Never-ending cystitis

Noisette35 Icon representing the flag French

30/05/2020, 08:31

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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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Lyzzza

30/05/2020, 09:34

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I see we’re thinking along the same lines, Ulalie. 🙂

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Lyzzza

30/05/2020, 09:33

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He’s been catheterised, but was his urine actually tested?

They might have just emptied his bladder without there actually being any stones.

Were you told there were any?

Since this is a recurring issue, he wouldn't have had the time to form stones big enough to cause a blockage.

How many bouts of cystitis has he been diagnosed with so far?

You must have the results on his records somewhere?

They wouldn’t charge you around £350 without providing an itemised bill listing all the treatments and tests he’s had.

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French

30/05/2020, 09:33

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He hasn't had any X-rays, unfortunately. Human antidepressants? Isn't that a bit dangerous? I've used Zylkene before, maybe I should get some more. But would that mean he'd have to be on it for the rest of his life? That's the first thing that needs doing to check for bladder stones, though. And a urine test to see what kind of crystals they're dealing with, especially after being catheterised. No, Zylkene isn't for life; usually, 15 days is enough to get them sorted and back on the right track.

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Lyzzza

30/05/2020, 09:23

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Another link:

https://www.wanimo.com/veterinaire/pathologies-renales-et-urinaires/la-cystite-idiopathique-chez-le-chat.html

"In addition to pain relief, treating idiopathic cystitis involves making changes to the cat’s environment to help reduce their stress levels.

...Some cases may require prescribed medication to help the cat relax and to support behavioural therapy."

"Idiopathic cystitis is the most common form: it affects around 2 out of 3 cats brought to the vet with symptoms of cystitis."

"Despite an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms involved, several changes in the bladder and the body in general have been identified, particularly within the nervous system.

Affected cats seem to react abnormally to certain stressors in their environment. A specific event, such as moving house, going on holiday, or introducing a new pet into the home, can trigger a flare-up of idiopathic cystitis."

"When dealing with idiopathic cystitis, it's important to look at the cat’s living environment and quality of life to identify potential sources of stress."

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Noisette35 Icon representing the flag French

30/05/2020, 09:09

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He hasn't had any X-rays, unfortunately. Human antidepressants? Isn't that a bit dangerous? I've used Zylkene before, so maybe I should get some more. But would that mean he’d have to be on it for the rest of his life?

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Noisette35 Icon representing the flag French

30/05/2020, 09:06

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Lyzzza, yeah, that’s exactly what I was planning to do. I got in touch with another vet and explained the situation, but they told me to call my regular vet since that’s where my cat is registered. Great start. I’m probably going to have to ring round every vet in the area.

It’s true that my cat is a bit overweight; you can’t really tell because he’s quite long, but he is slightly bigger than average. Mind you, claiming he’s too fat and that’s what's causing the cystitis is just wrong. The receptionist must have taken my answer about the dry food she was trying to sell me the wrong way, especially in front of the other customers.

Your cats are adorable :)

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French

30/05/2020, 08:53

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To diagnose it as idiopathic cystitis, the vet would need to analyse the stones – I assume he showed them to Noisette anyway? – and do some X-rays as well. It could definitely be the case, though; I have a cat who had it once. We put her on Zylkene and it cleared up, but she had a full battery of X-rays and tests beforehand to be certain it was that and not stones.

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French

30/05/2020, 08:50

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I completely agree with Liza—your cat isn't fat, he's a perfectly normal weight. If I were you, I’d look for a new vet right away. Were your cat's stones actually analysed? Are they struvite or oxalate crystals? Because if they’re oxalate, they have to operate on the bladder; I know from experience as two of my cats had to go through it six months apart. It’s impossible to dissolve them or clear them with a catheter because the crystals are very sharp and can cause internal damage. After their surgery, the vet prescribed Royal Canin Urinary dry food, and I haven't had any trouble since—it's been several years now. I also give them spring water instead of tap water, as the water is very hard where I live. By the way, I’d suggest keeping the barcodes or receipts from the Urinary food bags. If your cat ends up needing surgery, Royal Canin actually covers the cost of the operation, as long as they haven't just started the diet the day before. The food is honestly very effective. But my main advice is to find another vet; at this rate, he’s going to end up doing serious harm to your cat with all the catheterisations. Has he at least had X-rays or an ultrasound?

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Lyzzza

30/05/2020, 08:50

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"A cat can develop recurrent cystitis and therefore recurring inflammation of the bladder wall without it being caused by bacteria, a tumour, polyps, or other factors that produce similar symptoms."

https://conseils-veto.com/cystite-idiopathique-chat/

I’d lean towards it being this kind of cystitis.

I used to have a Siamese who suffered from this back when this form of cystitis wasn't very well known and was still being discussed at vet conferences and seminars.

My cat was put on human anti-depressants, and I had to cut them into tiny little pieces...

It was still in the trial phase back then. But she ended up being cured because of it.

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