May 2009 - Thomas McKnight
Thomas - Can't wee, won't wee!
Thomas (a 13 year old black and white domestic short hair neutered male cat) was rushed into the evening surgery after his owner had returned from work to find him uncomfortable and walking stiffly. On examination of Thomas, the vet found his bladder was extremely tight, full and painful.
He was admitted immediately to investigate why his bladder was so distended. Initially a cystocentesis was performed. This is a method for extracting urine from the bladder by inserting a needle through the body wall and withdrawing fluid. If this is not done quickly you can run the risk of the patient’s bladder rupturing which can lead to death. Once this had been done bloods were taken to establish if any damage had been caused to the kidneys. A general anaesthetic was administered and a urinary catheter was placed.
Thomas was hospitalised with the catheter in place for the next few days and placed onto a special diet which helps to dissolve any urinary crystals and stones. Anti inflammatory drugs were administered to treat cystitis. The catheter was removed once urine was passing freely. Thomas was kept in that night and was allowed home once he had passed urine.
Unfortunately a few days later Thomas became blocked again. Thomas’s owner was given the option of repeating the treatment of catheterisation or to have an operation involving a redirection of the urinary tract to a surgically made opening just below the anus – a urethrostomy.
Thomas’s owner decided to go ahead with the operation. After an hour of delicate surgery the procedure was completed. Thomas was hospitalised for several days and given pain relief. At first he was incontinent, but with time and lots of nursing care along with a few playful and grumpy moments, he began to consciously use his litter tray! Thomas was allowed home again on the special Royal Canin Urinary Diet and with strict observations.
Thomas is improving every day and is back to his normal cheeky self and urinating freely! It will be a while longer before the wound is completely healed but everyone is amazed at his progress considering his age and the severe condition he was first admitted with.
This is a very common condition in overweight neutered male cats and can be life threatening if not treated promptly.
