Irwin is home..I need some advice on possible euthanasia

[JustineNYC]

I don't think UTIs and stones in a younger kitty are USUALLY causes for euthanasia. If you choose the food and kitty treats wisely, and make sure he gets lots of fluids (adding warm water to mush up some wet food a bit helps), then handsome Irwin should be with you for many years to some.

Shortly after I got my tabby Oscar a few years ago, he developed a nasty cystitis. There weren't many crystals - and those that were there were gone in a week with a change in diet. However, there was blood in his urine up to a month later.

In addition to changing his food, my vet said I could use the powder from a cranberry capsule. About 50 mg - or 1/5 of a capsule, as I eyeballed it - went into a small amount of totally plain unflavoured low fat yogurt. Oscar loved that stuff, and got the cranberry in with it. It was to be used for about a month. (You can ask your vet about this).

Hugs to you and to Irwin, and I am sure you will be able to maintain his new health for a very long time.

Its not stones and UTI's unfortunately, its Feline Lower Urinary Tract disease, and what its done to his bladder. The bladder wall is 5 to 7 times thicker then it should be, which makes Irwin feel like he needs to urinate all day, he empties his bladder and then goes back to the litter another 7 times.

He's spent the majority of the day in the cat litter and hes already on pain meds.

I wish it was stones and UTI's. Infections can be treated and stones can be removed. Unfortunately, this sucks.


He's been on prescription diets since he was 2, it hasn't helped.

If this is gonna be his life, I dont know what to do, its not right to let him live his life in a cat litter box.

[Catty1]

What meds is he on?

I don't know if this helps a thickened bladder wall, but a number of cats are put on amitryptiline to relax the bladder muscle. Maybe ask your vet if that would help Irwin?

I'm so sorry to hear how ill Irwin has been...hopefully he will even out in the next several days. I would guess his bladder is more sensitive than usual.

{{{hugs}}}

[king2005]

I'm a firm believer that raw foods solve most digestive issues in dogs & cats. Cats & Dogs were never meant to digest cooked foods, well not in large amounts like many people feed them. Try a raw diet to see how he does

http://www.healthypetjournal.com/def...px?tabid=20622

[katladyd]

What meds is he on?

I don't know if this helps a thickened bladder wall, but a number of cats are put on amitryptiline to relax the bladder muscle. Maybe ask your vet if that would help Irwin?

I'm so sorry to hear how ill Irwin has been...hopefully he will even out in the next several days. I would guess his bladder is more sensitive than usual.

{{{hugs}}}

My Ming suffered chronic blockages until I put him on amitryptiline over a year ago. He has had not one bladder infection or blockage since! I also give him plenty of water in his canned food, feed him Purina One for Urinary Tract Problems, and feed him NO FISH FLAVORED CAT FOOD! He's doing great and there is no reason to put him down.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that Irwin's bladder walls have become thickened. Hopefully he's feeling better since his bladder stones have been removed. I'd also wait and see what happens and hopefully he'll be with you for quite a while yet. I'll continue to keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

I typed in meds for the thickening of the bladder in cats and I came across this: http://cat-bladder-problems.com/blog...er-thickening/.

I've also heard and read this:
Cosequin and Feline Urinary Diseases:
Cosequin glucosamine and chondroitin joint supplements have been found to improve urinary bladder health in cats by producing a protective coating on the inside of the bladder wall.

[moosmom]

Catty1,

I would NOT recommend Amitryptiline. My vet told me that while it's approved for dogs, it is not approved for cats as it makes them irritable and lethargic. I know because I tried it (years ago) on RB Casey. That was the exact result I got. He was being tormented by one of my other cats, Tucker, who I rehomed. He's living the life of Riley with my friends in a 3 story victorian house. I have visitation. He's wonderful.

[Freedom]

See if you can find The Whole Pet Diet, by Andi Brown, at your library. Take a look, buy it if you think it will help you. I bought it for $3 plus shipping on Amazon.com

Like someone said above, diet can cure so much!

And although he is currently in the litter box a lot, ALSO:

he is the sweetest cat ever. He is always purring, rubbing on me, kissing me, he has his little furry mouse he walks around the house with....he loves to play and be silly, so its difficult for me to make a decision like that, when I do not see a sickly cat. Its not like he sits around wanting to die.


Does not sound like he is checking out as yet. You AND THE VET just need to find a way for him to feel more comfortable.

Best wishes!

[JustineNYC]

Irwin was on the Amitryptiline and then Clomicalm (I posted about it last year), because he developed a spraying habit because of his urinary issues. Neither helped. We thought the spraying was behavioral, but now I feel its because his bladder bothers him and he associates the box with pain. When he would spray, he'd stand up and push push push like he was trying to pass urine and only a little would come out.

Good news is, he has been using the litter and burying his peepee. So maybe returning to old habits is a good sign.

I'm a firm believer that raw foods solve most digestive issues in dogs & cats. Cats & Dogs were never meant to digest cooked foods, well not in large amounts like many people feed them. Try a raw diet to see how he does

Also, from 2007 to last month, Irwin was raw fed. My 2 labs are, and I had switched him over because I feel the same way about pet foods (my labs do excellent on a raw diet)....but his bladder still needed to be cleaned out, I dont know if the raw contributed to his problems or they were already there.

The vet told me that while a grain free diet is beneficial, its not ALL about grains, its about the PH of his urine, because a high or low PH can contribute to the formation of stones/crystals, and the prescription diet is designed for that, the raw one isn't.

Does not sound like he is checking out as yet. You AND THE VET just need to find a way for him to feel more comfortable.

Thanks!! We are blending his meals with a cup of water because he never drinks water, so hopefully we can keep him flushed out....and we'll try some supplements. Its just very frustrating!

Here he is last night



I;m also trying to keep him stress free, he's in a room with his mom who I also own and I bought him a bunch of kitty play centers to keep him busy.

[katladyd]

Moosmom, I am so sorry you had a negative experience with amitryptiline. I have had the exact opposite happen with Ming, he no longer fights with Mac, and he become even more of a super love cat than he was before. My vet said this med has different reactions with different cats. She said 60% of cats do very well on it, but for the other 40%, it is just as you described. I believe that this med has saved Ming's life, because he had chronic blockages and his bladder wall had thickened as well. He is such a happy, healthy, cat now that I would recommend that she should at least talk to her vet about it. When it works, and the dosage has to be tinkered with a bit, it works wonders!