Scout needs some healing thoughts & prayers UPDATE #12 & #23

[Catty1]

GREAT that the crystals can be dissolved!

Are the kidney stones small enough to pass?

Just a few human things I found:

Some medications have been used to increase the passage rates of kidney stones. These include calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine and alpha blockers such as tamsulosin. These drugs may be prescribed some people who have stones that do not rapidly pass through the urinary tract.

Surgical techniques have also been developed to remove kidney stones. This may be done through a small incision in the skin (percutaneous nephrolithotomy) or through an instrument known as an ureteroscope passed through the urethra and bladder up into the ureter.

When Oscar had a bladder infection (totally different, I know), the vet ok'd me giving him 50mg of cranberry powder a day to acidify his urine. I just eyeballed the amount from a human cranberry capsule, and mixed it in plain unflavoured yogurt (which he loves).

That would be a simple and cheap way to acidify the urine. Ask your vet. If the urine needs to be more alkaline, there is stuff for that also. (What comes to mind is baking soda, but I can't see that going down well with kitties OR humans!)

Prayers the Scout feels better soon. Poor baby!

[lvpets2002]

Well sounds pretty good at this point-n-time.. I sure hope the diet works.. Just hope this baby is not in any pain.. Can you rub something on her gums for the pain of the bad tooth?? Hope the kidney stones dont move & cause pain.. Lets All Cross our Paws & Pray.. All Paws Up for Scout..

[Barbara]

Congrats on the good kidney values Hope you get the struvite under control soon.

[jazzcat]

Are the kidney stones small enough to pass?

I saw the x-ray and two are kind of large and the third was smaller. I think the vet said she thought they were all too large to pass.

I could tell my vet was surprised the bladder stones were struvite and not calcium based. She said usually if there are both kidney and bladder stones present they are all calcium. At least we caught a break with that one.

I will ask about the cranberry powder, thanks.

[kimlovescats]

Oh goodness, Lori! Poor Scout must really be in discomfort! Did the vet say anything about something for pain in the meantime? It amazes me how vets just tend to think that pets aren't suffering just because they don't scream and complain like we do! Maybe you could give her a small dose of Metacam or something? I'd ask and see.

Good luck, prayers and ((((HUGS)))) to you and Richard!

[Emeraldgreen]

I hope the new diet will help break up the struvite crystals soon. Are you giving him Hills S/D? I've had to give it to a few of my cats and the one good thing about that kibble is that they LOVE it! All my cats seem to want it and I have to make sure the ones that don't need it don't get into it.

Did the vet indicate what might be causing the kidney stones? I don't know much about them. Jimmy has a few kidney stones too.

Prayers that Scout will be feeling like her old self soon.