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I've posted a little about Maggie before. She's a 3.5 yr old Ragdoll who gets UTIs. A few months ago, blood tests showed that her kidney values were up (BUN and Creatinine), AND she only has 1 kidney, so that's significant.
I didn't feel like I was getting any help from the vet, so I switched her to a holistic vet at that time. It seemed the UTI was cleared (with a shot of Convenia, which had worked on her before)--at least that's what her mid-May urinalysis showed at the new vet office. But, since her urine is dilute, and she hadn't been showing signs of an infection that last time, I decided I needed to have her checked again last week, and wouldn't you know it--another UTI. They sent it out for culture again, and this time it came back as "methicillin resistant". MRSA. I'm just worried and scared at this point.
They put her on Clavamox (they don't like Convenia, unlike last vet), which she's still on. They just got the test results right before the holiday weekend. A vet from the office called and said he was going to try and consult with the vet school about which medicine to try on her, and I'm hoping they'll call today.
I've read that the big guns used to treat MRSA are hard on the kidneys, so that has me really down. THEN I read that it can be transmitted to others (another kitty in the house) AND people.
My thoughts are that her UTIs are caused by a messy bum (she's always had "soft" stool and she hates to lick her butt AND she hates to have me try to clean it for her, so we tried to keep her butt hair either shaved or cut short). Initially, she had it once a year and Convenia would clear it. However, at Christmas, she had to go to the vet ER for a UTI, and they don't use Convenia, and she was given Clavamox instead. Since then, it's been nothing but bad news.
Maybe the Clavamox didn't totally clear the infection or she wasn't given it long enough (2 weeks) because in the last 6 months has been all these problems--kidney function showing impairment (because of the infection reaching it, perhaps?) and 2-3 more UTIs.
Even with clearing THIS infection, if we can't address the reason for the recurrent UTIs, she's destined for more, and further and/or long-term treatments can't be good either. So, I've been searching harder for info about firming up her less-than-ideal stool. She's been like this all her life--some days it's firm enough that it doesn't get messy passing out of her. She was on both kibble and canned early on, but she's been canned only for 1.5 yrs now. Grain-free. I've tried several brands, too. I've tried Forti-flora (I still use it to mask her meds / supplements) and probiotics (Proviable and then Azodyl for her kidney issues), and kitty fiber and pumpkin.
I found a few glowing testimonials from vitality science and thought I'd give their special blend of probiotics a chance. Anyone had any experience with them? They also recommended their Uro-cleanse. I'm desperate--I'll try anything. I think maybe I should try a raw diet, too, but worry if this is just too much for her to deal with???
I guess I'm not really asking for help (unless you have it to give!); I just need to vent to some kitty-lovers. My poor husband loves this kitty dearly, but he's so stressed with his work load AND trying to wean off anti-depressants he was put on years ago for his anxiety, that his emotional state is quite sensitive right now. I saw the look in his eye when I first started telling him that her kidney wasn't functioning optimally, so I decided I would try not to worry him too much until I absolutely had to. No need for both of us being basket cases about this (we're middle-aged and childless, these kitties are "the kids").
Thanks, Rene. Yeah, I'm about to the point where I think only a raw diet might help--both with the bowel issue that keeps reinfecting her (just my opinion, of course) and general overall health. I pray she'll be receptive to the new change--she's already upset that I'm hiding stuff in her food. Good link, thanks.
Thanks, Rene. Yeah, I'm about to the point where I think only a raw diet might help--both with the bowel issue that keeps reinfecting her (just my opinion, of course) and general overall health. I pray she'll be receptive to the new change--she's already upset that I'm hiding stuff in her food. Good link, thanks.
In addition to giving your cat kidney glandulars which reversed creatinine levels in a cat I had from nearly "disease stage" according to one vet, (only "high normal" according to another vet) to low normal... along with doing all that I just recommended for another cat here //www.city-data.com/forum/40313499-post15.html
I used Kidney Cytotrophin by Enzyme Process. He got half a capsule in each meal. They LOVE the taste because it is dried organ meat ( food for the kidneys) .
If there are bowel issues too, read my posts on "Slippery Elm"
I think your cat will be fine. Stop relying on vets and start using natural medicine -- especially when what the vets do only make things worse. That is the lesson I learned 28 years ago and my vet bills have been minimal and my cats thrive. Read some of my other posts to see what they've overcome without veterinary care limited strictly to veterinary diagnostics.
Hi emilybh. Thanks. I remember seeing your name in some other posts I've been browsing, most about Colloidal silver which I'm contemplating giving her.
Thanks for the added info....off to take a look.
Tab
Spoke with vet--it's MRSPi, not MRSA (different strain of resistant staph, and thankfully one rarely transmitted to humans. It's methicillin resistant staphylococcus pseudintermedius). The Vet School renal specialist said she should be fine with a 3 week course of a trimethoprim sulfa drug (Bactrim is one), but we just wasted 2 doses tonight and didn't get anything inside her! Maggie was left foaming at the mouth all over the house and I was in tears. I don't know what we'll do. Maggie is the type who wouldn't let me put a piece of tuna in her mouth if she thought I was up to something.
I didn't realize at first that it was the foul-tasting type, so I crumbled her ¼ tablet in her food, but she quickly ran away from it (unlike the Clavamox which mixed nicely in her food). So, since I'd bought a pill gun previously (though have never used one), I emptied a small capsule of probiotic and put the ¼ tablet into the gel cap and tried to get it in her. First attempt didn't work, so I took the insides out and into a fresh capsule and tried again. This time, I almost had it in. I held her mouth closed, but in her working to get it out, she chewed through it and tasted it again....and the foaming began. I didn't have the heart to try again right then--assuming I could've gotten close enough to her to try.
Anyone have any experience with this med? Is the liquid any better? But don't know if I could get that down her either unless tuna juice would disguise it enough.
I've had nasty liquid meds to dispense in the past. My vet sent them to a compounding pharmacy where the icky taste was disguised and I was able to successfully medicate the ailing kitty.
I've given some nasty stuff in the past. If you can get some clear gelatin capsules, you can put the tablet in there and give it easier. I've bought them at health food stores.
I did try a gel cap--I still couldn't get it in her. She's a HUGE FORCE when she doesn't want to do something. I guess I'm too afraid of hurting her and not confident enough to plunge it deeper into her mouth (the pill gun--watched youtube videos and still couldn't pull it off)
Wow, my sympathies to you and your husband. Kitty owners like you guys are a rare bunch... it is very common to find cats like yours being surrendered or abandoned because the owners can't handle the financial, and emotional toll it takes. I truly applaud for your efforts.
Not sure if someone have mentioned cranberry supplements? I hear that they help kitties with UTI.
Sorry that I have no other advice for you. Just keep your chin up, do the best you can and follow the treatment plan from your veterinarian.
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