The Importance of Water

We all know as humans we are supposed to drink plenty of water. But how much water should our feline friends drink? Water is very important for the urinary health of your cat. Indoor cats especially tend to not drink enough water. Look at it this way. In the wild your cat would kill and eat its prey. That prey is made up of 70-75% water. Now, if you are feeding your cat dry food the moisture content is less than 10%! Cats depend on their food for their water. While they may still drink from a bowl they may still be lacking in H20.

Carson LOVES dry food. He will hardly touch wet food. How strange? However, I'm going to have to try out different canned food prescription diets because canned food contains approximately 75% moisture!

When a cat is not getting the water they need their urine becomes concentrated. Toxins and minerals are not being flushed out of their body like they should. The minerals then begin to clump together to form bladder stones, which then creates a urinary blockage.

The best way to make sure your cat is getting enough water is to feed it canned food. You may also add some sort of broth to their dry food which tends to make them thirsty for water. A lot of cats love running water (Carson included) so you may consider purchasing a pet water fountain. Chemicals in our water sometimes cause cats (like people) to not want to drink the water. A fountain typically purifies the water and keeps it cool and more appealing to the cat.

Bottom line, cats are extremely difficult to force to drink. You know the old saying..."You can lead a camel to water but you can't make him drink." This is the same with cats. We must be tricky as owners and make sure our cats are getting their daily moisture content from their food.

Did I say a 100% recovery...

This would be the look Carson gave me when I told him he was going back to the Vet.

Let's change that figure to an 80% recovery. Last Friday night I got home late and right away Carson and I took one of our frequent field trips. There he was urinating away in the litter box...music to my ears, but then the music was interrupted by wretched growls and howls coming from Carson as he finished. Pure discomfort after urination, again.


Not good. Here he's made excellent progress for an entire week and then BAM more urinary trouble. So, why now? What had changed? Thursday I gave Carson his last dose of antibiotic. Could this have triggered the change? And so quick? Was he reblocking?? I wasn't sure. But one thing I was sure of...the vet would be called first thing in the morning.


Saturday morning Carson and I took another field trip. Again, music to my ears as I heard him urinating...it came to an end....and then very unpleasant noises came from Carson once again. Dang! He jumped out of the litter box and immediately started cleaning his genitals. Alright, that was it...time for the vet.


Luckily, the vet clinic is open until 1:00 PM on Saturdays. But, of course Carson's Doctor had the day off. However, he was kind enough to give us his personal phone number in case Carson started having any trouble at all. A little reluctantly I called him, feeling a bit bad knowing he had the day off. I described Carson's problem and he wanted to know if Carson was still on his antibiotic. I told him no, that Friday was the first day he'd not taken a dose. He said he believes Carson still has a UTI and that is what is causing the pain after urination. He wanted him back on antibiotics and also to come in for a urine sample. I had already made a Monday appointment for a urine sample, but he didn't think we should wait. I called the clinic and told them Carson would be there in 20 minutes. Unfortunately he'd see a different Doctor....but at least it was a Doctor!


I loaded Carson up, and off we went. Half way to the clinic Carson started breathing the air hard and letting out a pitiful meow. Poor guy. He was begging me not to take him back to the vet! Can you blame him?


When we walked in, out came Carson's vet. I couldn't believe he'd came in on his day off just to personally help Carson. We got Carson's weight and he was 12 lbs, 1 pound less than his healthy weight. Carson was sat on the exam table and had his heart listened to and his bladder felt. The Doctor said his bladder was empty, which was great. He said sometimes they have a partial obstruction which is where they can urinate but they can't empty their entire bladder. He was confident this was not Carson's case and that he was not obstructed. Since the bladder was empty we did not get a urine sample. However, Carson did have his temperature taken which did not make him happy, and he let us know. But on the bright side, his temperature was normal.


The Doctor put Carson on a new antibiotic. He said sometimes an antibiotic will push an infection back but not kill it completely, which is why we are trying a different kind. Carson would be on this new antibiotic for 14 days, and he still had a Monday appointment for a urine sample. The urine sample would let us know if he is still passing the stones and crystals.


