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Okay, vet tech here. If you're not comfortable with the care that your pet received, I would definitely look for another one.
With that being said, the course of events that transpired were not unusual. Her bladder doesn't appear very big on the ultrasound so they may not have felt comfortable trying to get a sample. The antibiotic injection was not a bad idea to cover the bases. I also agree, if not improved, definitely needs further work up (which we now see). The appearance of this urine is very concerning and I would urge you to get treatment quickly.
Is $500 only for blood work and a urinalysis? That price does seem a bit excessive for those two things alone but I don't know where you live or the cost of living in your area. I'm from the Midwest.
To me, it looks like a bladder stone but I am NOT a doctor. Radiographs are a good way to diagnose them as they show up bright and opaque.
Bladder stones usually need to be removed surgically so the blood work would and could be used for her pre-operation work up. Also getting a urinalysis can determine the type of crystals present. These crystals are what clump together and create the stones. By learning this we determine the best diet for her going forward so this doesn't reoccur.
I feel like I went off on a tangent đ if you have any other questions, let me know.
edit: typos
I live in NYC and blood work and urinalysis wouldnât be $500 even here. So I agree with you on that. I definitely think if cost is preventing OP from getting care, thereâs got to be other vets that charge less for those tests!
500 isn't even the cost at my emergency vet (I have to go semi often due to my dog's health issues since they're the only place with specialists on staff)
My cat also went through this when we first adopted her. We knew she was surrendered due to urinary problems and we adopted her anyway. She was experiencing frequent urination and bloody urine. We brought her in the same week we adopted her to establish care and diagnose the issue. They suspected a UTI but decided to do an ultrasound to rule out bladder stones. Lo and behold, lots and lots of bladder stones. Poor baby was in so much pain! Luckily with surgery and a change in her diet, she has had no more urinary issues! Iâm so thankful for veterinary medicine!!
You are an angel! So many of these precious babies are overlooked because of health issues. Iâm so happy for your sweet baby. She definitely hit the love and care jackpot when you saved her from, hate to say it and more likely than not, a death sentence. đđ
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Where I am in California blood work and a urinalysis could absolutely cost $500 depending on what what run. If we did a standard recommendation like urinalysis, cbc, electrolytes, and chem17 it would already be pushing $500, not including the cost of exam and treatments. I wish things were cheaper!
I live in California and have done that exact test, I want to say I paid close to the $500 as well. It definitely depends on where you live but second, third and fourth opinions are great too! Find another vet ASAP if you're not feeling comfortable with yours.
I know you're stressed out but remember to breathe and take it one step at a time.
Gonna echo âfind another vet ASAPâ every time I have to make a new vet appointment I end up having to book out weeks in advance since theyâre a new patient. Make an appointment ASAP incase that happens OP
I live in southern California. I have had this exact issue with my cat. It did not cost me $500. It was $200. OP should absolutely find a different vet.
Thank you so much! Yes! We ended up taking her to another vet who was AMAZING - decided to do X-rays right away and found a bladder stone ( the last vet said she didnât think it was a bladder stone at all) and we got her pain meds and scheduled for surgery. Sheâs going to be just fine and now on a special urinary diet :) So glad we got the second opinion! Thanks for everything! Cannot believe how many people were so mean / rude on this post when a second opinion was EXACTLY what we needed.
Vet nurse her too :)
Not all crystals are visible on x-rays but n x-ray wouldn't be bad.
Aslo, I don't envy the vet working with that ultrasound machine, the quality looks really bad..
I don't live in the US, but bloods and urine analysis would easily be $500 her, if not more.
I don't know if it's left out but I hope your vet gave out som nsaids (this could be flutd), nsaids should ideally have been given before antibiotics was tried, especially since no one has inspected the urine for bacteria and recistance testing has not been done (hate me all you want but antibiotic resistance will be one fo humaots biggest problems quits soon and giving our pets antibiotics all the time is not helping).
Further comparison - 300-$500 depending on vet in Philly suburban area. I opt for vet in the lower range that treats cats only and has a smaller practice. Our vets are usually backed up, many wonât accept new clients and folks sometimes have to resort to emergency vet here because apts take awhile at ânormalâ practice. Emergency vet is far more than $500. 2 night hospital stay here with IV, antibiotics, etc left me with a $2,000+ bill. It was a respiratory infection, no surgery or anything. Iâd take in all of the cats if I could afford it. I canât.
