Expert: Jessica - 4/22/2010

Question
This morning I found my cat panting and he was bleeding from penis ..I don't know what's wrong wiht him I took him to the vet and she believed he got hit by a car..So the vet injected him (to relief pain) He is such a special cat to me ..last night we were playing puzzle..and this morning I was in tears when I saw him panting and bleeding ..he is at home lying down still panting...I hope I hope he gets better..I love him..PLEASE HELP..!

Answer
Hi Anna.  I'm so sorry to hear this!  Sometimes the only thing we can do for an injury like this is to be sure our cats receive plenty of rest and hope that their bodies will heal themselves.  The body does have an amazing ability to recover from some serious injuries, and I hope that your beloved cat will be fine with a little extra care.  It's critical that he should stay strictly indoors until he is fully healed, and that his activity level should be limited.  Some vets even suggest cage rest if there is a cage available, to prevent jumping and running.  If you have a small room with no heights that he can jump to and from, this would be a good place to keep him.

It's very important to monitor his urinary output.  Be sure he's urinating in normal amounts, not small spots, and certainly, if he stops urinating, this is an emergency situation.  If your cat is experiencing pain, he may tend to hold his urine or urinate only in small amounts.  Unfortunately, if there is blood in his bladder due to his injuries, this will predispose him to an infection.  Also, the blood can clot if he holds his urine and cause him a deadly urinary tract blockage.  So it's important to control his pain and keep a good eye on his litter habits.  If he starts to urinate in smaller amounts, you should get him back to the vet for another pain injection, or ask the vet for a pain reliever that you can give at home.

If your kitty continues to have bleeding after a few more days, it might suggest that there is something going on with his bladder that's not related to a traumatic injury.  Cats can have diseases of the bladder itself, such as urinary tract infections, urinary tract stones or crystals, or an inflammatory disease called interstitial cystitis.  These are all very painful and can pose dangers of a deadly urinary tract blockage, but they will have different treatments.  You should bring the kitty back to the vet to have a urinalysis done if the bleeding (or bloody or dark urine) continues for more than a few days.

Best wishes!

Jessica