3 year old kitty with urinary issues

[Catlady711]

That's really odd that a vet won't do tests unless you specifically ask for them.

Most vets may make suggestions of what they'd like to run for tests and let the owner decide how far they want to go with it.

If you're having to specifically ask for tests, I'd guess a urine culture & sensitivity, CBC, mini profile (ALT, ALKP, GLU, TP, BUN, CREAT), and possibly electrolytes (depending on what equipment your vet has on site). The profile & CBC should rule out diabetes, kidneys, liver, and overall infection to start with. A culture/sensitivity would tell them what antibiotics will work for that infection (if there is one).

I still find it hard to understand a vet letting a client without a medical degree in vet medicine having to ask what tests they want done. The vet should already know what needs to be run and why, that's why they went to school for a degree. You might want to consider using a vet in a nearby larger town for your critters when they are sick and use the local one for routine vaccinations etc.

Keep us posted.

[kittykatharine]

The same kind of thing happened with my kitty Baby. He seemed to always have "peeing" issues and it had gotten to the point where my parents were threatening to have him placed else were. Finally, after he had been on numerous trials of antibiotics and steroids, my vet suggested that I give him a quarter of a vitamin C pill, for basically the rest of his life. After I had given him this for a month or so, his peeing did become more manageable (although he did have an accident here and there). If I am remembering correctly, the vitamin C made his urine more acidic, therefore decreasing any bacteria, etc. There would be times where we would take him in and he had a fever and everything, and then other times where his urine looked fine. It was stressful and I know exactly how you feel.