UTI/blockage in male cat--the vet bill! OMG!

[Pancakes]

I work small animal emergency - and our clinic isn’t cheap, but $2700 is HIGH for just hospitalization, meds, and catheterization.
For $1400-$1800, you can get bloodwork (chem or iStat), radiographs, and 2-3 days in the hospital with catherization and medical management at our place.
MAYBE $2200 if another day is needed.

I guess if we added things like full bloodwork (CBC/Chem), serial blood gas measurements to check pH, radiographs, maybe urine culture/sensitivity, maybe abdominal ultrasound, then it might add up to be that much?

[Calvincrowe]

So, picked up Theo today, and got a refund of $200–so $2500. The itemized bill ran to two pages of meds, procedures and labor. He has antibiotics, pain meds and an antispasmodic for his bladder. Who doesn’t love giving pills to cats? :lol: Vet said he’s been peeing well on his own for nearly 24 hours, no reblockage and has been easy to medicate. Let’s hope that continues!

I am letting him wander and reacquaint himself with his buddies and the house, but vet wants him isolated so I can monitor his urine output and water intake. He’s been drinking, but not eating so far. I’m really hoping he takes to the spare room, because I need some sleep!

[eohippus]

My cat loves the Greenies Pill Pockets. He has no idea that he has been getting meds for the past month or so.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

That would be insanely high here.

I spent about 3k on x-rays, emergency obstruction surgery on the stomach and intestines (so everything that goes with surgery) with subsequent complications (dog’s vitals crashed–had been on steroids for allergies), tons of bloodwork, and several days (like 4?) after-care at a vet hospital and a month of antibiotics. Then I had weekly check-ups for a month (the wound completely opened up post-op…like I’m pretty sure I was looking at a liver…and had to heal from the inside-out). Of course I spent about $500 on just bandages on top of that (flushing and re-wraping several times daily–it drained constantly). That was in 2011 I think.

[SquishTheBunny]

Don’t forget when comparing prices LOCATION has a big impact.

In some places a 4 bedroom new house on 1 acre is $350,000 and other places it’s $3.5 million. .
Large wealthy cities are generally going to have higher prices as their costs (payment to rent, staff etc) are considerably higher.

[TKR]

Cats don’t drink enough water. Adding wet (canned) cat food to your cat’s diet can make a HUGE difference. I had a male cat that blocked several times before we added canned. Good luck!
PennyG

[Grace67]

I’m reading this thread with interest as we just adopted a young orange male tabby and brought him home with the food they have had him on which is Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach as he had some loose poo while in their care. He seems to be eating and drinking, peeing and pooping well but I’m always very much a “prevent if you can” type of pet owner.

Is there anything I can do to avoid UTIs in the future with our boy as they seem pretty common? We have not had an indoor kitty for nearly a decade and I’m finding all kinds of information and new products out there and I’m a bit overwhelmed. My first and only cat that we had growing up was a lovely female calico indoor/outdoor kitty who lived on the blue bag of Purina Cat Chow for 19 years and only went to the vet for annual shots and check up. The next two were indoor only kitties who I had for 14 and 16 years and were a bit more complex but no experience with UTIs in either of them.

[djangology]

[QUOTE=Grace67;8043275]
I’m reading this thread with interest as we just adopted a young orange male tabby and brought him home with the food they have had him on which is Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach as he had some loose poo while in their care. He seems to be eating and drinking, peeing and pooping well but I’m always very much a “prevent if you can” type of pet owner.

Is there anything I can do to avoid UTIs in the future with our boy as they seem pretty common? We have not had an indoor kitty for nearly a decade and I’m finding all kinds of information and new products out there and I’m a bit overwhelmed. My first and only cat that we had growing up was a lovely female calico indoor/outdoor kitty who lived on the blue bag of Purina Cat Chow for 19 years and only went to the vet for annual shots and check up. The next two were indoor only kitties who I had for 14 and 16 years and were a bit more complex but no experience with UTIs in either of them.[/QUOTE]

Male cat anatomy seems to put them at more risk of urinary disorders, unfortunately. The best things you can do is maintain good hydration- so feed wet food and provide regularly refreshed clean drinking water. Lots of people switch to fountains for this purpose.

Maintaining a healthy weight is also really important, as obese cats seem to be at more of a risk.

I’m a big fan of grain-free foods for cats, as they are obligate carnivores. I also strongly prefer wet foods, as cats evolved to get much of their moisture from their diet.

[Anne]

It is VERY important to clarify that 95% of young castrated male cats with urinary problems do NOT have a urinary tract infection/UTI.

They have feline lower urinary tract disease, feline urologic syndrome, whatever you want to call it, but NOT a true bacterial urinary tract infection.

Many veterinarians put these cats on antibiotics, especially if they have had an indwelling urinary catheter, but it is generally NOT a bacterial infection that starts this process. It’s a combination of stress and hydration.

[SLW]

OP- I’m glad your kitty is doing well after the unexpected illness. The price you shared is insanely high and must be related to where you live. I just went back work for a veterinarian in solo practice who does small animals and equines. I wish you lived here because she does her own emergencies. You would have had top notch treatment for your kitty for far less.

