Synchronized Napping

Kitty 911 | Round 2

Diego spent the weekend at the vet due to yet another complete blockage of his urethra. Arg. He started showing signs that he was having problems on Saturday morning - basically he was spending an inordinate amount of time in the litter box. We knew it was really serious when he started trying to pee outside the box. My husband took him in to our vet (a different one than the one we went to less than 2 weeks ago) and ended up having to leave him there for the weekend.

I picked Diego up from the vet last night and he seems to be doing ok and all it took was the steady hand of the vet, another catheter up his wee wee maker, a ton of fluids, piles and piles of medication, and mucho dinero. Sigh. My husband and I are trying to take things in stride...but we can't help but wonder what the heck the other vet did when we took Diego in 10 days ago (!?!). That visit wasn't cheap and this one cost twice as much. Arg (!!!). I want to give the first vet the benefit of the doubt and believe that she did what she thought needed to be done for Diego at the time...and that this occurrence was inevitable...but I can't help but feel like the first vet didn't do her job. Sigh. Done is done and we hope this is the end of Deigo's issues. Poor little guy. 

Update on Diego

I picked Diego up from the vet this afternoon and he looks none the worse for wear. Not bad considering that less than 24 hours ago he had a catheter snaked up his urethra...ouch. It turns out his urethra was blocked by crystal-like formations commonly called struvite stones, the most common of feline urinary tract "stones." From what I gather the stones actually develop in the bladder and then can get stuck in the urethra on the way out. A complete obstruction, which Diego had, is considered a medical emergency for cats. Death can occur within 48 hours as a result of disrupted kidney function, bladder rupture, or other complications.

Thankfully we caught wind of Diego's situation early on and it was dealt with swiftly. He's now home, obstruction free, and peeing to his heart's delight. You're probably wondering at this point why the heck this happened. I don't know that we'll ever know for sure but here are some common reasons kidney and bladder stones develop in cats: imbalanced diet, low water intake, urinary tracts infections, and breed disposition just to name a few. Male cats are also more prone to obstructions than female cats because their urethra are longer and narrower. Diego had struvite stones, which can often be treated simply by a change in diet. Our vet has recommended that we put Diego on an all wet-food diet as this will increase his water in-take over all. More water means increased dilution of urine (stones develop when high concentrations of minerals are present) and more frequent urination (keeps those minerals flowing out!). If the problem persists he'll have to go on a prescription diet. For more information on urethral obstruction check out the American College of Veterinary Surgeon's very informative website.

Kitty 911 | Urinary Tract Obstruction

Most pet owners know dogs are creatures of habit. They like (even demand!) to be fed at the same time each day, look forward to regularly scheduled potty breaks, and seem to memorize the schedule of our comings and goings. Cats, though arguably more independent than dogs, are not all that different. This is why when Diego didn't show up for breakfast this morning we were a little concerned. I scoured the loft for the kitty and located him in one of the litter boxes. He was in the box for quite some time and he appeared to be straining to urinate. When he stepped out of the box I peaked inside and it didn't seem like he had gone at all. This immediately set off alarm bells in my head as it's a sign of a urinary tract blockage. I waited a bit to see if he would return and sure enough he came back soon after and had the same unsuccessful results.

I called our vet's office and they recommended that we bring him in immediately to be assessed and treated if necessary. Urinary tract obstructions in cats can quickly lead to complications and imminent death if not treated pronto, typically within 48 hours. We dropped Diego off earlier today and I just got a call from the vet letting us know that he's doing fine after treatment (Whew!). They had to put him under, insert a urinary catheter, and flush out his tubes. It turns out he had several small stones causing the blockage. The vet says Diego's prognosis is good - this is a relatively common problem and a change in diet should take care of it. Emergencies like this remind me of how important it is to know what is and isn't "normal" behavior for our pets. If we hadn't picked up on the fact that Diego hadn't shown up for breakfast this morning we might not have noticed that anything was wrong with him at all. Will let you know how Diego's doing after we pick him up from the vet tomorrow.   

For more information on cats and urinary tract obstructions check out PetMD.

Friday Night Lights

Beware

Diego - International Cat of Mystery

Diego After Midnight

Illuminated

Grump

Dazed

Oh Brother

I just happened to look over at the couch a minute ago and caught Andy with Diego's head in his mouth. What a jerk. Oddly enough the cat just sat there and took it. I suspect Diego is biding his time and will enact his revenge sooner or later.

Sunday Cat Stack

Cat & Dog Game

Obey Diego

Diego.

I never really thought anything in particular about black cats, that is, it never occurred to me not to adopt a cat just because of its black fur. Diego came into our lives by happenstance - he happened to be hanging around our apartment complex back in 2009. He was, and is, a lover boy. He had me at meow and has been with us ever since. I love that he's a little rough around the edges, that he gets his jollies by thumping his brothers on their heads, and
that he could care less about covering his smelly turds in the litter box. He has lovely long whiskers. It also doesn't hurt that he smells like cookies.

Saturday Nomming

Oh, Don't Mind Me

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day!

Diego knows black cats are beautiful.

Tip Toe Cat