# Experiences of bladder unblocking? My anxiety is through the roof!



## Flakkarin (Dec 19, 2014)

My male cat was in the vet hospital 10 days ago getting his bladder unblocked with a catheter. They had some trouble at first and had to initially drain it with a needle through the belly as they couldn't get the catheter in. But when they did he flushed successfully with little blood. They analysed the urine and found the cause to be struvite crystals.
He's been home over a week now but I can't stop panicking and worrying about him. I have a litter tray in my bedroom and wake up to watch him pee whenever I hear him in there. He was on muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories for a week and was doing lots of little pees in a row instead of one big one to empty his bladder. He's been off the medicine a couple of days now but early this morning I noticed his pee was quite sticky so I gave him more of the anti-inflammatory.

What are other people's experiences of cats post-catheter? There wasnt too much info from the vet about what to expect or what was cause for concern. I am feeding him now exclusively the Royal Canin urinary s/o diet to try and keep the problem at bay, and have laid out extra water bowls and litter trays, but I am going crazy worrying about him!


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Hi Flakkarin.

I have never had this experience, but I just wanted to make a reply because I hear (and know all too well) the extreme anxiety you are experiencing. So I am sending prayers and warm and supportive thoughts..
Hopefully someone will respond soon to your post who has been thru this...

Petpets to your kitty...


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Flakkarin,
How is your boy doing? That's a VERY scary scenario for Both of you! I know we've got members, whose male cats, have been through this...I hope they'll have some advice for you!
Meanwhile, 
(((HUGS))) and Prayers for you and your boy,
Sharon


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## RatAndMop (May 10, 2011)

My experience of cats post-catheter,was the catheter simply pushed the stone that was blocking his pee back up into his bladder and 24 hours later he was surgically having three removed from his bladder. That was back in May so I'm crossing my fingers. I've sinced switched him to Wellness canned and raw..

Good luck with your boy. I know the nervous feeling......


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## Janz (Mar 26, 2012)

One of my cats had to be rushed to the emergency clinic because he could not urinate due to crystals. He had a catheter for a couple of days. When I brought him home he would cry in pain when he used the litter box. It was heartbreaking but also a relief that he could go. I understand your worry. I changed his diet and now only feed him canned food. It has been 7 0r 8 years and it has never happened again. I hope that helps.


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## Flakkarin (Dec 19, 2014)

Thanks guys, sometimes you just need to hear from other people who have been through it. I asked the vet about his peeing in little bits, and she said it's a little long for him to still be doing that, but it can take a while for the new food to really take effect, so I should watch him and take him back in a week or so if it's not better for more urine analysis.
Sometimes he seems to do good ones, sometimes he still takes a few tries, making tiny amounts and licking himself in between. He's able to pass urine and doesn't seem to be straining, so hopefully it's just taking a little time but he'll be just fine.


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## 3gatos (Nov 28, 2012)

What kind of food are you feeding him now?


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## Flakkarin (Dec 19, 2014)

I'm feeding him Royal Canin Urinary S/O, the chicken cans with added water, plus the moderate calorie dry food on the side (he's on the border of obesity).


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Hi Flakkarin,

Just a friendly suggestion...if you can, can you switch him to the wet version of RC urinary S/O? Cats with previous blockages do best with lots of water. Increasing his intake of water would really help your boy and prevent future blockages by keeping him flushed. I'd also suggest the CatIt drinking fountain. It's quiet, inexpensive, easy to clean, and has pretty good reviews.

On another note, I'd really watch his caloric intake if he's overweight, too. I wonder if the vet discussed this with you? Do you have plans for him to lose weight?

Wishing you positive vibes to you and your kitty.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Design-Fountain-Softening-Cartridge/dp/B00CO527IC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420477844&sr=8-1&keywords=Catit+Design+Senses+Drinking+Fountain[/ame]


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Agree with above. It's great you're feeding him canned with added water but if he's got a history of blockages I'd stop feeding any and ALL kibbles. Especially since he's obese. Kibble is just a no no for that kind of cat (obese with a history of blockage).

I can relate to being on pins and needles. It's been a long time since MowMow had a blockage but I still watch him like a hawk in the litter box. Whenever I see him in there I hover until he's done so I can see the size of the clump and make sure it didn't seem like a strain to create it. It's been years and I STILL praise him and give him pets when he comes out and I'm around.


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## Flakkarin (Dec 19, 2014)

I would ideally like to switch him to totally wet, but to be honest, it's very expensive, especially when the vet recommended he be on this diet for life. The cats also seem to still be adjusting (I have two cats, so his sister now has to eat it too, hence an extra expense!), and sometimes don't eat all the wet food I do put out. I'm keeping the kibbles to a minimum, but I'm not sure what else I can do at this stage.

I did buy them a cat fountain but neither of them seem to be that interested in it! They're more likely to drink out of it when it's off, I think because it's nice and wide...

He's still not quite right in the bladder department I think, and I do watch what he makes every time he goes in the litter tray, but he is so, SO much more playful than I've seen him in months. I think he must have been getting gradually more lethargic and I just hadn't noticed :-( I did move house a couple of months ago, and thought perhaps he was adjusting. But now he's running around playing with toys and chasing things (including his poor sister).

Hopefully the activity will help keep his weight down too. Right now I'm focussed on getting his bladder sorted, but I am keeping an eye on his weight and if it starts to rise I'll definitely ask the vet for more advice.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Flakkarin,
If his sister doesn't have any pee problems, it's not good to be feeding her his food! 
In a cat with No problems, the "Specialty" foods CAN cause problems, by changing the specific balance in the urine!!

This was something I'd asked about, when I had some leftover cans for one of my cats, when she was diagnosed with crystals...
I didn't feed any to my healthy cats, and just kept the cans for backup, in case my original cat had a flare up! 

Hydration IS the most important thing here.
A male cat already has a narrower urethra than a female, any added weight on a male cat, makes it narrower yet!
So you really are dealing with two issues here that go hand in hand!

If he can lose some weight slowly, and you keep him on the prescription food for a while...there's a chance you could switch him off of the prescription food, at some point in the future...
He would have to have a very highly rated canned food, and NO kibble!
I know a few other's have made the transition with their cats, that had blocked...
Once a cat blocks, it makes their chances of having a repeat, greater, so you always will have to be very alert!!
Hope other's have some more suggestions for you!
Sharon


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Flakkarin,

How old are your kitties? 
Have you read catinfo.org yet? That site has an abundance of good information written by a vet who has gone through this painful ordeal like yours and witnessed so many kitties with the same problem. If you haven't read it, please take the time to do so, it can certainly help you gain more knowledge, at the very least.

I also think you should be aware that if you decide to keep feeding the dry s/o diet, though it may help prevent crystals now, you may find other issues crop up, especially since your kitty is overweight. The canned s/o has more protein and water, and less carbs (carbs mean trouble to overweight cats especially), and yes, though canned food is indeed costly, you may save more money in the long run. I hope you give a good thought about it after reading that website.

Again, best wishes to you and your kitties. We all want the best for our cats, and gaining knowledge definitely will help empower you to make better decisions. Good luck.


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## Janz (Mar 26, 2012)

Flakkarin,

My vet recommended wet food over dry, even non-prescription wet food. I now only feed my cats expensive canned food which is much cheaper than the prescription food. I don't have to worry about the other cat eating prescription food he doesn't need and my cat who had the problem has been fine. My other cat can be very finicky but now that there is no dry food he is less finicky. Work with your vet on the diet. My cats are not that interested in the cat fountain either. If you can put out multiple water bowls that can make a difference.

Jan


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