My sick kitty

[KMS]

I have an 11 year old cat that I absolutely adore. I just realized that her urine is very bright red. It looks like it's pretty much just blood to me. She's been in the litter box like 7 times in the last hour just trying to pee and it's just little spots of red every time. We'll take her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm just so worried. I know that urinary problems are common in an elderly cat so all of the sudden it's just hitting me that she's not going to be here forever. :bawling:

[MrsBold]

Most likely she has crystals in her urine or a UTI. The doctor will a urinalysis and check the ph level and prescribe a new food depending on what the levels are or antibiotics if it is a UTI. You won't be able to give treats or any other food because it can throw it off again.

Hopefully it is no big deal. Kitties are living very long lives these days.

[Nekochanpurr]

Aww, poor baby!! don't forget to update us after you take her to the vet.. No worries though, i am sure its something that they can help her with!

[BamaBride]

its good that she can hold it until the litter box. bright red pee sounds painful though =( poor kitty it definitely sounds like a UTI . let us know how it goes

[LoLo62808]

my male cat had that disease. i caught it in time like you probably have... they'll check for stones and deposits and put her on fluids overnight..then most likely give you 2 weeks of these pills that only cost me 20 bucks. he has the disease but hasn't gotten it again since....good luck i pray for her health!

[WebLady]

All the best for your kitty :flower:

[PGDesigns]

Good luck at the vet's. Hopefully, it's something easily resolved like a UTI. My two dogs get UTIs when they are really stressed, and to help keep the pH levels balanced and prevent future UTIs, we give them a dose of Apple Cider Vinegar with each meal. Not sure if it's ok for cats, though...

[ChibiAiChan]

poor baby, I hope everything went well!

[shpinga]

I am concerning as well, will you update us on that because it is disturbing.

[Dani]

I hope that everything is ok! Keep us posted!

[Parhelion]

Poor baby :( I hope for the best.

[KMS]

Well, the vet says that it may be cystitis. He's given her fluids because she was dehydrated and meds to dissolve the crystals if it is cystitis. He also took a blood sample. She didn't have any urine at the time so they couldn't test that. If it isn't cystitis, he'll have her stay overnight so that he can get a urine sample. He was concerned because her coat didn't look very healthy. We'll know more when the blood tests come back, but he didn't rule out the possibility of some type of cancer or diabetes. :purplex:

Thank you for all of your concern!

[70707Bride]

Aw, poor kitty! I hope she's okay!

[firespirit]

Aww I your kitty is okay!!!

[LoLo62808]

Well, the vet says that it may be cystitis. He's given her fluids because she was dehydrated and meds to dissolve the crystals if it is cystitis. He also took a blood sample. She didn't have any urine at the time so they couldn't test that. If it isn't cystitis, he'll have her stay overnight so that he can get a urine sample. He was concerned because her coat didn't look very healthy. We'll know more when the blood tests come back, but he didn't rule out the possibility of some type of cancer or diabetes. :purplex:

Thank you for all of your concern!

Definitely what my kitty had. Granted he was a little younger, but he bounced back in a day or two. Just keep her on fluids and do as the doctor ordered and she'll be up and around in no time. I'm still praying for her <3

[grapefruit]

frozened gatorade kept my puppy hydrated and energectic.. good luck!

[WBandMe]

Aww, I'm sorry about your kitty. I'm sure it must be difficult--our puppy is 8 this year and it's starting to hit me that she's not really a puppy anymore, and she's like a baby to us. Please keep us updated!

[TangoWedding]

*kitty kisses*


I hope your baby gets all better soon. 11 is still a decent age for cats (especially indoor kitties)...mine is 14 and is still just as wild as ever. My friend has a kitty who is 23 years old, and while she's a little grumpy now, she's still kickin' just fine. :bblol:

I'm thinking about you and kitty. I hope everyone is happy and healthy soon!

*sending good vibes your way*

[bichonlvr]

How's the kitty today??

[KMS]

Hey ladies! Everything is still the same here. She's a little drowsy because of the meds so she's been camping out under the bed. We'll probably get news of the blood results tomorrow. I sure hope so. I wanna know what's going on!

Wow, I would love it if she lived to be 23. Everybody is always amazed when I tell them she's 11 so I was under the impression that was about as good as it gets. However now that I think of it, most of my friend's do have outdoor cats that get run over, run off, or get bit by a snake.

The other day I was thinking how neat it would be if my childhood cat was also my kid's childhood cat. :happy: I hope so!

[WebLady]

Hoping the best for your kitty!

I had no idea what the average lifespan for a cat was, but I read that healthy house cats can live to be 20 yrs old!

I will be lucky if my dogs live to 15 or so. It makes me sad to think they won't be with us forever :( I wonder what it is about their physiology (sp?) that gives them such a short lifespan.

[KMS]

Update...the vet called a little while ago and told us that Gizmo has diabetes. I'm pretty torn up about it. We have to go in tomorrow morning and he's going to keep her there until they can get the insulin regulated and then we'll bring her home and give her insulin injections twice a day. I gave my mom her injections since I was a teenager and now I'll be doing it again. :purplex: That makes me sad.

Does anybody have any experience with diabetic animals?

