More UT problems for Gatsby

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby is back at the vet's with another near-blockage of his urinary tract. My hopes for him to avoid needing surgery are fading, because if he blocks completely it'll be the third time in 2 1/2 months.

I've asked the vet to have a culture done this time, to try to find out what it is that keeps coming back.

I'm so sad and discouraged. Gatsby is my office buddy, and it's hard to focus on work without him curled up and purring nearby. I really need for him to get better.

[Catty1]

Prayers for Gatsby!

And for you, too...it's been a sad time for you and your furbabies. Prayers that the vet finds out the cause and that it is treatable.

[Medusa]

Oh dear, when it rains....We'll send up prayers right now that Gatsby will heal quickly, easily and in peace and will not need surgery. You've had enough sadness; time now to have some peace. (((HUGS))) :love:

[Prairie Purrs]

Thank you for the prayers. Poor Gats has had a difficult couple of months.

He'll be staying at least overnight at the vet's because they had to insert a catheter. I was hoping they wouldn't have to do that, but I'm not surprised. If they try to send him home again without making an effort to figure out why this keeps repeating, I'm not going to be happy.

[katladyd]

They really have no idea why about 60% of cats get blockages. They tried diet, fluids, many things to help Ming, my meezer. He used to block constantly but I heard that cats that get the operation have severe infections the rest of their lives and my vet doesn't like to go that far. We put Ming on amitryptiline a year ago and he hasn't had a single blockage or infection since then. They don't know why it works, but it does on most cats. Ask you vet about it. It only costs me $10 for 100 pills from Pet Meds.

[Prairie Purrs]

Amitryptiline works? That's really interesting--you wouldn't expect an antidepressant to prevent urinary tract blockages. I'll definitely ask about it. Thank you!

[katladyd]

Look it up online: amitryptiline and FLUTD in cats. It doesn't always work, but in the hard core cases, it usually does.

[Pinot's Mom]

I'm so sorry for poor Gatsby! You know, I had not heard of blockages until I got on this site, so I'm no help! I just hope they can get things cleared up quickly - catheters are NO FUN!! Paws crossed and prayers sent - keep us updated.:love:

[Randi]

Our sympathy to dear Gatsby. Fister knows what it's like to be blocked, he had the problem years ago. Every two or three months he would block up, so we made the decision to have him operated. Since then, he's been fine. :)

Good luck! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear this.:( Yes, many vets like to avoid doing surgery because of certain side effects like UTI's or loss of bladder control.

Storm blocked 2 times and the second time they couldn't even get a catheter in him so he had to have the PU surgery. He had some how built up some scar tissue and his surgeon said that the more times a cat is catheterized then the more likely that they'll build up scar tissue and have more problems. I also had a board certified surgeon perform his surgery because it was more difficult than most PU surgerys. This is what the ER told me to do.

After surgery he did have some issues with UTI's but now he's been fine ever since he's been on a grain free diet which is Innova Evo. He also gets plenty of canned food mixed with water every day to help keep him hydrated.

The surgeon also told me that it was only a matter of time before Storm would become blocked because he has a very small urethra opening. I think that's what it's called. Now he's able to make big pee biscuits in the litter box. I hope that your vet will be able to help Gatsby. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby's doing pretty well today. He was certainly happy to see me and get some scritches behind the ears. They'll take the catheter out today, and hopefully he'll be able to come home tomorrow.

It appears that he didn't have an actual blockage, and there weren't any problems inserting the catheter. It seems that he may be having spasms or swelling or something that cuts off the urine flow. The vet thinks that the problem is pretty far back along the urethra and that the regular PU surgery wouldn't really help. I asked about amitryptiline, and the vet said that might be an option.

Thank you all for your good wishes and suggestions. My tuxie boy and I appreciate it!

[katladyd]

Happy to help.:) Amitryptiline relaxes any spasms or bladder irritations, as they thought that was part of Ming's problem, along with crystals. I still don't know why it works, but $10 every 3 months is a small price to pay for a healthy cat.

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby is back home. He's taking Zeniquin and amitriptyline. I really hope that'll help him avoid recurring episodes.

