#Cat Urine Kidney Disease

[coldflasher]

me when the vet calls me to tell me that my cat's pee is so concentrated that the machine couldn't even get a measurement off it because it was higher than their instruments are capable of reading: 😏 starting the new year right

[petnews2day]

New cat urine test kit screens for hematuria via noninvasive procedure

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/XGO4f

New cat urine test kit screens for hematuria via noninvasive procedure

The cat urine test kit. (Photo courtesy of Chulalongkorn University). Researchers from Chulalongkorn University (Chula) in Bangkok, Thailand have developed a cat urine test kit for the detection of urinary tract diseases that cat owners can use. The kit screens for hematuria, which can indicate kidney disease, gallstones—or cholelithiasis—, cystitis, or other diseases related to […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/XGO4f #CatsNews #Cat, #CatUrineTestKit, #Cholelithiasis, #ChulalongkornUniversity, #CKD, #Dvm360, #Feline, #FelineIdiopathicCystitis, #Gallstones, #KidneyDisease, #LunjakornAmornkitbamrung

[arthropodboy]

Help save the adorable Miss Margles

A friend of mine from High School is trying to save his new senior kitties life, but he doesn't have the funds. I thought I'd try sharing this here because Tumblr is the only place I have even a little bit of reach.

Donations and/or reblogs would be greatly appreciated

"Hello! My name is Jay and I recently adopted Margles back in the beginning of July. This senior girlie was found wandering around downtown Tacoma in really horrible condition. When she was found, she was severely underweight, dehydrated, and seemed to be ill - it was very clear that someone had dumped her, or maybe everything went wrong and she ended up alone long enough to deteriorate on the street. My homie MJ fostered her for a while until I was able to adopt her!

Despite her condition, she is one of the most affectionate and trusting cats I've met in a long time, and after bringing her home she loved hopping into bed with me in the morning and licking my face to wake me up to feed her. She also absolutely loves getting brushed/groomed. She has quickly become good buddies with Tommy as well (our other senior kitty) who had been showing signs of wanting a companion before we got her.

This past month has been a lot of back and forth to the emergency vet clinic and our primary vet clinic as we've tried to figure out what's going on with her. She has been having bloody vaginal discharge, been unable to get comfortable, urinating inappropriately, vomiting daily, has had a steadily declining appetite, and could never seem to get enough water. We treated her for a UTI, however her symptoms returned as soon as her course of antibiotics finished.

However, we finally were able to figure out what's going on with her!! She has a severe urinary tract infection with two different types of bacteria that require a longer course of special antibiotics. Miss Margles was also diagnosed with kidney disease, pancreatitis, low potassium, and low phosphate. She is also severely underweight at 4.5lbs (but has been steadily gaining weight since coming to us). Thankfully, all of these conditions are easily manageable through treatment, medication, and supplements, and Meegles should be able to recover and live out her golden years in comfort with Tommy after we get her balanced out.

Although, as someone who is currently working paycheck to paycheck at minimum wage, the bills are quickly becoming more than I can handle.

With appointments averaging around $650, recurring medications about half of that, starting a specialized kidney diet, and the costs of supplements + daily fluid therapy (and of course urine + vomit cleaning spray...) I've reached a point where I've decided to seek out financial support in mutual aid. I am very hopeful that she will make a recovery from her current condition, but I fear that if these bills become too much I will have to try to find her a new home, which is already hard enough for senior kitties, let alone a high medical needs senior cat. I don't want to have to put her through a whole life transition again; especially since I have veterinary assistant experience and work in the animal care field, and am confident with giving her specialized care in my daily routine.

I am currently giving her 4 medications a day + 2 supplements, and subcutaneous fluid therapy once or twice daily. She is also getting monthly Solensia injections for her severe arthritis due to having very low muscle/fat content. Due to the sedative effects of some of these medications, Margles is experiencing extreme muscle weakness and needs assistance getting to the litterbox in time, grooming herself after eating or peeing/pooping, and will only eat via spoon feeding for now. Its quickly become a labor of love, and I know that Margles would be better off remaining in my care as she rides out her golden years.