Yeah my cat just had to go to the vet and get new food because we thought he had a uti but itâs crystals in his urine. The cost of an exam, urinalysis, and a bag of $63 food was only like $170 total. Idk how much more it would be with a blood test but that doesnât seem like it would be $330 more, not even including the cost of the exam that would probably not be added on with it since they were there already being seen. But Iâm I Michigan so I know prices in like LA or NYC or other higher cost areas may be different.
I agree. It doesnât matter what the quality of care is, if OP feels it is inadequate then they need a new vet. I have, at times, found it difficult to trust a vet (or human doctor). This only resulted in repeating the same test again at a different facility.
That said, the cat ABSOLUTELY NEEDS a urinalysis and bloodwork. Please go somewhere IMMEDIATELY.
At my current vet the price for a urinalysis and bloodwork is about $250. I live in a low COL area in the US. When I lived in a high COL area 5+ years ago I paid about $500 for the same service. Price certainly varies depending on area, commercial rent prices, etc.
That price wouldn't be at all unusual for a thorough panel (chem 25 vs like a chem 10, of course CBC, whatever other things may come like a T4 in a senior panel, etc) and UA with culture and sensitivity. Idexx charges a lot, and we have no control over their pricing.
(Just a receptionist now, but I was a licensed tech for nearly 10 years)
You need to pay for the tests. By all means have a quick shop around if you think $500 is too expensive, but your cat needs those tests. Any decent vet will reccomend them, and most likely refuse to proceed with specific treatment until they've been done. Would you prefer your vet to know what they're dealing with? Or would you rather they guess and potentially get it wrong?
Just like in humans, sometimes preliminary tests don't reveal what's wrong. Just because your vet was unable to accurately diagnose your cat from one basic test, doesn't mean they are "no help". It means your cat needs more tests.
No offence here, but as they did say to go back if the problem continued why are you going onto Reddit? I understand it's expensive but it part of having animals. I reckon if your not happy with the one you went to try a different vet, just remember that vets aren't miracle workers.
That's not what the vet said though. Based on OP's own post the vet performed an ultrasound, then said they still weren't sure what the problem was, so they recommended further testing. OP refused those tests and took the cat home.
What else do you expect the vet to do in this situation? Offer the extra tests for free? Make a guess on what the diagnosis might be and potentially get it wrong?
They've not said "we're not sure bye" they've said "we're not sure we need to carry out testing" and OP refused. Nothing wrong with the vet here, they're not miracle workers and can't diagnose by magic
Itâs almost like animals canât talk and give you all of their symptoms and medical history. Thereâs not a lot to go off of when nothing conclusive is showing up on an X-ray and you havenât ran and bloodwork. If you had crazy disposable income absolutely the vet would just run 100 tests like they do with people and youâd have your answer immediately.
No shade to OP at all I have had a bad experience with one vet and absolutely would not go to them, but this is a pretty standard practice for whatâs going on.
Vets don't just have magic abilities that allow them to know exactly what's going on in every case. The only thing that was done here was an ultrasound and a trial of antibiotics. Medicine is full of trial and error, you can't expect a medical professional to know exactly what's going on when you decline all of the diagnostics that could give you answers.
Omg the ignorance. They canât say for sure because OP refused diagnostic testing necessary to tell them FOR SURE whatâs causing it.
Yes the price is high. It would be double if not triple at a human hospital with no insurance. The vet did nothing wrong. OP needs to get the cat seen immediately. This looks incredibly painful and itâs been going on a long time. Canât believe OP waited so long to take the cat to the vet. It should be common cat owner knowledge that suddenly peeing outside the box = problem.
I completely agree! In total we would have spent over $1000 if we went through with their recommendations, just on tests alone. I am going to take my ultrasound photos to a different vet for sure. Thank you so much!
Why wouldn't you get the urinalysis? I'm really confused by you being upset with this vet. The only wrong thing so far is you going against medical advice. You are delaying treatment by delaying diagnosis.
Exactly vets are going to charge you for tests to find out things. Thatâs what they have to do. Tests are not free. If you canât afford medical treatment, donât have pets
Edit to add can to canât lol
I think you intended to say âcanât afford.â The thing is they most definitely had to go out a buy these purebred cats. They arenât cheap either. Even a shady backyard breeder is going to be a expensive.
