Cat Has Stones

[okiefrmsapulpa]

My old girl, Harley Anna, has kidney stones. Her urinary trac was blocked for 2 days until she could pass it. I tried to get her into my vet, but, she wants me to take her to another(read expensive). I understand why she wants me to do it, but, I'm very >:( >:( that she couldn't have cathed her to give her some relief. She got toxic & started vomiting before she could finally pass it. If I had the right cath tube, I would have cathed her, as I know how. So, to the expensive vet, who will want money right then, Tuesday.

I have fought very hard the last 15 yrs to keep her alive.

Tresa

[MYellowRose]

Tresa I do feel for you. I am lucky that my vet lets me pay thing out $100 a month! Doesn't seem like a lot to most people but when you live on a fixed income it is.
I know you love Harley Anna but maybe you should look at the long range picture. How much are you willing to spend in the next 5 years or so in vet bills on her? Believe me, I know how hard it is to lose a cat or have to have one put down, I've done the latter more than once. If I'm real attached to them I cry like a baby. The vet grabs the box of tissues as soon as he walks in the room if I don't always have them then takes my baby to the back, I can no longer be there at the last, just too painful, and then he brings her/him back to me in a plastic bag. Last time I had it done he made me take the box of tissues with me as I still had tears pouring down my face when I left.
Would it be better for her if you didn't try so hard to help her? I've got one now that I have to feed canned food several times a day as he has almost no teeth and I'm dreading the future with him, he's 12 or 13 and otherwise healthy and still pretty feisty.
Other than the above all I can say is give her lots of love.

[okiefrmsapulpa]

Thank you, Myellowrose. I love too much to let her go just yet. She's still feisty & has been playful ever since she passed the stone. Being on a fixed income myself, I know that this is going to blow my budget even more for this month. I'm willing to keep paying as long as I know that she can survive. Once the vet tells me that there's nothing more that they can do, then, I'll let her go.

Tresa

[Northwoods_Hippie]

Hi,

My male cat Augustus Woodrow, began having problems with stones when he was a year old, he is 10 now.

When the problem first occured my vet put him on Science Diet c/d, see the link below for information directly from the Hill's website on this product. This fixed him up in no time and he never had another problem. However this is a prescription food, so a script from your vet in necessary to buy online, I myself used to buy the food directly from my vet...but then...I moved to the Northwoods of Wisconsin and the cost of the food from the closest vet that carried it (60 miles away) or via internet was prohibitive so I researched other brands.

http://www.hillspet.com/zSkin_2/products/product_details.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=8455244417 60660&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302037389&bmUID =1159725404106

You will probably have to cut and paste this long link from Hill's to see the information on their product.

Anyway, I found a Purina product that has worked as well as the Science Diet and I can get it at the grocery store about 20 miles away. Here is the Purina link:

http://www.purinaone.com/products_cat_uth.asp

I have also done a lot of reading on feeding cats (and dogs) natural home made food, but again prices at the local grocery store have made that cost prohibitive for me.

I hope this helps!
Margie

[okiefrmsapulpa]

Thank you, Margie. I've seen Purinaone at Wally World. I'm getting her some this month. I have 5 other brats & keeping them out of Harley's food is going to be quite a project.

Tresa

[Northwoods_Hippie]

Tresa,

I have two other cats and I just feed them all the PurinaOne product. However with 5 that might get a bit pricey!

If I remember right when Gus had stones the vet told me that the amount of Ash in the food contribues greatly to the problem. He explained that lower quality food has a much higher content of Ash, I think at the time I was feeding my cats AlleyCat brand food one of the cheapest out there.

I hope your kitty feels better!
Margie

[Suzy]

when one of my older cats had urinary problems the vet told me to feed them all (nine of them) canned cat ford instead of dry. I can't afford to do that all the time so give them dry food and also canned when I can.

I didn't know it but the canned makes them drink more water...to me it looks like it would be the other way around but it isn't...

anyway, best wishes with your sweet kitty. I will check out some of the sites and foods listed here because a couple more of my cats are getting pretty old.