Any financial support for her medical needs to ensure that she gets to remain in my care would be greatly appreciated! Even like $5 goes a long way. The goal amount is based on what I've spent so far and am estimated to be spending on the next follow up appointment. I will return to working at a vet clinic soon (I am currently working with zoo animals) and should hopefully get some discounts for her lifelong fluid therapy, arthritis injections, kidney disease management, and senior wellness exams in the future, so this is just to help us through the next few visits. Times are rough for us all right now, if you aren't able to donate please boost if you can!

Thanks for taking the time to read ‍⬛ I will post updates as they come

- Jay"

[nym-wibbly]

How is Cat please?

She's feeling better in herself, but the blood and urine test results aren't good. Her hyperthyroid disease, which was undetectable on medication 6 months ago it was so well controlled, is completely out of control now, so we've doubled her daily medication. Her kidney disease has progressed from stage 2 to at least stage 3 - can't be sure how bad that is until the thyroid is under control again, as hyperthyroid masks kidney failure. On the bright side, her bloodwork showed no signs of inflammation or infection, so the bladder issue that got us the emergency visit the other day is probably just stress cystitis and will pass on its own. Still waiting for a culture on her pee just to be sure though.

I'm concentrating on trying to feed her up and keep her hydrated. We'll repeat the blood tests in a few weeks to see how she's responding to the higher dose of thyroid meds.

Between the vet visit, the tests, the medication, and the new foods we need to try out, I've dropped roughly £950 on The Cat this week. I have to budget for another £550 vet bill in 4 weeks when we repeat the tests. *headdesk* It's just awful that responsible pet ownership has become a luxury-level lifestyle choice. Then again, so has eating decent food and staying warm. I committed to caring for The Cat when I rescued her 10 years ago, and I'll move mountains and tighten my belt endlessly for her, but I've got an awful feeling that she's going to be my last pet, short of a financial miracle. That doesn't make it easier to cope with what's basically her end-of-life care - something I'd otherwise be philosophical about, having joyfully given her a great life here. :( She's an incredible friend, and the last decade would've driven me to despair without her quiet, constant company.

@luthienebonyx @intoni

[shae-la-hyene]

Ok since nobody asked, I'm gonna liveblog eating gluten while most likely coeliac, maybe as a cautionary tale.

To be clear I did not get a coloscopy to prove it so I do not have a definitive diagnostic. From what I've experienced I am 90% sure I'm coeliac, and let's face it the last ten percent are denial.

After about three years of miserable gluten free lifestyle, I snapped. It went like this :

October 6th (2024) : had a plate of terrible crispy chewy and sticky all at once pasta, had a breakdown, decided 'fuck it'

October 8th : bought donuts, ate two, keeping the other four for breakfast tomorrow. Go to sleep, trying to avoid a panic attack

October 9th : no reaction from my body, I'm pissed that I stopped gluten for so long for no good reason. Psy says it might be a nocebo. I'm mad at the entire world. I feel like shit and all my muscles are sore but I convince myself it's the fibromyalgia.

October 9th (at night) : nevermind I got diarrhea I'm definitely reacting. Less painful than last time I ate bread, though, so I keep going. Not giving upnjust yet.

October 12th : I want a kebab so much it dominates my thoughts

October 13th : everything hurts, especially my back and joints. I need an ice pack and I take more breaks time than actual active time. I give up and just go to bed

October 15th : spent the last week exhausted and sore, but still in denial.

October 16th : Everything hurts. If it's because of the bread ? Worth it. I can take painkillers. I can NOT eat gluten free pasta ever again.

October 18th : the absolute luxury that is bread and butter... Having fresh pasta because I might as well

October 20th : I feel so bad I don't even know what to do that might help. I have a headache the size of a watermelon and my body is just a blob of pain and exhaustion. My lower back is sending me sharp constant pain. I google how to know if I have kidney stones. Sure sign is blood in urine. Bitch I'm on my period.

October 21st : spent an hour and a half maying in the dark and silence and the headache is receiding a little so now I want to eat (I'm starving constantly). I feel like shit all the time. Best friend is worried I'll die. We all die someday. If pasta kills me, I win.