Sunday Carson urinated strong with no unhappy vocalizing afterwards. He is still doing a lot of licking of that area but I believe that is normal since he is still suffering from an infection. Let's hope the new antibiotics do the trick!


Monday morning I asked Carson to load up in his carrier (he is typically so willing). But, that boy is getting smart. He said "No, way! I'm not going back to that vet!" Unfortunately for him, he was going back to the vet. Again, half way to the clinic he started crying. It is truly amazing how intelligent animals are. I dropped Carson off and headed to work. By Noon he still hadn’t urinated. Go figure, he goes on the hour at home! By 5:00 the Doctor called and told me the sample came back great. There were no crystals and only a few red blood cells indicating an infection.

The next few days Carson urinated like a champ. But then his vocalizations started again! You must be kidding me! Is my cat ever going to get well?? I spoke with the Doctor and he believes Carson is still experiencing urethral spasms and discomfort due to all that he has been through. So, he is now on 3 different medications…and I am praying they will work!

Until next time…

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

So, what is FLUTD? FLUTD describes a variety of conditions that can affect the bladder and urethra of cats. Here are a few of the symptoms:

1. Urinating outside the litter box.
   


2. Crying out while urinating.



3. Excessive licking of the genital area.



4. Straining to urinate.



5. Blood in urine



6. Frequent and/or prolonged attempts to urinate.

Your cat may show all or only a few of the above symptoms if they are suffering from FLUTD.

Carson had a full blown urethral obstruction. If your cat has a urethral obstruction they will show the above symptoms but will pass little or no urine and will become increasingly distressed. A urethral obstruction is an absolute emergency, requiring immediate veterinary treatment. In just a short time an untreated urethral obstruction will lead to acute renal failure & death.

Did you know outside of routine care, FLUTD is the number one reason pet owners take their cat to the veterinarian? Inappropriate urination is also the number one behavioral reason why cats are banished to shelters.

Carson had been showing a few symptoms of a UTI, but of course I was not educated on this condition and did not think anything was wrong with him. It started with frequent potty breaks and frequent cleaning of his genitals. I had actually been joking with my Mom about the frequency of his genital licking.

A few days later I caught him urinating on a towel. This was odd. The next day I caught him doing the same thing and straining. I thought he was constipated, but then he showed me he wasn't. So, the next morning he came and woke me up. He jumped on my stomach and if I'd move he'd scream. He slowly got off the bed and stretched out on his side and then his back on the floor. He was breathing hard, his body was trembling and he was in excruciating pain. I realized he needed help, and fast. It was a Sunday morning (of course) and the vets were closed so I called the emergency number and met a vet at the clinic. She immediately knew Carson had a blockage. When she felt his bladder she said it was the size of a plum. She told me she'd have to keep him there and insert a urinary catheter.

The next day the vet removed the catheter and kept him for observation. Carson was also placed on a prescription diet to help dissolve crystals that remained in his bladder. Carson will be on this food for the rest of his life to maintain his pH levels.

The next few days the vet would call with updates. Carson was experiencing bladder & genital spasms and was still having difficulty urinating. By Thursday I was told Carson was ready to come home.

I brought Carson home and he was still in a lot of pain. The next few days he didn't have much of an appetite but he was very thirsty--which I thought was a great sign! Cats with FLUTD need to drink a lot of water to continue to flush out their bladder. When Carson would try to urinate he would scream. Carson was also leaking fluid. I thought his bladder was just really weak. The day after I brought him home he vomited. I called the vet because I knew this was a bad sign. However, they put him on anti-vomit medicine. If your cat is suffering from FLUTD and is vomiting...TAKE THEM TO THE VET!

Easter came that Sunday and Carson did not move all day. I felt his ears and they were freezing. I tried to get him to walk but he was so weak his hind end would waver and he looked as though he was going to topple over. I knew Carson was going down hill quick. I called the emergency number again and rushed Carson to the vet.

The vet felt Carson's bladder and this time it was larger than a baseball. He had reblocked. He was also hypothermic and severely dehydrated. The vet believed there was a good chance Carson's kidney's had been compromised. He told me a catheter needed to be reinserted and the entire process Carson had undergone the week before would have to be performed again, which meant another $650. Going through the process again gave us no guarantee's, in fact the vet believed Carson's condition to be grave. Our other option--euthanizing him.

