Pouncer at the vet

[catnapper]

Pouncer has been straining to pee all week; I'm certain its from the stress of Aladdin picking on him :(

We called the vet last week and got new food that he'd eat (he REFUSED to eat the Hills SD) and gave him some antibiotics. This week, he's still straining, and its gotten worse. All day yesterday he was in and out of the litterbox. He'd just migrate from one box to the next. I called the vet and the soonest they could see him was today (after they checked that I did the tummy pressing to ensure he's not in any pain or pressure from being full with urine)

I took him in this morning and just like last time, he was completely empty. So he's staying there until he fills back up again and they can test for crystals. They think that with each trip to the litterbox he'd at least get a drop out. So good news is that he's not blocked, just most likely irritated. Now I'm just waiting for their call to let me know how bad the crystals are this time and what we need to do to dissolve them.

Poor Pouncer. I really need prayers for him. He's so young for this to be happening already! I just have the feeling that in a year or two he'll be blocking fully and we'll be looking at that PU surgery.

[Felix]

Thoughts and prayers on the way for poor little pouncer.

[kimlovescats]

Oh no! Poor Pouncer! I hope they are able to get what they need to figure out how to help the little guy!

(((HUGS)))
Kim

[Van10]

Poor baby! :(
Prayers are on their way from Canada.

[Glacier]

I hope Pouncer is back home soon and that they find a way to get this under control for him without the surgery. The surgery doesn't solve the problem, just gets rid of the life-threatening symptoms!

Pete had the surgery almost four years ago. He was just a baby too when he started blocking. He had at least four full blockages before surgery was suggested. For a long time after, his symptoms continued. I kept telling myself as I cleaned up pee that at least he could pee now! As he's aged, his symptoms have reduced dramatically. My vet told me that often cats who develop IFLUTD young outgrow it as they age.

My vet can't do the surgery. Pete had to fly to a teaching clinic in Saskatchewan. He was gone for three weeks as he had to recover quite a bit before he could fly. That was the worst part I think, being away from him while he was sick, even worse than the bill! :p . However, I would do it again without hesitation. Hopefully, it won't come to surgery for Pouncer though!

[Queen of Poop]

As I've never had a cat I can't say that I can contribute anything but prayers that your baby comes thru this just fine.

[catnapper]

I picked up my sweetheart, and all the vet techs just GUSHED about how sweet he is. They all melted over him, saying how utterly sweet he is and how shy he seems. Thats my Pouncer :)

Good news: he's got only a few small crystals that they could see.... nothing significant to mention

Bad news: There's blood in his urine, and they feel its from irritation caused from him having passed a stone. :( :( :( They think he's already had a stone and been blocked, but passed it on his own. He's on Pred for a whole month, and Baytril for 14 days. He has to return in 3-4 weeks for a recheck.

They said he peed in the litterbox on his own and sent us home with yet another type of food. This one is Hills WD that EVERYONE can eat. I already mixed in the Hills CD so he can transition the new food without tummy upset. Since the gang has already been sneaking Pouncer's CD, they won't need to be transitioned off the Nutro. He's chowing down as I write so I know he likes the new food. I almost fell over when they told me how much a 20 lb. bag costs.... but if it keeps the vet away then its worth every penny.

I also made a barter deal with a friend of mine in the rescue: she's taking off the new 20 lb. bag of Nutro and giving me the new water fountain she doesn't use.

[kimlovescats]

You sound like me and my rescue friend ... we are always horse trading! ;)
I'm glad to hear that Pouncer will soon be on the mend!

[catmandu]

Pouncer and Mr Scrappy Angels will stay with Pouncer until he is feeling better.
We are glad that hopefully the worst of his troubles seem to be behind him. Pouncer,The Found Cats are praying for you.

[catnapper]

well, he's back to terrorizing Abby tonight. They've already had one major hissing fight, and he's already tried to break into the treats. :rolleyes:

Poor boy must have been very sore, and the steriods are making life more comfortable already. I will never be able to relax and let my gaurd down with him - I will always have to pay attention to his litterbox habits.