October 22nd : ate an entire baguette today, with different toppings. No regrets.

October 23rd : I am of the opinion that my body should not hurt after I spent ten hours sleeping on my brand new bed. Alas, my body and I rarely agree. I think it's shutting down, hard. I google the symptoms for coeliac disease. It's not really helpful since half of those I already experience thanks to my other chronic illnesses. ''The consequence of that is an alteration of quality of life'' no shit sherlock. My main way of knowing is if I have a dramatic weight loss. If I'm coeliac, gluten will damage my intestines and will make it unable to absorb nutrients. I don't have a scale at home so it'll wait til I see my doc. That means that until I see him I can stay in denial. I wish I had a body that worked... You know what will fix this ? A big bowl of pasta.

October 24th : I'm constantly hungry. It ain't looking good.

October 25th : I'm sick again. I'm sick every other day now. Things start tasting off, not the way they're supposed to. Weird. Bad weird. No matter, I finally understand lactose intolerant people risking it all for cheese.

October 29th : I'm so overwhelmed I'm inches away from brutally murdering my cat for standing on my chair's arm. Not her fault but my kneecap has been in the wrong position for hours and won't go back to normal so the pain of it is enough to break the camel's back

November 2nd : I'm so exhausted I can't do anything. Took a mix of painkillers, muscle relaxants, and anti inflammatory meds. Went to lay in bed for a while, end up taking a 8 hours nap. Forced myself to stay awake three hours, and then go back to sleep.

November 3rd : obviously wake up famished. Slept with a bucket next to my bed since I got very close to puking my meds out last night. Everything I have available to eat is unappealing, especially anything with wheat in it. My body is craving proteins. Try to eat, but everything, up to the most basic black tea, tastes so weird. Still exhausted, still in pain, considering taking anti inflamatory meds again today. Reconsider my most recent life choice but too stubborn to give up bread. I'm really not doing good...

That's it for now. I'm not going to the doc yet so I'm gonna keep up with the experiment. Wish me luck.

[tomorrowusa]

Putin's invading troops in Ukraine's east are suffering from an unpleasant and debilitating disease called mouse fever (мышиная лихорадка). The Russian military is providing little to no medical assistance and often dismisses complaints from soldiers about the malady as excuses to get away from combat.

Vladimir Putin’s soldiers in eastern Ukraine’s Kupiansk are reportedly falling sick because of a “mouse fever” outbreak – a viral disease that has left the invading Russian troops severely unwell. The outbreak of the so-called “mouse fever” has been recorded in many units of the Russian forces in the Kupiansk direction, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence’s main directorate of intelligence said on its official Telegram channel. “The disease is viral in nature and is transmitted to humans from rodents through direct contact with a causative agent as a result of inhaling dust from mouse excrement or getting it into food products consumed by humans,” it said. Symptoms of this fever “mowing down” Russian soldiers include vomiting, severe headache, fever up to 40 degrees celsius (104 degrees fahrenheit), rashes, redness, plummeting blood pressure, haemorrhages in the eyes and nausea. Ukraine’s intelligence wing said dissatisfaction was growing among Russian soldiers who are facing abandonment on medical assistance and provision of winter items, and the recent fever outbreak was an example of Russia’s inability to look after its troops fighting in Ukraine. The disease is also affecting the kidneys, as the infected Russian troops were facing intense pain in their lower back and have severe difficulty in urinating, officials said. “Complaints about fever from personnel of the Russian army, who are involved in the war against Ukraine, were ignored by the command, regarding them as another manifestation of evasion from participating in combat operations. In addition, at the first stage of the course, "mouse fever" resembles an ordinary flu,” the statement added.

Ukrainian intelligence should try to spread the rumor among Russians that vodka is a great home remedy for mouse fever. 🙂

Ukrainian forces have also been affected by the rodent problem but they have several advantages. Being on their home turf, they're able to bring cats to the front. They also have far better access to competent medical personnel. Plus the Ukrainians are just plain better at basic housekeeping.

