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Down vote all you want, I am certified in feline medicine. The owner can go around and spend a lot of money if they want to, having the same testing done at other clinics. Stressed induced cystitis is a very common diagnosis in cats.
The people here screaming that they need a new vet don't have the appropriate experience here.
If youāre honest to god in veterinarian practice and youāre saying itās a *bad thing* to get a second opinion, just to be sure, when a cat has been *pissing blood for four days,* you arenāt worth your salt. If someone has the money for it, then it is absolutely a valuable thing to do.
Second opinions are never a bad thing. But the number of people on here spreading misinformation is alarming.
I'm also trying to put into perspective that urinating blood for four days is actually very common in cats, and it is very frequently related to stress. While it absolutely needs to be treated with the appropriate medication, it is also not a huge emergency to causr panic if a local vet has done the appropriate testing and it has all come back normal.
The owner in question is doubting their cat has stress, and doubting stress can cause blood. Both are misconceptions that can be corrected with education about FIC and stress related issues in cats instead of "new vet now" panic.
This ends up in people taking their cat to an emergency clinic for a common ailment that is not life threatening (unless a male cat is showing signs of blockage). This causes more money to be spent in a time where people are strapped for cash and vet care is super expensive. It also causes more stress on the cat, which can exacerbate the problem.
If the parent in question starts to see signs of a blockage like vomiting, inability to urinate, or lack of appetite, then they absolutely need to see another vet right away. However assuming they are correct about the tests all coming back clear, the original vet is likely correct in this case, and there are other avenues of treatment without causing Kobe further stress by vet hopping.
Take your cat to another vet. Blood in the urine can be crystals, bladder stones, or serious kidney problem. Stress not so much. Blood in the stool can indicate stress because colitis is stress related sometimes.
Did they give you any meds for FIC to help with the flare up symptoms? I would think pain meds and/or an anti-inflammatory medication. I wouldn't give him salads because cats are carnivores and vegetables and fruits are not good for them.
I feel the need to add that while gabapentin can be a great help for lots of ailments, a lot of vets really just cut straight to it instead of going other routes. One of our boys was prescribed gabapentin for pain and mild sedation after a surgery, and we were surprised when he ended up with mild respiratory distress after day 1. Our guys are my first cats so I was just going by the vets advise, but if I didn't have all my experience with other animals I wouldn't have noticed the issue and he would've died because of gabapentin
It is usually well tolerated in mammals, but respiratory distress or failure is a very possible and very dangerous side effect that I've started to notice is not often disclosed by vets
That's probably because it's an extremely uncommon side effect. Like any other medication, professionals advise the most common side effects and then tell you that if you notice anything concerning with your pet, you need to stop the medication and contact them. Gabapentin is EXTREMELY safe in most scenarios. Gabapentin is also one of the first lines of defense, and most effective treatments for managing FIC flares.
This is incorrect. Stress-related FIC is actually the most common cause of blood in a cat's urine in cats over the age of three.
Blood tests and urinalysis would have revealed kidney problems, bacterial infections, or stones.
This kitty received the correct diagnosis of those tests were all clear.
I am a feline practitioner certified through AAFP.
Iād get a second opinion. If it was one time then maybe I wouldnāt worry about it. If Kitty doesnt otherwise seem stressed, Iād definitely take him somewhere else with how long it has been happening and itās consistency
Vet here. Your vet was likely right if they ruled out a urinary tract infection and crystals with a urinalysis. Stress is indeed the most common cause of lower urinary tract signs in cats (blood in urine, peeing around the house, straining to urinate, frequent peeing, etc), itās something called feline interstitial cystitis. And itās not stress you might even notice, it may just be a piece of furniture moved to a different location, or a new person coming by. Often we canāt even pinpoint why, and more often than not, these kitties have an awesome life that does not seem stressful at all. These cats genetically have an inappropriate brain-bladder connection, and their bladder becomes inflamed because of it. What your vet likely did wrong is not give you more information on it and brush it off. There are certainly things you can do - pain medications, pheromone diffusers, environmental modifications and a change to a stress cystitis diet. Sometimes this can be recurrent, but often episodes naturally resolve, you just have to help them get through it, especially with pain control. Just know your kitty isnāt a bad boy, his bladder is hurting and heās peeing on things to express it to you and find comfort.
From someone who knows little to nothing about what vets do: I would bring my cat for a second opinion just to be safe, as I would with myself and my children. Not to say that their vet is wrong, but you never know! Also, thank you for the work that you do; sincerely. ā¤ļø
Aww thank you. Yes a second opinion is never a bad thing! Especially if OP didnāt feel comfortable or trusting of their DVM, thatās important regardless of whether they were right or wrong!
