Galaxy, still more liquid problems...

[phesina]

She's been on the Prozac for about 10 days now. She's been very good for quite a few days.

Last night I awoke in the middle of the night to find that the quilt over me was a bit damp along the side. I had pushed the shower curtain down some when I was in bed.

She got up on the bed and peed on it while I was sleeping in it... ?

I didn't have the energy to change it then, so I put a towel under it between the quilt and the blanket below.

When I got up this morning, I found there was pee on the newspaper under and around her usual litter box in the living room again. I got rid of that paper, put down clean paper.

Just an hour or so ago I found a puddle in the middle of the shower curtain. I wiped all that up with paper towels. Then I checked underneath. The quilt had a damp spot there. The towel I'd put there the night before had soaked up quite a bit so it didn't seem to get to the blanket below it.

The shower curtain has gotten little pin-pricks in it here and there, from kitty toenails. I've been taping them over, but I clearly haven't found all the holes.

I pulled off the quilt and replaced it with my other one. I also pulled off the shower curtain, to get rid of it. This time I had a clear plastic shower-curtain liner to put there. That will get little pin-prick holes in no time too, I'm sure. I need to find something more substantial. Or maybe I should put two layers of shower curtains/liners.

I don't know what to do at this point. Of course this happened on the weekend when I can't call the vet.

I'm thinking maybe I should shut her out of the bedroom. But is that likely to result in her peeing more outside her usual box in the living room?

Any advice and/or encouragement will be greatly appreciated, of course! Thank you very much.

[Randi]

Pat, I'm sorry to hear about the new pee incident. Wish I could help.

The smell of cat pee is difficult to get rid of, and if Galaxy can smell any, she will most likely go again in the same place. It's hard work having to wash everything so often. Can you hang it to dry outside?

I wonder if it would help if you spray something that cats don't like on your bed - I have no idea what it could be, but perhaps lemon or lavendar. It should be a smell you like yourself, of course.

Oh, just thought of something... instead of getting more plastic to put on your bed, you could buy one of those blankets that they use for beds in hospitals. I think they soak up pee, and I imagine pharmacies sell them.

What do think trickered it? Does the vet have any clue?

I send you positive thoughts, love and hugs. Hope you can solve it.

[cats4ever]

Pat, I am so sorry. I think Galaxy is still asking for help.
Ask the vet if he would recommend an ultrasound of the bladder, and if he would put her on pain medication. Something that's safe for cats and can be used long-term is Gabapentin (neurontin).
Let the vet do another urinalysis. How was the urine obtained last time? Did you bring a sample or did the vet get it by needle (cystocentesis)?
I try to think of other possibilities, but there is a good chance that Galaxy's problem is truly a behavioral one. Can you think of anything that happened or changed before this all started? Cats can be bothered by the tiniest thing.

I keep my fingers crossed that there will a resolution soon.
Hugs to you and the kitties.

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi. I'll talk to the vet again tomorrow. Sparkler gets Gabapentin. I dissolve the capsule contents in chicken broth and then squirt each dose into her mouth with a syringe. She has had peeing problems too, but more of the leaking and dribbling kind, not deliberately going somewhere she shouldn't. She's also getting Phenoxybenzamine HCl, and with those meds the peeing problems seem to be under control. I haven't found any more ..spots of the sort I used to find.

Something tells me Galaxy would NOT take well to me attempting to squirt a syringe-full of something into her mouth! But I just gave her a little plain chicken broth in a small bowl to see if she likes it. She lapped it right up, so I suppose I could give her the medicine dose that way. I'll see what the vet has to say. Also about another urinalysis and/or ultrasound. They got the pee sample by needle before. Gosh, maybe she'll do another pee on the bed cover and I can syringe some up for a sample!

All I can think of that's changed is we started the Prozac! The vet said it would take a couple weeks or such before becoming effective and I'd probably see some more accidents before then. It's just that there were so many all at once this weekend!

I kept her shut out of the bedroom last night and most of today. The door's open now, but she had her dinner and is now resting in the living room. I may shut her out again tonight.

Thanks again!

[cats4ever]

That's good that Galaxy likes the chicken broth. It's always easier when cats don't have to be forced to take their medicine.
I actually meant if there was any change before Galaxy had the very first pee incident, something that could have triggered that behavior.
Hopefully the vet can give you more advice.

[phesina]

Pat, I'm sorry to hear about the new pee incident. Wish I could help.

The smell of cat pee is difficult to get rid of, and if Galaxy can smell any, she will most likely go again in the same place. It's hard work having to wash everything so often. Can you hang it to dry outside?

I wonder if it would help if you spray something that cats don't like on your bed - I have no idea what it could be, but perhaps lemon or lavendar. It should be a smell you like yourself, of course.

Oh, just thought of something... instead of getting more plastic to put on your bed, you could buy one of those blankets that they use for beds in hospitals. I think they soak up pee, and I imagine pharmacies sell them.

What do think trickered it? Does the vet have any clue?

I send you positive thoughts, love and hugs. Hope you can solve it.

Thanks, Randi. That's a good idea, spraying something on the bed that she won't like. There are solutions of things like bitter lemon or bitter apple for that purpose. I may even have some. I'll have to look around.

I can't hang the bedding outside to dry. I live in a long two-story building with 36 apartments, a short lawn with some trees in front, and a parking lot in back. Nowhere to hang a clothesline. But that's a good idea, if it were possible. Looks like another trip to the laundromat tomorrow! I wash them with strong detergent and bleach, to get rid of the pee smell.

I'll check out about those blankets. I don't know if pharmacies here carry them, but I'll see. If not, probably a medical-supply company.

Meanwhile, I hope we can somehow solve this! I sure don't want this to be an ongoing problem.

Thanks again, Randi!

[phesina]

That's good that Galaxy likes the chicken broth. It's always easier when cats don't have to be forced to take their medicine.
I actually meant if there was any change before Galaxy had the very first pee incident, something that could have triggered that behavior.
Hopefully the vet can give you more advice.

She had an earlier pee incident, in early September. Not sure what could have triggered that. There had been a maintenance person(s?) in the apartment to change or fix something a few days before, but that's happened many times in the past without setting her off.

We wound up at the walk-in clinic/emergency vet that time. They did quite a thorough work-up, x-rays and urinalysis and bloodwork. They gave her a shot of Convenia and then a prescription med, Onsior, a three-day dose worth. The peeing stopped shortly after that. She stayed good for more than a month.

Then she started up again these last few days. I can't think of anything out of the ordinary occurring this time that might have triggered it. I'll ask the vet tomorrow if those meds might be a way to go.

Thanks again, Heidi!

[cats4ever]

You should be able to get those pee pads even at Walmart. They have them in the pet section, I think they call them puppy pads. We use them at work all the time.
Onsior is a good medication, but only for the short term. That's why it comes in only three doses.

[phesina]

That's a good idea about the pee pads. Thanks, Heidi.

I bet they have them at the Dollar Tree. (Wonder if ones they'd have are any good!)

Miss Galaxy has been a very good, drip-free girl the last couple of days!