The way the Kremlin has reacted to the mouse fever problem among its troops is yet another way it regards them as disposable.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia loses estimated 320,000 troops in Ukraine

The Ukrainian military's own estimate is 352,390 Russian fatalities (as of December 23rd). That Ukrainian figure is almost the same as the population of Honolulu. Indeed, 39 of the 50 US states have capitals whose populations are below the number of Russian fatalities in Ukraine. Putin doesn't care how many RUSSIANS he has to kill to get his way in Ukraine.

Russians need to either get rid of Putin or leave the country in order to save themselves.

[jenniferdiazisatransgirl]

So Mr Gold has been having some issues lately. He recently started grinding his teeth and vomiting daily.

I took him to the vets and first time round they said he has gingivitis in his back teeth which means they need removing.

The vomiting is a separate issue and they gave him some anti-nausea medication which worked for just under a week and then stopped. So back to the vets on Sunday where they took a blood test. They were expecting to find pancreatitis. I get a call on Wednesday to say he is clear of pancreatitis but that he could either have kidney disease and liver disease or he merely has gastritis. They also gave him some more anti-nausea meds that Sunday.

They said his behaviour and appetite though suggests it may be a false diagnosis due to dehydration caused by the constant vomiting. So they want a urine sample to check things over.

Meanwhile aside from the constant vomiting, Gold is his usual self and just attempted to jump out of the window to kill a pigeon 🤦‍♀️😂 I should note, he got nowhere near the pigeon and he is fine. He’s an indoor cat, so it is probably his first ever attempt at live prey larger than a fly.

I really don’t think we need to be giving the vet anymore work though.

EDIT: To be clear, my point was with all the other issues he is having I don’t think it would be ideal for Gold to injure himself by jumping out of a window.

[hislittleraincloud]

Sigh.

I had to explain why Afterburn hasn't been finished yet, so I'll repeat part of how I responded to this really awesome (I mean that...I love all my fans 😭) fan, but here with harsher lang because I have hate for this fucking bitch who hasn't even given me a "Thank you" for anything and has just fucking ghosted me after she got out the last time:

1. The Junkie Neighbor and The Cat. Her fucking going in and out of rehab fucked up my creative process because I had to take care of the cat and her apartment every night for long stretches at a time. I've posted pics of kitty, and will post the last one I think I'll ever take with him (😭😭😭😭😭 I raised him from a kitten) under the cut. This bitch was supposed to be my friend, but she has fucking...problems with herself and her personality disorder. I have zero idea why she hasn't responded and I don't even know where the fuck she is. So if she's reading (I think she knows of this blog), the YOU'RE FUCKING WELCOME, BITCH. And what you're doing right now is fucked up.

2. My 17yo dog is on his last legs. I've written how he's had seizures, but I haven't written how his barking after a seizure can get me a noise complaint from my shitty building manager, so that shit makes me anxious. I hand feed him, I help him get water the same way Peter Griffin helped Old Brian in that cutaway:

I wrap my boy's pills in gummies, not PB and beef 💀

LOL Except I don't have to push his tongue into the water like that. And I have to do it every...day...when he's awake. This is a disruption in my creative process too, because I REALLY wanted to pass out around 4PM today to be able to map and write all night but couldn't because he just would not settle. Dogs with dementia are like people with dementia, but less propensity towards violence when you try to help them (at least my old dogs are...they're small dogs and don't have any teeth left).

I didn't even mention my own health problems, in my explanation about how Afterburn's creation got messed. I've got Stage 4 CKD (kidney disease) and only 1 working kidney (lost the other to cancer in 2016). My kidney issues began when I was in France in 1986 and they failed on me because I ended up having HSP (and the strange nature of HSP and the possibility of certain vaccinations bringing on HSP in a few people has left me practically defenseless against COVID). Another HSP flare up would literally kill me (because there would likely be kidney involvement, and since I only have one left...the first time was Hell on Earth, I was pissing and shitting blood — stool is black when that happens...and my urine was bright red — and my parents thought I was gonna die), but I've been masking since January 2020 and have no intention of unmasking.

