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| Rascal |
B. Feline Urinary System Blockage
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I almost lost one of
my cats today. Yesterday morning I noticed that Rascal was taking a
long time to pee, then last night I saw that he was unable to pee or
spray at all. Often cats who have problems like this, will attempt to
get your attention by urinating in strange and annoying places. In
less than an hour Rascal tried to go in the kitchen sink, the bathtub
and the litter box. I also noticed that he was spending more time
than usual grooming his privates, and his attitude towards the other
cats was more grumpy that usual. Cats hide their pain and sickness.
It is a survival mechanism; they don't show weakness. When they feel
pain they lash out, or they run in an attempt to get away. Rascal
took off in the night and hid in the workshop in an attempt to escape
from the pain that he didn't understand. There wasn't much I could do
for him last night. I did try to stimulate his bottom like one would
do for a newborn kitten using warm moist paper towels, but he would
have none of it. He growled and hissed at me, making it very clear to
me it hurt. Neither of us slept very well last night, and when I got
up at 4am to check on him I found that he had used the kitty door and
had gone outside.
This morning when I woke up he was nowhere to be found. I rattled the food dish which usually attracts his attention, but today, no Rascal. After searching, and calling/whistling, he showed up. I was so relieved to see my Rascal coming out of the workshop. The fear that I may lose one of my cats had started to creep in, and it made such a difference to know that he was still with me. From the manner in which he gingerly walked towards me, it was obvious that he was in pain. He did come inside and drank some water, which he then threw up. I put the open carrier in the middle of the room allowing curious cats to go into it and check it out. Like the others, Rascal became curious and climbed inside. I shut the door and he didn't even protest. Poor guy just wasn't feeling well. The vet office normally opens at 8am, but I was not going to waste any time; I was on the phone at 7:30am. I had no trouble making the necessary arrangements, and once Rascal got into the carrier it was off to see Dr. Philip. After a brief examination the vet decided to insert a catheter in order to drain the bladder. They also decided to keep Rascal overnight. The vet informed me that Rascal was able to go on his own, which was a huge relief. When we pulled into our driveway we were both happy to be home. He will have to on a special diet for several weeks, and I have to keep him in the bathroom for a week, in order to monitor his urinary functions. As a special treat for my sick kitty he will get to sleep with me during this time. I am very allergic to cat dander, so this is something that doesn't happen very often.
Whenever one of my own personal brood of cats is ill, I do what I can to educate myself on the cause, symptoms, and treatment. I learned that with some male cats, crystals form in the urine that can block the urethra. In male cats the urethra is normally very small, which can result in the type of blockage Rascal experienced. Untreated, death can occur within 48 hours. If you notice similar symptoms in your cat, please contact your vet immediately. Dr. Philip said that this is most common in male cats between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Sometimes it is a one time occurrence, or it could happen repeatedly.
This morning when I woke up he was nowhere to be found. I rattled the food dish which usually attracts his attention, but today, no Rascal. After searching, and calling/whistling, he showed up. I was so relieved to see my Rascal coming out of the workshop. The fear that I may lose one of my cats had started to creep in, and it made such a difference to know that he was still with me. From the manner in which he gingerly walked towards me, it was obvious that he was in pain. He did come inside and drank some water, which he then threw up. I put the open carrier in the middle of the room allowing curious cats to go into it and check it out. Like the others, Rascal became curious and climbed inside. I shut the door and he didn't even protest. Poor guy just wasn't feeling well. The vet office normally opens at 8am, but I was not going to waste any time; I was on the phone at 7:30am. I had no trouble making the necessary arrangements, and once Rascal got into the carrier it was off to see Dr. Philip. After a brief examination the vet decided to insert a catheter in order to drain the bladder. They also decided to keep Rascal overnight. The vet informed me that Rascal was able to go on his own, which was a huge relief. When we pulled into our driveway we were both happy to be home. He will have to on a special diet for several weeks, and I have to keep him in the bathroom for a week, in order to monitor his urinary functions. As a special treat for my sick kitty he will get to sleep with me during this time. I am very allergic to cat dander, so this is something that doesn't happen very often.
Whenever one of my own personal brood of cats is ill, I do what I can to educate myself on the cause, symptoms, and treatment. I learned that with some male cats, crystals form in the urine that can block the urethra. In male cats the urethra is normally very small, which can result in the type of blockage Rascal experienced. Untreated, death can occur within 48 hours. If you notice similar symptoms in your cat, please contact your vet immediately. Dr. Philip said that this is most common in male cats between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Sometimes it is a one time occurrence, or it could happen repeatedly.
I am so happy that Rascal is home and feeling better I will be keeping an eye on him to be sure that we don't have a re-occurrence of the problem.
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| Racal and Pixie |
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