Well, euthanizing our baby just wasn't an option. We told the vet to do what he needed to do. He told us he would do blood work to determine the extent of damage done to Carson's kidney's and he would call us in a few hours.

A few hours passed and my phone rang, it was the doctor. The blood tests came back and the results were very poor. Carson's BUN level was off the charts. Science says that when a cat's BUN level gets that high at least 70% of their kidney function has already been lost. I was devastated. The vet said he would leave the catheter in until Tuesday and keep pumping fluids into Carson to try and get his kidneys functioning. On Tuesday he would redo the blood work to see if the results would improve at all.

Monday and Tuesday morning were some of the worst days of my life. My heart was broken at the thought of losing Carson. I was sick with anxiety waiting for the vet to call and tell me the fate of my friend. Either the results would improve and say Carson had a chance (by miracle) or he would tell me Carson's kidney's were ruined and he'd need to be put to sleep.

Finally---the phone rang. It was the doctor. The blood tests came back and Carson's results were absolutely NORMAL. What? Did he say normal? I'm not sure I'd ever been so happy in my life! Carson had a healthy appetite, was urinating on his own, drinking water and his kidney's worked! I had sent a hundred prayers up to God begging him to spare Carson...my time with him couldn't be up. We had too many memories left to make with each other, too many lessons to learn from each other. My family, friends...people I'd never met all banned together to pray for this little spirit. And God answered the prayers. It was an absolute miracle.

Carson stayed at the vet until Thursday-again. That evening I picked him up, took him home and tried the whole thing over again. I watched him like a hawk! If he went to the litter box, I went to the litter box. Everyday he and I take field trips there and he shows me that he can still potty with no problem. The first day or two he still had discomfort while he urinated, and vocalized it. But each day he showed improvement. One day after the next he'd get more active.

Today, one week after he had come home the 2nd time, Carson has made what I believe to be almost a 100% recovery. He has a strong urine flow, strong appetite, he is back to jumping on the counters and being overly curious and active again.

So, what is Carson's prognosis? Cat's with FLUTD have a higher risk of recurrence and it is potentially a lifelong disease. However, I will do what I can to prevent it in the future. Possible prevention methods are:

1. Increase water consumption — make sure the water is clean, fresh and available at all times


2. Add low-sodium broth to food to increase fluid intake


3. Feed several small meals during the day instead of 1 or 2 larger meals


4. Decrease stress in the environment — provide scratching posts or kitty condos, as wells as schedule time during the day to play with your cat


5. Have an adequate number of litter boxes (one more litter box than the number of cats) in the home, located away from noisy appliances

I believe Carson making it through this ordeal was a miracle. Science said his condition was grave--but when God is involved anything is possible and overcomeable. Miracles happen around us everyday...I am just aware of this one, and I am so grateful.

Inspiration

My name is Becka, I am pictured above with my feline friend, Carson. Carson is my inspiration for this blog.

Carson has been with my Husband and I for a year and a half now, though truly I believe he and I have been connected for much longer than that. Have you ever met someone and although you've only known each other for a brief time you feel like you've known them your entire life? This is how I describe my relationship with Carson.

In-spi-ra-tion: Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.

So, why is Carson my inspiration? The simplest reason is because of his unfaltering spirit. Can you imagine if humans were more like cats? The patience, confidence, dignity, persistence and absolute emotional honesty. We as humans are taught to hold back certain emotions or thoughts, so often lack patience and confidence and give up on things that seem too far from reach. Cats could teach us endless lessons if only we knew to watch and reflect upon what they demonstrate.

Recently, Carson has gone through quite the trial. He became very ill and had to be taken to the vet clinic after hours on the weekend. When the doctor told my Husband and I the condition Carson had I immediately started educating myself on the Internet. I can tell you that what I read did not give me relief. The information I read was terrifying and did not offer much hope. I read so many people's stories--and the outcome for Carson seemed grave. Now that Carson has made almost a 100% recovery I thought I should do my part and post Carson's story, so that he might cast a light of hope for another experiencing the same frightening situation.

My next post will tell Carson's battle with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), formerly known as feline urologic syndrome (FUS).