Having one kidney leaves me utterly exhausted to do any simple thing, so most of my energy goes to taking care of my boy/my girls. I'm on BP meds, PTSD meds, and pain meds (for chronic pain; I suffered through childhood arthritis that just ended up continuing into my adulthood), and when the Big Pharma pain meds don't work, I use cannabis. I don't really talk about or complain about it as explicitly as I am now bc it's tiring to explain over and over again why I'm a useless sack of 💩. I worked a "normal job" until I couldn't anymore; I am physically disabled.

Besides my seniors, the one other bright spot in my life is the baby. I have an Ask that wants more pics of her (I got it shortly after I posted her "Lookit me, I'm Jenna Ortega 🤓🤓🤓" glasses pic LOL), and I was going to do a whole post on her but I'll just slip a pic or two under the cut with the others.

I'll stop yapping and do that. Dogs under the cut.

This is my life now:

And before anyone gets on me about "HE NEEDS WET FOOD!", he gets wet food, but he likes his dry food. I try to spray it with water for a bit of moisture, but if I spray it too much, he won't eat it.

The orange on his face is pasta sauce (he likes licking cans...and he gets what he wants).🫠 It's sometimes hard to clean. He is always wearing pajamas (he has 6 different ones) and his elephant hoodie (he's got 3 of the same, so I can switch them out). Weird story but...one time several years ago I got him a simple elephant costume (the hood had the trunk, the body was thin jersey material but it also had 4 plush legs and a tail 🤣) and he LOVED it so much that he basically wore it out. He would get sad when it wasn't on him and excited when I would hold it up after it dried/after washing. He's fkn weird, okay? So I looked online to see if I could find another one but instead found the elephant hoodie. It doesn't have legs or a tail, but it has the trunk and it's soft and he likes it as well. Having him clothed really helps when I need to hoist him up onto the couch or help him drink. He doesn't have loose skin and even if he did, I wouldn't want to grab onto skin. It's my job to make him as comfortable as possible, not to hurt him.

Now this little (17yo as well) old lady here:

I inherited her from a nasty (racist) old bat who died right before the pandemic. Bat had CKD as well, but she went into kidney failure at some point after she wouldn't listen to me about fixing her diet (she had uncontrolled diabetes too...her blood sugar was over 400 at one point when I was visiting her at her physical rehab with the dog 😨).

She is blind, but even before she went blind, she was freaky about being handled when she didn't used to be. She can't walk outside because she gets disoriented, so she uses the pee pad set up I have for the seniors. I do love her like my own, as she is my own now (my last screenplay actually features a dog just like her). She was part of the same dog group as my boy in the rescue that I worked at...my other boy from the same rescue passed in 2021 and devastated me. His passing led me to find this little baby here:

She only wears jammies when it's cold in here.

I had never gotten a puppy before, but I was in a really dark place when my other boy died. I was seriously contemplating taking myself out too (God knows I have enough drugs here to do so). But I channeled my grief into cleaning up this place and finding another pomchi/chion (we were never sure what he was, but I think he might've been part Papillon because of his ears/fur/tail)...and I found one, albeit chocolate instead of white. I've had her since she was 8 weeks and a day, and thank the gods that she's the sweetest and pretty low maintenance. I raised her on Harry Potter 1 and 2 and Victoria Stilwell videos, and she somehow picked up what good behavior is vs. bad behavior from the Stilwell videos 😶. She used to howl at Harry Potter during the Neville scenes and the Quidditch matches (and the Mandrakes scene). I didn't want to raise her on Potter, but I chose it because it was kid's thing and as soon as I put it on her eyes were glued to the TV. She also likes Stranger Things and is okay with Wednesday. She's spoiled af, so she's got toys from all of those (she ate off the legs of her fave Harry Potter plush, adores her Eleven squeaky toy, and loves her Enid plush...yes, the Kid Robot one that came in a set with Wednesday and Bianca, the latter of which I kept for myself because it's fkn Bianca).

