Cat Stress = Urinary Problems- Need Calming Remedies?

[yankeeclipper]

Anyone else with a cat that gets stressed when you go away? I was gone literally for 31 hours. Cat stayed home. Dog came with me. The dog was adopted in Nov. 2015. I left on Saturday, returned on Sunday. Cat was cared for in my absence am & pm. Normal urine Sunday, reduced urine on Monday, more than usual litter box use Tuesday with no urine, trip to vet Wed because still no urine in box and started to use the rugs. Confirmed struvite crystals.

This is the 3rd or 4th time that he needed vet care following travel. I thought or hoped that staying home would be less stressful for him and it seemed to be working until this overnite trip. Last visit was Thanksgiving & Christmas just after dog adoption.

Good News new vet agrees it is triggered by stress.

What remedies do use to calm your stressed cat when you are away? Upcoming vacation, I will modify plans and leave the super social canine fur ball at home. He will not be very happy.

[IPEsq]

Have you tried Feliway?

[horsenut_8700]

ALL the Feliway lol. Wet food only diet should help too.

[Peggy]

Cosequin or anything else with hyaluronic acid (I use Trixsyn) helps with the idiopathic cystitis. Not sure if that applies here since you have crystals.

[yankeeclipper]

[QUOTE=Peggy;8735742]
Cosequin or anything else with hyaluronic acid (I use Trixsyn) helps with the idiopathic cystitis. Not sure if that applies here since you have crystals.[/QUOTE]

The vet recommended a calming supplement such as Rescue Remedy. She advised against plug-in types. I can ask her thoughts about Cosequin. He has had intestinal problems. This trip just caused mild urinary problems (i.e. no blockage) Inflammation was believed to be the cause for the lack of flow.

Since this seems to be situational and not a chronic day to day ailment, she recommended options that can be administered periodically… I’m looking for preventatives so when I travel I am paying for just pet care not vet and pet care on top of vacation. This trip cost $440.44. At least this vet did not insist on siphoning urine via ultrasound. The bladder leakage on the table sufficed.

The vet had no issues with the cat food. He is fed TC Feline, a premixed raw diet with organic ground turkey and no carbs.

[Simkie]

I would totally use the Feliway plug in. I’d also put a pheromone collar on the kitty.

Being that I am slightly crazy, I would seriously consider sub q fluids before departing, especially with a short trip.

Absolutely YES to cosequin.

Is there anything liquid that kitty really, really likes that can perhaps be given as a treat by your pet sitter?

Does he like catnip? Perhaps keeping him sorta stoned would also help.

[TC3200]

Prozac? It seemed very fast-acting on my cats. They appeared pretty “stoned” in no time flat. The female who was peeing on carpets and my bed due to extreme (like out of control) anxiety completely snapped out of it on day 3. The male who had aggression issues just laid around and slept a lot. I’m thinking it could be given short term to decrease the cat’s stress level while you are gone.

The vet also prescribed Dasequin (like Cosequin) for that same female for her urinary issues. It helps her arthritis, and also might help her bladder issues. She’s a much happier and more active and smoother moving cat while on Cosquin. I put her back on it and dropped the Prozac after she snapped out of her high anxiety.

[yankeeclipper]

It was not a good week for the feline fur ball. He had a total blockage today so he will be staying at the vets for 2-3 days with a catheter and monitoring. I will certainly discuss these options when I pick him up. Thank you for recommendations!

[TC3200]

Oh crap. Get well soon, kitty.

[Ruth0552]

So sorry to hear that. At least struvite crystals and stones can be dissolved. My lovely furball had calcium oxalate stones which must be removed surgically. GAH. (And is now diabetic. He’s complicated.)

Cosequin for felines contains 125 mg Glucosamine and 100 mg. Chondrotin. I do not think it has any hyrulanic acid. (Sorry my spelling is totally terrible.) In any case, it really does help. Another one of my cats has had idiopathic cystitis and he kept having bouts of it that lasted a couple weeks, then was fine for a few months, then another one. He chosen spot was MY BED. AND he had no crystals. I put him on Cosequin for about two years and once we started it, it never came back, thank god. After a couple years I weaned him off it and he has been fine since.

Have you had his urine checked when you haven’t just come home? I wonder if he has struvite crystals all the time but it only becomes a problem when you’re away and he is stressed. In that case, you might have to go to a prescription wet food.

[yankeeclipper]

He got struvite crystals once before when he first adopted me after being a stray and fed a gluten free high end dry cat food. I switched him to TC Feline and he has had no crystal problems until this week. All other medical care has been focused on intestinal / bowel problems. IBD type flare ups following travel in car. I started leaving him at home and he was fine until this last trip. My canine and feline fur balls get along very well considering they did not grow up together. The cat is about 7 or 8 yo, the dog about 3. I’ve only had the dog since November. It was fourth of July weekend. Perhaps the fireworks stressed him more than usual?

I can certainly have him tested in the Fall to check for crystals. He will be on the prescription wet food for at least a month or two. I’m supposed to be taking a multi day vacation soon and I am now really afraid to leave. This turned very serious in a few days, for a short overnite visit to my senior parents.

[Justmyluck]

[QUOTE=Peggy;8735742]
Cosequin or anything else with hyaluronic acid (I use Trixsyn) helps with the idiopathic cystitis. Not sure if that applies here since you have crystals.[/QUOTE]

It is glucosamine you need not hylaronic acid.

[Peggy]

[QUOTE=Justmyluck;8740318]
It is glucosamine you need not hylaronic acid.[/QUOTE]
A vet told me hyaluronic acid was better than glucosamine. Which I realize might not be the final word.

But according to this HA at least works.
http://www.protexinvet.com/mobile/science/374/stress-and-flutd

[yankeeclipper]

Yay. He is home and extremely happy about it. This not so snuggly kitty laid on top of me last night when I went to bed and was prepared to stay there all night. He settled for sleeping next to me. Poor guy. He had a rough week. He seems to be on the mend. Fingers crossed.

[Horsegal984]

For our really bad cats we suggest Dasaquin and Adequan injections. Both seem to work independently so together they are even better.

I would also look into high dose gabapentin for sedation/relaxation during stressful periods. Or Amitryptline, both work well in cats without the long waiting periods of Prozac or other SSRI’s

[TC3200]

Since it seems like you can’t win, maybe try periodically loading kitteh up and taking him for short car trips. The kind in which nothing happens except maybe sit in the parked car a bit and get a favorite food. Or ride around and just go back home. Leave cat carrier sit out on the floor at home with door removed, etc. Desensitize so that travel is not threatening. My cats all became good travelers because when my house was for sale I’d load them in the car and we’d go for chicken sandwiches and a cruise in the park for 3 hrs every Sunday when the real estate agent held open house. I did that because that agent was in cahoots with my ex husband and I didn’t trust him to not deliberately toss my indoor cats outside or worse. I’ve done that somewhat with the cat someone dumped at my house. It made all my cats more confident.