cystitis in older female

This am my 12 yr old spayed female, Spirit, began going back to her litter pans over and over w/no visible result. She seems fine otherwise-good appetite, no apparent pain, responds to laser play, usual impatience w/ other 2 younger cats. I have a vet appt first thing in am for what we're surmising is cystitis; is there anything i can do to keep her more comfy till then?

[opus88]

hi again Spirit, your poor kitty we all know how painful cystitis can be....I am so glad you have an appointment first thing tomorrow, if she should began yowling in the meantime a emergency visit may need to be done. Because cystitis with crystals can block off the urinary tract, this is a medical emergency and EXTREMELY painful.

b/c its not always cystitis that will cause these symptoms it can well be crystals in the urinary tract....a urinalysis will confirm. Please also have your Vet CHECK TO SEE IF BACTERIA is present...b/c many Vets will give an antibiotic just because there is a possible bacteria and very often its CRYSTALS ALONE with no bacteria and I don't like using antibiotics unless necessary.

I can give you info on how to treat this if its crystals alone, but first lets get the urinalysis and a diagnosis.

I know of NO way to keep her comfortable in the meantime, I wish I did.
Fluids are needed to flush out the urinary tract HOWEVER if there is a POTENTIAL blockage that fluids will only add to her discomfort and a possible bladder rupture.
So best just to watch her well and hopefully she will be able to pass her urine and soon!!

best of luck to the both of you, please post and let us know any updates...♥

[opus88]

hi again Spirit, your poor kitty we all know how painful cystitis can be....I am so glad you have an appointment first thing tomorrow, if she should began yowling in the meantime a emergency visit may need to be done. Because cystitis with crystals can block off the urinary tract, this is a medical emergency and EXTREMELY painful.

b/c its not always cystitis that will cause these symptoms it can well be crystals in the urinary tract....a urinalysis will confirm. Please also have your Vet CHECK TO SEE IF BACTERIA is present...b/c many Vets will give an antibiotic just because there is a possible bacteria and very often its CRYSTALS ALONE with no bacteria and I don't like using antibiotics unless necessary.

I can give you info on how to treat this if its crystals alone, but first lets get the urinalysis and a diagnosis.

I know of NO way to keep her comfortable in the meantime, I wish I did.
Fluids are needed to flush out the urinary tract HOWEVER if there is a POTENTIAL blockage that fluids will only add to her discomfort and a possible bladder rupture.
So best just to watch her well and hopefully she will be able to pass her urine and soon!!

best of luck to the both of you, please post and let us know any updates...♥

[spirit3]

Goodmorning-thanks for quick reply! No yowling during the night. Spirit is peeing in inappropriate places which a friend who used to work at a vet's office said might happen, this am there was a fair size puddle on the kitchen floor so i'm surmising no blockage. She's drinking and eating like normal, it's just the urinating issue. i keep everything: water glass (she has her own water glass-don't laugh), food dish, and all the litter pans (i have 3-1 per cat) clean at all times; i'm a little anal about the pans: i scoop them immediately after they use them if i'm home. is this just "one of those things" since she's getting older now? I hope i didn't inadvertently do something wrong. I tried to find causes on this site but it led me to causes in small children.

[spirit3]

hello again! I pick my girl up @ 5 tonight. They had trouble getting a urine sample from her so they kept her overnight. We all felt it would be less stressful for her to leave her rather than bring her back and forth. At pick up the doc will go over everything with me, but the person answering the phone seemed to think all is well. Whew-Spirit's getting older and has been w/me and my fiance almost as long as we've been together and we certainly aren't ready to say goodbye!
thanks again for your help!

[opus88]

well I certainly hope she has good results with the urinalysis..that would be wonderful news!!!!

If everything should check out medically than you need to look into some other reason for her inappropriate elimination problems....if not medical that its behavioral, sounds like you're doing all the right things with multiple litter boxes and frequent cleanings...have you perhaps changed the brand of litter you use recently???
Is there a stray hanging around your house and doing some spraying outside?
Have there been any recent changes to your household?
Cats are sooooo sensitive to any change.
I will send you a website that may give you some ideas to mull over, if it does turn out to be behavioral its treatable but can be like finding a needle in the ole haystack...I have one too with 'behavioral problems' I don't know who's training who sometimes???
good luck, keep us updated, nice to have you back!!

http://www.medicinenet.com/pets/cat-health/behavior_changes_in_senior_cats.htm

[spirit3]

hi-thak you-nice to be welcomed back! the only change in the household is my fiance went away for a bikeshow for a few days, but he does that once a year every year, so that's not really "new" per se. I did get what I thought was a better quality crunchie food: I switched from Purina Indoor Formula to Healthful Life.
Right now we're waiting to see what her urine culture shows, but the vet did say the food is causing actual visible grit in her urine, poor baby. I feel just awful-I thought I was giving them a better quality food and this happened. What are your thoughts on "raw diet" and can you elaborate on that somewhat?
Spirit's resting quietly on her "princess bed" right now-I got her a gallon bottle of spring water to make sure she had the cleanest water possible...anything else I should do I haven't thought of? And to reiterate: thanks so much for your help!! Happy healthy kitties!!
-thanks for the link-checking it now. :)

[spirit3]

hello again. Spirit's urine was positive for bacteria so she got an antispasmodic & an antibiotic. I suspect I got away with giving her the fluid one just once by myself and Ed will have to help from now on! Tips on dispensing liquid meds to cats please, and not that long jokey one either!! I basically "scruffed" her to hold her still and put the syringey thing on the side of her gums and dispensed slowly so she wouldn't choke; the pill I just wrapped in warm piece of cheesesteak and that went down the hatch-no questions asked...She actually seems more herself tonight.