Anyway. That's what's up with me. I have no one here to help me anymore, so it's just me and the dogs. If I fkn die, no one will find my body for days unless one of the dogs starts barking, and the baby doesn't normally bark (she wheeks like a guinea pig). I will likely ask one of the ficwives if they would be willing to at least know my notes for Afterburn in case something does happen to me. They know the general trajectory of the story for Afterburn 2, so they already know what happens with Wenovan, but they don't know the details of the whole (the Goodmen, Joseph Crackstone & Goody, OG Nightshades (Morticia, Gomez, Larissa, Chancellor, Vincent, Mina (the Twins' mother), Francoise, Osamu (Yoko's father), the Petropoluses, and Grandmama Addams (the oldest living "local" Nightshade)) story. I've yet to decide on a few other Elder Nightshades, but I've got ideas. The Nightshades and Wednesday's power as one are a BIG focus of Afterburn 2, so maybe now you get my irritance at the fkn show deleting 2/3 of them.

My boy's sleeping now so I guess I ought to sleep too, otherwise he'll wake up when I'm about to sleep and THAT fucks me up even more.

ETA: Forgot the pic of the cat.

My buddy, Prince (the name he was given when he was born, so ✨I✨ kept it, but his weirdo mom named him "Tennessee Tuxedo"). Wow, Tennessee... I just now realized that.... To me he will always be Prince Ovaltine of Meowcatsia, a cat who adored playing tag with me. 💔💔💔💔💔

[puppyexpressions]

Is it Safe For Dogs To Drink From Puddles?

From personal experience, there are two inevitabilities of dog ownership. The first is that, at some point, you will step out for a walk and forget to take water for your dog. The second is that your dog is always happy to stick its nose into the smelliest thing around. So you have a thirsty dog, and there is a murky, stinky puddle over there? Bingo, problem solved. Or is it? What are the health risks to your pet from drinking from puddles?

The bugs that lurk (in the puddle)

Surely the worst that can happen from picking a bug up from a puddle is an upset tummy? Well, possibly. But given the most likely cause of this upset tummy is Giardia, and it is one of the most common causes of acute gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Apart from being very unpleasant for your pet (and for you cleaning up), Giardia can be quite difficult to treat. It is also not uncommon for a pet to have repeat bouts after they have recovered from the first one. Even worse, it is a zoonosis, which means it can potentially be transmitted from pets to their owners. Fortunately, it looks like this is rare in reality, which is a silver lining.

Then there is leptospirosis, also known as “Weils’s disease”.

That’s the one that your dog catches from rat urine, which can contaminate stagnant water. It is a serious bacterial infection that can cause liver and kidney failure. Dogs can contract it through contact with water contaminated by infected urine.  It can be pretty tricky to diagnose and very difficult to treat. Worse still, it is also a zoonosis. However, pet to owner transmission is probably very rare, with people most commonly contracting it through swimming or water sports in contaminated water bodies. It should be mentioned that leptospirosis in dogs is uncommon in the UK; this may be due to vaccination (none of the affected dogs in one study was vaccinated) or underdiagnosis.

The new puddle-lurking nasty on the block is Angiostrongylus Vasorum, AKA Lungworm or French Heartworm.

Infections in pet dogs by this unpleasant parasite have become increasingly common in the UK over the last two decades, particularly in the South East and Wales. Lungworm can cause lung disease, bleeding problems and neurological disease. It was previously thought to be transmitted by dogs eating slugs and snails. More recently, evidence has suggested that gastropods shed the parasite in the environment, and dogs can be infected by drinking contaminated water.

And what about the toxins on your doorstep? A tale for all seasons.

Even that harmless-looking puddles around your home could be life-threatening. Ethylene glycol is a commonly used ingredient in antifreeze products used in cars. It can easily leak from parked vehicles to contaminate puddle water. It’s highly toxic to dogs and cats, and only a small amount needs to be ingested to be fatal as it causes kidney failure. It has a sweet smell which means it is readily licked by dogs. Every year, sadly, several dogs (and even more cats) die in the UK after ingestion of ethylene glycol. As an antifreeze product, this risk is higher during the winter months.