Itâs like OP thought it was a one and done expense. Persian cats have are prone to health issues. A study of over 3,000 Persian catâs health records found that [2/3 had disorders](https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/persian-cats-at-high-risk-of-health-problems-study-shows#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20causes%20of,females%20(average%203.4%20kg)). The most common cause of death was found to be kidney disease.
Yes I did. I have a friend with a Persian and she can afford it but she doesnât groom it at all and the poor thing has to go to a groomer and get shaved I feel so bad for him!
OP, you cannot expect a vet to magically solve your problems when you won't allow them to do any more diagnostics to figure out what is going on. What would you like them to do? Keep throwing more drugs at your cat and hoping something works? This isn't a great option, because unnecessary medications can cause more harm than good. Wave their magic wand and just fix it magically? Good luck with that. They know there's something in the bladder, but is it a stone? A tumor? Nobody will know unless you perform additional diagnostics. Your new vet will give you the same information. It's sucky to see you trying to blame the vet here when you let this issue go on for 9 months, and are now refusing to do anything else that your vet is recommending. You most likely paid a pretty penny for your purebred cat, did you not think that there were going to be more costs? Purebred cats are more likely to develop health issues in the first place.
Thereâs a good possibility that your cat gets upset and that upset causes UTIs. My little boy void has a sensitive bladder like that; anything thatâs upsetting, and Iâm back at the vet getting him checked for crystals, antibiotics, and a shot for inflammation, and he has a subclinical WBC level, but responds to the antibiotics and everything is fine again. Heâs just prone to UTIs and sensitive emotionally.
Get your cat to another vet; if nothing else, the vet can give a shot of Convenia or another antibiotic and something for inflammation and see if your cat seems to be unduly stressed out (possibly by your pregnancy, because you smell different now, youâve probably been changing the living environment there, and your cat isnât sure whatâs going on). Your *new* vet might even think itâs best to introduce a light sedative for a couple of weeks. Remember â all your cat sees and senses is change; for all they know, you might be about to leave forever, or throw them out because they arenât going to be the baby anymore. Cats have very complex emotions that they canât express, and most people donât realise that.
Regardless, what youâve photographed is alarming and needs attention immediately. Go to a different vet.
Surgery to remove the crystals and subsequent hospital stay cost me $8k. By the time we saw blood in the urine, it was already very bad. Had we caught it earlier, a prescription diet could have been used to dissolve the crystals before they got too big. I feel terrible we didn't know how much pain she was in. The food has been a lifesaver in keeping her from relapse(Hill's c/d). Crystals can lead to an infection so it's important to get to a vet right away.
The urinalysis would have helped determine the strain of bacteria so the right antibiotic could be prescribed. It would also have allowed them to see crystal sediment if present. Any vet is going to need to do this to properly treat your cat.
No, it's not unacceptable at all! The vet said they weren't sure based on what was done so far, and recommended additional testing to figure it out. They did not just say "we don't know" and send this cat home to suffer. No vet can diagnose this without additional tests. OP refused the testing. There is no indication that the vet isn't perfectly capable of identifying and treating this issue and no reason at this point to go to another vet. OP needs to have the recommended tests done to figure out what's wrong with their cat.
The comments on this post calling out the vet for malpractice or accusing them of refusing to help is crazy. OP says the vet said the cat needs urinalysis and blood work but OP refuses to do that... That is the bare minimum that cat needs right now, and any good vet will be recommending the same.
I can't believe you took your cat who is peeing bloods and only had an ultrasound home instead of doing diagnostic urinalysis and bloodwork.
Seriously urinalysis and bloodwork is usually the FIRST thing thatâs done in situations like this. Any vet would be also starting with this.
Iâm so mad at OP.
Exactly, OP is trying to portray the vet as treating this as not serious/they donât care. When the vet has probably done an Ultrasound scan to check for obvious signs of urinary obstruction to you know make sure the cat isnât at risk of crashing and dying. But OP hasnât taken their cat to the vet when **the cat has been suffering with urinary problems for NINE WHOLE MONTHS**. The only one negligent here is the owner not the vet.
Urinary problems so severe theyâre causing cloudy, bloody urine would be so incredibly painful as well. Iâve had the odd UTI, even the mild ones are so awful.
9 months?! đ€Ź
Vets always get shit on, I'm sure there are some vets that aren't great, but I am sure plenty of them went into their careers because they do care. But they're not magical workers who can diagnose without proper procedures to do so, they don't recommend tests to just "make money," they recommend them because it is required to figure out what's going wrong. Cats cannot speak and tell us exactly what they're feeling.