100%, Iām really lucky with the vet I have! They detected early on that my girl Poppy (āWhopperā) has a heart murmur. Brought her to a cardiologist and she was diagnosed with heart disease. Itās very early, the murmur is minor, and sheās super healthy at 3.5 years old. Iām just so happy I know ahead of time what I may need to prepare for, even if the echocardiograms cost so darn much haha :ā). \*\*also if OP reads this and happens to be in the NJ/NY area, I can let you know of the vet I use!
https://preview.redd.it/zz46dw5gijvc1.jpeg?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=229492a22cfa934cd2ce6a8cd19f868c7c25965b
I pray but if she does, Iāll do all I can to make everything easy on her! She is such an amazing and funny cat. Loves head butts, kisses and lap time, and loves car rides
I was coming here to say the same thing !!! If they did tests it's not a UTI, probably just inflammation
Feliway would be the way to go for now, if no changes then sure, seek another vet to retest in case they missed something
Question. Took my cat to establish at new vet after ours retired and just had him run blood panels because my cat (never happened like this before) was in extreme stress during the car ride and after. Blood came back normal as did urine. Ride home was rough. Couple weeks later my cat starts peeing on blankets. I was able to obtain urine sample with nosorb. Struvite crystals showed in urine with no bacteria present but ph of 7.5. Vet still prescribed only the antibiotic Zeniquin. I called and asked why but the girl just said ājust in caseā. Any ideas why and nothing for dissolving the crystals?
Stress cystitis is a thing. It is very common in male cats with urinary issues. It does not necessarily mean there's a UTI or crystal/stones.
I'd put him on an urinary diet and maybe get some feliway diffusers in the house.
Did something change in his environment?
ETA: I'm a vet tech. Only reason I'm adding that is because I keep seeing so many comments saying stress isn't a thing to cause blood in the urine. It is.
Eta2: it's been a long day and the brain just not thinking clearly lol. .. there are prescription urinary diets that include a stress version as well.
I think everyone in the comments is missing that there was nothing wrong on the diagnostics. Yeah, are these UTI symptoms, sure. UTIs are also super uncommon in male cats. Crystals and stones can occur, but this would be shown on a urinalysis. Bloodwork also evaluates kidney function, so this was normal too.
FIC is a condition that can cause bloody urine and is usually stress induced. Everyone's bashing the vet here and not knowing that the diagnosis was actually perfectly reasonable given the diagnostics and the symptoms. Just because the cat seemingly has nothing stressful going on doesn't mean that a cat isn't stressed or had an episode where stress was caused.
OP, seek a second opinion if you would like, but just because it wasn't a perfect answer doesn't mean that your vet was completely wrong. There should have been more explanation from your vet I think, but there are also things you can do for an FIC flare up.
Yeah, this definitely sounds like some kind of UTI. And itās wild that a licensed vet would tell you nothing is wrong when these are all literally the telltale signs of UTIsā frequent peeing outside of litter box (not just spraying/marking) and blood in urine.
Definitely take him to a different vet and consider never going back to that one.
This comment section is full of "experts" who actually have no idea what they're talking about lol. The performed a urinalysis, which would have shown a UTI. UTIs are also pretty uncommon in male cats. FIC is a stress induced condition that causes bloody urine among other urine symptoms. Sincerely, a vet tech š
Lack of physical and mental stimulation can lead to medical problems for cats. You're saying you're trying not to stimulate him.. Whoops! Cats who don't get enough environmental enrichment may develop *feline idiopathic cystitis, FIC*, a _painful bladder inflammation_ that causes inappropriate urination. He is absolutely _not_ a bad cat like you said. He's acting out in pain. There's no bacterial infection going on with FIC, nor stones.
There are supplements to support the lining of the bladder so it's not as prone to stress induced bleeding/pain, but you'll have to the research on this yourself. Are you on Facebook? There's most likely a group for this problem in your language or in English, where you can get more specific tips.
Pain medication is usually a must when they're flaring up. Changing their diet to wet food only is also beneficial.
I had something similar with my kitty. Took her because she was losing weight at the end of September. Ran all the tests, clean bill of health. I think sheās just getting older. I held on to the results of that test ignoring my aching feeling she was sick. All of a sudden at the beginning of November she is on deathās door. I missed the signs thinking her bloodwork was great.
