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Original poster

Any vets around? Cat's pee pipe problem - when do you call it a day?

123 replies

RGPargy · 22/04/2008 08:48

Hi

My male cat has developed a pee pipe problem, in which crystals are forming in his uretha, preventing him from passing urine.

Anyway, it started on Friday when i noticed he was acting peculiar and holding his back end down so i rang the vet and was able to take him there straight away. She had a feel and said his bladder was HUGE and that she was going to keep him in and insert a catheta (sp?). While he was in, they removed the catheta to see if the bladder would fill up again and unfortunately it did so they had to reinsert it. I brought him home on Sunday night as he was very depressed all weekend (naturally) and the vet thought that he might perk up a bit if he was at home and this might aid his recovery. I had to give him special urinary food and also medication. I had to take him back yesterday to find out the situation and although he was acting fairly normally all the time he was home, unfortunately his bladder had filled up again and i had also noticed him spending about 10 minutes in one spot in the garden trying to have a wee, but it seems that he was not able to do so.

Last night i got up to the baby and noticed that again he was acting weird. He kept trying to wee anywhere he sat, including various places on my bed! In the end i had to shut him out of my bedroom because there's no way, if he were able to, that i or DP were going to be peed on in the middle of the night!

This morning he looks very depressed again and it seems we are back to square one. The medication isn't working, nor is the urinary food that's meant to dissolve the crystals.

The vet said that he might have to be hospitalised for 2/3 days again and have a catheta reinserted but if all this treatment isn't working, when do we say enough is enough?? He's obviously very unhappy. The vet said the worst case scenario would be to amputate his penis () but this seems really macabre!!!

Also, to be very honest, the bill so far is around £500 and we are very very stretched financially. I dont know how much more we can take, cost-wise!

Advice anyone?

TIA.

OP posts:
emiliadaniel · 01/05/2008 17:42

Hi RGPargy. I think the third vet you saw gave you very good advice - exactly what I would have said to a client in the same situation. Whether you can afford the treatment or not is becoming fairly irrelevant - it is all to do with what is fair for your cat. FLUTD is an ongoing, recurrent problem and he is not responding well despite what sounds like all the right treatment. It is definitely time to make a decision on how much further you want to go. I know it won't be easy, so if you need any advice just ask.

Original poster
RGPargy · 01/05/2008 18:47

Thanx for the sympathies Caspercat.

Emilia - We will see if he blocks up again after the catheter is removed tomorrow. If he does, then i will have to just call it a day, for his sake. The poor fella has been pushed from piller to post for the last two weeks, not to mention having all the invasive treatment, which unfortunately has made no difference to him at all.

I was unsure of whether or not i could handle going to say goodbye if it comes to it, but i think, painful as it will be, i would deeply regret it if the last face he saw wasn't a familiar one.

I got a call this morning from the vet (vet #2) and she said that he was as comfortable as he could be in the circumstances and the catheter would be coming out tomorrow. she also said she would try him on different meds to see if that made a difference and would ring me tomorrow to let me know his progress.

OP posts:
NotABanana · 01/05/2008 18:55

Oh RGP.

I have been thinking about you and your cat.

No one would blame you if you had your cat put to sleep. It is too awful to contemplate but if puss cat is in pain...

beautifulgirls · 01/05/2008 19:42

I agree that a line needs to be drawn, but I would personally want to have the bladder flushed out surgically - ie open abdomen, not through the catheter. There is likely to be a large amount of silt like material in the bladder that will not come out via repeated catheter flushing. If this was removed your cat will have by far a head start for the food to start doing its job for the longer term. Cats that get through this initial blockage/reblockage stage (with whatever help is needed) usually have a decent life from there if they eat the food. I am yet to see a cat that is solely on these controlled diets actually reblockage after the initial period that your cat is in. Please give it some consideration and if necessary take him to a specialist. Your vets may think it sounds drastic to do this but in all honesty it is not such a bad piece of surgery at all and could potentially be the one that saves his life. If would do this if were my cat.

Original poster
RGPargy · 01/05/2008 19:46

Thanx NAB.

Beautifulgirls - It just isn't even an option financially for us to consider doing this. After his current stay we will have a vet bill of just over £1,000! I have to draw the line there as we just simply cannot afford to keep paying £300+ per treatment for him. Sorry if this makes me sound hard.

