My kitty is in the hospital!
 

its been a bad couple of months for kitty things for me. This past week my 4 year old jack the orange tiger has been peeing out of place. REally odd for him, since he is so fastidious about clean. He simply refused the toilet. (this is a sign of an infection) I put out a litter box and he used it a couple of times, and then, refused it. I put out a box of shredded papers, he used it a couple of times and then refused it. Cats are odd, they think "oh wow, everytime I use that box, it hurts to go, so...I wont use that box anymore!" They dont think its because they are sick, they blame the box or the corner or whatever.

Spoke to the vet over the weekend who assured me as long as he was peeing,it was NOT an emergency. Got the real vet this morn, who said bring him in. His bladder was full and painful. They decided to keep him, to give him fluids, and pain meds, and tests to see what is causing this. so...im sad!

My day is falling apart. My husband is grouchy, the cleaning girl didnt show up, my family sucks! I dont feel good, and the MRI of my belly came back negative, so they still dont know why my belly is misbaving, other than to now say, "its an MS thing." so...whooopie for Monday!

I am doing boat loads of laundry to clean up all the out of place pees. The little one is all confused. She likes the toilet, but the lure of the litter box was just too much. so, now, I may have to wean them all over again.

anyone got any cheese to match my whine?

Awww....poor wittle kitty. :( I hate it when mine are out of sorts. Tigger had a bladder infection once and was miserable. I started him on Royal Canin Urinary SO dry food and he hasn't had an issue since then. All the cats eat it so I'm hoping none of them ever have a bladder issue.

Tell hubby to suck it up and quit being a grump. :winky: You have enough to deal with!

Hope the day improves for you. :hug:

Awwwwww, poor Kitty, poor Dej, poor DH, dang Vet, dang family and dang cleaning person...:(-:mad:

:hug::hug::hug:

I sympathize. I am having health issues with my Siamese. We thought it was pancreatic cancer but it may have only been an aggressive infection of the pancreas. She was only 7 pounds and now is skin and bones (literally) at 5 pounds.

Another Siamese I had year ago had a bladder infection. The vet prescribed pills and she went right back to normal.

re: your belly. I have a friend who had real big tummy problems. She went on a severe lactose intolerant diet, no dairy in any way. It really helped her. You may want to give it a try. Not sure if the diet includes wheat products as well. Your pcp may be able to help you. It can't hurt to try. My friend says that although she has had to give up her chocolate, the stomach issues are worth it.

I'm sending good vibes your way. Please keep us posted. :hug:

I am going to pick him up.

He doesnt have a bladder/kidney or other infections. he has no crystals. He is...ready? stressed out! seriously! he has been holding his urine and that has caused himto become inflammed, and then it hurts to pee, so he holds it more. We just lost our 23 year old cat (his buddy) and the toilet training was putting him over the edge. so...we are back to a litter box. He will be on anti inflammatory meds, anti anxiety meds, and some pain meds till his bladder heals.

Poor thing. he misses his sissy. then all the changes that came with her death, put him over the edge.

cost me lots of money to find that out. :(

Glad to hear it wasn't something serious! (well, physically serious)

I once paid $230.00 only to find out the mushrooms my cat ate were NOT poisonous...

Poor thing! I hope he feels better soon. Thank goodness you took him to the vet.....otherwise he'd have suffered needlessly.

I cringe every time I have to take any of mine to the vet. It's so expensive but I'd go without before I let any of them suffer. You're a good cat momma! :hug:

he is home, and on loads of happy meds. he is so lovey and cuddly. needs to pee before I will be happy tho.

btw, $375! was the total out the door. Alot will depend on if I can destress him and calm him into his old self to see if the tab ends there. Dont get me wrong, I will pay the money,and I would never allow him to suffer because of finances, but DANG! thats alot of money for a stressed out kitty.

I missed him! im glad he is home.

jack didn’t pee all night. they gave him anti anxiety meds, and pain meds before he left the vet. I gave him more pain meds at 11 last night and 7:30 this morning. he has NOT peed! This means I have to take him back to the vet. they will probably have to use a catheter on him. That means anesthesia.