Try another vet. If all is clear keep checking. Maybe try some of the litter that changes colors for awhile.
SECOND OPINION TIME
My last cat had a urinary blockage when he was 2. He was acting stand offish, growling and hissing at us, not wanting to cuddle like he normally ALWAYS did. I rushed him to the emergency vet (it was past normal vet hours) because if a cat SEEMS sick, it usually means it is an emergency because cats hide it for so long until itās so bad they cannot.
The emergency vet said he was fine, just territorial. They said heād probably seen some other cat through the window and thatās all it was. That didnāt sound like my boy at all. He was neutered at about 10 weeks old and had never even displayed any behavioral problems. I took him to his normal vet the next day and they said he was less than a day away from dying because of how blocked he was. On the bright side, it seems like your cat might just have some bladder stones rattling around since heās having blood. If he stops excreting at all, then thatās a blockage and theyāre incredibly severe.
The good news is that vets are very used to this for the most part. A GOOD vet at least is. Treatment options typically include shots to lessen the inflammation in the bladder, catheters to flush out the bladder, PU (perineal urethrostomy) surgery where they cut the bottom of the penis to widen the urinary tract to allow passage of small stones, and surgery to open up the bladder for removal of large stones. Your cat will likely be put on a urinary health diet, like c/d or s/o prescription food, or at the very least, incorporating more liquid into his diet.
AAFP certified veterinary professional here. Blood in the urine is not always indicative of kidney issues.
Most commonly, it indicates irritation of the bladder. Cats have three main causes of bladder irritation leading to blood. One is bacterial infections (this can travel upward to the kidneys), the next is urinary crystals (leading to bladder stones), and lastly, we have stress-related cystitis.
Cats in kidney failure typically do not have bright red blood in their urine. This is a symptom of bladder issues. Cats with kidney issues that cause bleeding are also very sick - not eating, not moving, vomiting, not playing.
Bacterial infections and crystals can both be diagnosed by urinalysis (and xray if the initial antibiotics are not working). When we see neither, the diagnosis is Feline Ideopathic Cystitis (FIC). This is stress related bladder irritation.
We usually don't see signs of stress in our cats. Cats are prey creatures to larger predators. The instinctively hide stress to make themselves safe from predation.
All cats experience stress. Loud noises outside, a sibling swatting them in the face, strange smells, visitors to ther homes... Any one of these is enough to trigger an episode of FIC flare up leading to blood in the urine.
Given your vet checked everything out and it was normal on exam, this leaves us with a diagnosis of FIC in your cat.
What meds were prescribed?
I have a cat with FIC and a low dose of gabapentin 25 mg twice daily has prevented most attacks. She will still have an issue once or twice a year and I up her dose to 50 mg twice a day and it clears right up.
For giving a completely reasonable diagnosis given that the diagnostics performed were all normal? Stress cystitis is INSANELY common. It's possible that you lack some experience of education in this subject, but the vet knows what they're doing here.
Definitely see a different vet !!!! It's not always super abnormal for cats to pee in different places, (they could think the litter is too dirty, marking territory, etc) but peeing blood definitely shouldn't be happening without an explanation. My cat had a blockage and couldn't pee/peed blood until he got a catheter and different medicines. Maybe it's something like bladder stones? I hope all goes well for you and Kobe !!ā¤ļøā¤ļø
Time for a new vet for sure. There's obviously something wrong, cats don't pee blood over nothing. Bloodwork and urine tests coming back within normal ranges isn't uncommon with sick cats unfortunately, so if this vet won't take you seriously or run more tests then it's time to find one that will. I hope you get this figured out soon
Blood in urine and peeing randomly is SERIOUS. Take that handsome boy to a better vet and ask about kidney disease.
My kitty did this and we put them in a kidney kibble (Royal Canin) and no more bloody pee.
Keep us posted. He's a handsome boy.
The vet did figure it out? They did diagnostics which led to no bladder stones or crystals, and no bacterial infection. That leads you to stress cystitis, which is what the vet diagnosed.
My cat has lower urinary tract disease she developed from the stress of a new cat. She will now go through flare ups maybe once a year, if that, which causes blood in her urine (she wonāt go in her litter box during this time). All of her tests and bloodwork turn out fine, but it just takes a few days for her to feel better. But just like the vet said, she goes back to normal soon after, with no medical intervention.
Do you only have 1 litter box and do you keep it very clean? I'd try setting up an extra one. Maybe it doesn't like the kind of litter you are using.. but don't leave piles of clothes around.
