Never-ending cystitis

Noisette35
Noisette35 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

My little cat is back home after staying at the vet's for three days.

Following yet another bout of cystitis which got worse this time, he had to be 'catheterised'—if that's the right word—to unblock him so he could pee again.

He’s still quite shaken up, especially since I picked him up in a right state, with his claws torn and blood in his carrier. He must have been struggling a lot during those three days.

He doesn't like being in unfamiliar surroundings. Yet, he’s such a sweet cat who loves a cuddle.

I asked the clinic what I could do to stop it from happening again, and they just said, "You need to give him our Royal Canin Urinary dry food."

But that’s actually what I’m already giving him. Along with some grain-free wet food.

They told me, "If he’s on this dry food, he shouldn't have any problems. You must be overfeeding him; anyway, your cat is overweight, he needs to lose weight."

The problem is that today, four days later, he’s in the exact same state as when I first took him to the vet.

He keeps going to his litter tray all the time and can't manage to pee. He’s even had spots of blood...

I’m starting to get desperate seeing him suffer like this.

I contacted the vet, and they told me to bring him back in.

I asked what they were going to do, and they said he’d need to be catheterised again!

So I asked if there wasn't another solution because clearly the catheter didn't work!

They told me that if he still can't pee, it’s the only way.

Then I asked if I’d have to pay again, because I’ve already paid around £340. They replied, "Of course you'll have to pay; it’s not our fault your cat is ill."

Now I feel completely hopeless, so I’m looking for your help and advice—what can I do?

Should I let them catheterise him again, only four days after the last time, knowing it didn't seem to change much?

Honestly, I’m losing faith in vets and I feel like I'm being ripped off. I can't afford another £340. If I have to, of course, I’ll find a way.

But do we really have to go through this and put my cat through more pain?

He’s only five years old; does he deserve to go through all this?

What is the solution?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Never-ending cystitis

Photo: Kaly back home after three days at the vet's.

Translated from French
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32 answers
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    • M
    Minaa Icon representing the flag French
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    My cat is exactly the same, he suffers from recurring bouts of cystitis... He’s overweight and the tests show there’s no bacteria or crystals. He has 3 litter trays, 2 water fountains, plenty of toys and a feline playmate. We can’t figure out what’s causing the stress! He’s already on Hill’s Urinary Metabolic wet and dry food (it’s a good option when a cat has both weight issues and urinary problems). I agree with the other comments, usually there’s no need for a long hospital stay; they just need to examine him by palpating and doing an ultrasound, then take a urine sample to check for crystals or bacteria. I paid about £170 the first time because they did a full check-up and he hadn’t been to the vet in ages (around £340 seems a bit excessive to me). What gives him relief is regular anti-spasmodic medication whenever I notice he’s starting to pee very frequently again (in my opinion, he doesn’t drink enough compared to his brother). It usually clears up in 1 to 2 weeks (even if it does keep coming back). Please act fast, as a friend of mine had a male cat who couldn't pee for 48 hours. She didn't realise because she has several pets, and he passed away very quickly...
    Translated from French
    C
    Christelle94 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, I would strongly recommend seeing another vet; you absolutely need to find the root cause. He was kept in for 3 days without an ultrasound or checking his kidney levels?... You definitely need to dig deeper – I know exactly what I'm talking about with my cat.
    Translated from French
    L
    Lyzzza Icon representing the flag French
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    I’ve been asking for the full results since page 1.

    In my view, that’s the most important thing to figure out what’s actually going on.

    There’s no point going to the vet if we don’t even have the urine test results, or if we don’t even know if a test was actually carried out. Hopefully, we’ll find out on Monday.

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    When it comes to crystals, my vet can tell straight away under the microscope if they're struvites or oxalates, so there's no need to send them off to a lab. Now, for a more in-depth analysis, she does send them to a lab and it takes about the same as yours, a good ten days or so.
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yeah, exactly Liza, and I’d just head back home with my cat – no hospitalisation required. You do need a good vet for that, though; there are some mentioned on this forum I wouldn't even trust to give a simple jab! @Titejava, that was the word I was looking for, it just wouldn't come to me: cystocentesis 😉 No problem @Ulalie, with the number of cystocentesis procedures *****’s had to have, believe me, I’m not about to forget the name of that test! 😉 At my practice, when the vet did it, they’d send the samples off to a lab, so I had to pay lab fees on top of everything else. It took about 10 to 15 days to get the results back, but at least I knew what was what. I’d pick up my little girl in the afternoon or evening, and if she’d happened to have a wee between me dropping her off and the procedure, they’d just give her some water to help her bladder fill back up. Anyway, back to Noisette – she’s had all these tests done and paid an absolute fortune for them, and the vet is legally obliged to give her the invoices and the results. I mean, honestly! Vets aren't a law unto themselves, what a joke!
    Translated from French
    L
    Lyzzza Icon representing the flag French
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    Honestly, the owner should definitely have the results of the urinalysis by now!

    It’s the first thing that needs doing. The cat was catheterised, so the urine must have been analysed.

    If it’s idiopathic, you’ll find traces of blood and protein, but no crystals.

    We’re just going round in circles. It’s as if there isn't a single vet in the whole of Maine-et-Loire...

    https://www.lavieimmo.com/immobilier-maine-et-loire-36780/annuaire/veterinaires.html

    Liza

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yes, that’s spot on, Liza, and I’d head back home with the cat right away—no need for any overnight stay. But you definitely need a good vet for that; there are some mentioned on this forum that I wouldn’t even trust to give a routine jab. Titejava, that’s the word I was looking for and couldn't quite place: cystocentesis 😉
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Can't be bothered to edit, but I found this link and it turns out they do it for cats too!

    https://www.chvcordeliers.com/cystocentese/

    @ Ulalie this is what your vet was meant to be doing for your cat

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Right, I'm going to put my two pence in for once. First of all, change your vet because your cat is definitely not overweight, and secondly, that vet is nothing but a money-grabbing *******! Secondly, I don’t know if it’s exactly the same for cats, but there’s a procedure called a cystocentesis. For that, you usually have to take the cat to the vet with a full bladder, and if the vet isn't a total *****, they'll know what to do. A cysto is a sample taken directly from the bladder, which is then sent off to the lab for analysis. If he has stones, they’ll show up with this test. I’ve had this test done more than once with my dog and it’s always found the issue—for mine, the upshot of the cystocentesis was struvite and calcium oxalate crystals! Anyway, that’s besides the point, but try to get this test done. It shouldn't cost £350; at worst, you just drop your cat off in the morning and pick him up later that day or in the evening! Whether it’s stones or crystals, it hurts like hell when a cat or a dog tries to pee. But change your vet!!!!!!
    Translated from French
    L
    Lyzzza Icon representing the flag French
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    I've got the invoices, but I don't have the answers to your questions. They mention the IV drip, the hospitalisation, and the prescribed medication (Baytril, Spasmoglucinol, and Metacam).

    Baytril:

    For infections caused by bacteria sensitive to enrofloxacin.

    In cats:

    - curative treatment for upper respiratory tract infections.

    Bit of a strange prescription

    Spasmoglucinol is a symptomatic treatment for urological spasms:

    – passing of urinary stones.

    – long-term management of bladder stones (urolithiasis).

    – post-surgical urethral catheterisation.

    Metacam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID).

    You need to ask for a hard copy of the urinalysis results.

    We need to find out: does this cat have a urinary tract infection (UTI) as well as bladder stones, or not?

    The vet should provide you with a full breakdown of everything they've done.

    Translated from French

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