[Ghazzu]

[QUOTE=Calvincrowe;8037658]
I’m praying he does not reblock, as I am officially out of cat vet money. We have an elderly dog with weeping tumors we are buying time with maintenance care and a horse on some $$ maintenance as well. Sigh. Wish we could add them to our human insurance to cover all these expenses!!

Vet said yesterday that he had a bit of blood in his urine (expected) but great flow. I have to pick up an bladder anti-spasmodic med that has to be compounded at a human pharmacy. I’m sure that will be spendy. I think it was called “prevacin” or something similar. Hopefully, he’ll be ready to come home this afternoon. I miss my boy.

Oh, he’s not really fat, he’s a “round body type” cat, and quite large overall. Very active and we have put him on a diet.

What are the best products for feeding a cat prone to blockages? I’m sure vet will recommend one/several but the COTH community will have tested them for cat approval.[/QUOTE]

No dry food. Canned or fresh only.

[threedogpack]

I only have girl kitties for this very reason. I wonder (vets please chime in here) if feeding one meal of slurry (canned food with enough water to make it thin) is a good idea? Certainly would increase fluids, but don’t know if that would help. I suppose it depends on if the blockage is due to anatomical or diet reasons

[Calvincrowe]

Well, I can’t get Theo to eat canned food. Sigh. He used to, but now he just won’t. He’s feeling fine, seems to be peeing, though small amounts and more frequently. Monday I’ll head in to my regular vet and get his prescription diet going. I’ve been trying out different brands/types of canned and he’ll nibble but nothing is being eaten with gusto. Other cats are thrilled with the variety though. I did add another cat box, and it’s getting plenty of use, so clearly I needed more potty space than the two I had previously. Anyway, my regular vet also said to bring him in to them next time, that it would be substantially cheaper and they’d do the same treatment if needed. He felt the cat could have waited a few hours easily, to avoid the ER vet’s jacked prices.

[4beats]

This is why some people buy pet insurance but I’ve priced some of those plans out and they seem high as well.

$2700 for 2 days and a blockage. Wow.

I had our cat undergo a brain scan after what appeared to be a traumatic brain injury and the scan alone was $2000.

Nothing cheap about pet ownership these days!

[Acjkcs_owner]

Thank you so much to everybody who posted on this and other sites about their cats with blocked bladders. I have been thru the upset of this problem. I followed all the instructions from the vets medicated biscuits, and wet food that worked fairly well. I live in the UK in an area with poor water supply at the back of Lyme Regis the clue to my cats problem is in the name [lime] so I did a bit of thinking and checked out spring water from my local supermarket. Bottled water costs 8.5p per litre and has the contents printed on the label. The water I am using is very slightly acid 7.8 PH and contains various other chemicals such as magnesium about which I am not sure. To be on the safe side I double filter all my cats bottled water through my own water filter twice. He is better chases mice and rabbits but I know he is not completely his old self as he no longer climbs on the roof.

[Angela_Freda]

@Ghazzu

No dry food. Canned or fresh only.

And to canned food I add an equal amount of water… make it soupy.

WRT the bill, if the cat was on an IV for fluids that will also often run up the tab fast, for bags of fluid and the actual setup [needles, lines, etc]

[Callista17]

My Tavi was $1,800, no overnight, Christmas morning. He blocked at 2 years old, I was hoping for a fluke. I didn’t change the food (There was more to it.) At 10 years old blocked again. Then RC urinary so for all 4 cats.
He blocked Christmas morning they think because I paid $12,000 earlier for a new furnace.

[Cammie]

Don’t move to Los Angeles. Friend’s cat had a blockage 2 years ago, cost her $2300. Part regular vet, part emergency vet. Cat had a blockage again a few weeks ago- $4500. 4/27 -$400 for urine culture and antibiotic shot at regular vet. 4/28 Animal Emergency- more meds - $300. 5/7 Animal Emergency- $3800 3 night stay to remove blockage. It is painfully expensive here. :no:

[abrant]

I was worried about ending up with a boy kitty for this very reason.

He has insurance through Nationwide purchased on am employer exchange for a reasonable price ($20/month). Recently I did some research and switched to a primarily canned diet mixed with water. I also wash and refill the water 2x/day.

He did seem to get really obsessed with greens once I switched to a meat focused grain free diet (TikiCat Dark) (like the little dude stole and ate a piece of kale out of my salad, gross). I am switching them to Solid Gold to see if that helps.

[Calamber]

@SquishTheBunny

Don’t forget when comparing prices LOCATION has a big impact.

In some places a 4 bedroom new house on 1 acre is $350,000 and other places it’s $3.5 million. .
Large wealthy cities are generally going to have higher prices as their costs (payment to rent, staff etc) are considerably higher.

She is in Washougal Washington, unreal vet costs in Washington State in my experience, and no, Washougal is no where near any place which one would call an upscale urban area. We were an hour away from Seattle, and I attributed it to that although we lived in a one horse town when there, the real estate prices were high and even higher now.