Very special cat, blood in urine :-(

[GypsyTinker]

Hi all,

I haven't been on in a while as my rabbit breeding has kind of tapered off and with everything I have already learned here, I have not had much need to bother yall or things to contribute.

However I find myself very distressed about my cat and thought you all may be able to help.

First of all, my cat is THE most special cat. She found me and chose me, walked out of the woods one day and that was it. Secondly, she uses the toilet and learned this on her own. Thirdly, she has traveled with me by car and we go to rest areas with no leash, etc... I could go on and on, she knows more words than most dogs and trusts me to no end. She knows sit, stay, laydown, outside, inside, home, potty, snack... believe me I could go on and on, she is so much more than a cat, she loves me and I love her.

Her name is Squintina (squincy or squints for short) she squints as a social diffusal, it's severely endearing. The name is from a beatrix potter character.

Now the issue I need help with urgently is that she is passing blood with her urine, sometimes even little clots. I've tried to give her some Apple Cider Vinegar in her water and even some Yarrow tea, but she does not really drink it. I also put a teaspoon of dried yarrow in her wet food. She is still in pretty good spirits and we play at least some every day. I stopped giving her dry food and now only give her wet food, a change she loves but the blood continues.

Any of you that remember me may remember that I don't really like western medicine. I know her diet is a big part of this problem because food is medicine. I feel terrible that I have given her so much dry food and I believe she may have kidney stones or worse. I bought UTI test strips from the drug store and her urine is positive for leukocytes and negative for nitrites.

I've called a vet and they want me to give her rabies shots and pay hundreds of dollars just to see her..

I'm going to the store to get real, whole cranberries, I guess I will chop them and put them in her food. I'm also going to go down the hill to check the nettle patch, wrong time of year, but I'm running out of options...

This whole thing probably sounds backwards to most people, but I'm used to that. If you have any ideas to help, I'm truly open to hear any and all suggestions.

Thank you so much in advance.

- One worried Tinker...

 

[PSFAngoras]

There are many herbs that are good at helping the urinary tract, but if she's that far along with issues, I would strongly suggest a vet.

With cats, urinary issues can spread through the body quickly and cause other issues like infections and kidney failure.

Perhaps you can find a different vet? It took us a long time to find our vet, but she's always straight forward, willing to work with new ideas (she's not opposed to herbs but tries to see how she can compliment them if that's what I want to do) and she is extremely reasonable in price. Last time my kitty had a pretty severe uti the grand total was $75.

Hope your kitty gets better soon.

 

[GypsyTinker]

I can scare up money, but the nearest vet said it would be close to $200 to see her and do what they said they would. Blood work and such... and they would have to give her rabies shots to even see her... My main concerns with going to a vet are about the vaccinations while she is sick. I feel it will weaken her at a time when she needs strength :\

 

[Dood]

Leukocytes (white blood cells) indicate an infection that can be in the kidney, bladder or urethra.

What colour is the blood? Fresh bright red? Darker red? Almost black?

Line her litter box with a garbage bag and try and collect the urine. Inspect it and if she has stones there will be tiny sand like granules in the urine. You need to figure out if they are oxalate or struvate to know how you need to change her diet to help dissolve them - however she may need surgery if they are big ones in the bladder as diet can only do so much and works better as a preventative and not a cure

Getting her to drink more will certainly help. Adding a bit of fish/tuna juice to her water and watering down canned food to a slurry can help hydrate her. If you feel comfortable doing Sub Cutaneous fluids that is an option as well.

 

[Tegan]

I understand your aversion to western medicine. But as a former vet tech and knowing what can happen if you sit on something like this too long....my advice is. Take her to the vet. I know it's going to cost a lot, and I know you don't want the rabies vaccine. But if she's as special a cat as you're saying she is...you don't want to sit on this and risk loosing her. Tell the clinic your worries over having the vacc done while she's sick. They MAY work with you on that.

 

[GypsyTinker]

Thank you so much for the responses

She uses the toilet for urinating, so I just put a large plastic bowl in the toilet to collect her urine. She is unbelievable cooperative. Her urine is fairly clearish yellow and the blood is pretty bright, not dark and not black at all. I didn't think the crystals would be visible to the eye, but I do have a 10x lupe that may help. My microscope is in total disrepair at the moment, it seems.

