&aid=304

If you're coming to the Seattle area to see a specialist, I really like Dr. Sanjeev Gokhale at the VCA Specialty Center in Lynnwood. He took care of Todd last year when he had a intussusception and needed emergency surgery. He is also currently caring for him while we try to figure out why he is losing weight. you will most likely need a referral from your current vet to get in to see these doctors. But here is the number for the referral coordinator: Christi Blackburn 425-697-6106 or 866-VSC-5800 She might be able to help you out!