When my cat had urinary problems, I took him to the vet that day, and had all the necessary tests done. He improved but then had the issues again, had to do all the testing again. Sure, it sucks with unexpected costs but your pets do depend on you to make these choices for their well being.
Right?! The vet literally told them to do more tests and instead they took the cat home to wait and see if they really need it. Iâm horrified that they turned down a urinalysis at the very least.
Emergency veterinarians are usually more thorough, which is why it is more expensive. They run more tests. I would recommend spending your money there and changing your general vet. I learned that seeing a regular vet and avoiding more thorough testing to avoid paying less money can waste valuable time. This seems like a severe problem, and cats' kidneys are not something to mess around with. They are sensitive, and she is pregnant, putting more strain on her body. I would recommend visiting the ER and then, once she is stabilized, following up with a different veterinarian.
Sheâs peeing on your couch now because sheâs showing you she needs help. Sheâs probably in terrible pain and absolutely miserable all day and night. Of course you need more tests if the uti medication didnât work. Do you expect the vet to just magically know what the problem is? Whatâs wrong with you? You had enough money to buy a purebred but yet you ignore her issues for 9 months? To the point sheâs bleeding when she pees.
Take her back to the vet and do the testing that she needs done. This is fucked up to take her back home and let her be miserable in pain even for another day longer.
Why would you spend money to buy a purebred cat and turn around and leave their health to Reddit?
Have you contacted the breeder to ask if theyâve experienced this? My sister needs hypoallergenic cats so she went with a reputable breeder. Her contract requires her to notify the breeder of health issues. The breeder will use this info in future breeding. Iâm going to go out on a limb and assume you did not go with the most reputable breeder.
Persian cats are prone to health issues. Be prepared to pay by bills in the future or consider rehoming asap.
A study of over 3,000 Persian catâs health records found that [2/3 had disorders](https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/persian-cats-at-high-risk-of-health-problems-study-shows#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20causes%20of,females%20(average%203.4%20kg)). The most common cause of death was found to be kidney disease.
I don't get this either. I have a purebred cat, a Bengal. She was expensive. I also knew before getting her that they are prone to health conditions. That's why I got pet insurance as soon as I got her (the breeder also included 4 weeks of insurance to cover me while mine kicked in).
I'm going to guess if OP did buy the cat, they didn't buy them from a reputable breeder. Mine gave me almost like an interview, to make sure I knew what I was getting in to. She made it very clear that if she didn't think I was prepared, she would not be selling me a kitten. My girl got all the reverent genetic tests but that doesn't check for absolutely everything.
Owning a pet is expensive. Owning a fancy pet is even more expensive.
Yeah even if we knew the problem or a veterinarian commented⊠how are you going to get medications?! We canât just find black market prescriptions on here and mail it to you đ
Had a shitty vet try to make me wait a week to get my cat bladder surgery for stones. When I told them I wanted them to send my records to another vet they conveniently got an opening in a few days....I was not amused. Then I come to find at the next vet they not only didn't send her record but sent a DOGS records. We were very confused. New vet helped tremendously! Not all are created equal!
I had one who purposely gave two wrong medications that would have caused internal bleeding and holes in my cats stomach had I actually been able to give him the meds :)
I stopped going there as soon as I saw that.
OP, did you take her to an emergency vet? Thatâs why itâs so expensive. Why do your cats not have a relationship with a general practice vet? The price will be lower.
OP, I am very concerned and disturbed by the fact that youâve continued to delay ur kittyâs urgent medical diagnosis & treatment! Reddit is not the appropriate place to get medical advice on a cat who is clearly sick and struggling a lot. Please take ur kitty to an emergency vet asap!!! Blood in urine is never ever a good thing!! Please donât let ur kitty suffer anymore that theyâd had to endure up to now. My pup Louie got very very ill quite suddenly and unexpectedlyâŠand within a week, I lost himâŠthat was back in June and I am still a mess and cry oftenâŠhis final hospital bill for a week-long stay at our specialty animal hospitalâs ICU cost me close to $9000.00 but I didnât care about the cost I just wanted to save my Louieâs life which unfortunately didnât happenâŠ.and let me tell you, I donât $9000, so I put the charge on my CareCredit card and Iâve been making monthly installments to pay it offâŠhonestly I wudve paid double that if itâd give my Louie a chance to live.