I just don’t get it. He wanted me to love him last night, and he was so sweet, but he needs to pee! without peeing his kidney will rupture, or his potassium will rise so high it stops his heart. Im simply at a loss. He would squat in the box several times, wait about 5 seconds, and then ...nothing! he would tuck his butt under like it hurt,and jump out of the box. so, I get to call the vet this morn, and they will probably want him back in there.

I hate this! Im so stressed. I am in tears, and just don’t know what to do for him. He growls now when you try to pet him,he is so uncomfortable. Poor thing. I cant leave him like this. I gave him meds just a bit ago, hoping that it will keep him more comfy in his carrier. So...its another vet day. I don’t want to cry about money, cause I love this cat, but it will be another $300 today at least.

Hopefully he will go before you have to take him back to the vet. With males I'm always concerned about an obstruction when they have pee issues so I was relieved to read that wasn't the problem.

If it makes you feel any better I have spent over $1,000 on a stray, spay and dental, I brought in from a blizzard last winter. :D

Sending head butts for your sweet boy and hugs for you. :hug:

He didnt pee, so we gathered him up, popped him in his carrier, which upset him greatly. Got to the vet, and she took one feel of his tummy, and they took him quickly into the back, knocked him out and put a catheter in him. he had a stone blocking the path, and couldnt pee. He will need to stay on the catheter for about two days,and be in the hospital. They offered me a chance to bring him home each night, but I think going back and forth, back and forth is just as stressful as leaving him in a quiet cage.

I am drained!I am spent. This poor kitty has been so sick. I am glad to know he isnt just misbehaving or simply grieving himself sick. If its a stone, we pop out the stone, give him meds, he feels better. If its emotional it means we have to coddle and let him pee out of place for years. not sure I could handle that.

We are thinking the stone is from all the crap food we were feeding the old lady before she died. About every 3 or 4 hours we would pop open a can of junk food, and he would eat what she left behind. He gained a fair bit of weight, and loved it, but that stuff isnt good for you. Now that the old lady cat is gone, his diet has been dramatically changed, and he will be back on the good stuff that has cranberry and urine stuff in it.

What an ordeal. this poor kitty.

I'm so glad they found the blockage, Dej. I hope that after they fix it he's all better :).

I have 5 cats right now and I know how expensive it can be. Good luck with all of the crap and try not to stress (yeah, right :cool:. Easier said than done).

Dej, I am so with you on your cat journey. My cat was almost put to sleep on the Monday before this past one. She is only 10 years old. DH and I just could not do it. Then on Tuesday, she showed a little life and actually looked at us.

She is down from 7 pounds to only 5 pounds. Skin and bones. Gross to pet her because her spine is so prevalent. We are feeding her cat food that we can only buy at the vet's with prescription, full of protein and fat...hand feed. She will only lick it off a finger.

I shudder to see the bill because we have had to inject fluids because she is not drinking enough yet. Plus an enema:eek::eek::eek:!

Hang in there. I know how you feel, how raw this is. I am on the same journey.

We just got home with our Blitzen (about 10 yo gray and white rescue) with peeing problems. Seems hairballs can cause loss of interest in food and drink too, and she resolved her issues right before we took her in (of course!) She has IBS so we keep a close eye on her, giver her meds am and pm, and feed her small amounts throughout the day. It is a little more work, but our vet says it is making all the difference in her life! He commended us on a 2# wt loss and keeping up her regimen to keep her healthy.

She got subcutaneous fluids and he took a urine specimen with a needle guided by ultrasound (instead of a cath) today. You may want to ask your vet about this if urine must be tested in the future, as our vet says this is safer.

A little over a year ago we switched to a cats-only vet . . . and will never go back!

Glad you found the problem and hope it can be prevented from appearing again in the future. We totally understand the stress . . .I could not sleep well last night and was so worried . . . and it seems it was just hair! And we brush her and give her petromalt all the time!

This is our kitty, down from 19#5oz to 17#5oz . . . just by feeding less but feeding more frequently. We also dilute her canned food by adding about 25% more volume in water to be sure she is hydrated.

Beautiful Catperson, Lefty. glad she's better.:)

In connecticut we had a cat only hospital, but no such thing exists around here. I miss it.

