My cat has a painful UTI with blood. How to help her until morning?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Martha, I'm sure she's not feeling well. One thing you can do at home is encourage her to drink or take in more fluids. If she eats canned food, add more water to the food, or if she doesn't usually eat wet food you may want to start switching her to a wet food diet. Be sure to check with her veterinarian if she should be on a prescription diet for urinary issues before making any long term food changes. Do not give her any pain medications at home or any antibiotics you may have access too. Many human medications are toxic to cats. The best thing to do is to get her to the veterinarian as soon as they can get you in. I hope she's feeling better soon.

Please take her to a Pet ER for an exam, urinalysis and prescription pain medicine if needed. It is rare for cats to have an actual infection (UTI), however cats often get a stress induced inflammatory reaction of the bladder which is quite painful and has the same signs as a UTI. Please do not give her any medication designated for humans. Cats often cannot metabolize human medications properly. Best take her to a Pet ER now. If you call your vet's office, there will be information on the nearest emergency veterinary service on the answering machine.

It's fine to wait for your morning apointment, fortunately in female cats this condition is usually less urgent than in males, it still needs to be addressed within 24 hours but it can definitely wait for the morning.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Tibou. If Tibou has a normal energy level and has been eating and drinking, and is able to urinate, and if you press on her belly and she isn't painful then this is something that can probably wait until your vet opens in the morning. We can see urinary tract infections in older cats in particular females with kidney disease. A urinary tract infection can cause the symptoms you describe. Other possible causese could include bladder stones, sterile cystitis (inflammation of the bladder without infection), tumors of the bladder or other parts of the urinary tract, or primary renal hematuria. I would call your vet in the morning for an appointment where they can check the urine and may recommend imaging such as an x-ray or ultrasound. If Tibou is acting lethargic, has a painful abdomen, is vomiting or having trouble breathing, or hasn't been eating or drinking then a visit to the emergency vet is recommended. It is never wrong, however, to take your pet to the emergency vet if you feel very concerned and need peace of mind! If you wish to discuss Tibou further then you can use our Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach consultation service. Best of luck to you and Tibou!

While there is nothing I'd recommend doing at home I do think it might be best to see your vet sooner - I'm wondering if a drop off appointment might be an option. If not you may even want to consider seeing an emergency veterinarian. While it is unlikely that a female cat will develop a urethral obstruction a week is a long time for her to be uncomfortable from a urinary tract infection or inflammation.

Hello. In your post, you indicated that your cannot cannot pee. This is a life threatening emergency and he should be taken to the closest hospital or emergency clinic. If he has an obstruction, this needs to be taken care of immediately. In addition to it being very painful, it causes kidney failure and he can die if this is not corrected immediately. His urine should be looked at microscopically to determine if he has an infection or crystals or possibly a small stone. He will require a catheterization while sedated to relieve the blockage. He will probably need fluids and may require hospitalization. While the antibiotics you have listed are all potentially good for a uti, we are legally not permitted to prescribe or recommend a dose without an examination. This will require your veterinarian to get involved. Please rush him to a veterinarian if he cannot urinate. Best of luck and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The only thing you can do is bring Billie Jo to a veterinarian as soon as possible. I would recommend seeing if you can find another veterinarian open but if that is your only option then once they are open go in. She will most likely need blood work and x-rays to check her kidney values and make sure she doesn't have bladder stones. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.