ecn-pc:langet@pur-ee.UUCP (11/19/83)
My male cat is also recovering from a bout of cystitis, he first had it a year ago. Luckily, I reconized the symtoms early enough so all that was required was feeding him antibiotics for a couple of weeks. It occurred again five months later, again I caught it soon enough so that drugs were enough. The third time (current), started three weeks ago when my wife and I left for a weekend. Saturday morning when we left he was fine, the neighbors said he spent fifteen minutes in the box without success saturday night, sunday when we got home he was on the sofa and would not move for anything, he was in pain and would scream when touched. His abdomen was inflated like a baloon. We got him to the vet right away. Since he was in such pain the vet sedated him immediately and started to insert a catherter. The blockage was right at the tip of the penis and just the touch of the tube opened the uretha and he proceeded to fill two small cans (about 12oz). We took him back home that night, monday he was okay but druggy, tuesday morning found him blocked again and back to the vet. He stayed at the vet through saturday morning after being x-rayed and had a catherter in for two days. When we got him he was still druggy, but at least flowing freely, albit frequently! Home treatment: After a week, he was getting better every day, with antibiotics daily. Food was standard, all the dry he wanted and a third of a can of Nine Lives twice a day. Following the vet's suggestion of the best treatment, we watered down the food until it was mostly soup. The vet said ash was a factor but getting more liquids through him would be the best thing. One of the things to stop the crystal formation that causes blockage was to make his urine acidic, no blockage no pain no real worry. So with every meal he gets a tablespoon of tomato sause or a diced half tomato every day. Suppriselily, he will consume the tomato or sauce by itself without any help. Tomorrow he will have been home two weeks. His play habits with the other cat (a female, no problems), and sleep are back to normal. His trips to the box are still frequent, but he does something each time. Sometimes he has a spasm which will make him go several times in a couple of minutes, but this has occured only three or fours times. Only once during the whole episode has he not be able to get to the box in time, he acted ashamed, even in the pain. For treatment costs for the week in the clinic, emergency calls, drugs, x-ray, and so on cost a total of $150. Why this happens? I'll post some comments I've read and heard from the vet later, this is too long already! Timothy Lange Freshman Engr Purdue 4943976 West Lafayette, IN