Expert: Ali - 1/8/2009

Question
Hi
My daughter found a cat seven years ago and we agreed on just one nite for Paxton - Yea like I said 7 yrs ago. I have gotten Paxton fixed and he is up to date with his shots - but I have noticed he seems to be having occasional problem urinating - I called a few vets and they all said crystals- unfortunately they have given me estimates of over $400 for a visit.  I am a single mother and just had to take in my mother also.  Is there anything I can do?  I have switch his cat food to Iams wet food he drinks plenty of water and is not whining as much as he was last week.

Answer
Arlene,

I would like to start off my reply by first acknowledging how difficult it can be financially to deal with urgent health problems that require prompt veterinary care. I receive a fair number of questions from people looking for help whether that be with home remedies or resources that will help to defray the cost of veterinary care. I have taken it upon myself to assemble a fairly extensive list of resources in place to help pet parents with the high costs of medical treatment for their cats, I can provide resources in your area if I know the general area that you are in. In order to ensure your safety and privacy I would recommend that you contact me and select the "keep this question private" option.

There are a couple of medical issues that could cause Paxton to have difficulty urinating. It sounds as though you spoke with vets in your community and they have given an educated guess as to what could be going on with an average cost estimate. It's possible that your kitty could have a severe bladder infection, this could also cause a cat to strain while urinating and appear as though there was difficulty in doing so. A bladder infection would likely be somewhat less expensive and complicated to treat. Regardless of the medical findings both conditions require prompt treatment by a vet, a diagnosis of crystals would require a special diet that Paxton would potentially have to eat for the rest of his life as well as possible treatment under sedation or general anesthesia. A bladder infection would require antibiotics and some TLC.

If Paxton has a bladder infection and it's left untreated he could potentially suffer serious damage to his kidneys not to mention the pain and discomfort that goes along with a bladder infection. A bladder infection would obviously be the simplest and cheapest to treat. If Paxton has crystals in his urinary tract and is having difficulty urinating he could possibly die without treatment. I think that immediate vet care and proper treatment are essential regardless of what the diagnosis turns out to be. A cat's urethra can become blocked if a crystal happens to get stuck, this could be fatal if it's not caught in time. It's worth noting that the types of crystals often formed in a cat's bladder and urinary tract are sharp and can create little nicks in the urethra causing pain and burning every time that the cat urinates. It's obvious to me that you love Paxton in spite of becoming an accidental kitty guardian and I know that you want what's best for him in terms of his health.

In order to provide you with a bit of basic knowledge about why cats can develop crystals in their urinary system it's necessary to look back to when they first became domesticated. Cats evolved from animals that were able to survive with minimal water in desert conditions so their urine is normally quite concentrated. Genetics and the type of food that a cat is being fed can sometimes be the deciding factor in whether or not crystals will eventually show up in a cat's urinary tract at some point in his life. Male cats are more likely to develop crystals in their urinary tract due in part to the fact that their urethra is somewhat smaller than a female cat's urinary tract. Crystals in the urinary tract need to be treated by a qualified vet promptly because they often cause pain and burning when a cat is attempting to urinate which can lead to kitty associating his litter box with the pain/burning that's happening when he passes urine, this can result in a cat developing a habit of urinating outside of the litter box simply because they are looking for an alternative place to urinate in an attempt to end their discomfort. Unfortunately the leading cause of death in cats in North America is euthanasia due to behavioral problems, the most common of which is house soiling. Many pet guardians don't understand that urinating or defecating outside of the litter box that starts happening in response to a medical issue is the cat's only way to communicate his distress. Cats who have a sufficient number and large enough sized crystals in their urinary tract are at fairly high risk of developing life threatening blockages. The more time that passes between the onset of symptoms and the necessary medical treatment the more expensive the treatment will be and the risk of the cat dying also increases.

Most cats that develop enough crystals in their bladder and urinary tract to cause discomfort and difficulty with urination will require a special prescription diet designed to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence. Many non premium grocery store cat foods are somewhat lacking in quality. The pet food industry has countless dirty secrets. In the event that Paxton doesn't require a special diet I have taken the liberty of enclosing some information about feline nutrition which I hope will be helpful to Paxton and any kitties you share your home with in the future. While it may seem more expensive to purchase a higher quality food made from human grade ingredients there are a few things to consider. First of all, as in any other instance in life that you make a purchase you get what you pay for. It's not a bad idea to check out catinfo.org, this web site was created by a veterinarian to help dispel some of the myths and dangers of lower quality foods. If you aren't comfortable with the idea of preparing and feeding the diet that Dr. Pierson describes I would recommend that you consider feeding Paxton a high quality, holistic cat food made from human grade ingredients such as Wellness which comes in cans and kibble or a food made by Halo called Spot's Stew, this food also comes in wet and dry formats. The larger bags of these foods generally cost around $30 CAN and a 6 pound bag of Spot's Stew (dry)feeds my three resident cats for over a month. Another plus of feeding good quality, safe and whole cat foods is that Paxton will require less food on a daily basis to fill his belly and since less food is being put in, less urine and feces are coming out the other end and it doesn't tend to smell as foul because the body doesn't have to work as hard to access the nutrients. Sadly there are minimal standards in place within the pet food industry and the Menu Foods disaster was a difficult and vivid reminder of that fact. Another fact about feeding high quality foods with human grade ingredients is that with good food being taken in cats tend to be far less likely to become sick, this means that you will save on vet bills in the future.

I look forward to hearing from you again and trying to help you with the difficult situation that you are in at the moment. You may be surprised to learn about some of the resources that are out there designed by compassionate people who love animals enough to forget the financial end of things and make sure that their needs are met. In some SPCA shelters there is a program called SPCA Cares which will provide routine and emergency care for pets who are being cared for by people on a limited budget. There are also a number of non-profit vet clinics willing to help folks out of difficult situations with their pets, some require proof of income, others will require some volunteer work in lieu of payment. I have also been amazed to find out about the number of animal related charities that are willing to help pets in need get the care that they require to get better, stay healthy and live a long and happy life.