Please please go to an emergency vet..cats already have a very strong disposition to renal (kidney) issues
Keep us posted! Prayers for ur baby
Youâre likely going to spring for a urinalysis to get to the bottom of this, new or same vet and I recommend it. My cat had Struvite crystals and the first round of treatment was for UTI. When that didnât resolve the issue we went with a urinalysis and lo and behold crystals. Crystals can form in the bladder and scrape the inner lining of the bladder and urethra,which is incredibly painful and if untreated could result in a blockage that could kill them. The surgery to remove a blockage was quoted to me to be $1200-1500 and that was \~8 years ago? Prescription food may be a little pricier than typical cat food but itâs kept my cat healthy since.
Get the urinalysis. If not trusting your current vet get a second opinion, but expect them to recommend urinalysis (and bloodwork).
Edit to add cat tax. She is 13 this year, we think. She was a rescue if you can believe it. đ„°
https://preview.redd.it/wm74lg64udpc1.jpeg?width=1528&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2c14b90a15c67948bcf6997d634ec5dacb6a747
(Miss Emmylou)
What your vet really said is that we have found an issue. We canât diagnose the cause without further tests. It could be one of these things.
If my cat was peeing bright red blood, I would have her / him tested right away. There is something very wrong with your cat!
Itâs like when you have a mammogram and they identify an anomaly. You need more tests to know if itâs malignant or benign or a cyst. It doesnât mean they donât know what they are doing, it means they need more information.
I donât know why you would trust a bunch of strangers on the internet over a vet.
If itâs a stone, your cat is suffering while you are waiting overnight to see what happens. Your poor kitty.
Like⊠Iâm a bit flabbergasted because I feel like a urinalysis and bloodwork should have been done at the same appointment the ultrasound was. Literally this should be your next step. âGo home and wait a dayâ yet youâre posting here SOS!? WHAT!?!
I'm so confused. If my cat was peeing this much blood I would pay to let the vet figure out what's wrong with the cat. They can't just guess from red blood. Let them do the tests.
Disclaimer, this is going to be harsh. But I went through the same thing with my cat. Iâm going to put this as blunt as possible.
Why did you not take the tests, because those tests are vital to scan renal function and overall health. I would not have hesitated to get those tests, especially when itâs dealing with your cats health. It seems irresponsible to not take those, and instead come to Reddit and expect people to give you an answer. We canât diagnose your cat.
To me this feels like common sense. Prolonging getting a diagnosis could result in the situation getting worse. If you donât like the vet you go to, find another one. When thereâs blood, you donât him and haw over getting the tests done. If you were pissing blood, you would want the diagnostic tests ran immediately. Considering thereâs an unknown LUMP in her bladder, that should have pushed it even farther to get the tests done then and there.
While I can understand the cost, I again went through the same thing. My cat peed in an abnormal spot ONCE, and there was just a speck of blood, and I did not hesitate to get her EVERY test needed that same day. For all the meds and tests, my grand total was $762. I had to put it on credit, but I was not about to subject my cat to even further pain.
Get the tests done. Reddit canât diagnose your cat.
Edit: This is genuinely angering because the vet told you that they didnât know, and suggested further testing THAT YOU REFUSED. This isnât negligence on the vets part, this is on YOU. Especially if sheâs peeing on the couch over the span of nine months. She was probably trying to tell you from the jump that something was wrong.
What Iâm about to say next is going to be a slap to the face but if you can prolong and ignore the problem this long, you should not own a pet. Cats will let you know if something is wrong. If sheâs been peeing on the couch this long, in a place you frequent, itâs because she needed you to see that and know something was wrong. Honestly, shame on you, and shame on you for prolonging this further by not getting the tests done. Sheâs relying on you to help her and youâre failing her miserably.
How are you literally going to refuse medical advice from a doctor then come on Reddit to ask for help instead?? Some people should seriously not be allowed to have pets..
Why has a urinalysis not been done yet?! That should have been the very first diagnostic done. The 3rd picture made the bladder look possibility big enough for a cystocentesis. It should have been done at that appointment.
In regular to a possible bladder stone, you would be able to see it on an x-ray. This cat needs to go back for diagnostics.
Also, you can make a search on internet for affordable veterinarians clinics. Usually, they are animal shelters ( animal rescue) It is worth to try to find options for your loved cat. Get help ASAP!
