Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: HelenD on April 29, 2013, 17:48:45 PM
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Hi All
Seems we have another ailment to add to our growing list, for the first time ever Schmoo is suffering with bathroom issues :(
Trip to the vet today confirmed cystitis and she had antibiotic jab and we were given Cystease capsules.
But can anyone advise on how best to deal with her repeated weeing? She's ok for a few hours, then will go tithe litter tray a few times, with tiny dribbles, then move to her beds and go there as well. I've put puppy pads down on oth beds, and it's only a few drips but is that the right thing to do? I try and encourage her to go to the tray but it seems she has to go all over when these episodes happen :( then she'll settle and sleep again.
I was home today so could keep an eye out, however I have to go to work tomorrow and really am not sure about leaving her normal run of the living room if she's likely to wee everywhere? But at the same time if I restrict her to the kitchen I know she will stress which is the worst thing at the moment?
Has anyone got any tips or advice, I'd really appreciate it. OH is really freaked by body fluid situations which isn't helping :/
Thanks x
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Tell your OH to get a life LOL
Until shmoo is better then this will happen I think, she cant help it and its not her fault.
I have never heard of a cat being given cystease, is that the human one?
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Luna had cystitis last year so I do sympathise with you. Had your vet given you any clue as to possible cause as if it is bacterial then she should clear up fairly quickly with the treatment but if there is an element of stress there then you may need to tackle that too.
My vets advice was to:
Encourage her to drink and I was recommended to either pop a couple of bits of tuna in her water to flavour it (worked once) or to add fluid to wet food so I swill a pouch out with water and tip it in the bowl.
Use a couple of drops of rescue remedy in her water which can help with stress.
Use cranberry capsules - I used to pierce these and put on some Webbox paste. It disappeared in no time.
The thing is with cystitis as I know from my own experience you get scared to drink as you know you will be in pain and it can get to be quite stressful, hence the suggestion of rescue remedy. What they can't have is the bicarbonate of soda mix that humans can tolerate.
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Sorry typo - its Cystaid!
Not sure on the cause, they checked for masses etc and said nothing there, her temp was ok too.
The only thing might be we had a new dining table set delivered on Saturday, but we have had new furniture before? If it is bacterial, hopefuly the jab will sort it in a day or so.
She's already on wet food with gravy, which I dilute a little, and she's drunk some water too. Going to get some catmilk later, as I don't give her fish due to her thyroid etc.
It's just so hard to know what to do, I want her to be happy and stress free so she can get better, but also we have just replaced our sofas etc, so I suppose understandably we don't really want them getting weed on :/
If I put the puppy pads down will she stick to using them only do you think in your experience?
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It sounds like a stress bout after the new furniture arriving and maybe where she used to like lying having gone.
Has she been stopped from getting on the new sofa?
I dont think puppy pads will attract her to use them tbh but they could provide temporary protection.
Do you have a plug in stress releaver............jeshhhhhhhhhh forgotten its name
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I never used puppy pads. Luna just had a couple of accidents on our bed which I finally freshened up with bicarbonate of soda as the specialist stuff I had didn't work and I could use biological washing powder on a mattress.
Ah yes - Feliway. Best get some going just in case.
It does sound stress related but keep her calm and hydrated and she should soon be better.
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Ah yes I will get some Feliway tomorrow!
Puppy pads are just on her beds where she's already dribbled wee, just for protection really but I thought as they usually go back to the same places to wee, it might also help stop her going anywhere else?
She doesnt get on the sofas normally apart from when on our laps, but she has typically been trying to the last few days....
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Puppy pads fine in beds but you need to change them after she haqs dribbled
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Fingers crossed it's just a one-off and that the meds will do the trick, Tiggy had one bout of cystitis in her life when she weed on the rug aged about 15 - I was mortified and thought it was a slippery slope to her becoming incontinent etc but it turned out to be just the once and was fixed with a course of tablets. Fingers crossed the same can be said for Schmoo :hug:
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I put my nearly 11 year old Tiffany on to Cystease (same as Cystaid but cheaper and easily obtainable online) after a couple of bouts of cystitis, and after 5 years she's only had one recurrence, when I tried stopping it, and I just upped the dose for a couple of weeks to knock it on its head
she has one every other day, sprinkled on her food (the capsules are easily opened) and must be totally without taste or smell, as she has never refused it
if you decide to try it, I would suggest you start with two capsules a day, for 14 days, then reduce to one a day for the next 14 days, then one every other day if they have done the trick - but be ready to go back to the beginning at the first sign of a symptom - it took me two cycles of this regime to get Tiffany stabilised
Cystease is a supplement, not a drug, and can be given indefinitely, as no bad side effects have been recorded
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Thanks ladies.
