Help Please Before 10/28/03

[bluejacketbucki]

Please help me...tonight my cat started to squat like HE was going to go to the bathroom out of the litterbox. When I looked closer I noticed a single drop of blood come from him. Well at this point I got scared then began to go after him. I then started to notice blood all around the house, only in drops thought but still enough to be alarmed. I put him in a cat carrier then went to work. When I got home a few hours later my roommate had let him out of the cage. I figured I would keep him out then noticed that he is licking the area and can't seem to stay still. Can anyone help me? I am having huge financial problems at the moment and cannot afford the vet but will have to. PLEASE HELP US!

[CanadianK9info]

I really think this needs to be evaluated by a vet. Please find a way to get him to one ASAP.... when animals bleed it is never a good thing (unless it is female in season of course).... and it is not one of those situations where it will get better. So please find a vet NOW.

[Carina]

I agree with Canadian, this is something that needs to be seen by a vet right away.

If you don't know a vet who will work on you with payments, call the local Humane Society and ask about low cost clinics - there may well be one in Columbus. Good luck with your kitty...

[Catt31]

Sounds exactly what happened to my first cat. He was growling while he was squatting and dribbling blood everywhere. When I took him to the vet, it ended up being crystalization of his ureter (I know there is a technical term for it, but I'm not 100% sure what it is at the moment - similar to a urinary tract disease). It was an expensive operation, and he got it again about 9 months after the operation. Good luck with your kitty!! Check into some vets who may have subsidization for operations/care for pets...or get pet insurance ASAP!! Good luck!!

[bluejacketbucki]

Thanks you guys for the info...I called several vets today and none were willing to take payments and such. I know he needs to be seen but today there is no blood, he is sleeping a lot but eating and drinking plus going to the litterbox and doing something in there because he is buring his stuff. Any chance he could have passed this? Could the lord have his hand on my daughters pet? I have to leave it in his hands because I am BROKE! I attached a picture of him. Please pray for him!

[Catt31]

Awwww!! He looks just like my Tux!! Very sweet! We will be praying for you!! Keep an eye on what he is doing in the litter box (check the poo for blood) and make sure he is drinking. Good luck!!

[Lucky Rescue]

Male cats with blockages or stones can die, and they can die rapidly.

[clarence]

Can i suggest that if your cat makes it through ok you get some pet insurance.

[QuinnsMom]

OK - no the cat CANNOT get over this alone. This is not like a stone that gets caugh in the duct. This is the formation of crystals in the kidney tubs and the bladder. He need to see a vet and NOW. He will die from this if he is not seen. My cat had the same thing. After being into the vet for 3 days and a small operation (to break up the crystals) we changed his diet and watched him very closely. It hasn't reacurred but we still watch.

We changed him to Imam kindny health food.

[drdouggie]

Have to agree with Sam here. Unfortunately your cat needs a vet quickly. This sounds like bladder stones that will cause irritation and bleeding and then infection and left untreated your cats future is very bleak. There are special diet foods that help to break up bladder stones but the best option at this stage is to have them removed. There must be some sort of animal charity out there that would be willing to help you. Definately opt for pet insurance with the next animal you get.

I hope things work out for you.

[Donna Marie]

Still take him to a vet....our Buster had the exact same problem and it was a urinary infection. We were told that it was fortunate that we brought him in right away as it could have been fatal and much more costly as well. You have to understand that with having a pet, there are bound to be financial responsibilities....special diet and vet bills can be pricey.

[#1mom]

I just wanted to say I READ YOUR STORY AND THE SAME THING HAPPEND TO ONE OF MY CATS.yOU CAN TRY GIVING HIM CRANBERRY JUICE BELIEVE IT OR NOT,HE DEFINATELY WON'T LIKE IT BUT IT MAY HELP A LITTLE UNTIL YOU RECIEVE VETERINARY CARE.IT WORKED FOR A WHILE ON MY GUY IT GOT RID OF IT ONCE BUT IT CAME BACK AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER.
BEST OF LUCK

[bluejacketbucki]

Okay all...is this normal? First off I thank you all for your replies but since I posted the pic there has been no blood and he is playing now and acting his normal self...???? I am taking him to the vet next week but its odd that he has been fine for well over a week now. What do you think? #1Mom...thanks for the tip...I will try that as well.

[drdouggie]

HI Again,

To be on the safe side I'd get him checked, i'll tell you why. I had a Cavalier who had blood in her urine for well over a year. When she first developed it she would have it for a week or two and then it would clear up (usually by the time my vet cared to fit me in and then he thought I was a complete fool bringing an apparently healthy dog to see him). Every time I went with her the vet fobbed me off with antibiotics which admittedly cleared up the infection and she'd be fine for a month or so then the blood would appear again, same treatment was prescribed again without checking the underlying cause. The result was we eventually discovered she had bladder stones. However, the discovery was too late and partly because of the late diagnosis by the vet and a variety of complications with medication my darling died of toxic shock four days after surgery . After saying this, your cat may have just had a one-off infection that has cleared itself and he's fine. BUT if you see any trace of blood in his urine again, even if it is months later from the last episode, get him checked for stones. A simple urine test will be able to diagnose it. They examine the urine microscopically for the presence of crystals (this is indicative of the formation of stones). Just be vigilant and I don't mean to scare you with my own experience and I'm not saying your cat is in the same situation, I'm just passing my experience to you to help you make a decision I'm very happy for you that your cat seems to be better.

