Perineal urethrostomy (P.U. surgery) for cats (drinks, belly, foods)

[3timesacharm]

My cat had the perineal urethrostomy last week - after being blocked and unblocked by an ER. The ER doctor said there were no crystals - but there was a lot of "grit" which she classified as the precursor to kidney stones. She released him that evening after the catheter became blocked with the grit and he was able to urinate on his own. Three times that night he went pee.

In the a.m. we went to the vet and found out that even though he had pee'ed three times that night, he was blocked at the vet. They couldn't get a catheter up him, so they had to do a penile urethrostomy.

THIS IS MY THIRD MALE CAT WITH THIS SURGERY! Fortunately, the first two had NO further complications, including UTIs for their lifetimes.

Anyway - the morning after the surgery he was blocked again. Vet was NOT board certified (you learn a LOT after the fact) and he said I should consult a board certified surgeon - I couldnt' afford it - I have 2 kids who need braces and I've already put in $2500. He agreed to do it for free. That was one week ago.

We brought him home last night and he has gone to the bathroom - ungodly strong smell - using "Yeserday's News" litter.

HERE IS MY QUESTION: It appears he does not have the "method" down of how to use his "female opening" versus his penis. He is literally peeing down his legs - thus adding to the smell.

HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS? Does it go away? Do they get the new "squat" method down over time? He is in the bathroom for 2 weeks until the sutures/staples come out...but this must be painful for him, too.

[tigafan]

It is very common after the surgery for this to happen. You should see a huge improvement after the sutures are out and all of the inflammation goes down in the weeks following. We usually kept the cats for days after surgery and did a lot of cleaning up as they gained control.

[3timesacharm]

Thanks, Tigafan, for responding. I'm glad to have this chat room and to get advice from others.

Zack came home on Monday and is doing well. His wounds were weeping most of the week, they seem to have gotten better. It has been one week since the second PU surgery.

I took him back to the vet on Thursday to be checked. The Vet said Zack looked good. However, that night while we were eating dinner, Zack fanagled his way out of the Elizabethan collar and had pulled out several of the staples from the abdominal surgery (2nd surgery to go in through the bladder to catheterize him) and had loosened the sutures from the PU site...looked bad, but it wasn't clear through to the stomach. Took him back to the Vet and thank goodness it was fixable. He restapled his abdomen and said that the PU site was really only raw from his licking himself.

The other issue is that while he is using the litter box, he doesn't yet have the squat down, and therefore he is peeing on his back legs. I am hopeful that he will learn how to use the new anatomy to his benefit. Unfortunately, the collar doesn't allow him to clean himself so I am washing his legs off with a warm wet washcloth once or twice a day.

Tonight he layed on my legs and leaked urine. I am hoping that, too, gets better with time and that he learns, as you say, to gain control.

Thank you for any and all comments. I have talked to many owners of Male Cats and it seems no one has this problem. I can't believe that I have had 4 male cats and three have had to have the surgery. Thankful I could afford to do it. My advice to any want-to-be cat owners would be to either get a female or be proactive regarding diet choices.

[tigafan]

Ha, after working so many years as a vet tech, each cat that I get is a female. I still feed good foods, too, even though they are girls. I used to sort of mentally track the foods that always seemed to be fed in the cats that developed problems. One of the ones that always seemed to come up was the semi-soft foods....Tender Vittles? (Sorry, it has been 10 years since I left ) Oh, and the foods that you find at places like the Dollar Store with the various names that you have never heard of.

I hope your vet has your cat on pain meds until the sutures are out. Poor Zack, cats and E-collars are just a difficult thing. I hope that once those sutures are out and the e-collar gone, Zack can have an easier time in the box.

[3timesacharm]

Tigafan, you are a great resource! I like how you think... I am amazed that you charted foods that appear to be a possible factor in cats with FUS/FLUTD - that is sooooo like me!

Yes, my vet told me to stay away from "store brand" cat foods and no-names (meaning not big brand recognizable foods). However, the director of a local shelter tell me that he has 600 cats and hasn't had any problems - but he feeds them a natural food that I can buy locally. When I get the brand I will let you know.

Yep, after Zack, it will be all girls for me...A little ballet studio in the works...hahahaha!

[TANaples]

I had a cat with this many years ago (30+). It was too late and they couldn't help him. My Mom had a cat with this, again long time ago, but was put on the special diet and lived a long time.

I have had two male cats who never had this. Both were neutered a bit older (6 months) and I fed them both a special diet. My other boy lived to be 16 and now my other boy is currently 18. He is only fed a Wellness diet. Do you think age of neutering and diet plays a major part in this.

My daughter's roommate's cat has it now. They are operating on him now. He is 3 years old and they adopted him when he was 2 from a shelter. They don't know when he was neutered or fed before they had him.

