Pls help - cat w/use of all 4 legs & bladder nerve dmg

[amyestes]

Thank you so much Christine! We are back from the vet and I can tell she is feeling much better. I tried the ice cube method a couple of times before with no results, but I have not tried in the past few days since there has been all this seemingly promising activity. I will definitely try again; thank you for that suggestion! And the pumpkin! Have been meaning to add it and keep forgetting to pick some up. Thank you soooo much for the encouragement!

Amy

[cricketsmom]

That's wonderful that she's continuing to try using the litter box - both for wee and poop - and that the meds seem to be working well together. I would question the advice you got about only expressing once in 24 hours - that's far too long in my opinion. Feeding a wet diet also should produce more urine, not less... I'm not sure what his thought process was, but those things are not consistent with what other vets have told me. Two to three times would be more ideal. Anyway, I agree with the strategy you described of letting your cat tell you when she needs to go and helping her get empty. I would suggest feeling her bladder a few times a day, too, just to make sure she's not getting too full in between litter box trips. Cricket is expressed twice daily, and it seems to work well for her. However, I would change it to three if she ever developed a problem. Also, yes, like Carol said, if you ever have to bring a urine sample in to look for crystals, make plans in advance. It develops "fake" crystals just from standing, and at my current clinic, only a couple of us know how to read a urine sample, and we aren't always available to do it!
I don't have much to give you about the bowel concerns. Cricket does not produce very much fecal matter, but she is an easy keeper so she only gets a small amount of food twice a day. If she was able to eat any time she wanted, she'd probably be 20 pounds... 8) Her little turds just fall out whenever they want to, and occasionally I'll help them along if I feel them while expressing her or if they are about to come out. She wears cloth diapers to catch the poop balls during the day.
I don't have her on any meds right now because so far we haven't had any problems. I did start her on supplements this year, though. Glucosamine/Chondroitin is suggested to help keep the lining of the bladder healthy (not all resources agree, but it makes sense and it's good for their joints anyway), and omega 3's are supposed to help keep the kidneys healthy, among other things.
That's all I've got right now!

[amyestes]

Dear Carol --

Thank you. I really appreciate hearing some concern about the vet saying once a day might be enough - just didn't feel right to me. Since that one miraculous time when I felt I really got the bladder empty, we have not had the same success again. I am getting at least something every time. I think I am feeling the bladder moving around, so at least I am starting to get a feel for it. More practice is clearly the key, so I think I will set a schedule and stick to it to be safe for now.

THANK YOU!!!

Amy

[amyestes]

Thank you Cricket's Mom! We have started adding pumpkin and I am hoping that is part of the reason that this morning, I found a kitty turd in my floor. I slept through its arrival, so clearly she did this on her own. I don't imagine she planned for it to be there instead of the litter box, but I am happy for any progress! I am really grateful for the suggestions and to know more about how others are managing this - it helps so much!

Thank you!

Amy

[critters]

I'd use lactulose until poop function is "normal." Better to use it than to have to deal with removing a rock of poop that's been roosting in her colon too long.

As for pee, I'd go for no less that twice a day.

[Jean]

Amy,
How are you doing with expressing Miss Kitty's bladder? We haven't heard from you for a while./Jean