Bladder infection

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Ritzy, be a good girl and let your mommy get you in the nice comfy wonderfully spacias kitty hideaway (don't want to call it a port-o-prison when you want to get her into it ), and be nice to the vet too. They are only trying to help you, so let them do that and then you can bring your wonderful Ritzy attitude back.

Good luck at the vet, and if they aren't doing what you think should be done (sedating her to take tests, etc), insist on it and don't take no for an answer.

Fingers, paws and tails crossed that she will be ok.

[Vermontcat]

Good Luck Ritzy and Tuxluvr! I hope things go well at the vet and that Ritzy can start feeling better!

[Randi]

How's it going Ritzy? Feeling any better? We hope so!

[catland]

Oh poor Ritzy - I know what it feels like to have a human bladder infection - it isn't much fun is it, always feeling like you need to pee but then nothing happens.

Tuxluvr - I know from personal experience that at least for humans, cranberry juice is a miracle cure when it comes to bladder infections. Now this is total hearsay, so please confirm this with a vet, but I know someone who has given his kitties powdered cranberries and this fixed their infections. Like I said - discuss this with a vet since some human cures are bad for other animals.

Good luck Ritzy - hope you feel better soon.

[tuxluvr]

Well, we are back from the vets. She was her usual cantankerous self, but I will say they were able to take her temperature (which is normal), which is actually saying a lot....he still had to do everything with a towel over top of her...but he spent a lot more time listening and feeling... under great protest from ms Ritz, but he's used to it.

Here is what he did. He is familiar with her history. He did not do blood work yet. About an hour before I took her, she actually peed a pretty decent amount two times in an hour....not as much as normal still, but a lot more than she has been....which is a good sign. Knowing this, he said he wanted to give the antibiotics a chance to do their work.

He switched her from Clavamox to another antibiotic. He said that his experience has been that Clavamox doesn't always attack the stubborn infections as well, so that is the plan. He wants me to watch her over the next 2-3 days and call him back with a progress report on Friday morning. If she still is sitting and straining, they want her to come back in for a day under mild sedation to do a full battery of tests, including full blood work---specifically looking for stones in the bladder. Fortunately, I'm doing work from home this week so I can keep a close eye and stay on "litter watch"

Since she is otherwise active, eating, playful (to a point) and not having other problems, he felt he wanted to give the antibiotics a full chance to do their work. He is a very good vet and we have used him foryears - I've been pleased and do trust him, the only down side is that he doesn't have any emergency hours and the vet 45 miles away is the only choice.

So, phase 2....keep the paws crossed, Ritz is back home and perfectly happy again....thanks again for all o fyour kind thoughts and input!

[tuxluvr]

Originally posted by catland
Oh poor Ritzy - I know what it feels like to have a human bladder infection - it isn't much fun is it, always feeling like you need to pee but then nothing happens.

Tuxluvr - I know from personal experience that at least for humans, cranberry juice is a miracle cure when it comes to bladder infections. Now this is total hearsay, so please confirm this with a vet, but I know someone who has given his kitties powdered cranberries and this fixed their infections. Like I said - discuss this with a vet since some human cures are bad for other animals.

Good luck Ritzy - hope you feel better soon.

Yep, I've been down the "cranberry road" myself once - it does work and those infections are miserable, so I have built in empathy for my wittle kitty cat girl

[Cataholic]

Oh, no, a tuxie with a bladder infection!!! Poor Ms. Ritzy! I am glad you took her back, as four days seems reeeaaaallllyy long. So, let's hope this other antibiotic works! looking forward to an update. The herd sends a special message out for Happy Peeing!

[Steffi N]

I hope this new antibiotic works and that Ritzy is soon feeling better. I'm glad she continues to stay feisty.

[slick]

Oh Ritzy please be good and take your meds without incident. Your meowmie will take good care of you. We all wish you good health soon!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I sure hope that the new antibiotics work and that Ritzy makes a speedy recovery. Please keep us updated. Prayers are still on the way for both Wanda and Ritzy.

[tuxluvr]

Well, the new meds seem to be doing their job - Ritz is tearing through the house like her old self and giving daddycat a really hard time for trying to put that pill down her throat.

The new antibiotics are long pills, the only way we have been able to administer is to put them into a syringe thingy with water (per vet instructions) and let it liquify and administer like the Clavamox liquid..

We had no trouble with the Clavamox...but apparently this new stuff must taste really bad! Ritz had a look on her face like, "what in the heck are you trying to do to me!"....the ole kitty stinkeye!

She is very good about taking medicine - at least with us, so that's good. The pill is so big I don't know if we could get it down, but I think if we break it in halvies and do it that way we can avoid dissolving it and getting the "blechy face"...

She's been really rowdy! Running through the house, careening off our legs, acting a lot more like her old self. Her trips to the litterbox are still a bit more frequent than usual, but so far they have been "quick in and outs" and resulting in a little more pee.. no more sitting for 10 minutes....for a while there I thought she was going to set up camp in there!

so, finger's crossed that this progress will continue - not totally out of the woods yet, but really good signs. Thanks for all of your insight! This forum is really helpful and encouraging!

[smokey the elder]

Smokey (the Elder) had a really nasty UTI 7 years ago. She was on Clavamox, then Baytril, then Tribrissen. Initially the vet gave me these horse pills. I was able to get smaller ones and give her more at a time. At the time you could get liver flavored treats that I can't find anymore. She would eat the pill if I put it in a kitty treat!

[ChrisH]

So good to hear Ritzy is doing better.

Good luck with the breaking the pills in half idea, hope Ritzy likes it better that way. I haven`t had to give Ebby any kind of medication yet so I don`t know how she will be, like Ritzy I hope!

Fingers and paws crossed, prayers and positive thoughts sent for Ritzy to continue being on the up!


Chris

[emily_the_spoiled]

I am glad that Ritzy is doing so much better. It sound slike you might be able to crush the pill and mix it in with her wet food (if she goes for something like that). The only words of advice I have are that if the antibiotic is Baytril they have a REALLY yucky taste and cats can smell it if you break the tablet.

Good luck and I am glad that Ritzy is doing so much better.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yeah! I'm so glad to hear that Ritzy is feeling much better now. Prayers are still on the way for a complete recovery.