Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Poor Cow....he has FLUTD

This afternoon, I saw bloody urine stains on the wall. Cow and Bunny are my two alphas and they are the only ones who spray (mark territory) in the house.


Before that, I already suspected something was wrong with Cow because he jumped onto the table to drink Ming-Yi's water. A lot of it too. That got me really worried as it is indicative of kidney problems.


But I was dead tired after work and thought I'd take a nap before taking him to the vet. When I woke up, Cow sprayed on the wall right in front of me, but it was too far and I didn't notice the blood stains. But when I went downstairs, I saw bloody urine stains in the kitchen and the living room.


Is it Cow or Bunny?


I rang the vet and she said I could bring them both in and they would try to palpitate for urine to see who is sick.


So, that would be the plan. But Bunny made it easier for me. He came into my room and sprayed on the floor for me to see. The urine was clear and normal.


Ok, Cow, it's you. Let's go to the vet's.


Cow at the vet's. He was so afraid. Cow is a highly-stressed cat.
It is probably a personality thing. And he also has to assert his alpha status.

The vet examined him and there is a blockage the size of a ping-pong ball in his bladder. His penis is also purple in colour which indicates straining and insufficient oxygen. It is FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease). There is definitely a blockage, so here's what I have to do:

1. Observe him closely and check for changes in his bladder by palpitating him 3-4 times a day. Tried as I did, I could not feel anything....sobs.

2. Go on steroids (Prednisolone) to reduce the inflammation and antibiotics (Amoxycylin) to address the infection, if any. The steroids is only for 5 days after which it will be changed to Denxo, a papase enzyme, which is more natural.  The antibiotics is for 14 days (poor me...it's so difficult to give medicine to Cow; he fights).

3. Cystone (from Himalaya) is also a possible product that might help, but is not necessary at the moment, especially when the tablet is SO big.

4. Switch diet to Royal Canin S/O for a few months.

So, that was it. Of course, hospitalisation and going on drips is another option but this would stress Cow tremendously. Stress is one of the major contributors to FLUTD.

Bunny had FLUTD before too and so did Peanut (Peanut is already adopted). They both healed on medication.

I asked if acupuncture might complement the allopathic medication. It might, said the vet, but remember the stress factor. The needles might frighten Cow so much, it could increase his stress level, so let's not do too much yet. One step at a time. For now, it's the change of diet and the medication.

Back home.

We carried Cow into the kitchen to tempt him to eat some S/O, and on the way in, he urinated a lot on the floor. The urine was very light brown. Not the bloody urine as before. Eh...what's happening, I thought. So I called the vet and she said it's probably due to the fact that the blood has not accumulated in the bladder yet, hence the urine is clear and the blockage could be clearing.

Oh, well....I thought it was some miracle happening.

Never mind, we'll just have to be patient and pray for Cow's recovery.


 Cow didn't want to eat his new food...until just now.

 Good boy, Cow.

 Of course Bunny wanted the food.  He doesn't need it, but he wanted it, and he ate some, too.  The vet says it's ok if Bunny wants some.

Cow Mau, get well soon.





3 comments:

ManekiNeko said...

Oh, merciful heaven -- that sounds horrific! I've heard of neutered males developing urinary blockages, and it sounds like very nasty business. I send all my best to Cow and hope he can dissolve that growth and get back to good health.

chankahyein said...

Thanks, Maneki. Yes, FLUTD can be very serious. Am doing our best for him. Meanwhile, he seems quite happy on the porch now, enjoying the night air.

Anonymous said...

Get well soon Cow. And dont forget to take your medicine.