[WBandMe]

Aww, I'm so sorry! But hey, it could always be worse. Chin up--your baby will be home soon :)

[val24]

no experience on animal diabetes but i know others that do that.
sorry to hear about your kittie and glad it is something manageable to control

[firespirit]

Aww.

Our kitty (Kitty) had diabetes but not till just a few years ago and she stayed with my mom when we grew up and moved out, so I didn't have first hand experience with it. Her other cat (Smokey) recently got cancer and got really sick all of a sudden and she had to put her down.

I'm pretty sure she said she had an easier time with Kitty, because she could prepare herself for it.

I have no idea how I'm going to handle it in when my Chewie has problems, she's already 14...

[WebLady]

aww, poor kitty ... I guess it could be worse. My Dad has diabetes, but I have never personally known an animal that had it.

[LoveMyIG's]

Hi There,
Sorry to hear about your kitty having diabetes. While I dont have a cat with diabetes, I do have a cat with multiple chronic health issues so I can sympathize. My cat Ozzy is 12 yrs old and he has asthma, hyperthyroidism, irritable bowel disease (much worse than the human version) and kidney disease. When I first took him to the vet for a diagnosis (his only symptom was vomiting) they told me he had 6 months left to live and to consider putting him down. I took him to another vet with experience with some of these conditions and now Ozzy is rarely symptomatic and has lived 2 years since his diagnosis. He gets shots once per month for asthma, eats a kidney disease diet and takes medication everyday. Honestly I think giving him a shot of insulin would be easier than the pills. He knows when I smash it in his food so I have to get my fingers in his mouth. While it sounds like a lot to put my cat through it takes minutes out of my day, less time than doing my dogs teeth and nails. It may sound hopeless when a vet tells you bad news but it doesnt always have to be. When Ozzy's test results start to go down hill or the vet feels he is in any pain I will let him go, but until then, if I can manage his condition, I will.
On top of all this one of my dogs was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis last week...another manageable condition (not contagious, thank the lord) just five more minutes for meds out of my day. Dont give up hope on your lil baby because he is sick, he can still live several more happy years :)

[FFC]

Wow Keely.... I don't think I've ever heard of diabetes in cats. I hope the vet gets him regulated quick so that he can be back home with you!

[uptowngirl]

Oh Keely! I am so sorry!!

My parents kitty had diabetes - I think she was about the same age as Gizmo when she was first diagnosed. They actually opted not to treat her with insulin (they couldn't afford it) and tried to regulate her diet instead - which actually worked for quite a while.

It must be hard having to deal with diabetes again. I can't even imagine...

[KMS]

I was a pro with human diabetes knowledge taking care of my mom all of those years, but it's so different with animals! I've been researching online and we are going to change cat food immediately. We have always gotten the expensive "healthy" brands even though it turns out that they're not nearly as healthy as I thought that they were. It's so frustrating! I'm wondering if it could have been prevented by a different diet and that makes me feel so darned guilty. I'm really interested in finding out how long she has had it so we can know how much damage has already been done. Atleast we already have a glucometer to do BG tests.

I'll update tomorrow after we go to the vet. I like that he is exclusively a cat vet. The fact that he wants us there first thing in the morning kinda worries me about how bad it is thus far.

[Nekochanpurr]

Aww, good luck with your kitty. :( At least you know what it is now, though..

[brendalin]

AW! I am so sorry to hear about your kitty! However, you should be happy that it is somthing that is manageable. My childhood dog (that is at my parents house) is diabetic and we have to give him shots twice a day as well. He has been on his medication for about 4 years now!

Hope everything works out for you and the kitty! :flower:

[MrsBold]

In most cases they want her back so they can run glucose tests throughout the day. It helps to see the state of her pancreas and how her body does.

I am sorry she has diabetes. Sometimes these things can not be avoided. You did the best you could by giving her food you thought was healthy. The specialized diets will help tremendously and so will the insulin once the dosage is correct.

[Nikita706]

Awwwww, poor thing! I know, my little Demon cat (who's my baby) just turned 13. I'm totally in denial that he's getting old.

I hope everything's going well!

[BamaBride]

ooooh good luck w/ the whole giving a cat a shot lol. i think mine would eat me alive. The things we do for our babies!!! I hope everything is going well!!!

[FFC]

Hey Keely, how's your kitty doing? I haven't seen any update on em in awhile - or did I miss it?

[KMS]

I updated somewhere, but I have no idea where! Haha Goooo me! ;)

Well, the news is that they took her completely off of the insulin about 2 weeks ago! Isn't that awesome? We changed her diet and that altered her glucose levels drastically enough for her pancreas to kick back into gear. We'll keep her on the special food and give her lots of TLC like always, but no special meds or anything. We have another appointment in about a month to check up on everything and we'll have to take her for glucose tests a few times a year, that that's all folks! :D

[FFC]

That's AWSOME! I'm glad to hear. You might have updated your journal but I haven't been able to keep up. I was just thinkin bout the situation before when yer kitty was sick and figured I'd check in :)

[KMS]

Thanks so much hun! She's doing great. :grinhappy:

[Nekochanpurr]

Thats so good to hear. *^^*