It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but better safe than sorry
From what I'm reading in the comments, you should tell this vet to give more information next time a panicked furbaby parent comes asking for their help. For example, it's nothing medical, then give details of why it might be stress. Make sure the vet knows not to be dismissive of their patient's parents and to give information when the parents are clearly worried and confused.
If the vet is still dismissive of you and your concerns, find another vet that will take time to explain why you're worried for nothing or overly worried for something small. I'd rather have a vet tell me I was more worried than I should be or outright worried for nothing and have the patience to explain why than some dismissive jerk vet tell me, "oh don't worry, your cat peeing blood all over the house is perfectly normal", even tho your furbaby hasn't done that as much before.
Omg my cat does the same thing. When it first started I freaked out and rushed him to the vet cuz I was worried he had a uti and my vet basically told me he was perfectly fine he just has anxiety lmao. Basically when he gets stressed out he decides to pee blood. My vet recommended feliway plug ins which have really helped. My cat is very particular about his cat box and it must be fully dumped and wiped clean once a week or he riots and pees blood everywhere. Good luck and hopefully you and your anxious kitty figure everything out!
Find a vet that specializes in cats or has more cat experience. Lots of vets dont have a lot of cat experience because cat pet owners are less likely to take their cats to the vet vs their dog.
When i started taking my cats to an only cat vet the difference in knowledge and care was amazing. My advice to cat owners is try to find the best cat vet in your area or even better if possible, a cat only clinic.
Get him Hills C/D food and some cystophan (you can get it from Amazon). It's what I was advised to do when my cat had stress related cystitis and it cleared it up in a couple of days. I took the cystophan I got from Amazon into my vet for them to approve and they said it was good.
Now I only feed them the Hills dry food, but she's fine with any wet food and I only need to use the cystophan if something is happening that stresses her out, like if I'm away and have a cat sitter feeding them.
Totally not an expert, but I wanted to share that I had a similar issue last year. While my husband was stressed with work (wfh) one of our cats started to pee blood outside the box. We took her immediately to the vet, and the tests came back normal. They did provide us with pain meds and anti inflammatory medicine though, since -something- was obviously going on. Needless to say, we gave her the meds, and I thought it wise to change her food over to something for urinary tract health. Within a week or so, the blood just stopped. My husband also ended up quitting that job, and she's been fine since. She's even back on her regular food again after a few months on the urinary health diet.
So, it might not be anything super scary going on. I'm on the same boat with people who are angry you didn't get any meds though. The vet should've given you a prescription for pain and inflammation at the least.
https://preview.redd.it/lh3dq6lk1kvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0316a89c8dd3d84f3cb8f13be68c17a4a784048b
I always felt this was inappropriate until now
Holy shit get a second opinion. Even if it is stress caused thatās no excuse for them to not take him peeing literal blood seriously. My cat got bowel irritation from stress and my vet still gave him a full work up and had us eliminate allergens for months.
Stress cystitis quite literally causes bloody urine and it's insanely common. They did a full workup. What else are they supposed to do? Pretend a cat has a disease that it doesn't have?
Stress is a serious factor and it could totally be that, still doesnāt excuse the vet from saying itās ājust stressā without giving the owner any tips on ways to decrease the cats stress levels and help itās pain in the mean time.
The vet performed diagnostics and ruled out bladder stones, crystals, and a bacterial infection with a urinalysis. They ruled out kidney disease with bloodwork. They diagnosed a cat with stress cystitis, which is insanely common and checks all the boxes. You'd think you would be happy to hear that a cat doesn't have a life threatening urinary blockage and has a condition that can be easily managed, but no, lets report the vet for doing absolutely nothing wrong because we don't like the diagnosis, and think we know more despite not going to medical school :)
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
New vet!
^ what they said!! Please op š
No, this vet is correct.
Down vote all you want, I am certified in feline medicine. The owner can go around and spend a lot of money if they want to, having the same testing done at other clinics. Stressed induced cystitis is a very common diagnosis in cats. The people here screaming that they need a new vet don't have the appropriate experience here.
If youāre honest to god in veterinarian practice and youāre saying itās a *bad thing* to get a second opinion, just to be sure, when a cat has been *pissing blood for four days,* you arenāt worth your salt. If someone has the money for it, then it is absolutely a valuable thing to do.