I think he's a little overexcited at being home, because he keeps making trips to the litter box. The first trip resulted in a decent sized "biscuit," and he can't possibly have anything left in his bladder by now, so I think he's just having a bit of an obsessive-compulsive spell. I've noticed recently that some of his litter box trips seem to be out of habit--for example, he'll head for the litter box immediately after eating or drinking even the slightest amount. The amitriptyline may help with that.

[Prairie Purrs]

Well, poor Gatsby (who is normally very little trouble to pill) hates taking the amitriptyline. I guess the taste is pretty horrible. katladyd, how do you get Ming to take the stuff?

[katladyd]

It is VERY bitter! I wrap it in a small piece of a Pill Pocket, they sell them at Pet Smart. After a year, Ming just opens his mouth and takes the pill without much trouble. It takes two of us, but it is done without much trouble. The first few weeks, until I discovered the Pill Pocket trick, was very hard. Ming won't eat the pill in the Pill Pocket on his own, the pills are that bitter, but you can ask you vet for a pill popper to shoot the pill down his throat, or just get behind him, lift his head up a little, and place the pill at the very back of his throat. He should then swallow as a reflex. Sometimes I have to almost shove the pill down his throat with my finger. As long as you are doing this from behing the cat, you can't be bitten. Your vet tech can show you how to do this.

[Prairie Purrs]

I've got a pill shooter, and that's how I got tonight's pill down him. It was a struggle, though, because he really didn't want to swallow. Which of course meant he had the nasty taste in his mouth longer.

I'll have to pick up some Pill Pockets. I wonder whether amitriptyline can be compounded into a less bitter form?

[katladyd]

I've wondered that myself. Now, and this is just a rumor, I've heard that amitryptiline can be made into a liquid or gel that can be applied topically. You could ask you vet about that. I do know that, like anything else, Ming got used to it and now is fairly easy to pill. Wishing you luck.

[Medusa]

Penny, ask your vet for #3 gel caps. The meds that Pidge takes are really nasty, too, plus they're cut in half which makes it even worse. I put them all in one gel cap and it's easier for her to swallow, no nasty taste, the gel cap dissolves quickly and best of all, no more gagging and vomiting.

[Prairie Purrs]

Thank you both! I'll ask the vet about both compounding and the gel caps. There may not be anyplace nearby that does compounding, but I would imagine he can get me some gel caps.

Gatsby was a little bit woozy last night after taking the amitriptyline. I know from taking the stuff myself some years ago that it makes you feel a little funky at first, so I'm watching him closely for side effects. Right now he's relaxing in a sunbeam--something that's been rare lately, as we've had day after day of cold rain.

[Prairie Purrs]

It's still too early to tell whether the amitriptyline is going to prevent Gatsby's UT issues from flaring up again. His litterbox use is much closer to normal right now, but he's usually OK for a few days after a vet visit. If he's still going well by this time next week, that'll be good progress.

He's been more subdued than I'd like. Even for a cat, he's been spending a lot of time just lying around. I'm going to give him a couple more days to adjust to the medication, then call the vet if he doesn't perk up a bit. Maybe the dosage will need tweaking.

[Prairie Purrs]

Well, Gatsby's urine culture came up positive for staph. Fortunately, it looks like he's on the right antibiotic for that. And it may mean that he won't have to be on the amitriptyline long-term.

He's lounging in sunbeams this morning and seems to be feeling pretty good. He's more affectionate than he's been the past few days, which makes me very happy.

[Catty1]

YAAY! Lounging in sunbeams and being lovey are good things!

Hope you are back to your old self soon, baby boy!:love::love:

[Medusa]

Oh I'm so glad! You definitely need a break! :)

[Prairie Purrs]

I had to rush Gatsby to an emergency vet last night when he suddenly became blocked. They had to cath him again. An X-ray didn't show any stones, and his urine looked relatively clear, so the cause is a mystery.

The emergency vet said that Gats has a very narrow urethra. This vet was really pushing surgery, which is confusing because my vet said that Gatsby wasn't a good candidate for PU surgery. I told the emergency vet that I didn't want to do any surgery until Gatsby's staph infection clears up, at least. I also need to get some more information, since I'm getting conflicting advice.