Then there is the danger of blue-green algae blooms caused by cyanobacteria. This natural phenomenon occurs most commonly during the summer months when the perfect conditions for explosive algal growth are most likely. The toxins produced by these blooms are dangerous to humans and dogs when ingested. Blue-green algae can often be visible by a blue-green foamy scum on the water’s surface. The local authority will put up prominent warning signs at times of high risk. It is imperative to keep your dog on the lead and out of the water when these signs are up. If your dog does somehow get into the water, it is recommended to take them directly to the vet for decontamination as toxic signs (tummy upset, tremors, wobbly gait, seizures) can start within an hour of exposure.

And then there is the bigger picture…

As with all issues environmental, the concern about environmental pollution is increasingly coming to the fore. Pesticides, herbicides to pharmaceutical residues and hormones, from agricultural, industrial and domestic use affect wildlife and the environment, and our understanding of how this happens is improving all the time. With that comes the realization that there is also a knock-on risk to our health and our pets. Yet still, the environmental levels of surprisingly few of these polluting substances are monitored. So exactly what, if anything, and how much of it ends up in your average puddle is unknown and, for this reason, drinking from puddles is generally not recommended.

My dog has been drinking from puddles for years, and she’s okay. What is the risk, really?

From reading this article, you would not be blamed for thinking that all puddles glowed fluorescent green and that it comes across as a bit alarmist. And you would be right. Most likely, a quick slurp from a puddle will do your pet no harm. Indeed, there is no need to contact your vet when your pet does so unless there are specific circumstances, like known blue-green algae risk or ethylene glycol exposure. What this article attempts to do is describe some of the potential harms of drinking from puddles. The trick is to take precautionary measures to minimize the risk, such as ensuring your pet is fully vaccinated and protected against lungworm if they insist on splashing through puddles. But the safest precaution of all is to always carry drinking water for your pet.

[shadythetortie]

Hi! I hope this is okay to ask (and there is no pressure on answering!)

I am bringing my kitty to the vet tomorrow for increased urination over the last few days which didn't seem like an issue (we just had a small heat wave) but today, after clinic hours, she urinated inappropriately; so a vet visit is now top of tomorrows to do list

But I still have to sleep tonight and my anxiety riddled brain has gone straight to Kidney Disease + Kidney Cancer

Could you tell me a few of the less terrifying possible causes of this behaviour? I keep telling myself it could just as easily be a UTI or kidney infection which can be treated and I shouldn't panic until I'm told to by the vet, but it would help to hear it from someone else!

There are plenty of things that can cause increased/inappropriate urination. Stress is actually a huge factor in it and its quite often that we see inapp. urination cats that are just stressed.

Other causes can be things like UTIs, skin infections around the vulva or urethra, urinary crystals, plant ingestion, smelled another cat and didnt like it, etc.

Dont listen to your brain. Wait until your visit and then listen to your vet!

[asphaltvalkyrie]

The Sick Old Cat Update

My Sick Old Cat is not yet circling the drain, but she’s definitely trying to jump into the tub.

...If I didn’t work at the vet clinic she goes to, I would not be able to afford most of her care.  Just the same, were I better at math, I’d calculate how much of my paycheck goes right back into the clinic, because I bet its a lot.

She was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease 3 years ago. Since then she’s also developed chronic pancreatitis and idiopathic hypercalcemia, all the while slipping from 10 pounds to less than 7. Getting her diagnosed and on the proper combination of steroids, anti-emetics, immunosuppressives, appetite stimulants and hydrolyzed protein foods has been a trip, and is still ongoing. She’s had X-rays, ultrasounds, blood/urine tests and endoscopic biopsies. I’ve sent her blood and tissue samples to two out-of-state universities for diagnosis.

Fortunately, her quality of life is excellent.  Aside from the appetite/weight loss problems, she’s quite vibrant for her age. She has very little cognitive or mobility impairment and her kidneys, heart and liver look great. She’s also taking distinct advantage of my concern as a pet owner by making me feed her about 8 times a day (since my other cats will steal her food if I leave it out for more than 5 minutes and she likes to graze) sleeping on my neck, cuddling up to the warm and cozy computer tower, making me brush her even though she always gets overstimulated after 3 strokes, and yelling at me every time I leave the room she’s in.