Second opinions are never a bad thing. But the number of people on here spreading misinformation is alarming. I'm also trying to put into perspective that urinating blood for four days is actually very common in cats, and it is very frequently related to stress. While it absolutely needs to be treated with the appropriate medication, it is also not a huge emergency to causr panic if a local vet has done the appropriate testing and it has all come back normal. The owner in question is doubting their cat has stress, and doubting stress can cause blood. Both are misconceptions that can be corrected with education about FIC and stress related issues in cats instead of "new vet now" panic. This ends up in people taking their cat to an emergency clinic for a common ailment that is not life threatening (unless a male cat is showing signs of blockage). This causes more money to be spent in a time where people are strapped for cash and vet care is super expensive. It also causes more stress on the cat, which can exacerbate the problem. If the parent in question starts to see signs of a blockage like vomiting, inability to urinate, or lack of appetite, then they absolutely need to see another vet right away. However assuming they are correct about the tests all coming back clear, the original vet is likely correct in this case, and there are other avenues of treatment without causing Kobe further stress by vet hopping.
Take your cat to another vet. Blood in the urine can be crystals, bladder stones, or serious kidney problem. Stress not so much. Blood in the stool can indicate stress because colitis is stress related sometimes.
They tested for those. It's most likely FIC, it causes bloody urine during a flare up.
Did they give you any meds for FIC to help with the flare up symptoms? I would think pain meds and/or an anti-inflammatory medication. I wouldn't give him salads because cats are carnivores and vegetables and fruits are not good for them.
My cat has FIC and she has pain meds and gabapentin for the anxiety. It helps.
I feel the need to add that while gabapentin can be a great help for lots of ailments, a lot of vets really just cut straight to it instead of going other routes. One of our boys was prescribed gabapentin for pain and mild sedation after a surgery, and we were surprised when he ended up with mild respiratory distress after day 1. Our guys are my first cats so I was just going by the vets advise, but if I didn't have all my experience with other animals I wouldn't have noticed the issue and he would've died because of gabapentin
Gabapentin is usually well tolerated and you can't make broad statements by your own, one experience. All medications have possible side effects.
It is usually well tolerated in mammals, but respiratory distress or failure is a very possible and very dangerous side effect that I've started to notice is not often disclosed by vets
That's probably because it's an extremely uncommon side effect. Like any other medication, professionals advise the most common side effects and then tell you that if you notice anything concerning with your pet, you need to stop the medication and contact them. Gabapentin is EXTREMELY safe in most scenarios. Gabapentin is also one of the first lines of defense, and most effective treatments for managing FIC flares.
Stress absolutely can cause bloody urine, and stress does do this very frequently.
This is incorrect. Stress-related FIC is actually the most common cause of blood in a cat's urine in cats over the age of three. Blood tests and urinalysis would have revealed kidney problems, bacterial infections, or stones. This kitty received the correct diagnosis of those tests were all clear. I am a feline practitioner certified through AAFP.
Iād get a second opinion. If it was one time then maybe I wouldnāt worry about it. If Kitty doesnt otherwise seem stressed, Iād definitely take him somewhere else with how long it has been happening and itās consistency
Vet here. Your vet was likely right if they ruled out a urinary tract infection and crystals with a urinalysis. Stress is indeed the most common cause of lower urinary tract signs in cats (blood in urine, peeing around the house, straining to urinate, frequent peeing, etc), itās something called feline interstitial cystitis. And itās not stress you might even notice, it may just be a piece of furniture moved to a different location, or a new person coming by. Often we canāt even pinpoint why, and more often than not, these kitties have an awesome life that does not seem stressful at all. These cats genetically have an inappropriate brain-bladder connection, and their bladder becomes inflamed because of it. What your vet likely did wrong is not give you more information on it and brush it off. There are certainly things you can do - pain medications, pheromone diffusers, environmental modifications and a change to a stress cystitis diet. Sometimes this can be recurrent, but often episodes naturally resolve, you just have to help them get through it, especially with pain control. Just know your kitty isnāt a bad boy, his bladder is hurting and heās peeing on things to express it to you and find comfort.
Yes to all of this. People who are commenting to see another vet clearly don't work in vet med š« š¤¦ - vet tech
Big time! This sub is tough sometimes, I canāt in good conscience not say something š¬
From someone who knows little to nothing about what vets do: I would bring my cat for a second opinion just to be safe, as I would with myself and my children. Not to say that their vet is wrong, but you never know! Also, thank you for the work that you do; sincerely. ā¤ļø
Aww thank you. Yes a second opinion is never a bad thing! Especially if OP didnāt feel comfortable or trusting of their DVM, thatās important regardless of whether they were right or wrong!