Poor Gatsby! He's been such a trooper, and there has to be a way to keep this from recurring. Maybe surgery is the answer, but I'm not going to do it based on the snap decison of an emergency vet.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that he became blocked again.:( Maybe he keeps getting a mucous plug I think that's what it's called. Some cats get this and it'll also cause them to become blocked. Why did your vet say that he wasn't a good candidate for PU surgery? If he has a narrow urethra then it doesn't take much for him to become blocked. This is what my Storm had too. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Prairie Purrs]

KAK, my regular vet told me that Gatsby's blockages (or swelling or spasms, whatever was happening) were taking place so far back along his urethra that the surgery wouldn't be effective.

Also, I'm not willing to go forward based solely on the ER vet's recommendation because I don't entirely trust the clinic. For one thing, they're outrageously overpriced. They insist on payment in advance of treatment, but because I'd been there before (with poor Hagrid), they allowed me to get by with paying half of the $ 1000 :eek: estimate. My vet charged me $ 225 last week for basically the same course of treatment. For another thing, the ER vet wanted to operate today based on a 30-minute exam last night. There were no problems getting the catheter in, so there wasn't any need to rush Gats into surgery. I think that a conscientious ER vet wouldn't try to take over another vet's patient in that manner.

They're not going to take out the catheter until tonight or tomorrow morning. My plan is to bring him home when I can, then find a vet who has plenty of experience with the surgery and schedule an appointment for a third opinion.

[Prairie Purrs]

The vet at the ER clinic just called and said that Gatsby is doing OK, but he isn't producing as much urine as she'd expect. So it's possible that my poor sweet boy may have kidney problems.

Please think some healing thoughts for my tuxie boy. I'm so worried about him.

[Moesha]

I sure feel bad for you and for dear Gatsby. I hope that you are able to figure something out quickly for both of your sakes. I completely agree with your decision regarding the ER vet and the surgery. Has his blood work showed kidney problems?

[Prairie Purrs]

I'm not entirely sure what blood work has been done up to this point. He's been to two other vets, and I thought at least one of them did blood work, but I can't recall for sure. The ER vet will run a blood panel if there's still cause for concern by morning.

I'm a train wreck. I really need for my Gatsby to be well and happy again.

[Killearn Kitties]

My girls have their paws firmly crossed and are sending all of their healing thoughts Gatsby's way. :love:

[Catty1]

Is the amitryptiline not helping? Poor Gatsby! Maybe there is another med they can try?

Hugs to Gatsby, and that the riddle is solved soon.

[Medusa]

I really feel bad about this, Penny. This roller coaster ride is maddening for you, I know. I wish something would work!

[Prairie Purrs]

The amitriptyline isn't helping so far, but he's only been taking it for a week. Antidepressant drugs take time to have an effect in people, so perhaps it's the same for cats.

Thank you all for your good wishes. Things have been pretty bad around here for awhile, and your kindness helps me get by.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that he isn't producing the amount of urine that he sould be.:( I think you're very smart to get another opinion and hopefully he doesn't have kidney problems.:( Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby's urine production is much better this morning, thank goodness. They'll remove the catheter this morning, and maybe he'll be able to come home this evening. I just hope he can stay unblocked until the staph clears up, and in the meantime I'll get another opinion about surgery.

[Prairie Purrs]

They removed the catheter and Gatsby immediately started straining again. So the catheter is back in.

The ER vet wants to do surgery now, but he's not really addressing my regular vet's concerns. The ER vet just keeps saying that when cats block multiple times, they do surgery. It usually works, but sometimes it doesn't.

My regular vet's office is going to set up an appointment at a university vet clinic that's clear across the state from where Gatsby is right now. So I'm trying to reach the ER vet to find out when Gatsby would be able to make that trip.

If surgery is his best option, he'll have the surgery, even if I have to sell my car to pay for it. But I don't want to put him through it if there's no realistic chance it'll keep him from blocking. And nobody's talking about what happens if the surgery doesn't work, which really scares me.

ETA: The ER vet is going to talk to my vet directly, and if my vet's convinced that surgery is reasonably likely to help, we'll probably go ahead and do it. If my vet still has reservations, I'll have a specialist at the university look him over.

If surgery can't prevent him from reblocking, there's a good chance I'll lose him because they haven't been able to find medication that works at all.

This can't be happening. Not my Gatsby too.