I'll call more vets, but it seems the rabies thing is a pre-requisite so far. Only $25 bucks... but flu shots are free and I'm scared of those too...

 

[PSFAngoras]

I'm surprised that they require a Rabies shot. I can see where if she was staying overnight that they may require distemper and the sort, like my vet does, but rabies? My two older cats are strictly indoors and have never seen a rabies shot, and my vet doesn't bat an eye. My kitten will be an outdoor indoor boy when we get a spot set up for him in he shed incase were not home and he wants in, so he has a rabies shot, but it was completely elective. (We have a lot of coons and skunks here, I didn want to risk him bringing anything in to the older cats...)

Is there perhaps a low cost clinic in your area? I know some store like petsmart have lower cost clinics in heir stores. And the next big town over has a clinic that only does spay/ neuter and shots. Maybe it would be cheaper to get the rabies somewhere else and then go to your vet?

 

[Dood]

You can put on some thin rubber gloves and feel for them.

The bright blood is good, it is likely a urethra or bladder infection and not in the kidney or stones causing the blood.

A couple weeks of antibiotics would be best but acidifying the urine (unless you find stone granules - acid can make some get bigger) and watering her urine down by keeping her well hydrated can help.

Chronic bladder infections can permanently scar the bladder and even cause ulcers and septicemia from urine leaking into the body cavity if she isn't improving, please don't wait too long to take her to the vet

If her urethra is the site of infection then it can become so inflamed that she won't be able to pee and her bladder can burst - this is an EMERGENCY situation and she won't have much time so be sure she is peeing on a regular basis.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

A Holistic Vet is probably your best option. They wont require vaccines, and will offer treatments that are compatible with your beliefs.

I don't know if there are any in your area, but you can enter your zip code on this site and hopefully find one:

http://www.inyourarea.net/local2/21218/

I hope you can get her the treatment she needs. She sounds like an amazing cat- I had one like her named Watts. He went everywhere with me, also off leash.

 

[GypsyTinker]

You guys are so great thank you for being here so consistently and sharing so much knowledge.

Squints is in good spirits and playing a lot. I've been watering down her wet food with yarrow tea and she eats it up, takes a nap and then pees a good amount of not too bloody urine. I'm going to chop a cranberry in her morning meal and get some uva ursi tomorrow.

Thank you all so so much! I'll post a picture of her soon I think she will be ok and you guys are a big part of that!

p.s. The rabies thing is a state law I think... I believe they could take her from me if I showed up and refused the shots. That holistic vet site is great and found a vet about 40 min from me. I'll call them in the morning!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'm glad you found a holistic vet so close to you!

About twenty years ago, I had a dog and a cat get cancer the same year. At the time I worked for a Western medicine vet. The chemo drug for my dog would have cost him $600 a dose, had to be given monthly, and even so my dog had less than six months to live in his estimation.

Of course, I couldn't afford that, so I went to a holistic vet.

Upon finding out that both my dog and one of our cats had cancer, the first question he asked was "How often do you vaccinate your animals?" Of course, being a good pet owner, the answer was 6, 9, 12, and 16 weeks, with yearly boosters thereafter. He said that was why my animals had cancer.

In his practice he had a very low incidence of cancer, and gave single toxin vaccines spaced weekly beginning at twelve weeks. Just a single dose of each, and no yearly boosters with the exception of rabies as required by law.

Anyway- he put my beloved dog on an organic homemade diet, vitamins, shark cartilage, and I forget what else- and she lived for over two years more.

Consequently, I have great faith in holistic medicine, and little use for vaccines. My kids have never had any vaccines at all, and I have only given one combo shot at twelve weeks to my dogs since then. Single toxin vaccines are hard to find unless you buy a box of 50, so sadly I haven't been able to follow his protocol to the letter.

I hope that the holistic vet can help your cat. I have a feeling you will soon be raising mice and/or rats in addition to rabbits in order to feed your kitty.

My prayers will be with you. Cats like Watts and yours are few and far between.

((Hugs))