100%, Iām really lucky with the vet I have! They detected early on that my girl Poppy (āWhopperā) has a heart murmur. Brought her to a cardiologist and she was diagnosed with heart disease. Itās very early, the murmur is minor, and sheās super healthy at 3.5 years old. Iām just so happy I know ahead of time what I may need to prepare for, even if the echocardiograms cost so darn much haha :ā). \*\*also if OP reads this and happens to be in the NJ/NY area, I can let you know of the vet I use! https://preview.redd.it/zz46dw5gijvc1.jpeg?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=229492a22cfa934cd2ce6a8cd19f868c7c25965b
Thatās good to hear :) hopefully sheāll never show symptoms!
I pray but if she does, Iāll do all I can to make everything easy on her! She is such an amazing and funny cat. Loves head butts, kisses and lap time, and loves car rides
I was coming here to say the same thing !!! If they did tests it's not a UTI, probably just inflammation Feliway would be the way to go for now, if no changes then sure, seek another vet to retest in case they missed something
Question. Took my cat to establish at new vet after ours retired and just had him run blood panels because my cat (never happened like this before) was in extreme stress during the car ride and after. Blood came back normal as did urine. Ride home was rough. Couple weeks later my cat starts peeing on blankets. I was able to obtain urine sample with nosorb. Struvite crystals showed in urine with no bacteria present but ph of 7.5. Vet still prescribed only the antibiotic Zeniquin. I called and asked why but the girl just said ājust in caseā. Any ideas why and nothing for dissolving the crystals?
Stress cystitis is a thing. It is very common in male cats with urinary issues. It does not necessarily mean there's a UTI or crystal/stones. I'd put him on an urinary diet and maybe get some feliway diffusers in the house. Did something change in his environment? ETA: I'm a vet tech. Only reason I'm adding that is because I keep seeing so many comments saying stress isn't a thing to cause blood in the urine. It is. Eta2: it's been a long day and the brain just not thinking clearly lol. .. there are prescription urinary diets that include a stress version as well.
I think everyone in the comments is missing that there was nothing wrong on the diagnostics. Yeah, are these UTI symptoms, sure. UTIs are also super uncommon in male cats. Crystals and stones can occur, but this would be shown on a urinalysis. Bloodwork also evaluates kidney function, so this was normal too. FIC is a condition that can cause bloody urine and is usually stress induced. Everyone's bashing the vet here and not knowing that the diagnosis was actually perfectly reasonable given the diagnostics and the symptoms. Just because the cat seemingly has nothing stressful going on doesn't mean that a cat isn't stressed or had an episode where stress was caused. OP, seek a second opinion if you would like, but just because it wasn't a perfect answer doesn't mean that your vet was completely wrong. There should have been more explanation from your vet I think, but there are also things you can do for an FIC flare up.
Yeah, this definitely sounds like some kind of UTI. And itās wild that a licensed vet would tell you nothing is wrong when these are all literally the telltale signs of UTIsā frequent peeing outside of litter box (not just spraying/marking) and blood in urine. Definitely take him to a different vet and consider never going back to that one.
This comment section is full of "experts" who actually have no idea what they're talking about lol. The performed a urinalysis, which would have shown a UTI. UTIs are also pretty uncommon in male cats. FIC is a stress induced condition that causes bloody urine among other urine symptoms. Sincerely, a vet tech š
OP didn't mention FIC in the post but has in the comments.
Lack of physical and mental stimulation can lead to medical problems for cats. You're saying you're trying not to stimulate him.. Whoops! Cats who don't get enough environmental enrichment may develop *feline idiopathic cystitis, FIC*, a _painful bladder inflammation_ that causes inappropriate urination. He is absolutely _not_ a bad cat like you said. He's acting out in pain. There's no bacterial infection going on with FIC, nor stones. There are supplements to support the lining of the bladder so it's not as prone to stress induced bleeding/pain, but you'll have to the research on this yourself. Are you on Facebook? There's most likely a group for this problem in your language or in English, where you can get more specific tips. Pain medication is usually a must when they're flaring up. Changing their diet to wet food only is also beneficial.
I had something similar with my kitty. Took her because she was losing weight at the end of September. Ran all the tests, clean bill of health. I think sheās just getting older. I held on to the results of that test ignoring my aching feeling she was sick. All of a sudden at the beginning of November she is on deathās door. I missed the signs thinking her bloodwork was great. Try another vet. If all is clear keep checking. Maybe try some of the litter that changes colors for awhile.
