My cat has bladder stones. Is straining & peeing drops a blockage?

Sounds like you all are doing quite a bit already. If you feel that pain is not well controlled the addition of something like buprenorphine may be beneficial. Also, there is a surgical procedure that is commonly performed on cats that get urinary blockages. Essentially the urinary tract is changed from a male to a female shape, thereby widening the urethra and making it much less likely to allow for obstruction in the future. Whether or not your vet is comfortable performing this procedure is another thing altogether. I know many vets that can perform it perfectly well while I know others that have never had to perform it a single time. It is a delicate procedure because the urethra of the cat is so small so finding a doctor that is comfortable with it is of utmost importance. If your cat is not a repeat offender or has not yet blocked completely, surgical change may not be the best option at this time. Continue following the directions of the doctor and be patient with waiting for dissolution. You can also consider lithotripsy to break apart stones if there are any instead of bladder surgery. Hope this helps.

If Scout is straining to urinate and not producing any urine she needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. A stone could be blocking her bladder and causing an obstruction which can prove deadly. While some stones are caused by infections and they resolve with antibiotics and a diet change once they have any signs of a bladder obstruction surgery is necessary as soon as possible.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is very hard to see on the attached x-ray if there is any problem with the urinary tract or. Some of the bladder stones come up on a plain x-ray and can be easily seen. I cannot see any obvious stone obstructing the bladder / urethra. However, some stones are radiolucent (do not come up on x-rays) and the cat would need a constrast x-ray or ultrsound of the bladder to detect them. In general, urethral blockage in young female cats are very uncommon. If Marshy is able to pass urine, other urinary tract diseases should be investigated. Urine analysis should be the next step of investigation (to rule in/out infection or bladder crystals) followed by an ultrasound of the abdomen and a blood test.

Hello! I would recommend keeping his litter completely clean so you can monitor his urine output. A blocked cat will continue to return to the litter box, strain unproductively or only pass small amounts of urine that may be bloody, and often be vocalizing. If you notice any of these signs, he needs to be taken to a vet immediately to be assessed for possible blockage. Feeding wet food, fountains, and dripping sinks and good ways to encourage cats to drink more water. Urinary tract infections in cats are fairly uncommon. Usually the urinary disease is a result of a production of crystals or stones or a sterile inflammatory bladder disease. Keeping Jack on a urinary diet forever may be necessary for him to maintain good urinary health. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks fir using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jose! The most common causes for urinary obstruction are: crystals in the urine (struvite or Calcium oxalate), bladder stones, stress causing inflammation or a urinary tract infection (not common). The goals of therapy are to relieve the obstruction, test the urine for crystals and infection, do blood work to make sure he isn't sick (high potassium, increased kidney values) take an X-ray to look fro bladder stones. We treat with antibiotics for 2-3 weeks, a urethral relaxant (Prazocin) for a week, and pain medications for a few days. If he has bladder stones surgery is require to remove them. Long-term management is a life long diet change to a prescription urinary diet (royal canin s/o, Hill's c/d, Purina UR) and increase water intake. You can buy a water fountain and change him to an all canned food diet (more water in canned food) from one of the above company's. Jose will also be at risk to reblock and should always be monitored and on a prescription diet. Other wise there are no life long medications. I hope this helps and I wish Jose a speedy recovery!

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Harry. FIC is a very frustrating condition. Individual cats can respond very differently to different therapies and so there is not one single, best way to treat FIC. There are diets on the market that can dissolve struvite crystals and stones, but these are not effective in all cases. The concentration of the urine and the components of the diet are the most important factors long-term. Different brands of diets can sometimes work better in different cats. If the c/d diet is not working for Harry, you may want to try a different brand such as the Royal Canin urinary s/o diet. If he has only had one obstructive episode you do not necessarily need to proceed with a PU at this time, but keep in mind that if he has small stones present and continues have to have flare-ups, he is at risk for another blockage. A PU surgery will greatly reduce the risk of an obstruction but is not without risk itself and is expensive, as you know. Most cases of FIC can be managed via diet and supplements but I cannot speak to the need for a cystotomy without reviewing x-rays and medical history. If you would like to discuss this case further, using our consultation option may be helpful as you are able to upload X-rays and other medical information. This would allow us to give more specific recommendations. I wish you the best of luckin managing Harry's condition. He's very lucky to have you.

Poor Kitty Kins. It sounds like he has either lower urinary tract disease, stones or has a partial urinary blockage. None of these conditions improve on their own, but instead require some level of treatment or management. So the treatment they gave him so far is basically they drained his bladder and treated him for an underlying urinary tract infection. However if he is developing a blockage he will need to be catheterized and treated with medications to help keep his urinary sphincter relaxed. You are doing the right thing by feeding him canned food, as this will increase his water intake and help promote a healthy bladder. However if he does become completely blocked (blocked Tom), he will need emergency procedures to free up the blockage and empty his bladder, as they mentioned already. I totally understand not being able to do the procedure the first time around due to cost. Unfortunately this cost is pretty standard for these types of things. Here is more information on urinary blockages in neutered male cats so that you can know what to look out for. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1111 And here are some financial resources that may be able to assist you in the near future: carecredit.com redrover.org If he stops peeing at any moment, then he needs to go back to the vet for emergency procedures to unblock him and provide him immediate relieve. Being blocked for a period of just 6-12 hrs can prove detrimental to your pet. I hope you get things sorted out soon. Take care.