Cat Cannot Pee

[interele]

Before anyone says anything - we can already see £6k of vet bills in the rear view mirror with no explanation so far, so I thought I would take a punt and post here just in hopes.

5 weeks ago our cat suddenly stopped peeing, One day he was fine and then the next day we noticed he hadn't been. The day after he went to the vet and he had his bladder drained. He was put on antibiotics and hypovase. Since then he has been weird ie excessively friendly and a bit 'spaced out' but he settled into peeing every 24 - 36 hours for a while and then stopped again . Back to the vet and they emptied his bladder again. Last Friday he stopped again and went back to the vet yet again and got emptied. Then they put him on antibiotics, hypovase and dantrolene. After that his peeing became even more sporadic and on Tuesday we went back to the vet and got drained again. Since then he is wandering around like he in in a different world and seems to have problems relating to things. He is now back at a specialist vet and the diagnostic silence is deafening.

Any thoughts

Mal

[allenlondon]

Mal. I’ve had many much-loved cats, all of whom lived good lives.

I agree with Tilly. Think twice, not for your bank balance but for the quality of your poor cat’s life. Would he REALLY choose all the drugs, the anaesthetics, the hospitalisation?

Awful decision, but it might be the kinder one.

[iluvmargie]

Agree with Tilly and allen 100%. Why put him through all that treatment??

[pixie374]

Hmmm.... me too. Sorry, interele. If he has a brain tumour, these are just some of the symptoms. If they can't treat that... it will only get worse. So sorry xx

[Vagus]

I too agree with Tilly etc.
We had our previous dog put down at a point in her life that I’m sure others would have continued. We didn’t think it was in her best interests, and the vet agreed.
Sometimes, always, with our much loved pets, we have to put aside our own reasons and think of our lovely pets.

[Bigbad]

I agree with those suggesting a rethink.
I had the most affectionate lovable cat who became my daughters constant companion from the day I bought her home from hospital.
When the cat was about 13, I okayed the vet removing one of her eyes, and she seemed good for a while, but went downhill pretty quickly.
If I had to make that decision again, it would be different.
You gave a rescued cat a good life for a while, but it may be kinder to let him go. The recovery from the operation will be hard road for kitty, and may ultimately, not be the best thing.

[allenlondon]

Another factor in the UK is the scandalous cost of Pet Insurance and its effect on prices charged by less scrupulous vets, and indeed the ‘treatments’ they offer to bump up their bills.

One vet group we used wanted to give our Charlie bone biopsies, xrays, scans, anaesthetics, the works. We took him to an old-fashioned vet who said”Take him home and cuddle him.”

Charlie lived another 8 years, free of vets’ surgeries.

[pixie374]

Allen... I gave up with animal insurance, many years ago. After two genuine claims which were refused. PetPlan and Animal Friends. Now, I put it into savings instead. I am not a natural gambler. Clearly.

[ladybirder]

Allen, do you know if it is just the UK with such high vet charges?
It's certainly worth ringing around. I want Advocate for my new little mutt and rang 3 local vets yesterday.
Highest for pipette £11.89, lowest £9.16.
Highest for three £33.49, lowest £28.68.
For his jabs, £88 highest, £65 lowest.
Interestingly it is the same vet for all the lowest prices but being a national chain helps I'm sure.

[interele]

Since it's benign and he may make a fully recovery, why would I give up on him?

Mal

[iluvmargie]

I don't think you said it was benign?

[interele]

He has to have surgery which is not zero risk by any stretch and then radiotherapy under multiple sedation's so it is all a big worry.

[Sqad]

//////then radiotherapy under multiple sed////
If its benign, then why is radiotherapy necessary?
Sounds malignant if it needs radiotherapy.

[interele]

well I'm not a vet but it hasn't spread and is contained but is getting bigger and pressing on things

[ladybirder]

Do let us know how he gets on please.

[Apc2604]

Sometimes it's so difficult to know what to do, but you have to do the kindest thing for him. All these procedures and ops will stress him and will add to his suffering. The kindest thing will be to let him go. I have had many cats and dogs and when it has been time to let go I have always had the vet come to the house to euthanize them so as not to stress them out. You have such good intentions, I understand, but he is suffering. Please let him go.

[venator]

Is he suffering?

[allenlondon]

Mal. My only thought is if we’d taken Charlie, in a similar condition, to that big Vets Group I mentioned, I know the outcome.

On the other hand, if we’d taken him to that kind, old-fashioned vet, he would have stroked Charlie gently and said “It’s time to let him rest.”

It’s not ‘giving up on him’. It is rather doing a final act of love.

I feel for you both.

[interele]

Well, £22k and 5 weeks later he is home and a lot better. We won't know the final outcome for several weeks but we are hopeful

Mal

[interele]

If anyone looks at this, here is an update. He has just had his 5 month check up and whilst the tumour is still there he has been fine for the last four months. The first month he recovered slowly and other than his balance is only 95% he is back to his old self. The vet is optimistic and we just take it every day at a time. Watching him roll around in the flower beds in the sunshine made it worth every penny.