Mortimer is ALLLL better!

alphadoginthehouse · 08-29-2008, 01:25 PM

I am so ready to be done with the pills! He hates them and I'm not good at giving them to cats...never have been. Only 5 more doses (including todays). But he's eating the prescription dry food (only because it's all he will get). I let him out of the room today (I'm off today) and he's been in my closet all morning. So I know he wasn't "mistreated" being shut in the bedroom, he just didn't like it!

Any suggestions on a good retail cat food to help prevent further UTI's. Thanks all.

Bellasmom · 08-29-2008, 09:08 PM

Giving cats pills is a pain! I'm giving my cats albon right now for a bacteria in their poop. Its liquid. Its a nightmare!
I just started giving my cats Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul recently and their diareha has finally cleared up that they had had for a while. I dont know if it will help UTI's. What did the vet say?

alphadoginthehouse · 08-29-2008, 09:14 PM

Just to be careful and keep an eye on him...which is hard because he usually does his business outside (he uses the doggie door and rarely gets out of the back yard (haven't figured out how he does it in the first place).

The vet mentioned "pill pockets" but Mort doesn't like treats or canned food, so I doubt those would help.

One of the techs suggested Pro Plan for Urinary Care. Just thought I would get some other suggestions...everyone has opinions on here.

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The way I do it is this (it really works with liquid which I prefer):

Place a towel on the bed
Put Mort on it
Wrap him in it so only his head shows
"Sit" on him (he's between my legs)
Shove pill down his throat.

Bellasmom · 08-29-2008, 09:46 PM

rofl... sorry, just picturing it in my mind!

alphadoginthehouse · 08-29-2008, 10:06 PM

Beats the heck out of being mauled by a 16# cat!

I just want him to get better and if it means "abusing" him, hey it works for me!

He is the weirdest cat I have ever had...to get him to eat the "special" food I put Salmon Oil on some and he won't eat it! He is amazing!

Katzyn · 08-30-2008, 08:03 AM

I think at the clinic SLK and I are at, we have the owner keep the cat on the prescribed diet all its life. What is he currently on? I would probably just stick with that, if at all possible, since there aren't a TON of different, GOOD choices just yet.

Willowy · 08-30-2008, 08:17 PM

My cats have always been on Chicken Soup, and nobody has ever gotten a UTI. I don't know if it's made for that purpose, although I think it does contain cranberry. The cats I've known who were on the prescription food always had recurrences. I don't know if the food caused that or if they were just prone to recurrences. But I don't trust the prescription food.

Lorina · 08-30-2008, 08:27 PM

I know loads on RX foods for urinary problems, and some had it recur, some didn't. Some that didn't stick with the food didn't have any problems, either. My sister had a cat who blocked when he was 4 years old, and there apparently weren't any prescription diets back then, so he just had his regular food, and he lived to the ripe old age of 16 without any problems.

I missed the original thread. I'm guessing he had a UTI & crystals? Your best bet, no matter which food you choose, would be to have a urine sample checked in a few weeks, to make sure there's no infection or crystals, then maybe have one checked every few months just to be sure. I know it's difficult with a cat, especially one that goes outdoors, but maybe you can lock him in a bathroom overnight once in a while to collect a sample. Some people have good luck with emptying out the litterbox and only putting a sprinkle of a few pieces of litter in, others have better luck putting something like Saran Wrap over the litter. (And some vets prefer to get the samples themselves, anyway, either by expressing the bladder or getting it directly using a big scary looking needle. Heck, if someone came at me with a needle that big, they'd have a urine sample all right!!!

)

alphadoginthehouse · 08-30-2008, 09:29 PM

Yes, Lorina, he had a UTI. Poor thing couldn't pee at all. They gave him canned food (which he will NOT eat) so the vet recommended the RX dry food for at least one bag. He isn't real crazy about it but he is eating it (it's all he'll get for now). I was just wondering if I could get him something that wasn't quite so expensive. If I have to, of course I will. I'll see how long it lasts him and go from there. He is about 4 yrs old (neutered of course!) and the last time he had any elimination issues was when he was a kitten and then it was pooping problems (and he HAD to eat the DM canned food...therein probably lies his aversion to canned food of ANY kind).

This is my handsome boy...Mortimer the Attack Cat

Bellasmom · 08-30-2008, 09:35 PM

Mortimer's a handsome little fellow!

alphadoginthehouse · 09-01-2008, 08:17 AM

Now I know he's feeling fine...he slept on the bed with me all night (em, what I remember of it, I was sleeping for most of it

). And he's laying on the floor next to me right now. When he was sick, he was never around. He's not fighting me quite so much on the pills (still wrap him up like a burrito for my safety). And he ate a good bit of his RX food. Whooohoooo! I like it much more better when my babies feel good...well, duh don't we all

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellasmom

Mortimer's a handsome little fellow!

Yes, I think he is too. You should see how big he is...15.5# but not fat!

Lorina · 09-01-2008, 08:56 AM

Which RX food is he on?

Since my vet sells Science Diet, that's the only ones I'm familiar with. Lots of times, cats with bad problems with crystals are on S/D, but usually only temporarily. Then they usually go on C/D, which comes in larger bags (up to 20 pounds vs 4 pounds) and is a little less expensive. Not cheaper, just less expensive.

Then when they do well on C/D, they sometimes get switched to W/D, which is a little bit less expensive than C/D.

Also, a lot of times, just eliminating all dairy and fish from their diet can help. My old girl Sheba had crystals in her urine because I'd let her finish the milk from my cereal bowl when I didn't know better. Once I stopped, she didn't have crystals anymore. Also, sometimes the crystals cause an infection, and sometimes an infection causes the crystals. That's why it's important to check the urine again when the infection is cleared up, and go from there.

Elana55 · 09-01-2008, 08:59 AM

I would feed him the Rx food for the rest of his life and be sure to keep a very close watch on him. Usually one episode is an indication there will be more. I ahve so been there and done that.. and I lost a cat.. BEAUTIFUL cat that I adopted from the SPCA when I was on the farm. Broke my heart. Azure was his name. He was a tabby point long haired cat weighing in at about the same as Mortimer.. and he had the most beautiful blue eyes.

Spencer (not the cat from the SPCA.. Spencer was a show cat.. CFA and titled) was chronic and he was so smart. He figured out the pills made him well I think. He would block w/o the pills and Rx food so he had to have two pills a day for life. I would call him and say, "Time for your pill!" and he would sit down, shut his eyes and open his mouth. Yup. That was how it was to give him a pill.

Spencer was not typical.. but then I have yet to own a typical cat. I wonder what they would be like? LOL

alphadoginthehouse · 09-01-2008, 09:06 AM

Royal Canin SO. I had switched him to Nutro Indoor and that may have been part of the problem...I don't really know. He is an indoor/outdoor cat and it's hard to monitor his peeing habits. He wasn't drinking as much the few days before I got him to the vet but he is now. $20 for 5 lb is a bit much. I have to take Daja (the dog) in for a follow up HW check and I'll ask the vet then. He has enough food to last him a few weeks so I'm good for now.