[rg_girlca]

I'm glad to hear that Pouncer is back home and liking his new food. I pray that this will take care of his problems forever.


Pouncer, come on sweetie, lets start the New Year off by you NOT terrorizing your sister Abby. Try to be a good boy, okay and please, for meowmies sake, stay well.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm glad that Pouncer is finally home now and that he likes his new food. I also hope that the meds will help him so he'll feel better soon. :) Hopefully he won't become blocked and won't need the PU surgery.

Storm can sympathize with Pouncer because he was also at the vets today and they couldn't get a urine sample from him either because his bladder was also empty. He had to stay until this evening and they had to give him some sub-q fluids so they could get a sample. I'll hopefully know the results tomorrow.

[jenluckenbach]

HA! Hills w/d is JUST what you cats need....it is a weight loss formula.....snicker, snicker......

(sorry, could not help myself)

Now I have a question, did they ever x-ray him to actually SEE if he has more stones? Rutherford had NO crystals, but yet he had 3 stones, 2 IN the urethra causing the blockage, and a large one in the bladder just waiting to cause problems.

I sure hope that Pouncer can get better SOON.

[smokey the elder]

I'm glad Pouncer is feeling better. Stones are nasty. I had a foster who had one removed; it was about 5 mm! She could have never passed it on her own.

[catnapper]

HA! Hills w/d is JUST what you cats need....it is a weight loss formula.....snicker, snicker......

(sorry, could not help myself)

Now I have a question, did they ever x-ray him to actually SEE if he has more stones? Rutherford had NO crystals, but yet he had 3 stones, 2 IN the urethra causing the blockage, and a large one in the bladder just waiting to cause problems.

I sure hope that Pouncer can get better SOON.
ha ha ha Jen! Yes, I am well aware of it being a weight management food! Believe it or not, they were already on a weight management food... so imagine if they were NOT. :eek:

As for more stones, the vet douibts there are any, just that perhaps he had one. They asked me if I wanted ot go to the expense of Xrays now, or wait and see how he is on the meds, and do it when I return in 3 weeks. Considering my finainces (hit with $800 worth of bills in one day for car and cell phone and Pouncer) I am going to watch him closely. Thank goodness I work from home so I can be there all the time

[auggie]

Kim, will this be your first water fountain?
You and your cats will love it. I can’t rave enough about it.
Phoenix had to have his bladder flushed twice in the past due to crystals.
This is one of the reasons I went back to feeding mostly wet food.
He seems to be doing well so far. I always check the litter box for the size of his pee biscuits. I’m currently looking into purchasing Prairie raw cat food.
I’m so glad that Pouncer is feeling better already.

[catlover4ever]

Kim, I know exactly what you are going through. Before Tony went to the RB I had to keep tabs on him on a daily basis, then Smokey came along and had the same problems as Tony. I had the two of them on my hands for a few years. It seemed every time I turned around one of them was going to the vets for crystals or blockages. Smokey ended up with surgery because he was so chronic with developing crystals. It has been 5 years since surgery and I still watch for those tell-tale signs that something is wrong.

I hope Pouncer feels better soon.

[boscibo]

Poor Pouncer. I really need prayers for him. He's so young for this to be happening already! I just have the feeling that in a year or two he'll be blocking fully and we'll be looking at that PU surgery.


I just want to relate my experience - unfortunately it happened 15 or so years ago and my memory on eveything is fuzzy, but my RB kitty Boo blocked severely at a young age (crystals) and once I switched him to the correct food (it was Hills - cannot remember the exact formula) he never had a problem again. He lived to be nine, I lost him from Lymphosarcoma :(, but his bladder remained healthy. It can be managed!

[furrykidsmother]

Glad to hear that he is home. I hope that he will be fine and have no more stones. Yes, it is good that you are able to be home with him and able to watch him. Sounds like he is acting pretty normal now, poor boy must have been uncomfortable before.