The cath was needed because he was totatally blocked and couldnt pass any urine. before that,they did take urine out with a guided needle. 22ml is alot! he was quite full. at the time of cath he drained about 30ml of fluid from that cats bladder. he was at the breaking point.

The current school of thought is they dont know why some cats get crystals and some dont. Since the old lady cat died, we switched over to dry only, and that meant that he is getting much less liquid in his food. I put one can of water, to one can of food and stir it well, so the old lady was getting tons of water.

I guess the loss of a good supply of water didnt help things along here. He is on Wellness food http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat-wellness.aspx its an organic, human quality food that is amazing. I used to use science diet until all those pet food recalls that come out, and science diet was on it! Turns out they share a processing plant with friskies, and fancy feast. Wellness food is a high quality food.

He is brushed everyday. He has never coughed up a hairball, and is a good lover cat. we call him a rub-a-holic. The vet went on to explain that you can beat yourself up all day, but they simply dont know why some cats block, and others dont. The male pee pee hole is teeny tiny, so just about anything from mucous to crystals can block the path. The urine showed a couple of crystals, and a bit of mucous, but no infection. His blood work showed him to not be dehyrated, and all results were in normal range.

It is a true emergency if your cat doesnt pee in 24 hours as his bladder can rupture, http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body..._blockage.html

I am just so happy that he is doing so much better. I may be able to bring him home tomorrow night or Friday. Depends on when he is able to get a good urine flow going again.

Im just exhausted! stress will really take a bite out of an MS patient. :o

thought I would share a baby pic with you. This was him when we brought him home. he is now 17 pounds. He is a massive cat, not fat, just very long, and tall.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...1Jack/6d58.jpg

He's adorable! I just love little orange kitties. They have the sweetest dispositions. I'm so glad he's feeling better.

What a sweety. One blue eye and one brown, huh? I love him..:hug:

his eyes are green now that he is a grown up. he had sweet blue eyes as a baby tho.

Just got back from seeing him. He is being such a good boy, they took his collar off, so he doesnt have that cone thing on.He is wrapped in a towel tho, because he has that catheter and its not hooked to bag. It kept kinking and closing off, so it was safer to just let him dribble. He is refusing to eat, but he is medicated, and well hydrated with IVs. I think if he had thirst his hunger would kick in, but since he is not thirsty, he isnt hungry.

I unwrapped him and let him clean up his feet, and legs, and brushed him. He was much more interested in being loved, then being fed. We left his favorite food, and his personal dish there. Tomorrow will be a better day, and perhaps friday he can come home. poor thing. he has been thru so much.

Oh man! I just cannot imagine what you are going through. ((((Deb & kitty))))

He is beautiful. Can't ever have too many orinch kitties, imo. Sending good vibes his way.

It is my understanding that the special diets now are really quite good for helping manage issues like this. I love my all cat hospital and if my vet ever moves we are packing up and following her!

I am glad to learn your cat is on the mend.

My news is not good. She had to have yet another enema:eek: and the vet found a growth in her abdomen that is confirming the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer:(.

We are so lucky because she rallied for a few days. Just a matter of time now but I am going to treasure each moment.:(

Awwwwww, Cyn, I'm sorry..:(

awww, im so sorry about your kitty news. ((hugs))

I saw mine yesterday twice, and the first time he was much better. Actively cleaning, interested in our visit and happy to see us. the second time, he spiked a fever, and didnt feel well at all. it was really hard to leave him knowing that no one is there overnights for them. He was so lethargic, and sad.

They are removing his catheter today, and if he pees, he can come home tonight. I am so excited! I miss the old lady cat,andnow my boy is missing. I want him home, and so does his sister.

:hug: Cyn :hug: I'm so sorry. :(

Dej, I really hope he can come home today. I'd be lost without my babies running all over the house. My orange-man is such a lovey cat. He loves attention and does everything in his power to get your attention. He loves his tummy rubs.

We're all so fortunate to have such sweet and lovable fur babies. Thanks for doing what's necessary to make sure yours is in good health and cared for. I worry about all the cats left on their own when it comes to their health.

spoke to the vet. Kitty still has a fever, but he ate some, and is peeing on his own, without the catheter. he will need to take some pills, and such for a bit when he comes home, but he can come home today at 4. The sister kitty is now napping in his new litter box that has been placed in my bedroom for the time being. She still uses the toilet, even with a litter box in the house, and I guess thinks it makes a fine bed.

