Blocked bladder

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Hi everyone, my male cat had a blocked bladder last weekend. I noticed he wasn't himself Friday night and took him to the vets Saturday. He was admitted, catheterisation and scanned under GA. He was kept in for 48 hours when he restocked again.

I got him home Monday and he's not been right. Back to the vets midweek. He was poorly again last night, back at the vets today and he's blocked again....

They've said once it happens it's prone to happen again but I didn't think it would be so quick or as many times.

He's on a cocktail of meds, and sleeping at the side of me now. I honestly don't know what the future holds for us. He's 8 and I adopted him 6 months ago. He's my world.

He's on special urinary food and I'm encouraging to drink a lot. I just wondered if thus has happened to anyone else or if anyone had any words of help and advice. Thank you xx

Antibiotics, antibiotics, antibiotics

He's on antibiotics and painkillers, but on his third blockage.....

Oh you poor thing. I know only too well what you are going through so first of all, big love to you and your fur baby.

Do they know what caused the blockage, eg. Crystals or oxylate stones? Depending on the cause there are supplements you can add to his diet to prevent them reforming and blocking.

We have a boy who blocked repeatedly who, touch wood, we now have under control with supplements (cystease, a pH balancer and lots of homecooked broth to make him drink more - he never touches water). The vets were starting to talk about surgery to basically remove his penis to prevent future blockages, it had got that bad, but thankfully we seem to have swerved that with some adjustments.

The urinary diet food isn't great as it's usually dry, which is the opposite you want to do when you want as much hydration flushing out his bladder as possible. Whatever the cause, the more liquid he drinks, the less likely the blockage is to form if it isnt lingering in his bladder, so that's probably the most important thing to do right now. Is he on dry food normally? If so I would try and switch to wet if possible and get as much fluid in him as you can. Add water, boil chicken, tuna juice (although some people do recommend avoiding fish for cats that block)

If the blockage is caused by a high pH/crystals, there are acidifying supplements that you can add instead which do something similar to the prescription food.

There is a group on Facebook called Feline Lower Urinary Tract with some really knowledgable people to help out, I'd recommend joining.

Thanks so much for your reply @alwaysrootingfortheantihero They said it was a mixture of mucous plug and crystals.
I'm so sorry you've gone through the same too.

The vet suggested the Hills dry food along with the wet food. She also suggested tuna in spring water and to boil chicken and give him that and the water. He loves a drink from the tap too.

He's on antibiotics, Gabapentin, something else I can't remember, he's laid asleep on me now so I don't want to disturb him! I also give him cystaid.

The vet mentioned the same op to me today. Just want to try and get him back on his feet first.

I'll have a look at the Facebook page too. Thanks so much for replying xx

And if it could be stress related (spasms), keeping him calm/as few changes as possible and introducing something like feliway could help.

Is he on gabapentin? That also relaxes them as well as being a painkiller.

If you can find out the cause, that's the first step.

Feel free to message me if there's anything I can help with at all - having been through it, and researched a LOT, I'm more than happy to share anything that can help, but that Facebook group will be a good place to start.

Sorry cross post

Thanks so much @alwaysrootingfortheantihero I live alone in a really quiet and stress free house. He has the opportunity to go out, but just likes to sit on the step and look out.

He had a previous history of cystitis before I adopted him, so I expected some urinary issues. I did lots of research before I had him, but I didn't perhaps appreciate that this might happen.

The vet thinks it might be caused by his past history.

I've also got feliway plug in going.

The only question I can think of is what do you use to get rid of the smell of cat wee from the carpets?!??

Mucous & crystals was the same as our boy. These can only form when the pH of the urine is high (7+) so keeping his pee as acidic as possible is what you need to keep it between 6-7. Your vets may well have tested the pH, ours did, and it was always sky high. We (still) use the VetIQ Urinary Paste or Uri-Balance (which has been out of stock for almost a year but available again now) and check his pee with a dipstick test in his litter tray to keep on track of it. You might want to discuss adding this with your vet, it's certainly did wonders for our boy

We also add Urinary Gold (from Amazon, it's £££ but lasts ages) which does something similar. One or both is doing the trick long term but it was the uri-balance/urinary paste that seemed to break the cycle or blockages.

You do just need to make sure it doesn't send the pH too low though, as that's when oxylate stones can form...

RSPCA wee away or their odour remover, I think they are the same thing - you can pick it up in b&m bargains or amazon (in bulk 😬🙈)

It certainly sounds like you're doing all the right things so far.

Boy cats are just very badly designed, unfortunately.

@alwaysrootingfortheantihero I'll look out for the wee away, thank you! I have cleaned up as well as I can, but I can't always see where he's been, unless it's on the bed or on me! 🙈

Oh thanks for the info about the pH I'll talk to the vets about that, they've not mentioned it to me.

Thanks so much for your replies, I felt very down and that there might not be a good outcome, but I feel much more hopeful tonight x

A black light/UV light will show up any accidents and other horrors on the carpet

❤️❤️❤️ to you both

Methionine makes the urine more acidic but it cannot be given to all cats: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/methionine

Hi @alwaysrootingfortheantihero I've got a feeling we will be back at the vets tomorrow.....he's not had a wee today, well that I know to. I've given him some tuna in spring water and some cat milk as well as his usual wet food. He's had all his meds but I've got a sinking feeling he'll be blocked agsin. That'll be 4 times this week. He seems to be blocking back up almost immediately.

I just don't know what to do or what to think....I just feel desperate for him xx

It is very distressing when they keep getting blockages, never mind dangerous in males.

A friend of mine had a male cat in a similar situation and eventually went for the penis removal. It was very straightforward and he lived for many more years with no issues whatsoever, so don’t be scared of the op.

Good luck

Thanks @Costacoffeeplease the vet briefly mentioned that yesterday, but said it wasn't guaranteed to help. But heartening to hear your friends cat had success x