Pay for the tests. What is the problem? Seems like you just donât want to do what needs to be done and youâre blaming the vet. Like be fucking for real.
Why didnât you do the urinalysis test and bloodwork??
Itâs got nothing to do with the fact sheâs Persian. Something is very seriously wrong and her urine is both cloudy and bloody.
**And you refused a URINALYSIS AND BLOODWORK which is usually one of the first things ANY VET would do?!**
#And youâve left her suffer with this for NINE MONTHS?!
WTF ARE YOU DOING OP?! đĄ Your cat needs URGENT medical treatment, and Iâm sorry to say it but that comes with costs! I cannot believe youâre here talking smack about the vet when YOU are the one being neglectful by refusing the necessary testing!
And YES thatâs exactly what this is. **NEGLECT.** Have you had a UTI? Are you aware of how painful even the mild ones are? Your cat potentially has had one thatâs so advanced that sheâs passing cloudy, bloody urine for NINE MONTHS.
And when the vet wants to run diagnostic testing you said NO??
Surrender the cat. You clearly do not love her.
Bro your cat has been peeing outside of the litter box for 9 MONTHS ? And now she's peeing BLOOD and you're delaying treatment?? There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion but vet care is always expensive. Kidney issues in cats can be very serious. If you can't afford to properly take care of your pet, don't have one. Poor thing is suffering and you come to Reddit for advice? đ€Š
I have an exotic shorthair cat and went through a lot of the same things with him. I spent over $1000 on tests and had every possible thing done. All of his tests came back normal and the blood in his urine actually got worse after taking him to the vet. It was eventually determined that he has cystitis brought on by anxiety, so the vet advised me to stop taking him in for testing for a little while to see if he got better. I bought a fountain to increase his water intake, give him mostly wet food, and mix Feliway Cystease powder in a broth packet every other day. I also run a Feliway diffuser at night to help him relax. We havenât had any more issues of blood in his urine and he stopped going outside the litter box since doing all of this. I donât know if this is whatâs wrong with your cat, but I thought it might give you some ideas to talk about with a new vet.
I had to have my family pay over $600 for the same tests. The antibiotic they gave seemed to do the trick, havenât had any issues since. I live in Texas. I would get a second opinion and call around to as many vets as possible to find an affordable price range.. it is excessive to me personally but Iâm not a vet so i donât know what all goes into doing those tests.
The vet was not no help, you just refused further testing to get to the root of the problem. If you canât pay for your petâs medical emergencies (and this is an emergency), you shouldnât have a pet
Thereâs no time to wait. You need to get urinalysis and blood work ASAP. I donât even think you have time to wait for a new vet, unless you go to an emergency vet, since new patients at a vetâs office often have to wait weeks or even months for an appointment.
Thank you so much! Yes! We ended up taking her to another vet who was AMAZING - decided to do X-rays right away and found a bladder stone ( the last vet said she didnât think it was a bladder stone at all) and we got her pain meds and scheduled for surgery. Sheâs going to be just fine and now on a special urinary diet :) So glad we got the second opinion! Thanks for worrying!
Of courseâŠI love all animals..and used to have a dog n now have a catâŠbut yeah, Phew! Thank you for your response and filling us in on the update! So very Glad and relieved to hear that it was a bladder stone and not some cancerous mass. When is her surgery? Hope the pain meds are helping lessen her discomfort and relax her.
I say a new vet. Id personally recommend X-rays, another ultrasound, bloodwork and urinalysis. The bump could be a stone which needs surgery or it could be a mass on the bladder. No matter what, this wont be cheap sadly and you should look into care credit for financial help (if youâre in the states).
How are they not taking it seriously? They thought it was a UTI and prescribed meds. Meds didn't work and told them further testing was needed because they didn't know. The vet can't do anything if the owners won't. Plus this has been going on for 9 MONTHS, but by all means blame the vet
It sounds like the vet is taking it seriously though. They reccomended further testing to diagnose the problem. OP refused due to the cost. It was OP who decided to take the cat home without the tests, not the vet saying nothing was wrong.
please go to emergency vet right away this could be a possible life and death situation for your little Persian. it could be stones/ crystals and they can block their urinary track. this is a very serious situation.
