Bladder Crystals!

Penny · 01-17-2005, 12:26 PM

Hello!

I am having problems with my male cat and was wondering if anyone else had a similar experince and could give me some advice.....
The vet told me three days ago that my cat had bladder crystals (he was peeing on blankets, towels, laundry) and now he is on a canned food diet to dissolve the crystals. He has been eating this food for three days and I have been doing everything I can to get him to drink more water, but he is still peeing on everything! Can anyone tell me how long it took for their cats symptoms to disapear and when they started acting normal again?
I desperately need to figure out a way to make him stop peeing all over (I have never mopped so many floors or washed so much laundry) also any methods anyone used to prevent their cats from getting the crystals in the first place would be great.

Thanks Everyone!!

emma_pen · 01-17-2005, 12:50 PM

First of all, this is not something that will clear up overnight. In fact, it will be likely that his problem will reoccur over his lifetime, though with the correct diet and treatment it can be controlled.

What canned food are you feeding at the moment? Is he also on any medication? One of the reasons cats with crystals pee on soft furnishings is because they get comfort from it, as it is painful to urinate.

Its vitally important that 1) you are cleaning the surfaces properly, and 2) you persevere with the canned food. You could try buying a 'softer' litter for the timebeing. Otherwise, don't leave laundry lying around.

What are you doing to encourage your cat to drink more fluids? Some great ideas are a drinking fountain (excellent for ALL cats!), ice cubes in the water bowl, etc...

Ems x

coaster · 01-17-2005, 01:29 PM

you could put a dash of salt in his food, too, that will make him thirsty and want to drink more water.

Penny · 01-17-2005, 06:11 PM

I do have a fountain and have been adding water to his food (he is a glutton and will drink anything if there is food in it). I guess I am lucky considering he has only been peeing on things that can be thrown in the washing machine so everything can usually be cleaned up right away.

I cannot recall the brand of food he is on right now, but it is canned food to dissolve bladder crystals, otherwise he was eating IAMS.

Once this is cleared up, is canned food the way to go? I would like to do anything to keep him from getting sick again!

jbeanie10 · 01-18-2005, 12:14 PM

Sometimes crystals can be a source of infection. Is he on any antibiotics?
there is also a medication for people to 'numb' the urinary tract. They use it for people who have urinary urgency or pain with urination. Maybe you can ask the vet if it would be appropriate for a kitty.The brand name is Pyridium. One drawback is that it stains the urine orange. I don't know if that stain washes out.

emma_pen · 01-18-2005, 01:03 PM

Yes, please stick to a premium (i.e expensive

) wet food to maintain a healthy urinary tract. Most cats who develop crystals are neutered males on an all-dry diet.

I would not recommend adding salt to a cats food, though.

Ems x

Penny · 01-18-2005, 01:20 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone!

He does not have an infection, I double checked because he is being neutered tomorrow and I did not want to take any chances. I actually think he is starting to feel a bit better, he was more frisky today!

One thing I have read about is giving your cats cranberry extract every once in awhile which is supposed to help prevent bladder infections and crystals, does anyone have experience with this?

AddFran · 01-18-2005, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penny

The vet told me three days ago that my cat had bladder crystals (he was peeing on blankets, towels, laundry) and now he is on a canned food diet to dissolve the crystals.

First, I just want to say that I'm Thrilled to hear that your cat was put on a canned diet for this! It's so nice to see a vet suggesting this. I'm not sure if it was prescription diet or not, I'd prefer to steer clear of those as the overall quality isn't usually very good, but for short term, it'll be just fine. In any case, canned food is a big help. You should also encourage your cat to drink a lot of water. You can sometimes doing this by purchasing a pet fountain. They love to drink out of water that is continuously moving.

If you are concerned about the peeing everywhere, maybe you could temporarily move the cat into a bathroom or confine to one room for a few days or so. You could also leave the sink trickling out - I know mine love to drink out of the sink as well. Good luck.

AddFran · 01-18-2005, 02:00 PM

Sorry, i didn't read the responses before i posted. Some of my suggestions are a little redundant.

01-17-2005, 12:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Penny Kitten Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5	Bladder Crystals! Hello! I am having problems with my male cat and was wondering if anyone else had a similar experince and could give me some advice..... The vet told me three days ago that my cat had bladder crystals (he was peeing on blankets, towels, laundry) and now he is on a canned food diet to dissolve the crystals. He has been eating this food for three days and I have been doing everything I can to get him to drink more water, but he is still peeing on everything! Can anyone tell me how long it took for their cats symptoms to disapear and when they started acting normal again? I desperately need to figure out a way to make him stop peeing all over (I have never mopped so many floors or washed so much laundry) also any methods anyone used to prevent their cats from getting the crystals in the first place would be great. Thanks Everyone!!

01-17-2005, 06:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Penny Kitten Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5	Bladder Crystals follow up I do have a fountain and have been adding water to his food (he is a glutton and will drink anything if there is food in it). I guess I am lucky considering he has only been peeing on things that can be thrown in the washing machine so everything can usually be cleaned up right away. I cannot recall the brand of food he is on right now, but it is canned food to dissolve bladder crystals, otherwise he was eating IAMS. Once this is cleared up, is canned food the way to go? I would like to do anything to keep him from getting sick again!

01-18-2005, 01:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
Penny Kitten Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5	Update Thanks for the advice everyone! He does not have an infection, I double checked because he is being neutered tomorrow and I did not want to take any chances. I actually think he is starting to feel a bit better, he was more frisky today! One thing I have read about is giving your cats cranberry extract every once in awhile which is supposed to help prevent bladder infections and crystals, does anyone have experience with this?

01-17-2005, 12:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
emma_pen Cat Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,655	First of all, this is not something that will clear up overnight. In fact, it will be likely that his problem will reoccur over his lifetime, though with the correct diet and treatment it can be controlled. What canned food are you feeding at the moment? Is he also on any medication? One of the reasons cats with crystals pee on soft furnishings is because they get comfort from it, as it is painful to urinate. Its vitally important that 1) you are cleaning the surfaces properly, and 2) you persevere with the canned food. You could try buying a 'softer' litter for the timebeing. Otherwise, don't leave laundry lying around. What are you doing to encourage your cat to drink more fluids? Some great ideas are a drinking fountain (excellent for ALL cats!), ice cubes in the water bowl, etc... Ems x

01-17-2005, 01:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
coaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 17,798	you could put a dash of salt in his food, too, that will make him thirsty and want to drink more water.

01-18-2005, 12:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
jbeanie10 Jr. Cat Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 41	Sometimes crystals can be a source of infection. Is he on any antibiotics? there is also a medication for people to 'numb' the urinary tract. They use it for people who have urinary urgency or pain with urination. Maybe you can ask the vet if it would be appropriate for a kitty.The brand name is Pyridium. One drawback is that it stains the urine orange. I don't know if that stain washes out.

01-18-2005, 01:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
emma_pen Cat Addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,655	Yes, please stick to a premium (i.e expensive ) wet food to maintain a healthy urinary tract. Most cats who develop crystals are neutered males on an all-dry diet. I would not recommend adding salt to a cats food, though. Ems x

01-18-2005, 02:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
AddFran Premier Cat Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,480	Sorry, i didn't read the responses before i posted. Some of my suggestions are a little redundant.

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
CatForum.com Advertisement