I had to have a compounding pharmacy make up some meds for him, so I can avoid shoving things down his throat. Its a gel that can be absorbed thru his ear skin. He needs that for 30 days. The vet is trying to talk me into this very expensive food. I kept trying to explain that he was on a great diet till the old lady dropped a ton of weight, and then the house was filled with friskies,and meow mix and fancy feast. Now that the old lady is gone, he is back on the good stuff.He was really pushing this expensive prescription formula. I like the lady vet there better. she listens when you speak, but its her day off.

Not going to grumble. The boy is coming home at 4. Wahoo! :cool:

Got to the vet, right on time. Half hour late, they ushered me into the room, and then 15 minutes later, a tech came in, holding my cat, handed him to me,and said ..."ok, GL. TY" I was stunned! shocked, speechless! WAIT I cried as he got to the door. I have TONS of questions. "im sorry he said. what can I help you with?"

1. where is his carrier?
2. Why is his foot so swollen"
3. Does he need meds at home?if so where are they?
4. what is his temp?it was really high this morn.
5. was his last void clear?
6. what was the result of todays blood/urine work up?
I could go on and on I said.

OH! he said. WOW, those are all great questions, and I am totally unprepared to answer them. His normal tech Devon has gone home for the day, and I didnt realize he was so complicated. I dont know why, but I thought he was a simple release. I said "please, get the owner in here. I am not leaving till I see Dr. Pearson.

An hour later, Dr. Pearson comes in all smiles, and apologies. He gave great answers, and was prepared to come visit. He had the chart, the meds, the reports...I asked him what that was all about with that tech, and he responded that my cat had been listed as "released" earlier in the day and he thought it was a boarding cat going home.

Jack has a fever of 105.7 normal is about 101.5 or so. its about a 102/103temp for us. HIGH! I refused the rabies vaccine as he is feverish. He is overdue by one week, but it can wait till he heals. He is peeing on his own, and starting to eat, but clearly isnt completely out of the woods. He was urine soaked, and then peed in his carrier on the ride home. He ran and jumped into my armoire where I keep my shirts/Pjs. (the bottom shelf is his) and cowered into the corner. I have turned the room dark, and quiet and just allowed him to rest. Every time he hears you come in the room he cowers. I am sure he is used to being yanked in and out of the cage. So, I hope he can just sleep, rest and heal. now my whole armoire reeks of urine. good thing tomorrow is laundry day anyway. poor thing.

TY all for the love and support. I will take him back tomorrow for a recheck since his fever is so high. At least for tonight, he is home.

I'm so glad he is home but am really concerned about the fever. Did the vet have any thoughts on why he is febrile? Did he come home on any antibiotics?

FWIW your vet can waive the rabies vaccine requirement if it is medically warranted and imvho there is no way I would give any vaccine to a sick animal. Sending hugs and strong healing vibes.
:hug:

What a horrible night! Kitty is so feverish he is confused. He would jump from his perch onto my bed and PEE! then...lay in it! didnt care. He is so warm, but he wont let me near him to take his temp. He jumped back and forth, peeing in both spots till about 2am. I put liners and towels and chucks under all. it STINKS! then about 3am, he started sqautting with no output. he is just straining,so he may be reblocked. Im so tired! I cant have a cat peeing all over my bed at night, and I cant isloate him because his cries in the bathroom. Im too exhausted to make good choices, but I am calling the vet in a few mins when they open and demanding to go in this morn.

The situation has to be fixed or answers given. I love love love this kitty, but this is unacceptable that the moment the door is open he jets to my bed and then as he goes to sit, leans into a squat!

I stink! he stinks! my room stinks! the other cat is freaking out. I am hoping its a fever thing. if not...I have some tough choices to make.

Poor kitty! :(

Poor Dej! :hug:

Your kitty is obviously not well enough to be home right now and there's nothing else you could do that you haven't already done. He really should be back at the hospital until that stone is blasted, passed or surgically evacuated. I can't see that he'll get better until that stone is gone.

