Bensmom Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I called the vet. She comes on Monday. My 13 yo cat who survived 2 bouts of pancreatitis last winter is drinking ALOT, urinating equally as much, and has horrible gas. (She has never been gassy and no new changes in food) She is an indoor only cat, so the increased water consumption thing is not temp. related. Vet says maybe thyroid, diabetes, or kidney disease. Vet is not going to try to do blood work as kitty is the very uncooperative type. She wants me to try to collect a urine sample for her to test. Anyone have experience with frequent urination? How was it treated? How long did your cat survive with their condition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 We had a cat that developed frequent urination progressing to weakness. It was diabetes. The vet said it would be too difficutlt to treat, so we put him down, but now I understand that many inject insulin into cats to treat the condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Our Lydia has hyperthyroidism and takes methimazole for it. She had a UTI and this condition--both were treated and she's doing great. I'd say kidney stuff is not something they last long with, but they should be able to at least make your kitty comfortable. I wonder why the vet won't do blood work? They should be able to get that, at least, and should also be able to make getting a sample their problem, not yours. I'd find another vet if mine told me the cat was uncooperative and they wouldn't do what it takes to treat him/her. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Our Lydia has hyperthyroidism and takes methimazole for it. She had a UTI and this condition--both were treated and she's doing great. I'd say kidney stuff is not something they last long with, but they should be able to at least make your kitty comfortable. I wonder why the vet won't do blood work? They should be able to get that, at least, and should also be able to make getting a sample their problem, not yours. I'd find another vet if mine told me the cat was uncooperative and they wouldn't do what it takes to treat him/her. :glare: Well, honestly, with some cats the only way to safely get a blood sample is to use anesthesia, which they can't do as a house call. So the OP would have to bring the cat to the vet hospital. For a very "uncooperative" cat it is dangerous for the vet AND the cat to draw blood without sedation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennay Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) Our cat with frequent urniation had developed diabetes. He was also drinking copious amounts of water. ETA: We only discovered this after what I think was a diabetic seizure, despite numerous vet visits over the previous year or two. He was a VERY ornery and uncooperative cat (but we loved him anyway!) so ultimately we decided not to treat (hospital stays and insulin injections twice a day) for mostly quality of life issues. If he had been younger and a more laid back kitty we probably would have tried treatment. Edited July 21, 2012 by Jennay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Oh, I didn't realize the circumstances meant it had to be a house call. If it was a choice between sedation so there could be proper treatment and not knowing what is wrong, I'd go with sedation. But OP's MMV! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 Oh, I didn't realize the circumstances meant it had to be a house call. If it was a choice between sedation so there could be proper treatment and not knowing what is wrong, I'd go with sedation. But OP's MMV! What does MMV mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 mileage may vary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 (It's usually YMMV but I was trying to show you may want to make a different decision than I would. :-) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 One of my cats has hyperthyroidism, the other kidney failure. Neither of them urinated frequently, so I'd guess diabetes. Has the cat gained or lost weight? Kidney failure and hyperthyroidism both cause cats to lose weight. Oh, and cats can last quite awhile with kidney failure if it's treated. Our cat with kidney failure was diagnosed about 8 or 9 months ago, and he's doing great. It will eventually kill him, but the doctor said she's seen cats die within days of diagnosis, cats live for years after diagnosis, and every scenario in between. If your kitty is uncooperative though, treating him may not be realistic. It requires fluids given daily through a drip bag via a needle inserted under the skin. If it had been another one of my cats, we would have had to put him down because he wouldn't have allowed that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 My cat had kidney failure (drank a lot, urinated a lot) which was managed with a special diet for years. He did not need fluids given under the skin, though some cats require this. Then he again started drinking & urinating a lot, and lost a noticeable amount of weight, and was diagnosed with diabetes. He lived for about 4 months after his diabetes diagnosis, getting twice daily insulin shots. He was very old and had other health issues besides kidney failure and diabetes. If your cat uses a litter box, try catching her urine in a disposable plastic cup. You might need to cut the cup down so it is shallow enough. Then you can pour the urine into a ziploc bag to give to the vet. I was able to do this with my cat. The urine showed whatever marker for diabetes (can't remember what was looked for) and blood tests confirmed it. As for drawing blood: in the clinic where I took my cat, they lay the cat on its side on a table and hold it down with rubber straps. I can't imagine an animal sitting calmly while the vet draws blood... house call vets must have some setup to restrain the animal, I would think? :grouphug: :grouphug: I hope the vet quickly finds out what is wrong so your cat can feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Urinary problems are common in cats, especially in those eating dry food. What are you feeding her? Excellent info about cat diet here and here. My cat had repeated episodes of cystitis. We switched him to canned food and he hasn't had any problems since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 just wanted to respond regarding collecting a urine sample. I have had to do it a couple of times, it really stressed out the couple of cats that I collected from Now I just have the vet collect the sample by inserting a needle into their bladder. I have had this done to several of my cats and they do not react at all. I have had 2 different vets at the same practice do this and they both told me that it is one of the easiest things that they do. I also have one very uncooperative cat (scratches me like crazy when I put her in her carrier) but she is a sweetheart when the vet takes a blood sample (I think he must be a cat whispererf) he is very gentle with her and she loves him (as much as a cat can love a vet). For some of the other cats he does call for a kitty handler (one of his assistants) to help him. I did have a cat that was in kidney failure, he survived for 4 years after being diagnosed and that included 4 months of me giving him sub q fluids under his skin daily. He was in late stage by the time he was diagonsed and he still lived for 4 more years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Our vet (specializes as cat only) has a method of urine collection that involves squeezing the bladder for a urine sample. I've only seen her do it with the tech a few times. It didn't stress out the cat at all and didn't involve needles or catheter. A vet should know how to do this and in what circumstances it is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Our vet (specializes as cat only) has a method of urine collection that involves squeezing the bladder for a urine sample. I've only seen her do it with the tech a few times. It didn't stress out the cat at all and didn't involve needles or catheter. A vet should know how to do this and in what circumstances it is ok. Yes, in some circumstances it can cause trauma and can rupture the bladder. The easiest way to get urine is to use a clean empty litter box. They make plastic pellets to put in there to mimic litter, that are non absorbant, but in a pinch you could try empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 Urinary problems are common in cats, especially in those eating dry food. What are you feeding her? Excellent info about cat diet here and here. My cat had repeated episodes of cystitis. We switched him to canned food and he hasn't had any problems since. Unfortunately, I didn't know that dry cat food was so dangerous until Dec. when my cat had pancreatitis. I had been feeding Science Diet dry food for years thinking that because it was expensive, it must be good stuff. I wish I had researched diet concerns *before* I became a pet owner :(. I have always had annual check-ups for my cats and I am surprised that none of the vets we have seen have ever mentioned diet. Kitty has not lost any weight. I am hoping that is a good sign. Thank-you ladies for all the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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