Not a great night, drops on her beds, and on the 2 covered armchairs when I came down this morning :/
Plus no interest in food (meaning tablet giving = not happening) last night or this morning...
I put the capsule in some cat milk and she drank maybe half so don't know what good that will do :(
Just trying trying to get her to settle at the moment, working from home today as I couldn't leave her all day like this...
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Cat milk is at least fairly calorie dense so she'll be getting some nutrients from it. I'd have a go with Webbox paste if you can get it. I know Asda and Waitrose do and mine will lick a plate clean so they now have it as an occasional treat not realising it will be my secret weapon for getting tablets down them.
:hug:
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Yes that's what I was thinking re the milk - fluid + calories if she's not eating :)
I did just have a small success with getting her to eat some food - dug one of the 'emergency random food' pots out of the cupboard which was a pate one (she's normally not a fan) and she ate about half a small tin, with her normal pills secreted inside, so a minor victory!
She did then try and cover it over though, so guessing that won't work tonight.... :tired:
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It may cos when they try and cover food they are saving it for later :shify:
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Amber gets idiopathic or stress cystitis and each time it flares we have to go to the vet and get a metacam jab and I put her on cystease or vet uk bladder aid capsules twice a day. She is always on one a day now but if Im going to be away or stressed about something I put them up. She has them sprinkled on her food and seems to like them. Shes quite happy to watch me do it and still eat.
I also use a feliway plug when she gets it.
The vet uk ones are the same as cystease but cheaper lol
Hope she feels better soon
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Thanks Tab, I'll remember those if we need more.
How long can these episodes last for? She's not made much progress today, in fact a bit worse if you factor in her lack of appetite :/
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With Amber being a stresshead she normally recovers as soon as shes seen the vet. In fact I think she likes going sometimes :evillaugh:
The first time took a few days and sometimes its been known to go and come back after 2 weeks as the stress is still happening like when my flat was being refurbished but it does seem to get less as she gets older. I may regret saying that I suppose ;)
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Wow, a cat who's less stressed going to the vets LOL?!
Bad night again so far, I'm staying up with her. Still not eating more than a couple of mouthfuls, so not got any more of the meds in :(
I'm trying not to get stressed but failing miserably at the moment. I just don't know what to do. She's still wee'ing bloody drops, albeit paler but still quite pink, and she gets stuck in a loop of constantly in the litter tray, or going on her beds. Took an hour to settle her just now and she's just gone again a bit, then curled up to sleep on it....
Of all the things she's had wrong, I can honestly say this is the most upsetting...
Going to ring the vets in the morning - if she won't eat to take the capsules, what else can we do?
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....and she's up doing the rounds again... :(
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I would ring the vet cos she needs to eat and drink, poor girl :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Morning. Had a few hours sleep in the end, figured she'd worry if I was up with her all night, and she had managed to go to sleep.
Think we might have progress, not sure. Looks like she had a fairly normal wee (bigger urine coloured wet patch) on one of the pads overnight. And when I came down, she was shouting for milk and went to the tray - just once, for a little wee. But no repeat visits and she's now curled up on my lap.
Also managed to get her to eat some ham. Not ideal I know due to salt content, but it's a start and she was enthusiastic at least. Am thinking I might whizz some up and mix with her normal food to try and get her back to normal, and get her tablets down, but will do that in a couple of hours at normal breakfast time...
So tired....... :tired:
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I bet you are - its so worrying when they aren't well. Did the vet suggest anything for the pain? Luna was originally given a small dose of Metacam.
It will take a couple of days to get it working so it sounds like Schmoo is making progress.
:hug:
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Morning :)
No they just gave her the a/b jab, I was going to call this morning and ask about painkillers as it seems a lot of cats have that as well normally.
But good news is, she slept on my lap for an hour and a half (I may have dozed too!) and then shouted for breakfast! Gave her some normal food, just to see, and she's eaten about 2/3 tray, including pills :)
She's now back asleep on my lap :Luv:
Got everything crossed we have turned a corner..
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That sounds very promising.
:hug:
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That sounds great ;D
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do the Cystaid capsules not pull apart, so you can sprinkle the contents on wet food? I think you'll find she won't notice the addition, and it would be less stressful than trying to get her to swallow them whole
that said, it sounds as if she is on the mend - in my experience treatment takes around 48 hours to kick in - but stress-related cystitis regularly recurs without an ongoing maintenance plan
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Hi Kay, yes the capsules pull apart which is what I'm doing, so that's a bit easier as long as she will eat, but she's also on 3 other tablets which normally get hidden in treat stick pieces mixed in with the gravy in her dinner. If she won't eat, we can't do that and force pilling isn't an option :S
But so far so good, she's been really settled this morning so hoping this carries on!
Thanks for all the advice ladies, as ever you are brilliant! :hug: :thanks: