Icarus Going Back To The Vet

Thanks. I will.. He was doing so well and I was following everything the vet
told me to do with him. He got his meds every day and his special canned
diet as well. I feel so helpless on this one. The vet says that in another
12 hours and he would've been one sick kitty. His bladder was full. It took
quite a few tries for the vet to get the catheter in. This is so trying
because it's getting to be expensive. The vet says that some people choose
to have euthanasia done because it gets to be expensive and also because
their cats keep getting blocked. I couldn't do that to Icarus although I'm
short on money these days.

"blkcatgal" wrote in message
. ..
Hope Icarus is okay and recovers well from this latest episode. You're
lucky to have such a caring vet. Keep us posted on Icarus's progress.

S.
--
**Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ **

Refresh my memory, did Icarus have a perineal urethrostomy? I'm a little
suprised he still is getting blocked if he had a PU, even though I've read
that cats who have had the surgery are prediposed to bladder infections.

S.
--
**Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ **
---
"Cat Protector" wrote in message
...
Thanks. I will.. He was doing so well and I was following everything the
vet told me to do with him. He got his meds every day and his special
canned diet as well. I feel so helpless on this one. The vet says that in
another 12 hours and he would've been one sick kitty. His bladder was
full. It took quite a few tries for the vet to get the catheter in. This
is so trying because it's getting to be expensive. The vet says that some
people choose to have euthanasia done because it gets to be expensive and
also because their cats keep getting blocked. I couldn't do that to Icarus
although I'm short on money these days.

"blkcatgal" wrote in message
. ..
Hope Icarus is okay and recovers well from this latest episode. You're
lucky to have such a caring vet. Keep us posted on Icarus's progress.

S.
--
**Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ **

No. He hasn't but that is being considered the next time this happens. It
was suggested that I do sub-q fluids at home for him but it's unknown if
Icarus will let me do it because he's such a tough patient. It'd be hard to
get him to stay in one place long enough.


"blkcatgal" wrote in message
...
Refresh my memory, did Icarus have a perineal urethrostomy? I'm a little
suprised he still is getting blocked if he had a PU, even though I've read
that cats who have had the surgery are prediposed to bladder infections.

S.
--
**Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ **
---
"Cat Protector" wrote in message
...
Thanks. I will.. He was doing so well and I was following everything the
vet told me to do with him. He got his meds every day and his special
canned diet as well. I feel so helpless on this one. The vet says that in
another 12 hours and he would've been one sick kitty. His bladder was
full. It took quite a few tries for the vet to get the catheter in. This
is so trying because it's getting to be expensive. The vet says that some
people choose to have euthanasia done because it gets to be expensive and
also because their cats keep getting blocked. I couldn't do that to
Icarus although I'm short on money these days.

"blkcatgal" wrote in message
. ..
Hope Icarus is okay and recovers well from this latest episode. You're
lucky to have such a caring vet. Keep us posted on Icarus's progress.

S.
--
**Visit me and my cats at http://www.island-cats.com/ **

On Mar 24, 9:48*am, "Cat Protector" wrote:
No. He hasn't but that is being considered the next time this happens. It
was suggested that I do sub-q fluids at home for him but it's unknown if
Icarus will let me do it because he's such a tough patient. It'd be hard to
get him to stay in one place long enough.

If you have to give fluids, then you find a way to give fluids. You
might have to fight him for a while, but it can be done. Ask for an 18
gauge needle so it goes faster (it's a large needle but does not
bother the cat). Give the fluids in a small room with the door closed
so he can't run away. I've also found it helpful to have the cat up on
a counter.

You do what you have to when they're sick. Times like this require
"tough love."

On Mar 24, 10:37 am, "Rene S." wrote:
On Mar 24, 9:48 am, "Cat Protector" wrote:

No. He hasn't but that is being considered the next time this happens. It


Also, if you don't already... but you can mix the canned kitty food
with a lot of water... I mean to the point that it is almost like a
paste. Add as much water as you need to - but not so it is like water.

I cannot believe how much my cat Max pees now... It is almost as much
as a human could pee... Maybe slightly exagerated. I was downstairs
one day and I heard him on the litterbox and he was really going!!!

Butterball, on the other hand, I can't tell much difference... but
then I wasn't paying that close attention before. I still never catch
Butterball doing anything in the litter box.

From previous posts I remember you saying you left dry food out for
Icarus. PLEASE STOP GIVING DRY FOOD of any kind! He needs as much
moisture as he can get from WET food and the grains in dry food can
exacerbate crystal formation.

Please read this article: http://www.catinfo.org

You need to read this very good book, which explains why dry food is
so bad for cats:
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Cat-Simpl...75763&sr= 8-1

I've actually done that and had to use a syringe to shoot it in his mouth. I
wish I knew what else to do as I feel kind of helpless at this point.

"mc" wrote in message
...

Also, if you don't already... but you can mix the canned kitty food
with a lot of water... I mean to the point that it is almost like a
paste. Add as much water as you need to - but not so it is like water.

I cannot believe how much my cat Max pees now... It is almost as much
as a human could pee... Maybe slightly exagerated. I was downstairs
one day and I heard him on the litterbox and he was really going!!!

Butterball, on the other hand, I can't tell much difference... but
then I wasn't paying that close attention before. I still never catch
Butterball doing anything in the litter box.

Actually Isis eats the dry food as well and has no problems. From time to
time I add water to it so they still get moisture. They get canned
throughout the day as well.


"Rene S." wrote in message
...
From previous posts I remember you saying you left dry food out for
Icarus. PLEASE STOP GIVING DRY FOOD of any kind! He needs as much
moisture as he can get from WET food and the grains in dry food can
exacerbate crystal formation.

Please read this article: http://www.catinfo.org

You need to read this very good book, which explains why dry food is
so bad for cats:
http://www.amazon.com/Your-Cat-Simpl...75763&sr= 8-1

On Mar 24, 11:27*am, "Cat Protector" wrote:
Actually Isis eats the dry food as well and has no problems. From time to
time I add water to it so they still get moisture. They get canned
throughout the day as well.

Here's my suggestion: why don't you feed Icarus canned food ONLY for
one month and see what happens. At this point, what do you have to
lose? What you're doing now is obviously not working. The veterinary
community has changed their recommendations and now recommend canned
food only for cats with urinary problems. I have a friend who is a
veterinarian that has said repeatedly that he will not recommend dry
food for cats, especially those with urinary conditions--and he also
won't sell dry food of any kind in his clinic. It's the old-school
vets that aren't up on the latest information that are still
recommending dry.

I'd suggest you try feeding a grain-free, high quality canned food
such as Wellness or Innova. I've fed Wellness in the past myself and
it's an excellent food. Here's their web site: http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/

Easier said than done. Isis still will want some of the dry food. Keeping
them out of each other's food is also a problem. I'll be talking with the
vet about the food options today. It would be nice if one of the food
companies came out with a softer dry food so they still get the moisture. I
could try canned food only for a month but the vet will still want him on
the Science Diet SD. Is there any wet food that can be free fed?


"Rene S." wrote in message
...
On Mar 24, 11:27 am, "Cat Protector" wrote:
Actually Isis eats the dry food as well and has no problems. From time to
time I add water to it so they still get moisture. They get canned
throughout the day as well.

Here's my suggestion: why don't you feed Icarus canned food ONLY for
one month and see what happens. At this point, what do you have to
lose? What you're doing now is obviously not working. The veterinary
community has changed their recommendations and now recommend canned
food only for cats with urinary problems. I have a friend who is a
veterinarian that has said repeatedly that he will not recommend dry
food for cats, especially those with urinary conditions--and he also
won't sell dry food of any kind in his clinic. It's the old-school
vets that aren't up on the latest information that are still
recommending dry.

I'd suggest you try feeding a grain-free, high quality canned food
such as Wellness or Innova. I've fed Wellness in the past myself and
it's an excellent food. Here's their web site:
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/