The problem is that there are 2 other cats (1 year old male and 13 year old female) in the house. I know he will have to be on a special diet from now on. I also know this diet cannot hurt the other cats in the house, but the problem is that money is a concern in feeding all 3 this expensive diet. Anyone have any suggestions?

[tigafan]

Buy the food in the 20 lb. bags, it works out to be much cheaper.

[3timesacharm]

OK - this is my THRID cat with the problem. My vet told me that they really don't know what causes it, but some theories are that it is spread through the litter...therefore, if they are in the same house, well...you can connect the dots.

Zack gets his stitches and staples out tomorrow I'm hoping that having the collar off will help him to get the new "squat" down so that he won't be peeing down his back legs.

Good luck to your daughter's friend - I'd say it's cheaper to feed the cats the special diet than deal with the ER costs and surgery costs.

[tloagn]

Originally Posted by Merryn

Hi...

Our Norwegian Forest cat had the Perineal urethrostomy at the beginning of April. He did very well during his post-op and recuperated with no problems. When we first brought him home, e-collar and all, we were advised that he would likely exhibit some blood for a week or so when he urinated and it should clear up within 10 days. It cleared up within a week. Before Shylocke received this surgery, however, he would have bllod in his urine from time to time but the vet determined that Shylocke is a very sensitive cat (he is) and gets stressed very easily. (he does) When that happens or any change occurs, he seems to develop diarrhea and/or bloody urine but never for long...maybe a day or two.
That being said, it is now just about 4 months since his surgery and in this past week, I have wiped blood off his fur where he urinates a couple of times. Yesterday and today, I have wiped the blood off every time he urinates. Depending on how much he goes determines how much blood I get on the wipe. On top of this, he has diarrhea as well. So, I'm wondering if it's time to see the ER about this...I have kind of lost faith in my regular vet through all of this (another story) so I would prob'ly like to take him back to the hospital where he recieved the surgery. BUT...is this happening because of the hot and humid weather, or irregular mealtimes since my husband is on vacation and we are not following as strict a schedule? Is it because he is annoyed with our senior cat for bellowing all the time and then he goes in search of him and herds him to us to get us to make him keep quiet? Yes, he does this. There are no great changes except for this confounded weather. I'm just not understanding any of why he has bllod after urinating. If someone could tell me if they have experienced this or have any other advise to offer, I would appreciate it. This cat is my baby and I'm too emotional when it comes to decisions about him. I hate to see him suffer and I don't want to lose him. I'm also not made of money nor is my husband and it has cost us in excess of 5000.00 in 7 months, which included the 2 previous blockages, medications, hospital stays, etc.
Thanks for all of your help. Hope to hear from someone soon.
Merryn

Fluffy has gone through the surgery at the end of May and is experiencing some of the same issues, however I have to go back and get the hole made bigger and to a Board Certified Vet- My costs have been similar and will rise after the next surgery.

All of the vets I have dealt with seem concerned and telling me just a little more and that will solve the problems - look where I am now after following what to feed him for the past 9 years (dry food) veterinary prescribed diet. Now on a veterinary prescribed diet that has 70-80% water and he hates it... absolutely hates it....

So, he has blocked again - Local vet expressed his bladder and I have to find it in order to do that and I have had no luck and I don't want to cause any more damage - so I just rub his belly in hopes that it will stimulate him going to the bathroom.

So, I understand your dilemma and the concern about the ability of some Vets - Fluffy has seen 3 regular vets and 1 Board Certified Vet that will do another surgery - Because scar tissue has made the hole to small for him to eliminate all of his bladder.

About the blood - I was not told after surgery P/U that he would have any blood - so that one was new to me- however fluffy had blood just two days ago and that meant he was blocked in his case - as blood I am told anyways shouldn't be in the urine especially if he has healed - that could indicate infection-

The hardest thing for me is trying to get him to use only the yesterday's news litter as it is made not to clump and cause further issues - My other cat Fred is the hardest to transition over - and the food I have decided to continue with is raw food diet - Fluffy is currently also receiving fluid therapy at home by inter venous which I just learned to do Saturday August 22 2009 - Vet said - that it is an absolute must he must drink / have lots of fluid although I am buying the food they say - and have a water fountain for them and he wasn't dehydrated when I brought him to the vet on Saturday - I would only go to a board certified Vet from now on - if my other cat has any issue with UTI

[Travel'r]

Originally Posted by TANaples

I have had two male cats who never had this. Both were neutered a bit older (6 months) and I fed them both a special diet. My other boy lived to be 16 and now my other boy is currently 18. He is only fed a Wellness diet. Do you think age of neutering and diet plays a major part in this.

May want to check out this Feline Specialist DVM's information -- thoroughly covers all these common health issues in cats: Feeding Your Cat** Know the Basi

Should answer every question in this thread, with no doubt -- especially the Crystal/Stone/UTI info she states which will probably floor people when they read the facts. http://www.catinfo.org/#Common_Felin..._Ties_to_Diet_