OP posts:
misdee · 01/05/2008 19:51

oh RGPardy

this must be so hard, you love your cat. poor cat and poor you.

if your vet could do a payment plan (do some do that?) would you consider what beautifulgirls has said?

emiliadaniel · 01/05/2008 20:05

Beautifulgirls suggestion is an appropriate one but, having said that, I would not do it if he were my cat. So please don't feel bad that you can't afford it.

Original poster
RGPargy · 01/05/2008 20:23

Misdee - the vets do a payment plan, but we wouldn't be able to afford repayments for longer than we have to as we are already financially struggling.

Emilia, thank you, that puts my mind at rest.

OP posts:
oops · 01/05/2008 21:25

Message withdrawn

Original poster
RGPargy · 01/05/2008 21:30

Hi oops. I live in Kent. I doubt very much the RSPCA or PDSA would entertain taking him on as it will be very costly.

As for flush outs, he's on about his fourth catheter now so he's deffo had this done! Yes, he DOES have crystals/sand/silt.

I've heard of the penis surgery, but again, it's a financial matter that is far beyond our means.

Thanx for yoru suggestions tho.

OP posts:
oops · 01/05/2008 21:39

Message withdrawn

Original poster
RGPargy · 01/05/2008 21:55

I've never used CAT, how do i check it?

OP posts:
misdee · 01/05/2008 21:56

check your email rg. they can be slow at getting through though

oops · 01/05/2008 21:56

Message withdrawn

beautifulgirls · 01/05/2008 22:08

RGPargy I live in Kent if I can be of any use. I work Chatham area

beautifulgirls · 01/05/2008 22:11

Just to clarify too the surgery I was talking about is NOT the penis surgery but is to surgically open up the bladder with a bigish hole and physically flush it all out that way, then to close the bladder up again. The bigger stuff that would not come through the catheter can then come out that way. Once the blocking materials are out of the bladder then he is unlikely to get blocked again so long as the diets do their job ok.

beautifulgirls · 01/05/2008 22:11

Just to clarify too the surgery I was talking about is NOT the penis surgery but is to surgically open up the bladder with a bigish hole and physically flush it all out that way, then to close the bladder up again. The bigger stuff that would not come through the catheter can then come out that way. Once the blocking materials are out of the bladder then he is unlikely to get blocked again so long as the diets do their job ok.

ClairePO · 01/05/2008 22:35

Oh RGPargy I really hope that this catheter teatment has helped and understand about not wanting him to suffer. Have everything crossed for your brave little man.

Original poster
RGPargy · 01/05/2008 22:46

Still no email yet and i'm off to bed now.

Beautifulgirls - I live in Chatham, coincidentally! My vet is in Rochester (Warren House). I knew that you meant the bladder clear out and not the penis thing.

Claire - thanx, i have everything crossed too.

Will see what the vet says tomorrow. Thanx for your replies everyone. Your support is very comforting.

N'night x

OP posts:
beautifulgirls · 02/05/2008 09:40

Ok! I work at one of their branches. If you can speak with stephanie who is very good re surgery. She's in today - Friday. Or you can speak with me today if you call the Oaks branch.

Original poster
RGPargy · 02/05/2008 11:31

I've just had a call from the vet (Tevya) and she said that they have removed the catheter because there was wee coming out around it as well as through it so no point in keeping it in! He's responding well to the different drugs apparently and has been given a "feel happy" drug to try and take his mind off the problem, as well as pain killers etc. She's going to call me tomorrow sometime with progress.

BG - i'll hold off calling for the moment, thanx so much for the offer tho!

OP posts:
beautifulgirls · 02/05/2008 13:52

Cool - fab news he is doing well. I checked your notes for him and they have done a lot of good work there in my opinion. If you want to talk at all call the Oaks anyway. If I am not in ask one of the girls to let me know and give them your contact number. They can call me and I'll call you back. My name is Nicola. Just tell them you know me from the internet!

Original poster
RGPargy · 02/05/2008 20:29

Hi BG, sorry, this afternoon has been manic and i've only just seen your message. thanx for offering to have a chat about it. I agree that they have done alot of good work. They have looked after him so well, bless him. It's very strange not having him around, i have to say. With any luck he'll be home very very soon.

OP posts:
beautifulgirls · 02/05/2008 22:45

No worries! I will keep everything crossed for you. Tevya is a great vet too though I am not sure who you have on duty this weekend. Keep me up to date anyway. I'll be about later tomorrow eve probably.

Original poster
RGPargy · 02/05/2008 23:16

Tevya is on call all weekend, and she is the one who has been dealing with him mainly so it's good that he's getting consistency with her. I'll keep you posted.

OP posts: