First answering questions/comments, then the update....


Quote Originally Posted by Emeraldgreen
You could ask your vet if they have a product called NOSORB, it is little tiny pebble like things. They come in a sterile cup and you pour it into a clean litterbox with no litter, just the NOSORB and then separate Jack so he is the only one with access to it. And then when he does finally pee, pour the NOSORB and the pee back into the cup it came in and bring it back to the vet. I think it's under 10.00.

p.s. I just noticed that you are a vet assistant so you're probably laughing right now since you know all about NOSORB! LOL
Not laughing so much as at least smiling. lol Yes we have some of that at work. I just hate to have to use it when I know I can get the samples from them without changing litter, plus it's cheaper this way. I just need better aim and timing occasionally. ROFL


Quote Originally Posted by krazyaboutkatz
Wow! When I was having some issues, I was lucky in that I knew it was only 2 of my cats so I just brought them in to the vets. My vet sticks a needle into their bladder to get urine so I don't have to go through the experience of collecting urine samples. I would also think that diet would play a big role in the high PH and the crystal problem. I hope that the meds will help everyone. Good luck and please continue to keep us updated.
I hate having to take any of the cats in to work with me because regardless of who goes, Josh gets his little butt in an uproar and has to be confined separately for about 2 days, and sometimes Sabrina too. It's not the taking them in that's a problem but the aftermath. Several of my cats also get VERY upset just being at the vets even if we don't do much; Jack has a 'MUZZLE' lable on his file, and Sabrina and Josh have 'CAUTION' on their files. When I bring any of my cats in (including when we had Dusty who would growl but not do anything else) no one else in the building will handle my cats. Everyone backs up, puts their hands up, shakes their heads, and says 'they're your cats...YOU hold them!". ROFL Most of them aren't THAT bad, but then again they're my cats so I'm not as afraid of them as I would of say a client's cat that I don't know.

I'm kinda suspecting either food or water as the problem but I have to talk with the vet more about it. I think the new meds are coming in on Friday and I'll know more then.


Quote Originally Posted by carole
Did the vet suggest putting them on a special diet, it sounds like all of them good do with it,my Lexie has struvite stones and is on royal canin so,so far working well, just worth a mention i thought.
The vet hasn't said anything about a special diet for this problem yet. They are already on Royal Canin dry and Purina Pro Plan for the little dab of wet food they get each morning. The Royal Canin is techinically a 'prescription' diet because you can only get the version I use from a vet. It's the 'neutered cat formula'. I'm using the mature version for Jack and the adult for everyone else. The 'neutered cat formula' is supposed to have less calories and better nutrition for neutered pets. Plus any prescription/specialty foods I can get are cheaper for me as I can pay wholesale cost on them and it helps when we need a minimum order on a special food for a client but only need one bag, I add my order on and we make the minimum order.

Anyways now the UPDATE....

I FINALLY got a sample from Jack yesterday afternoon. I tried a different cup that was wider and shorter. I shoved it way under him until I felt it get warm so I knew he was peeing in it. (the things we don't do for our pets ). He's so darn furry down there and puts his butt down so low he's not the easiest one to 'catch'. lol

Anyways the RESULTS......

Jack is the only one in the house without an infection, crystals or high Ph problems. YAY 1 out of 7! lol I was hoping the poor thing would test out ok because he's already got problems with the megacolon thing and constipation, he doesn't need any more problems.

So if the food is the problem, that would sort of make sense because Jack eats mainly the Mature food, although he sneaks quite a bit of the adult food from the other cats bowls. It's easy to have happen when you have 2 all white, medium haired cats and you look up to see a white cat in the right bowl, until you realize that it's the wrong white cat in the wrong bowl! lol

I still have to kinda agree at the same time with the vet that it shouldn't be food because there isn't alot of difference between the ingredients other than calories and protien which is normal for a mature food. Still working on that mystery. I'm still suspecting the water because I never boiled and filtered my water until a couple months ago because it started tasting/smelling so bad I couldn't even bring a glass of it up to my face. I figure it it isn't good enough for me to drink, I'm not letting my pets drink it.

I did go buy new filters for the pet fountains in case that was an issue. The ones in there weren't really old and I rinse them out when I clean the filter, but then again I'm using that crappy faucet water to rinse them out with. Hmmm, maybe my water company should pay my vet bills? It does seem odd to me that the females have the infections, and the males (except Jack) have the high Ph. hmmmm

I'm fortunate though that I get very good discounts on the cats medical care and the convienence of just bringing in samples or cats without needing an appointment most of the time. Praise the Lord for perks!

Anyways so that's the updates so far. Once I talk to the vet on Friday I'll probably know a bit more on the meds and I'll discuss more with him about probable causes for 6 out of 7 cats having a similar issue.