UTI advice

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granadilla

granadilla

Member Since 2015
Marshmallow was diagnosed two weeks ago with a UTI. She was on antibiotics for 10 days, which ended on Thursday night. I took her to the vet on Friday for follow-up bloodwork to make sure it was gone. I am supposed to get results today. I called the vet office as soon as they opened and someone will call me back.

Marshmallow has been low in energy for the past week. I thought it might be her IBD but now she's not eating very much and she's still peeing small amounts (but drinking normal amounts). I gave her anti-nausea meds last night (ondansetron, which normally helps her) and she still didn't want to eat so I think this means she still has a UTI.

The vet didn't do a urine culture two weeks ago. Can they do one now even though she had antibiotics for 10 days? What else should I know or do or ask for? Thanks.
 
Hi Larry. The UTI was diagnosed by blood work. I asked the vet if we should do a culture then but he said no, we could just give her antibiotics. So yesterday I asked if it was too soon to do a culture because she just finished taking the meds on Thursday and he said no. So in other words I just wasted $250 for a culture that will show nothing. :banghead: Thanks for the feedback.
 
I am just wondering how bloodwork indicted a UTI. Bloodwork, really an elevated white blood cell count, can indicate an infection. However, there can be other sources of an infection besides a UTI and sometimes a UTI really does not elevate a WBC to a significant degree.
Were there any other indications of a UTI? Like bacteria in the urine?
 
Sorry I just realized it wasn't only blood work. They did a urine analysis and her cocci bacteria was 26-50 instead of 0. The follow up urine analysis was less than 10, which is apparently typically okay. I'm taking her to a specialist this morning because my regular vet is stumped.
 
Sometimes an course of antibiotics longer than 10 days is required together with ensuring that a proper antibiotic is used. I have used a course of 28 days for one of my cats
 
I would agree with Larry and Kitties on this as even in humans...sometimes another round of antibiotics gets used for a UTI. Given that our Sugar Kitties have a ripe environment for UTI's on a regular basis...that may be true here too.

However, given that you are seeing a specialist for this...I think is a good idea! :) Better to pay the big bucks now than to pay in other ways, later. It's hard but, sending you good energies! :)
 
Thanks to you both. She's at the internal medicine vet right now. He wants to do x-rays and an ultrasound because she's been having other problems with IBD recently and he wants to rule out anything more serious. I'm hoping it's just a stubborn UTI too.
 
Hoping things are turning out just fine and answers that are GOOD answer have been found! :) Sending positive, loving vibes/energies to you both! :)
 
Hi Louellen. I have another thread going with the specialist's feedback:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/taking-marshmallow-to-a-specialist.143637/

The short version is she either has a stubborn UTI or a kidney infection. He found a bunch of other things: Her kidneys are deteriorating in general (it's not full-fledged CRF but they aren't in good shape); her lungs aren't good (he sent her x-rays to a radiologist for a more formal diagnosis); she either has gastritis or lymphoma; and she was constipated.

He gave her an enema for the constipation and we're waiting another day to see if the urine culture yields any information. If not, he'll give his "best guess" antibiotic for the infection.

The other stuff (deteriorating kidneys, lungs, gastritis/lymphoma) I'll just deal with one day at a time.

Thank you for your support, I appreciate it, and I hope you and Morrigan are doing okay.
 
Well, granadilla....if good wishes, good intentions, positive thinking and prayers being sent your's and Marshmallow's way, work....you both are going to be fine. :)

I know it's so hard to mentally and emotionally deal with these types of things but, we have to, don't we? We have to put it into some sort of perspective, somehow and somewhere because we need to learn how to go on with our lives as well. While we can do everything we can...that's ALL that we can do. And, we're all doing our best for our Sugar Kitties. Likely doing more than most people would do...sadly.

HUGS :bighug:
 
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