Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
 

One of my cats (Linus) has been straining to urinate lately so I’ve had the vet trying to figure out the problem so he can travel safely. Well, I got this picture sent to me yesterday - made me cringe as soon as I saw it!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1517322615.jpg


Note: the needle on the radiograph that appears to be up his butt actually isn’t - I’m told it had a cap on it and was just placed to keep his tail in the right position for the image - I’m horrified by the five large-ish (1mm-2mm) stones jammed in his urethra which were removed ($2k later). I can’t even begin to imagine how unpleasant that must’ve felt and how much better he must feel now!

I should have an update later but even you non cat people out there should feel a little pity for this poor guy! If you do have cats (particularly male cats) please keep an eye on their peeing habits. If they block (thankfully he didn’t, not completely anyway) it can kill them and they’re apparently notoriously prone to this.

Oh yeah,

Male cats are very susceptible to urinary problems.
Our boys have been on a food prescribed by our Vet (UR) since early days.
$80 /bag cat food is far cheaper than procedures to fix problems.

Glad your boy is feeling better.
Les

Been there, done that with one of my cats. And it's becoming more and more of an issue with cats because of the food we feed them.

It's caused by the urine being too concentrated (from lack of water) and being made too alkaline by the vegetable and grain content in dry foods. Only solution to prevent this is switch to a canned food that's high in meat with water added to the meal when fed to make sure the cat gets plenty of water. That dilutes the urine and the chance of crystals forming. Prevention rather than cure because some cats are prone to this.

That^^ It's a major problem for male cats because of a longer eurethra. Years ago, we had a kitty that had that issue. He almost exclusively ate dry food. The Vet told us to sprinkle a little vinegar on the food each feeding (5-10 drops) and that would help.

Might also be caused by the ash content in the food, which can cause crystals. I had ferrets, they are susceptible to that as well. It's extra dangerous for them since they can die within 24 hours of the first signs of blockage.

Find food with lower ash (6% instead of 10%) and higher quality food, both will help.

Our vet sold us on that food... then I found Purina makes a 'urinary track health' cat food with the same specifications as the Rx stuff at a fraction of the cost.

I don't care what they said-That cap sure looks like it is up his butt.

It makes me feel good to see someone care about/take good care of his little buddy.

Your awesome.

DL

Note to self... never acquire a male cat.

Female felines have their own common issues - just not THAT particular one (their urethras are short and wide by comparison, less prone to blockage).

IMO, male cats make much better pets.

Many tears ago (2002) one of ours had the exact same issue. 6 to 12 month cortizone shots and Royal Canin Urinary SO saved his life. Lived to be 15.

My female cat is the one with the UTI and kidney problems, not my male. They are siblings and were fed the same exact food since birth. Maybe it's just her since she has had one health problem after another while her brother hasn't had a single issue.

Agreed. They are much more affectionate, playful and caring. My experience with a dozen or so cats in the past tells me females are the type that are nothing more than couch ornaments and don't want any interaction with their people at all.