[Medusa]

You're right, this can't be happening. It just can't be. We'll keep the prayers going for this sweet boy, Penny, and you, too, my girl. :)

[Prairie Purrs]

Thank you, Mary. I'm trying so hard to make the right decisions, but I'm having a lot of trouble keeping my head clear at the moment. I'm just worried sick.

[Pinot's Mom]

I'm so sorry - I can't even imagine how this makes you feel. I just can't. :( Prayers they can solve this and make poor Gatsby feel better. (((hugs)))
:love:

[pomtzu]

Penny - I'm so sorry that you and Gatsby are going thru so much.:(

Fingers and paws crossed that the whitecoats can fix him up, and that this ongoing problem will be a thing of the past.

I just lit a candle for him.

[Prairie Purrs]

Thank you, Pinot's Mom and Ellie. It's been a hard day for me. And a harder one for poor Gatsby, of course.

The two vets talked, and the ER vet says they're pretty much on the same page. Haven't talked with my regular vet yet. Gatsby is on an antispasmodic med in addition to antibiotics and will stay hospitalized over the weekend. They hope to have the results of a urine culture Monday to see whether staph is still a problem.

I'll wait to find out what my regular vet has to say before I decide whether to set up an appointment at the university. If my vet thinks there's some chance that it could work, I'm inclined to go ahead with the surgery without a third opinion. We're pretty much out of other options.

[Moesha]

Oh dear. How horrible for you and Gatsby!! I'm following this thread closely. Please let us know as soon as you hear anything. Good thoughts being sent your way!

[katladyd]

Most of the time, in the hard core cases, the surgery does work. Just be warned, they can get more infections once they have the surgery. The good news is the infections will not cause any blockages after the surgery. At least that is what my vet says. I'm sending prayers your way. I know how you are feeling right now and it is not good.:love:

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that it seems that surgery is his only option. I do hope that it'll help him. When Storm had to have his, the ER vet told me to make sure to have it performed by a board certified surgeon because he was a difficult case. She gave me 3 different locations to choose from and luckily the closest one to me had an opening the next morning. I know that without the surgery that Storm would've also kept becoming blocked.

Storm's never become blocked since his surgery but one time he was straining to pee because I later found out that Sunny was attacking him and trying to become the alpha cat. He was put on some meds and later things calmed down in my household. Since he's been on a grain free diet, he hasn't had any more crystals or UTI's. I do make sure that he always eats plenty of canned food mixed with some extra water though.

I hope that Gatsby's problems will soon be a thing of the past and if he has surgery that it'll go well and keep him from becoming blocked ever again. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Medusa]

A candle for Gatsby:

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.cfm?l=eng&cid=9427277

And one for his mom:

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/message.cfm?l=eng&cid=9427279

[Randi]

Oh poor Gatsby - and you. :( I think you have done all the investigation you can to make the right decision. If he will have the operation, I really hope it will help! It certainly helped Fister. :)

Sending best wishes and keeping paws and fingers crossed for dear Gatsby. :love:

[Prairie Purrs]

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate your kindness, and Gatsby does too.

Poor boy was so glad to see me when I visited today! He would have loved for me to have stood there for about eight hours just giving him ear rubs and scritches. It was miserable leaving him there.

He isn't eating much. I suspect the antibiotics are to blame for that. And there's still a lot of blood in his urine.

My vet strongly recommended taking him to the university clinic, so we'll make arrangements for that on Monday. I hope we can keep him unblocked for long enough to make the transfer--it's about a three-hour drive from the ER clinic. The university should have the most up-to-date diagnostic tools and information about possible procedures for dealing with Gatsby's problem.

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby will have some form of PU surgery tomorrow (either perineal or prepubic urethrostomy). He's at the University of Illinois, and I think he's in very good hands. The surgeon believes that the blockage can be dealt with even if it's farther back than most cats have.

I had to pick Gats up at 5:30 a.m. from the ER vet, where he's been since last Wednesday night. Then we had a 2 1/2 hour drive to the U of I. Gatsby was such a good boy! He had to be terribly uncomfortable because his catheter was still in, and he had trouble moving around in the carrier because he was wearing a cone. But he settled in and hardly said a word the whole trip. I put the softest microfleece blankie I could find in the carrier, so maybe that helped a little.

I'll be pacing the floor tomorrow, of course, but I have a lot of confidence in the U of I vets. Please keep fingers crossed that all goes well!