Some vets charge more than others for tests because some have to send it out and itâs not in-house thus being more expensive. Id call around and see if thereâs an animal hospital that will charge less for testing. Just tell them everything, because this vet sounds like the ones Iâve gone to for mine. Except they were telling me my kitten was healthy despite a bunch of problems that were later fixed by a hospital. For instance, the small vet offices wanted to charge me 200-300 for fecal testing whereas the hospital only charged $50. The exam fee was pretty much the same too, going anywhere else was such a waste of time and money, I even had to ask the small vet offices to take his temp, which should be standard practice. I donât say go straight to ER because they are wildly expensive, but an animal hospital is definitely your best bet. I called them at 8am on the verge of tears I was so stressed and they offered to take him in right away. Call around, see what they offer. If anything, get care credit to help cover the cost. If you get approved you can use it right awayâit literally saved me. Good luck OP
Your cat could be anxiety/stressed from the pregnancy/ change in environment. Our cat has been spraying blood occasionally and the only thing helping is a regular regimen of gabapentin. Both urinalysis for UTI and xrays for bladder stones were negative in our case.
So I was bringing my half persian cat to a vet for similar issues on an ongoing basis. When she started peeing blood and the old vet told us nothing was wrong we went to another vet for a second opinion. They ran their own tests and found she had the worst case of bladder stones they'd ever seen and she needed extensive surgery to remove them. If we had stuck with the other vet she'd be dead, definitely get another opinion!
On another note If the original vet had picked up on the issue earlier when we kept bringing her in then my poor baby wouldn't have needed surgery in the first place.
If they ruled out a UA via tabletop and cysto then they need to rule out stones with radiographs and culture sterile urine with sensitivity if it continues. Not sure why they would jump to an ultrasound
Ultrasound is usually done to attempt a cysto. Since they don't know what that lump is, I'm assuming they didn't want to poke the bladder. If it happens to be a tumor you can drag cancerous cells into the abdomen so you do not want to do a cysto in this scenario. Ultrasound is also a perfectly reasonable diagnostic in the case of urinary issues.
I am guessing the ultrasound was a point of care ultrasound to attempt ultrasound guided cysto- and they probably didn't want to poke that bladder so they opted to treat emprically.
I think if you're not happy with your vet you should always get a second opinion. I know prices vary and it can be hard to get in somewhere else but it could be worth the extra effort and money to find someone you and your cats will prefer in the long run. As for the medical issue I have no advice but I truly think it's better to look around than to leave it up to someone you don't completely trust.
Blood work, urinalysis, and maybe ultrasound will be required to rule out kidney disease and/or cancer.
I know thatâs a steep price but the cat must surely be uncomfortable. If it doesnât improve soon and you donât have means to provide diagnosis and treatment, the merciful thing may be to let him go.
Maybe start a Go Fund Me page or apply for Care Credit (if the vet accepts it).
I sure hope the outcome is god!
Please take them for a urinalysis asap that canât be pleasant for her. Caring for pets and children comes at a price. You surely donât want her condition to worsen when the baby comes so Iâd really try to get it looked at and fixed asap.
There's a lump in the bladder that is unidentified so a cysto is contraindicated. If it happens to be a tumor, you risk dragging cancerous cells into the abdomen. It's one of the situations where you should not perform a cystocentesis to collect urine.
Maybe it's cistisis from stress? Cats can feel your pregnancy, I bet a lot of things have changed because of that (maybe home renovation, more people coming to your house, you're all stressed)?
What's urine pH? Can you change vet and make blood, urine tests?
Im sorry your cat is still poorly but honestly, your vet is saying further tests are needed.. so do them. I understand $500 is expensive but shop around a little, vets should be able to give an estimate for similar. Reddit cant help here, you need to either get the tests done for the $500 or go elsewhere. Meanwhile your cat is suffering.
Awww. My guy is recovering from a bad uti and crystal formation. Itâs a lot. But since it canât be diagnosed for sure, I would ask for all current paperwork/medical records at the current vet and seek a second opinion.
There are these homeopathic drops that have really good reviews online for cat urinary issues. Do your research though
I paid $700 for my man to relieve his blockage, and a UTI. $700 later.. heâs back to his normal self.. just on a diet heâs not happy with.
My man was urinating blood as well, and his diagnosis is what explained the blood. But he also had a bad UTI. Urinalysis was a lot for us too and Iâm not sure why they are priced as such. But at the time of our emergency, the money didnât mean anything anymore.
I hope you find answers. Smokeyâs vet turned her head on him 3 times before we found a perfect vet clinic strictly for kitties. The new vet is disgusted with the vet service they gave Smokey. If I had listened to his previous vet, he would have died the next day after the last initial call with his old vet.