I have a 9:30 appointment to take him back. The stone was removed on Tuesday morn with the original surgery. They left a catheter in place to be sure he had free flowing urine, and his kidneys were working. They removed the cath yesterday, and he used the litterbox once while there, and they let him go home. We are thinking he maybe confused from the high fever.

If not, and this has turned into a behavior and or emotional damage I cant have this poor baby peeing in piles everywhere, and then laying down in it! He is urine soaked, and so is my bedroom.

The vet said there was some grit when he removed the stone, and that may cause him to reblock. I dont know which to be more worried about, the high fever or the lack of pee! I gave him a good dose of kitty morphiene, so he isnt in pain, but he isnt in his right mind either. He is out of it, and off. I am crushed to think he is still this ill. I guess I had allowed myself to think he was around that corner.

Sorry Dej, I obviously misread as I thought the stone was still there. It's possible the fever may have disturbed him mentally, you only have to look at the elderly when they're febrile to see that it's a possibility. I daresay you've already considered medications ... especially as you mentioned narcotic analgesia.

It's good that you have an early appointment. I hope you come home with some answers this time.
Good luck to both you and kitty. :hug:

I did consider the meds, as he was zonked when he came home. I was due to give him pain meds at 9:30 last night but with held them as he was so snowed that I didnt dare add to it. I gave him some about 1am, once I felt he had come around from the other stuff they gave him, and was conscious enough to handle it.I also waited last night for him to display some signs of pain before just zonking him. Then I only gave him a half dose, as he was still so out of it. This morn at 8 I gave him a full dose, as I am about to put him in a carrier (which he hates) and drag him into the city.

I am guessing, and guessing and guessing about what to do. I have had about 30 mins sleep total, and I am freaked out thinking that this may end up being as good as it gets. If his fever goes down, and he is still this mentally confused, disoriented, and peeing in every corner only to lay in, then...I have some tough choice to make. I am sure they will keep him at least for observation today.

Im so scared. I dont want to lose my kitty, but he cant go on like this. its an awful corner to be in.

The vet took one look at him, and took him into the back. They are keeping him for at least the day. His temp was 106.4 and he was inappropriate with his responses, and demeanor. They dont know if its because of the fever, the infection, or the stress. Either way I have a sick kitty on my hands.

They are unsure about why to say or what is causing this dramatic turn. They will run blood work, urine work and give him fluids. I asked them to change him off of the opitates in case its an opiate reaction. For a cat to lay soaked in his own urine, and not seem to care, esp Jack was heart breaking. He is an extremely clean kitty, and under normal circumstances would be cleaning an already clean body.

I am up to my arm pits in laundry. I dragged my mattress outside and will have to find a remedy for that. Sunshine normally does well with some fabreeze. towels, and towels and towel soaked in urine.

TY for all the support. I will let you know when the vet calls.

Praying for your kitty, Dej. It's so stressful when one of our furry kids are sick. They can't tell us what's wrong......

Please keep us updated. :hug:

Awwwwwww, 'm so sorry. Poor little baby and poor you. I do hope that Kitty rallies back, soon. :hug::hug::hug:

I'm so sorry last night was so rough. Imvho discharging a patient with a temperature that was not brought under control would make me very unhappy. If they aren't more on the ball today I'd consider transferring him.

Have they mentioned the operation that can be done for cats that continue
to block? Unfortunately repeated caths can irritate the urethrea and cause problems also. :(

Can you call your former vet at the all cat hosptial for a consult?

Sending hugs and good vibes.

They are keeping him overnight. He is dribbling, and refusing to use the litter box. His temp is still high,and they feel that his appearance isnt close to what his normal is. He isnt considered "blocked" since he is dribbling. That means fluid is able to pass. His bladder also isnt rock hard and unable to pass any liquid like upon his original admit. They are telling me that dribble after the type of proceedures he went thru are normal, and she is working to get the bladder spams under control. He is no longer happy to allow anyone into his cage, but once out of his cage, he is happy to comply.

I will go visit at 5. Im so tired. The house is once again scrubby clean. I have several nice hidden spots for him full of fluffy towels and an under layment of plastic. I put plastic on my bed to protect the mattress. I also have the bathroom all set up for easy removal should I need to simply pick him up in the middle of the night and plunk him someplace safe and cleanable.

Ty for all the good thoughts and well wishes.