[pomtzu]

Penny - what an ordeal that the 2 of you are going thru!

Prayers that all goes well with Gatsby's surgery. Fingers and paws crossed here, and a candle burns for both of you.

Get well soon Gatsby, so you can get back home with Mom!

[Medusa]

Fingers and paws crossed her for Gatsby and you, Penny. We need to get this all behind us, huh? :love:

[Moesha]

I sure hopes this solves his problems for good! Please update us as soon as you can. Hugs!

[katladyd]

If this solves poor Gatsby's problems, go for it! My thoughts and prayers are with you.:love:

[krazyaboutkatz]

I sure hope that his surgery is very successful. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby is going into surgery in about an hour. I'll be mighty anxious until I hear that he's made it through OK.

[Killearn Kitties]

We are keeping our fingers and paws crossed for a successful surgery for Gatsby. :love:

[Catty1]

Prayers, prayers and more prayers.

Gatsby is in great hands, and his Creator is in charge. :love::love::love:

[krazyaboutkatz]

Lots more prayers are on the way. I'm sure that eveything will go well.:)

You'll most likely need to confine Gatsby after his surgery so I don't know if you have a spare bedroom or bathroom for him or not. I didn't have this option with Storm so I had to buy a big cage and I was able to set up a small litter box in it too. I would bring him out to feed him. He didn't like it at first but later became used to it. I think he had to be confined for about 2 weeks or so and then he was able to have his stitches removed. Good luck.

[Anikaca77]

My prays are coming for Gatsby.

I'm so sorry to hear about all these problems. I was just wondering when your vet gave Gatsby the amitriptyline did she mention a kind that they can rub on the cats ear?

They want to give that to my Ashley. I haven't done it yet because she hasen't peed outside of the box since that one sunday two weeks ago. I don't know if it was being at the vets all day long and she got so scared or what.

I hope Gatsby heals well and everything goes wells for Gatsby.

Melissa

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby has his own room under normal circumstances because he really hates other cats. He full-out attacks them. So my home office doubles as Gatsby's house. Because I spend 8-10 hours a day in there working, it's easy to keep a close eye on him.

If he needs closer confinement for awhile, my sister has a good sized dog crate I can borrow. That might be necessary to keep him from trying to jump onto my desk or his cat tree.

[Prairie Purrs]

I'm so sorry to hear about all these problems. I was just wondering when your vet gave Gatsby the amitriptyline did she mention a kind that they can rub on the cats ear?

My vet said we could consider geting the amitriptyline compounded if Gatsby continued to resist swallowing the pill. But he only took it for about a week, so we never got that far. The ER vet discontinued it, and I doubt that he'll resume taking it after the surgery.

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby's out of surgery and awake! After all the worry, apparently it was pretty routine--a perineal urethrostomy rather than the prepubic form. I don't know yet when he'll be able to come home. Obviously they're watching him today to make sure he's recovering normally and that there aren't any complications.

I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am. Thank you all for your healing thoughts and prayers!

[Medusa]

Great news, Penny! I hope that Gatsby has seen the last of those nasty UT problems forever! :love:

[Pinot's Mom]

Oh, I'm so glad!! Crossed paws weren't for naught!!:)

Now Gatsby, you get better and get home, sweetie!:love:

[Moesha]

I am so glad to hear the surgery went well. I hope this fixes his problem! Keep us posted.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad to hear that Gatsby's surgery went well. They'll probably keep him for 2-3 days. I think that my Storm was ready to go home on the 2nd day. I hope that he'll have a speedy recovery and will never have any more UT problems ever again. Please continue to keep us updated when you can and take care.

[Prairie Purrs]

We had a long (2 1/2 hour) drive home in a nasty rainstorm, but Gatsby is back home at last. I've got him confined to a fairly large dog crate for now, to keep him from trying to jump onto the desk or his cat tree. He hates his cone and doesn't much like the crate, and he's all kinds of woozy from the pain meds. But I think he's glad to be home.

[katladyd]

Gatsby, sending healing wishes your way. I hope you never, ever, have any more UT problems! Meowmie, can you give your precious boy hugs and kisses from me?:love:

[Catty1]

Welcome home, Gatsby! After some sleep, maybe you will be up to eating some food and getting lots of love from your mom!