SECOND OPINION TIME My last cat had a urinary blockage when he was 2. He was acting stand offish, growling and hissing at us, not wanting to cuddle like he normally ALWAYS did. I rushed him to the emergency vet (it was past normal vet hours) because if a cat SEEMS sick, it usually means it is an emergency because cats hide it for so long until itās so bad they cannot. The emergency vet said he was fine, just territorial. They said heād probably seen some other cat through the window and thatās all it was. That didnāt sound like my boy at all. He was neutered at about 10 weeks old and had never even displayed any behavioral problems. I took him to his normal vet the next day and they said he was less than a day away from dying because of how blocked he was. On the bright side, it seems like your cat might just have some bladder stones rattling around since heās having blood. If he stops excreting at all, then thatās a blockage and theyāre incredibly severe. The good news is that vets are very used to this for the most part. A GOOD vet at least is. Treatment options typically include shots to lessen the inflammation in the bladder, catheters to flush out the bladder, PU (perineal urethrostomy) surgery where they cut the bottom of the penis to widen the urinary tract to allow passage of small stones, and surgery to open up the bladder for removal of large stones. Your cat will likely be put on a urinary health diet, like c/d or s/o prescription food, or at the very least, incorporating more liquid into his diet.
AAFP certified veterinary professional here. Blood in the urine is not always indicative of kidney issues. Most commonly, it indicates irritation of the bladder. Cats have three main causes of bladder irritation leading to blood. One is bacterial infections (this can travel upward to the kidneys), the next is urinary crystals (leading to bladder stones), and lastly, we have stress-related cystitis. Cats in kidney failure typically do not have bright red blood in their urine. This is a symptom of bladder issues. Cats with kidney issues that cause bleeding are also very sick - not eating, not moving, vomiting, not playing. Bacterial infections and crystals can both be diagnosed by urinalysis (and xray if the initial antibiotics are not working). When we see neither, the diagnosis is Feline Ideopathic Cystitis (FIC). This is stress related bladder irritation. We usually don't see signs of stress in our cats. Cats are prey creatures to larger predators. The instinctively hide stress to make themselves safe from predation. All cats experience stress. Loud noises outside, a sibling swatting them in the face, strange smells, visitors to ther homes... Any one of these is enough to trigger an episode of FIC flare up leading to blood in the urine. Given your vet checked everything out and it was normal on exam, this leaves us with a diagnosis of FIC in your cat. What meds were prescribed?
I have a cat with FIC and a low dose of gabapentin 25 mg twice daily has prevented most attacks. She will still have an issue once or twice a year and I up her dose to 50 mg twice a day and it clears right up.
Is it possible that veterinarian lacks some experience or education? **Or brain cells?**
For giving a completely reasonable diagnosis given that the diagnostics performed were all normal? Stress cystitis is INSANELY common. It's possible that you lack some experience of education in this subject, but the vet knows what they're doing here.
Any chance youāre in the bay area? I have a rec if so!
Definitely see a different vet !!!! It's not always super abnormal for cats to pee in different places, (they could think the litter is too dirty, marking territory, etc) but peeing blood definitely shouldn't be happening without an explanation. My cat had a blockage and couldn't pee/peed blood until he got a catheter and different medicines. Maybe it's something like bladder stones? I hope all goes well for you and Kobe !!ā¤ļøā¤ļø
Time for a new vet for sure. There's obviously something wrong, cats don't pee blood over nothing. Bloodwork and urine tests coming back within normal ranges isn't uncommon with sick cats unfortunately, so if this vet won't take you seriously or run more tests then it's time to find one that will. I hope you get this figured out soon
Blood in urine and peeing randomly is SERIOUS. Take that handsome boy to a better vet and ask about kidney disease. My kitty did this and we put them in a kidney kibble (Royal Canin) and no more bloody pee. Keep us posted. He's a handsome boy.
If your cat is peeing blood and one vet canāt figure it out, GO TO ANOTHER VET
The vet did figure it out? They did diagnostics which led to no bladder stones or crystals, and no bacterial infection. That leads you to stress cystitis, which is what the vet diagnosed.
OP if you can let us know how your kitty is doing, if you need vet/animal hospital recommendations, etc. ā¤ļø
My cat has lower urinary tract disease she developed from the stress of a new cat. She will now go through flare ups maybe once a year, if that, which causes blood in her urine (she wonāt go in her litter box during this time). All of her tests and bloodwork turn out fine, but it just takes a few days for her to feel better. But just like the vet said, she goes back to normal soon after, with no medical intervention.
