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Old February 5th, 2007, 10:34 AM
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Unhappy Blood in urine

I had my kitties tested for URIs because one of them has been occasionally peeing outside the litterbox (although I really suspected it was a protest due to not cleaning the litterbox frequently enough) . . . They didn't find any URIs, but they did find blood in Booster's urine. Also an elevated white blood cell count.

Unfortunately my regular vet is on vacation for a week. They (the vet office) suggested I wait until he gets back and keeping a close eye on Booster until then. His behavior isn't any different from normal as far as I can tell.

What kinds of things could this be? Also, what kind of tests can they run on him to narrow down what it might be?

I am now kicking myself for not springing for a more comprehensive pet insurance plan.
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Old February 5th, 2007, 12:30 PM
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Sounds like a bladder infection, which would also explain the elevated white count. Did they put him on antibiotics? Check for crystals? Personally, I wouldn't wait a week before treating him.
Further tests would probably include drawing urine directly from the bladder for a clearer test and maybe a blood test to check kidney function.

Last edited by badger; February 5th, 2007 at 12:34 PM.
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Old February 5th, 2007, 12:45 PM
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They didn't put him on antibiotics. They did test for crystals . . . There weren't any crystals.
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Old February 5th, 2007, 12:49 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Yeah, if there aren't any crystals, isn't it a urinary tract infection?
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Old February 5th, 2007, 01:06 PM
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Just in case it wasn't clear from my original post, Booster hasn't been having urination problems or peeing outside the litterbox as far as I know. One of the cats was, but I don't know which because I never saw it happening--just smelled the results! It hasn't happened for over a month, which makes me think it was related to the stress of moving rather than a medical issue . . . I was just getting the cats checked to make sure. Due to the places that were peed in, Booster was the least likely to be the culprit and the new kitty was the most likely.

I'm keeping a close eye on Booster, but I just don't trust the back-up vet as much as my "real" vet (she's flaky) and I'd rather get an opinion from him (my usual one). Is there a panel of tests, bloodwork or anything, that's usual?

I thought that if there weren't any crystals, it wasn't a urinary tract infection?
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Old February 5th, 2007, 01:35 PM
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Crystals block the urethra (in males usually) and that can cause bleeding and even death if it's not treated quickly. A UTI is caused by bad bacteria taking over, either because they came in from outside (usually), or there is just an imbalance in the natural flora (like if they have recently taken antibiotics). You need antibiotics for a UTI, whereas the bladder has to be flushed using a catheter and sterile saline for a blockage or for crystals (at least that's the way I saw it done).
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Old February 5th, 2007, 01:59 PM
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Yeah you can have one without the other, most especially you can have a UTI without any crystals at all, and UTIs need to be treated with antibiotics.
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Old February 5th, 2007, 02:10 PM
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Thank Prin, that clears things up!

Okay, here's what they told me. They checked for crystals, but there weren't any. They checked for a UTI (which is what I was asked them to check for specifically) and it wasn't that. There's a small amount of blood in his urine and an elevated white blood cell count. They told me that a small amount of blood sometimes occurs when they're drawing a sample (I don't know exactly how they do it but she mentioned a needle? I could be misunderstanding this.), but coupled with the white blood cell count, it's probably a sign of something.

Thinking back, there've been times when I've seen traces of what could have been blood on Booster's anus . . . At the time I just assumed it was redness/soreness due to the fact that Remy licks Booster's butt at every opportunity. Cats, sheesh!

I think I will schedule an appointment before my doctor comes back . . . just in case. The thing is if it's something serious . . . I don't like the "alternate doctor" at the clinic at ALL. She's well-educated but kind of . . . lacking in common sense, you know? And she has a tendency not to listen to what you're saying.

Last edited by LM1313; February 5th, 2007 at 02:13 PM.
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  #9  
Old February 5th, 2007, 02:13 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Well, you can get blood in the urine and WBCs in the urine if a UTI is progressing or if it becomes a bladder infection. I'm kind of surprised you didn't get any antibiotics because they normally dish those out like candy.
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