Cat with a urinary tract infection and blocked bladder

[Mvan42]

Ok so currently my cat is at the vet being treated for a UTI and blocked bladder.

He has never had any issues before with this sort of thing. The vet said it's normal in older cats. (He is almost 8yrs old.)

My question is is there anything I can do to help keep him healthy and prevent him from getting any utis in the future??

I would rather give him a supplement and try to prevent than have him go through this again. I plan on asking the vet when I pick him up but thought I would see if anyone else else had any suggestions that won't cost an arm and a leg.

The vet bill for this is going to be pretty large in itself

 

[nuthatched]

The vet will typically use a catheter then prescribe some meds.
Long term, increase the water sources in your house: cat fountains, cups set out for the cat (my cats would rather steal my water than drink anywhere else), keep the water bowl full of fresh water.
There are also foods available for urinary support.

 

[Mvan42]

The vet will typically use a catheter then prescribe some meds.
Long term, increase the water sources in your house: cat fountains, cups set out for the cat (my cats would rather steal my water than drink anywhere else), keep the water bowl full of fresh water.
There are also foods available for urinary support.

Thank you.
And yes thats what the vet is doing... they have a fountain now and he normally wants water ran in the bath tub to drink.. so he has water sources.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm so glad you caught this. We had a cat die from it and we didn't even know she was sick. We were gone, to church possibly? And when we came home we found her dead, her bladder had burst. I was so sad she died this way, it must have been incredibly painful. So even though it is expensive, it is worth it to spare your cat this horrible death. Or if you can't afford the treatment, have her put down humanely but don't let her die like this. It still breaks my heart that our Lucy suffered this way.

 

[townchicks]

Diet is the key. Your vet will recommend a prescription diet specifically for this issue. They are pricey, and it is tempting to try cheaper foods, but stick with the prescription food. It works.

 

[Mvan42]

Thanks everyone, I called this morning he was content purring and wanting petted... we will know more tomorrow if he will be able to come home then

 

[Mvan42]

He is spending yet another night at the vet hospital. They took the catherer out this evening. He is doing good, content and purring, hasn't eaten much but he is a picky eater. Vet called and said tomorrow he should be able to come home. They want to watch him for another 12 hrs and hopefully he pees by then

 

[AinaWGSD]

How's your kitty doing?

I've had several cats with urinary crystal issues over the years, including my current youngest cat. He had his first crystals before he was even a year old!

Pro tip, feed the prescription diet and only the prescription food. You may have to try a few to see what he likes if he's a picky eater. Science diet and royal canin are the two brands I have experience with, but it looks like Purina and Blue Buffalo have prescription diets too.

It may also be worth trying different flavors and textures to see what he will eat. One of my cats has chronic kidney disease and strongly prefers the fish flavor dry food. She will eat the chicken dry food or the canned pate, but not well at all. The fish flavor, she gobbles down (she's even become chunky since starting the k/d!). Fortunately, I think most brands have a satisfaction guarantee. I know the science diet does, if the cat won't eat it you can return it to the vet and get a refund/exchange it for another kind. So if you try one and he won't eat it you aren't out $30-$70!

I also noticed a difference between brands with my first cat even though he wasn't a picky eater. The science diet helped, but he was still getting uti's once or twice a year until we switched to royal canin. When science diet changed their formula, we tried again and he did fine with the new formula.

Good luck! Unfortunately, urinary crystals are usually a lifelong issue.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I would look into D-Mannose. It naturally occurs in the body and it flushes the urinary tract of bacteria. I have found that it actually works better than antibiotics for UTIs. It is also very gentle on the body and can be given daily. There are cat specific d mannose products out there, but you can buy human grade is cheaper and the same thing. No I am not some health nut trying to sell you snake oil. I read medical journals, scientific studies and research abstracts every day. I only follow the science. There is scientific evidence backing the usage of D mannose in place of antibiotics for UTI’s. Here is a study on D mannose for UTI’s and its effectiveness compared to antibiotics.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8944421/

 

[AinaWGSD]

I would look into D-Mannose. It naturally occurs in the body and it flushes the urinary tract of bacteria. I have found that it actually works better than antibiotics for UTIs. It is also very gentle on the body and can be given daily. There are cat specific d mannose products out there, but you can buy human grade is cheaper and the same thing. Here is a study on it as well in regards to UTI’s and its effectiveness compared to antibiotics.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8944421/

That might be helpful if the primary cause is bacteria. Unfortunately, in my case and ops case the primary cause is crystals. Those are primarily caused by how the cat's body processes food. And dehydration plays a big part. But if the crystals are to the point of blocking the urethra then any bacteria is a result of irritation and damage caused by the crystals.