[bigcatrescue]

Jinx hasn’t been himself the past few weeks. He had been suffering from a resistant UTI, and once that seemed to have cleared up, we thought he would bounce back. He hasn’t been interested in food or his favorite enrichment this week, so we knew something was up.

This is what we found out today from his exam: He has moderate kidney disease, is constipated and has significant arthritis in his spine causing difficulty walking and pain. His urine is still bloody, so no improvement on 6 days of the second round of antibiotics. His resistant UTI has not responded this time and the only other medical options include keeping him in a transport and darting him multiple times a day. The vet staff discussed all possibilities and ultimately decided the best thing we could do for a 23-year-old cat was say goodbye.

Thank you for getting the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed, so that cats like Jinx will never have to know life in a cage. Now he can run free of pain

[eastberlin]

In the ongoing saga of Old Cat Stress:

Robo went in on the 8th for his regular kidney disease labwork. His kidney values were good but his blood sugar was high. Brought him back on the 10th and it was still high so they sent off a more comprehensive test to determine if he had developed diabetes. Ended up taking him back in on the 15th because he had an upset stomach and wouldn't eat (and not eating is a DEFCON 1 emergency for him- this boy loves food.) He got his official diabetes diagnosis and they noticed his white blood cells were high so they suspected some type of infection. Was sent home with orders to get a urine specimen to bring in because UTIs are really common in diabetic cats before their blood sugar gets under control. He has another night of stomach upset so I take him back the next day and they put him on a broad spectrum antibiotic since I wasn't able to get a sample. He is now doing well and seems to really enjoy the fact that with his diabetes diagnosis he now gets dinner (he has to eat before he gets his insulin).

MEANWHILE this morning Yousis had bloody stool so off we go to the emergency vet. Mom and I were majorly freaked out thinking something was seriously wrong but the vet wasn't terribly worried (and this vet used to work at our main vet office so we trust her judgement- she's great). She thinks Yousis just has a GI bug and put her on antibiotics. (It's possible that Robo had a GI bug and not a UTI and he passed it on to her.) Hopefully this is the end of this edition of Old Cat Anxiety but I cannot stress enough how much the sudden loss of two cats in two years fucks you up when it comes to pet health anxiety. Especially when 3/4 of your remaining cats are seniors and 2 of them have medical problems. Jesus fucking christ.

[nym-wibbly]

Is The Cat OK now?

We're waiting for blood and urine test results to come back - should know more by Tuesday with any luck. She's not too bad in herself - if I hadn't found a bit of pee outside her litterbox with some blood in it, I wouldn't have thought she had anything worse than a hairball brewing. I wouldn't have known she needed a vet, unlike in the past when her bladder issues have been a full operatic performance of woe-is-puss. I've never been so glad a cat missed the box!

I'm dosing her with opioid pain relief once or twice a day just in case it's a painful cystitis/a bladder infection, but it's all a bit of a guessing game until we get some lab results. The only solid lead so far, from the in-house testing at the vet, is that her kidneys are doing a very poor job of concentrating her urine. Not good, but not unusual for her age either. She was stage 2 kidney disease with stable hyperthyroid disease about 8 months ago - this is looking worse now.

<- stoned post-vet kitty, spaced out on injection of the good stuff.

[notanastronaut]

Was hoping to end 2022 on a high but it's becoming increasingly likely I have an autoimmune disease. Got some nice kidney inflammation that no one can find the cause for, but I'll have to speak to urology, who currently I'm expecting to speak to in JUNE so that's fun. The kidney hurts constantly and I've started having new symptoms: low grade fever, vomiting, huge pain, such bad fatigue, ect.

Also vomiting and urinating causes more kidney pain and some liver pain which sucks. Was planning to play video games with my flatmate and boyfriend and hold my cat for NYE but seems like I'll be in a&e instead.

[delmoxie]

I would second the vet and also say that one older male cat who developed kidney disease stater peeing other places because he couldn't make it to the little box. I thought I had a leak behind my washing machine, but it was just my sick kitty leaving puddles of almost clear urine.