Storm Has Crystals Again

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi, I brought Storm in on Thursday afternoon for another urinalysis check because he has been licking his pee pee area a lot and the night before I went out of town he was also a little bloody in that area too. The vet couldn't get a urine sample so he had to stay at the vets and receive sub-q fluids.They got a sample at around 6pm.

I called on Friday but the doctor working with Storm was only there until 12pm and so I guess they never received the results because no one ever called me back. I didn't know that they were closing early on Saturday so by the time I called, they were already closed. They were also closed on Sunday because of the holiday.

I called today at 12pm but there was only one vet working today because the other one's wife had just had a baby and the one working with Storm won't be in until tomorrow. I told them to please have some one call me with the results. I left my place close to 4:30pm to go down to my parents house so I didn't expect to hear anything today.

I got home around 7:45pm and I had a message on my answering machine and it was the vet on call. They're only open until 7pm and he had called me at 7:35pm so he must have been very busy today. He said that Storm has a lot of struvite crystals and that his PH is also on the high side. There isn't any bacteria in his urine but he's going to discuss the results with the other doctor that's been working with Storm and I and he may still need to go on antibiotics. I need to call the vets office tomorrow morning to find out more.

I'm sure that his diet will need to be changed. He was on Royal Canin S/O both wet and dry and I shouldn't have ever taken him off of this but I started feeding my other cats Innova wet and dry food. This is when Storm decided that he wanted what they were eating so he refused to eat his special food. I thought he'd be okay since the wet food has cranberries in it and is supposed to help cats that are prone to UTI's. I also thought that since Cirrus wasn't here any more to stress Storm out that he'd be okay. Now I feel so bad for Storm because I could've prevented all of this. I've been a very bad cat meowmie.

Whatever happens, all of my cats will have to eventually go on a new diet so Storm will be able to eat the right food. I'm sorry that this post is so long but I'm just very upset with myself right now. Thanks for reading this.

If I give him sub-q fluids daily, do you think that this will help flush the struvite crystals out. I'm willing to do this if it'll help. Thanks.

[AmberLee]

{{{KAK}}}

and {{{Storm}}}

Oh, what a mess. First of all, you are a terrific cat meowmy; don't beat yourself up! Your reasoning was logical, and ... sigh, should've worked.

Is he home? What does the vet say for food?

Please give him scritchies from Aunt Amber, poor little guy. And be gentle with yourself, too.

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

My boy, Augustus had really severe struvite crystals. I fed him Hills S/D dry and it cleared his crystals up in no time. I am now feeding him Summit, which helps prevent crystals. The main cause of crystals in cats is Ash in their food. Too much ash causes acidic urine, which causes Struvites. Too little ash causes alkaline urine which causes calcium oxalate crystals. As long as you keep him on a high quality food, his crystals should subside. Auggys came back a couple of times, thankfully without a blockage. Hope he gets better soon!

((((HUGS))))

[TopCat3]

Please don't beat yourself up KAK, we can only do our best. And we do the best we can with the best intentions because we love our cats the best! I know how hard it is to have to feed one cat a separate diet. I have had to compromise by letting Cleo have half of her special one side of the dish and half of what she used to eat and the other cat Colette still eats, in the other side. Sometimes I have to mix it all up together. Sometimes she will only eat the other cat's and leave her dish untouched and sometimes with the half and half dish she will only eat her special diet It seems no matter what I do she will change her preference and outwit me whenever I think I've got it sussed. - (sorry that's when I've understood what she needs - for our English -2nd language friends.) You haven't been a bad meowmie at all, just that sometimes our furkids are very bad to us!!!

Have you tried feeding Storm separately in his own little room- laundry bathroom wherever? or by holding the dish to coax him to eat it? I have to do this now hard when you are working full time I know.

Anyway good luck with the discussion with the vets and let us know what transpires.

[Nomilynn]

If your other cats like it, it's safe to have them all on the Royal Canin S/O. That way you would be sure that none of them would ever get the crystals, and since boy cats are more prone to it, it wouldn't hurt.

Hopefully things will clear up for him soon!

[jenluckenbach]

Poor Storm. Some cats simply NEED to eat the prescription diet......forever! And yes, all your cats can safely eat it so then there would be no trouble with switching bowls.

Just for info, crystal formation and a UTI (urinary tract infection) are different. The cranberries might help keep bacteria from growing, but I don't think they do much to prevent crystal formation.

Using sub-Q fluid should help flush the bladder, crystals and all, but it may not be necessary. Your vet will let you know.

Now, don't beat yourself us. Many (if not most) of us have make an inadvertant error in judgement, I know I certainly have.

Storm will get better soon, do not worry.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I just thought that I'd add this information here about Storm's new diet. I called the Royal Canin 800 number and this is what I found out about it.

Royal Canin S/O Dry Feline Formula:
Ash Content: 9.0 I was shocked Most dry cat foods are about 6.0-6.5.
Magnesium Level: 0.07 The Innova Lite is 0.1.
Calories per cup: 302 This isn't too bad.

The representative said that they don't believe that higher ash causes problems and that cats do very well with this food. I know that it promotes them to drink more and pee more so it flushes their systems out.

[kb2yjx]

I have been so busy with Ralph that I missed this post about Storm! I was happy to read that diet will be the way to go!!! Why does Storm like his canned food COLD???

[krazyaboutkatz]

I have been so busy with Ralph that I missed this post about Storm! I was happy to read that diet will be the way to go!!! Why does Storm like his canned food COLD???

Don't worry about it. Ralph has needed you. I really don't know why Storm likes his wet food cold. Most cats love it at room temperature or if it's cold they like you to heat it up a little bit. Like I said, he's strange.

[gracieally]

My cat Cody went through this problem many years ago when he was only 2. He had such a bad case of crystals that he was hospitalized over Thanksgiving, again just before Christmas, and then right after New Years. His special diet wasn't working so the vet advised that he have an operation. He snipped off Cody's penis to enlarge the hole for the crystals to come out. The operation wasn't too bad. Cody recovered quickly and he never had a problem with crystal blockage again. He didn't even need special food. Just wanted to let you know of the alternative, if needed. The operation was well worth the money because I had Cody for an extra 13 years.

Diane
Mom to Gracie and Ally
and my angel Cody

[TopCat3]

Gosh reading that made my eyes water.

[krazyaboutkatz]

My cat Cody went through this problem many years ago when he was only 2. He had such a bad case of crystals that he was hospitalized over Thanksgiving, again just before Christmas, and then right after New Years. His special diet wasn't working so the vet advised that he have an operation. He snipped off Cody's penis to enlarge the hole for the crystals to come out. The operation wasn't too bad. Cody recovered quickly and he never had a problem with crystal blockage again. He didn't even need special food. Just wanted to let you know of the alternative, if needed. The operation was well worth the money because I had Cody for an extra 13 years.

Diane
Mom to Gracie and Ally
and my angel Cody

Thanks for sharing your story. Storm has already had the PU surgery so he shouldn't become blocked again. He did form crystals again so he's now on a special diet for life.