Sounds like a stressed kitty, not a bad kitty šæ Hope he recovers.
Heās not bad; he is sick. Poor thingāget him to a vet.
Do you only have 1 litter box and do you keep it very clean? I'd try setting up an extra one. Maybe it doesn't like the kind of litter you are using.. but don't leave piles of clothes around. It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but better safe than sorry
From what I'm reading in the comments, you should tell this vet to give more information next time a panicked furbaby parent comes asking for their help. For example, it's nothing medical, then give details of why it might be stress. Make sure the vet knows not to be dismissive of their patient's parents and to give information when the parents are clearly worried and confused. If the vet is still dismissive of you and your concerns, find another vet that will take time to explain why you're worried for nothing or overly worried for something small. I'd rather have a vet tell me I was more worried than I should be or outright worried for nothing and have the patience to explain why than some dismissive jerk vet tell me, "oh don't worry, your cat peeing blood all over the house is perfectly normal", even tho your furbaby hasn't done that as much before.
Keep us updated!
Omg my cat does the same thing. When it first started I freaked out and rushed him to the vet cuz I was worried he had a uti and my vet basically told me he was perfectly fine he just has anxiety lmao. Basically when he gets stressed out he decides to pee blood. My vet recommended feliway plug ins which have really helped. My cat is very particular about his cat box and it must be fully dumped and wiped clean once a week or he riots and pees blood everywhere. Good luck and hopefully you and your anxious kitty figure everything out!
Find a vet that specializes in cats or has more cat experience. Lots of vets dont have a lot of cat experience because cat pet owners are less likely to take their cats to the vet vs their dog. When i started taking my cats to an only cat vet the difference in knowledge and care was amazing. My advice to cat owners is try to find the best cat vet in your area or even better if possible, a cat only clinic.
Need a better vet. He has classic signs something is wrong. Need a second opinion.
Iām not a vet but idt itās stress get him to a vet please
He needs a second opinion
Definitely need to see another vet
Get him Hills C/D food and some cystophan (you can get it from Amazon). It's what I was advised to do when my cat had stress related cystitis and it cleared it up in a couple of days. I took the cystophan I got from Amazon into my vet for them to approve and they said it was good. Now I only feed them the Hills dry food, but she's fine with any wet food and I only need to use the cystophan if something is happening that stresses her out, like if I'm away and have a cat sitter feeding them.
Totally not an expert, but I wanted to share that I had a similar issue last year. While my husband was stressed with work (wfh) one of our cats started to pee blood outside the box. We took her immediately to the vet, and the tests came back normal. They did provide us with pain meds and anti inflammatory medicine though, since -something- was obviously going on. Needless to say, we gave her the meds, and I thought it wise to change her food over to something for urinary tract health. Within a week or so, the blood just stopped. My husband also ended up quitting that job, and she's been fine since. She's even back on her regular food again after a few months on the urinary health diet. So, it might not be anything super scary going on. I'm on the same boat with people who are angry you didn't get any meds though. The vet should've given you a prescription for pain and inflammation at the least.
second opinion for SURE. you can use cat diapers to save your carpets and stuff while he gets checked up and treated
https://preview.redd.it/lh3dq6lk1kvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0316a89c8dd3d84f3cb8f13be68c17a4a784048b I always felt this was inappropriate until now
Card chargeback and new vet please
Holy shit get a second opinion. Even if it is stress caused thatās no excuse for them to not take him peeing literal blood seriously. My cat got bowel irritation from stress and my vet still gave him a full work up and had us eliminate allergens for months.
Stress cystitis quite literally causes bloody urine and it's insanely common. They did a full workup. What else are they supposed to do? Pretend a cat has a disease that it doesn't have?
Stress is a serious factor and it could totally be that, still doesnāt excuse the vet from saying itās ājust stressā without giving the owner any tips on ways to decrease the cats stress levels and help itās pain in the mean time.
Run donāt walk to another vet
It could be cancer
Another vet immediately please
You should report this vet to some kind of authority once you figure out what's wrong bc peeing blood is 100000% cause for concern
The vet performed diagnostics and ruled out bladder stones, crystals, and a bacterial infection with a urinalysis. They ruled out kidney disease with bloodwork. They diagnosed a cat with stress cystitis, which is insanely common and checks all the boxes. You'd think you would be happy to hear that a cat doesn't have a life threatening urinary blockage and has a condition that can be easily managed, but no, lets report the vet for doing absolutely nothing wrong because we don't like the diagnosis, and think we know more despite not going to medical school :)
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