You just need that cone for a few days til you heal up some.

I have seen collapsible cones.

http://www.entirelypets.com/elizacollars.html

I think there are other brands...but these look comfy.

Prayers that Gatsby heals quickly and well!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm glad to hear that he's home.:) When I had to confine Storm to a cage, I put an old sheet over it and this made him feel more secure. He did cry a lot the first few nights though so I put him up on the bed with me and held him securely all night so we could both get some sleep. I think he was almost 9 at the time and now he'll soon be 14 so it was quite a while ago. I hope that everything will go well. Good luck.:)

[Medusa]

Poor boy just needs some rest and lots of love from Mom and I'll bet he'll calm down. That was quite a drive for him. (and you)

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby, sending healing wishes your way. I hope you never, ever, have any more UT problems! Meowmie, can you give your precious boy hugs and kisses from me?:love:

Gentle hugs and kisses delivered. :D

I'm a little worried because he hasn't urinated since he's been home, so we'll be visiting my local vet this afternoon if it's still no go by then. Other than that, he's doing well. He didn't want to drink anything last night, but he's been drinking some today, and he's eating pretty well.

He's having a nap right now. He may not like the crate much, but the extra-soft new bed I put in there appears to be acceptable.

[Catty1]

Gatsby had his bladder emptied by the surgery, and I imagine the anesthetic and other meds dried him out quite a bit. Certainly call your vet about this, and ask how long it should take for him to have a normal amount of pee.

Glad to hear he is eating and drinking...hopefully all systems will be back to normal in no time. Give that handsome boy some lovins for me. :):love:

[Medusa]

How's our boy doing today? (And you, too, Penny.) :love:

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby is driving me a little bit crazy because he just doesn't want to urinate. I took him to my local vet yesterday because he hadn't urinated in nearly 24 hours, and of course he let go in the carrier and soaked a puppy pad. He hasn't gone since then, but his bladder doesn't feel really full. I called the U of I emergency line, and they said not to panic yet if he didn't seem to be uncomfortable.

He's not drinking a lot of water, and I'm sure that's a big part of the problem. That's typical for him--not a big drinker. He does want cuddles, and I've been giving him as many of those as I can.

[krazyaboutkatz]

After Storm has his PU surgery he didn't want to drink water at all. To solve this problem I gave him sub-q fluids every day and this did the trick. He then started peeing very well. My main problem with Storm is that he also had a very bad UTI infection so he had to be on strong antibiotics for 2 weeks. This caused him to have very bad diarrhea no matter what I did. I didn't know about Forti Flora back then.

I hope that everything will go well with Gatsby from now on. Lots more prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

[Prairie Purrs]

So far the only way I've found to get him to urinate is to put him in the carrier with a puppy pad and take him out to the car. I'm afraid he's going to catch on to that trick pretty soon, though.

I'm going to have another conversation with the vet tomorrow, because there's got to be some way to persuade him to go more frequently and in his litter box. It's crazy--we've gone from too many trips to the box to far too few.

[Catty1]

Is it possible something as simple as a bit of Cat Attract litter would make his box trips more frequent?

I wonder if the litter box is something he associates with discomfort.

Hugs and prayers for you and Gatsby!:love::love:

[Prairie Purrs]

Can't use litter while his incision is healing, so there's shredded paper on top of a puppy pad in the litter box. I'm sure it hurts for him to urinate right now, despite the pain meds, so that's no doubt causing him to "hold it." But holding it can't be very comfortable either.

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby still has to go on a car ride in the carrier before he'll urinate. I've been putting "Yesterday's News" litter in the box instead of the shredded paper, but still no go. I don't want to use his regular (clumping clay) litter while his incision is still healing, and I don't think that would help anyway because he doesn't seem to be holding it for lack of a "proper" place to go. He just doesn't want to go at all. The vet doesn't have any advice other than the change of litter.

Yesterday's car ride to the vet's office brought an unpleasant bonus--Gatsby's first bowel movement since coming home, and an especially nasty one at that. I'm sure that the poor guy just hates to use the plumbing because it's still painful (even with pain meds), but I could swear he's thinking, "Payback!"

He is healing up pretty much on schedule, and the stitches should be ready to come out next week. I'm hoping that completion of healing and a return to normal routine (especially when he can get rid of the cone) will solve the problem, if we're still having issues by then.

