[ruby55]

I'm asking for help for a friend who manages a colony of about 10 ferals. One of them is getting old; he has had UTIs in the past & of course, after catching him & taking him to the vets, she ended up with a prescription for antibiotics. He has had more than one UTI; the last time, and now, he is passing blood. The blockage is not far away.
Does anyone know of some more natural remedies or help than antibiotics and visits to the vet? It gets really expensive, & with 10+ ferals and 5 canine rescues, she's always short of money. Besides, if there's a procedure or natural remedy, it would less traumatic for him than the vet.

 

[ruby55]

That would be a great solution, but these are ferals. They are fed 3 cups of dry a day, for +/- 10 of them. The dry is only to keep them close to her and safe; the rest of the time they're fed canned, or hunt on their own(she owns a lot of property).
Looking for something that cats can consume that will help him reduce the crystal content & keep the urinary tract more in balance so that the amount of crystals produced will be lower.

 

[Ritzpg]

I agree with Aunt Crazy (though I admit I feed my colony mainly dry). Can the vet prescribe a liquid flavored antibiotic and can you/friend put it into wet food? Or, if your vet can't/won't provide a flavored pill/liquid, put it in a pill pocket? Can you/your friend get close enough to make sure the feral with the UTI eats the pill pocket/wet food. There are some ferals in my colony that I could probably do this with; others, not so much.
Doesn't have to be a lot of wet food, just something smelly. The vet can also prescribe an acidifier, which is a powder that can be mixed with wet food.
Good luck.

 

[Ritzpg]

PS: at all costs, avoid seafood, wet or dry.

 

[LadyK]

Cosequin for Cats is supposed to help maintain bladder help, but it won't cure an infection or dissolve stones. But it might be something to consider for maintenance.

Good luck and lots of good health wishes for the cats!

 

[ruby55]

Thank you for the advice. I'll def. pass on the Cosequin for Cats, and also the acidifier from the vet. He will let her pick him up & hold him, so she can get him to an isolated spot & treat him. That's probably part of the reason he is still around. Bless his heart; he's at least 10 years old, & he's almost as spunky as the 12 month old! Thanks again.

 

[laurief]

The easiest and most reliable way to manage a male cat who develops urinary crystals would be to bring him inside permanently and take care of him there, separated from the other ferals. How have this cat's UTI's been diagnosed? The ONLY way to definitively diagnose UTI in cats is by testing sterile urine acquired through cystocentesis. If this cat has been diagnosed based solely on bloody urine, or if testing has been performed on free-catch urine, then your friend really doesn't know whether or not this cat actually has a UTI. And if he doesn't have a UTI, antibiotics will be useless.

Has the cat been diagnosed with urinary crystals, as well as UTI? If so, what type of crystals (struvite or oxalate - they require different medical management).

This cat needs no kibble and more water. Cosequin may be helpful, regardless of his specific diagnosis. But if he is developing crystals, and if he blocks completely, he could die an excrutiatingly painful death in a matter of hours if your friend doesn't find and get him to the vet in time. There is no home remedy that can guarantee to eliminate crystal formation. The safest management of a cat with a history of crystal development is close monitoring in a readily accessible environment (like inside a house).

Laurie