[qweenb620]

Please Please bring your cat to the vet!! Sadly I have had one of the hardest days today for this same reason. This is a serious problem and by the time the cat starts to show actual signs it is very serious. My cat started showing symptoms of this yesterday I took him in for surgery today and I lost him during surgery. This is very serious. And you definately don't want to end up in my situation. It's been a horrible experience and I lost a very special part of my life. Please take your cat to the vet. I pray your situation turns out for the best. Good Luck! Here is a picture of my baby Gobbles
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[White Wolf]

This thread is from 2003. Don't get too upset.

[Prin]

I do have to wonder though- I have never heard of a urinary tract blockage just "going away"... YEY!! It makes me want to sing!! TTTTrrrrollalalee! TTTTrrrollololo!

[Joey.E.CockersMommy]

I wondered to, but didn't want to say anything!

[Prin]

HA HA!! I just read closer- please help before oct 28th and the first post is oct 29th. He missed it!!

[StaceyB]

Maybe he just thought that 2 am was the day before. Nobody told him that at 12am it is a new day.
It is sure funny, a miracle of sorts when a cat needing vet care for a potentially serious diagnosis clears up for a person who can't afford to take the cat to the vet anyway.

[Prin]

Yes, maybe the cat changed it's attitude and quit its complaining!

[Derek & Jeter]

These stories remind me of an article I read in the Tor Star a few years ago, around the time people were getting sick from the water, somewhere in Ontario?

A lady from Oranveville -I believe-,said she had kidney problems and switched to filtered or spring water and they cleared up. She added that her cats had recurring kidney stones and after they stopped drinking tap water, their kidney problems disappeared too.

This prevented recurrences, I'm not suggesting it's a cure for anything.

[heeler's rock!]

I was surprised at this thread. Considering the OP said they couldn't afford a vet, instead of jumping all over them, they actually got advice and help. Instead of them being scared away for not being able to afford a vet, they were given help, stories about people in similar situations, and advice on what could potentially happen if the cat didn't see a vet. People were actually compassionate! WOW! That's rare on this board these days. I mean, even now, 2 years later, they are being accused of trolling, and even though the OP stated they were taking the cat to the vet the following week, it's still suggested that they may have made up the fact that the cat was feeling better. How sad....

So, this is the type of thing long standing members say they miss about the old days! Makes sense now.

[Prin]

If it was really a urinary blockage, the cat would be dead by the next day. There is no way a urinary blockage just heals like that on its own. All but one poster said "bring him to the vet, he's going to die". I think this thread would be answered the same way today.

D&J, not drinking very hard water would help in prevention for sure but once it has happened, nothing can clear it up except a catheter and some flushing...

[heeler's rock!]

All but one poster said "bring him to the vet, he's going to die". I think this thread would be answered the same way today.

I agree that it most likely would be answered the same way today, but the way things are said can be very blunt and harsh, thus angering the OP and keeping them from coming back here for advice. Also, no one knows for sure what the cat had, and that's why the OP needed to get to a vet. If the cat was indeed feeling better, it definitely wasn't a blockage, you're right. It could have been numerous other things though, as stated by other posters. I just found this thread interesting compared to some other medical issue threads I've read on here.

[Trinitie]

Instead of trying to get things stirred up again, can we just say that we all agree that the OP (in 2003) should have brought the cat to the vet immediately? We would have given him the same advice today that was given him then. Let's move on now and not rehash the "old vs new" debate. It's been all said to the n'th degree and we'd all like to move on.

[StaceyB]

This OP didn't come back after this.

[heeler's rock!]

Instead of trying to get things stirred up again, can we just say that we all agree that the OP (in 2003) should have brought the cat to the vet immediately? We would have given him the same advice today that was given him then. Let's move on now and not rehash the "old vs new" debate. It's been all said to the n'th degree and we'd all like to move on.

Sorry, didn't mean to make people think I'm starting anything. I just wanted to point out to people that maybe this is how we should react to people seeking advice on their pets, no matter what the situation. Again, I'm not trying to rehash anything, just commenting on something I found interesting. I didn't mean to upset anyone.

[Karin]

Things were different when I joined too. But it did not take long to see a "pack mentality" type of attacks on certain issues. I admit, I fell into some of them too. I can be vocal and speak my mind and when things got heated, it was hard not to join the pack.

I think this is the entire point the administrators are trying to get across to everyone. This is why moderating is needed...I still plan to say what I feel but I made a promise to think first before I bite, I may get spanked for that but it will be deserved if it should happen again.
I have a problem with opening my mouth *in this case, fingers*
before my brain is in gear.

I find the atmosphere here lately refreshing, a little slow but in due time everything should be back to what I believe this board is truely made of, what brought us all here in the first place.

*stepping off of the soap box now*