[Medusa]

I sure hope this clears up soon, Penny. This has been going on for far too long, poor li'l guy. Our furkids can't seem to get anything simple, can they, such as a sty in the eye or something. LOL

[katladyd]

I feel for you and Gatsby. This kind of thing is what I was afraid of when they mentioned surgery for Ming. Thank God he responded to meds, if he hadn't, he would have had surgery, also. I hope Gatsby's plumbing heals quickly and without any more problems.:love:

[Prairie Purrs]

I do think he'll be OK once the stitches are out, the cone is off, and he can really feel at home again. He's still spending most of his time crated to keep him from trying to jump onto the desk (which he wants to do every time he's out of the crate). I don't think he can make that jump successfully with the cone on, and I can't risk him falling and tearing those stitches.

I've been picking him up and putting him in his box on the desk from time to time (with one arm around him to keep him from jumping off), but he can't get comfortable there with that cone on. So he's frustrated, and he still hurts.

[Prairie Purrs]

The U of I vet wanted to see Gatsby after I described his dislike of urinating in the litter box. So we took a long car ride to the clinic (featuring a stop to change puppy pads, because of course he had to go in the carrier). :rolleyes:

They went ahead and removed the stitches, which surprised me because it had only been nine days since his surgery. But the vet who took the stitches out was the one who put them in, and he said everything was healed up. They didn't find any physical reason why Gats wouldn't use the litter box. He still has to wear the cone for another couple of days, but after that he can go back to his normal routine.

Well, lo and behold, this morning he climbed into the litter box and let 'er go! Guess he finally decided he's tired of the morning car rides. :D

[Medusa]

Isn't it funny the things that please us? A cat peeing. Hooray! Seriously though, I'm glad that the great Gatsby is doing better, got his stitches out and has decided to let 'er loose in the litterbox. Hopefully, you've seen the last of this problem.

[Moesha]

That post sure made me smile. YaY Gatsby!!

[katladyd]

I know exactly how your feel. Pee can be a beautiful thing! Go Gatsby! (so to speak)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so glad to hear that he finally decided to pee in the box.:) I bet he feels better without having stitches too. I hope he'll continue to do well.:)

[Anikaca77]

Prays coming for Gatsby that soon he'll use the litter box.

Prays,
Melissa

[Prairie Purrs]

Gatsby's doing very well! The cone is off, he's using the litter box, and he's pretty much back to his usual routine. The only thing he's being stubborn about is food--it's Fancy Feast or nothing! I'm going to humor him a little longer while he regains some weight, then I'll work on improving his diet.

[Catty1]

The only thing he's being stubborn about is food--it's Fancy Feast or nothing!

Great news! He's back to being a KAT!!:D

[katladyd]

Yeah, when it comes to wet food, my boys will eat nothing buy Fancy Feast. I've tried all the healthy, organic foods, nope, uh-uh, no way. Open a Fancy Feast can and I've had them come running from two rooms away! It must taste good, they both will eat it and actually finish it!:D

[Medusa]

Yeah, when it comes to wet food, my boys will eat nothing buy Fancy Feast. I've tried all the healthy, organic foods, nope, uh-uh, no way. Open a Fancy Feast can and I've had them come running from two rooms away! It must taste good, they both will eat it and actually finish it!:D

Yes, my Fur Posse love it, too. They get just a couple of T. in the morning and that's it. My vet said that it's no wonder they love it because it's loaded w/sugar and I may as well give them chocolate cake instead. So I'm looking for something that I know they'll eat. :confused:

[Pinot's Mom]

I'm so glad Gatsby is feeling better! The food thing is always so funny; they want what they want, and that's it! I like what Mary's vet called the Fancy Feast - chocolate cake. My vet calls treats barbecued Doritos! :)

[Prairie Purrs]

Yeah, I know Fancy Feast isn't health food. But Gatsby lost quite a bit of weight (he didn't want to eat at all while he was hospitalized), so I figure it's better for now to keep him eating. He eats a little bit of dry food (a mix of s/d and Indigo Moon) in addition to the FF. Pre-surgery, he loved dry food (the s/d in particular) and was less enthusiastic about canned of any variety. Cats!

[Cataholic]

I feel so awful that I didn't know this was going on with Gat. So, I have now prayed three times as hard to make up for my tardiness!

