Struvite crystals

[GigantosaurusRex]

Morning all, I'm looking for advice rather than causing myself anxiety with Google. Fat old boycat has spent the night in the vets after needing to be catheterised because he was blocked. I'm told that struvite crystals have been found and he's being observed today because he removed his catheter this morning. He will be coming home with a prescribed diet. He isn't insured (the other two are) and we've recently had a big vet bill for one of the others that the insurance are probably going to refuse to pay. Obviously for fat boys sake we don't want him to reblock and I can't afford that either.

Does anyone have any advice - are water fountains worth trying to increase fluid intake, is a feliway plug in helpful for reducing stress (although this is a crystal issue), will weight loss help? Any positive stories appreciated.

Hi, hope he's ok. My friends cat had this and she didn't notice so he nearly died. He was an indoor cat so I believe it's quite common for indoor cats. Since the special diet he has been absolutely fine, that was ten years ago! I got a water fountain and my cats definitely drank more so maybe a consideration.

Thank you. I think I caught if pretty early but it was purely by luck as I was on annual leave so noticed him squatting around the garden. I wouldn't have seen him doing it in the evening because it's dark out now. Hoping that catching early, prescribed diet and water intake that we might be OK as I'm stressing about my credit card bill! He was a stray that turned up and never left and I regret not insuring him now - saying that this is the second time (if they do refuse the other cats claim) that insurance has left me down now.

I've had two cats with crystals over the years - it's very common in neutered males.

One needed bladder surgery and then went onto a prescribed diet - he lived a perfectly normal life afterwards. The other escaped surgery and is just on the prescribed food, plus we give him Cystease tablets everyday as well as a supplement called D-Mannose which he takes with his breakfast.

He's been fine and healthy for a year now.