Daks had the PU surgery and sailed through. I will never forget the last time Daks blocked, and had I missed it and we went into overnight- well, I wouldn't be writing this post. :(

My whole house eats s/d. With 8 cats, that is pricey. But, the s/d is what is best for Daks. In the am, Daks gets wet s/d, with extra water in it to increase his fluids. Then, the kittens get FF kitten, and the other 5 get FF wet. 3 types of foods in the am makes for a crazy cat mommy!!

I try to limit Daks intake to just s/d. He does his best to eat other stuff. The vet told me some cats do okay with occasional indulgences, and some do not. But, blocking after PU is rare, IMO. And, knock on wood, no infections for us!

Good luck with Gats, and soft pets to him.

[Prairie Purrs]

I feel so awful that I didn't know this was going on with Gat. So, I have now prayed three times as hard to make up for my tardiness!

Daks had the PU surgery and sailed through. I will never forget the last time Daks blocked, and had I missed it and we went into overnight- well, I wouldn't be writing this post. :(

My whole house eats s/d. With 8 cats, that is pricey. But, the s/d is what is best for Daks. In the am, Daks gets wet s/d, with extra water in it to increase his fluids. Then, the kittens get FF kitten, and the other 5 get FF wet. 3 types of foods in the am makes for a crazy cat mommy!!

I try to limit Daks intake to just s/d. He does his best to eat other stuff. The vet told me some cats do okay with occasional indulgences, and some do not. But, blocking after PU is rare, IMO. And, knock on wood, no infections for us!

Good luck with Gats, and soft pets to him.

There's canned s/d? Before the surgery Gatsby was eating dry s/d and canned c/d because my vet told me they didn't make a canned version of s/d. Sigh.

I'm hoping he hasn't taken a permanent dislike to the prescription food. Perhaps he still associates it with his hospitalization. If there's canned s/d available, though, that'll be something he hasn't had before.

Thanks for the good wishes for Gats-cat!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm glad that he's doing well and hopefully he'll gain some of his weight back soon.:) Storm also had the PU surgery and he was on Royal Canin Urinary S/O formula in both dry and canned. He seemed to like it and I fed everyone this until my RB Starr got very sick and Pearl kept breaking out. I switched vets and I was also seeing a holistic vet and they both said that everyone could eat Innova Evo dry and canned.

With Storm I just have to make sure that he gets plenty of canned mixed with some water. He's now been on this food for at least 2 years or so and he hasn't had any problems. They all love his food and go crazy over the smell of the canned food. I use the 95% Turkey and Chicken kind and I think it even smells good to me.:) It's very rich so a little goes a long way. Sunny gets his mixed with dry with some water added to it. Maybe Gatsby would like dry food mixed with canned better than just the canned alone. Good luck.:)

[katladyd]

My boys will NOT eat s/d in any form. They refuse Iams, all the heatlthy brands, (I've tried most, if not all of them. Even Innova Evo, they hated it!) Now, they are on a dry food that me vet approves and that they will eat. As far as wet, my vet doesn't like Fancy Feast, but my Ming is supposed to have canned that is moist to prevent further blockage problems (he doesn't drink much water outright at all!) So, my vet has said if FF is all they will eat, so be it. At least he is ingesting enough liquids.:rolleyes:

[Cataholic]

There is canned s/d, I buy it by the case. If you would like, I can ship you a couple of cans gratis, and Gats can give it a try???

[Prairie Purrs]

There is canned s/d, I buy it by the case. If you would like, I can ship you a couple of cans gratis, and Gats can give it a try???

Thanks for the generous offer! I think what I'll do, though, is let my vet know that s/d exists because I'm pretty sure he'll want to keep some on hand. And I'm pretty sure he'd give me a sample can. If he doesn't want to order it, there's another vet in town who may carry it.

[columbine]

I may have missed this, but has your vet mentioned Cosequin? It's primarily a joint supplement, but it also strengthens the GAG (lining) layer of the urinary tract so that germs and crystals can't damage it so easily. Smudge doesn't particularly like it, but when it's mashed into a quarter can of Soulistic grain-free food (along with his antihistamine, skin/coat supplement, extra fiber, and extra water) he gobbles it right up.

Love, Columbine