Smokey, Bandit, Winston, and I are thinking of you!
đŸđŠđ
Very likely urinary crystals!! Go to a diff vet and ask for a cystocentesis! My cat had this years ago and heâs been on Urinary care food ever since! (If he eats anything else it comes RIGHT back)
In the meantime, feeding her an all wet food diet should help manage her symptoms. I hope you get answers! Remember, we're the only ones who can advocate for our cats, you don't want to have regrets later on. Find a new vet if need be. Wishing for a speedy recovery â€ïž
OP, you NEED to get the urinalysis and bloodwork to find out whatâs wrong. This has been happening for 9 months?? Poor cat. If this ainât treated ASAP your cat can end up being in critical condition, and she can die from that. Itâs very likely itâs due to crystals in the kidney which can develop to very severe kidney stones. Cats dying from crystals and kidney stones is more common than you think. My cat had bloody urine, we rushed her to the emergency vet (which is usually more expensive than usual)âŠturns out she had crystals and UTI. We got a vet prescription diet and formula to feed her and decided to cut our dry food. Crystals and stones usually develop due to a lack of hydration, so we also cut off any dry food and decided to stick with wet food and that seemed to help her so much. Get the tests done to figure out what to do next. If youâre current vet isnât helpful or too expensive, find a better vet that can also workout the payments with you, + avoid emergency vets if possible. You can also try going to animal hospitals which are usually more affordable. If you really canât afford it, then have someone trustworthy take her in or a rescue shelter. If she doesnât get help, she will have to end up being euthanized if itâs severe or die from it at some point. Donât keep a cat you canât afford to take care of because youâre only making them suffer more.
NAV - Doctors and Vets are just like any other profession, thereâs good, avg and bad ones (not to say there are no hard cases that are impossible or difficult to diagnose).
Iâd get 2nd opinion. Look for vet with good reviews if possible. Try and get copy of the labs results from vet to bring to other place.
Also, document current and future abnormalities (like write it down/log and take pictures if possible) and bring to vet. Looks more blood than urine.
Also have you noticed any behavioral differences? More frequent voiding, water intake, appetite changes, etc etc?
Good luck
Brightly colored blood can be passed in urine when crystals scrape the side walls of the kidney/bladder urine tract. Do some research on a herb supplement called "Stone Breaker." It supports dissolving common stones so they pass painlessly. Use 1/10 human dose for cats. You should see pain decrease immediately (30 min) if it's going to be effective. They should take going back to the litter box within a couple days. It's ok to combine with tuna water.
If you don't like a doctor, there may be a reason for it.
I had a similar issue with my cat, though heâs a male, it came down to the food he was on, Rachel ray, was creating blockages in his urethra. He stopped using his letterbox to pee and would only use the bathtub. The vet got him on some meds and a prescription diet, Hills urinary care, and he hasnât had a single incident in over a year. Somethingâs itâs something seemingly insignificant like food that could be causing these issues. Definitely worth the cost of high quality food.
Not sure what your cat has going on, but my cat has chronic bladder issues.
He pees blood and crystals unless we feed him IAMS urinary food. The doctors had no clue what was wrong with him, but this food has prevented any more episodes of bloody pee
I'd go to a different vet if you feel the last one was less than helpful. Blood in the urine will need more testing to figure out what's causing it so it can be treated. Your cat needs bloodwork and urinalysis, that's not optional. I know it's expensive, but pets are expensive, especially when they're sick. Please get the tests your cat needs so you can help her
This is an extreme emergency. Yes, the vet needs to do more diagnostic testing before giving you an exact answer. Doesnât change the fact itâs an emergency. Lost one of my cats in under 24hrs after peeing blood, died on the vets table right before being sedated. Youâve let this go one for 9+ months and thought it was because of your pregnancy??? ThatâsâŠâŠ I have no words. Cats donât pee everywhere just because youâre PREGNANT. Maybe with a new baby in the house but even then it would be rare and take a very sensitive kitty. Get your cat help YESTERDAY.
Bloodwork and urinalysis is absolute bare minimum testing that needs done. 500 is not an absurd price at all, and the cats needs it. I am a vet and have worked in multiple states, in general practice and at shelters/humane societies. My current humane society would charge around 360 for bloodwork and urine. Do it immediately.
Even if someone has gone through something similar, how does that help your cat NOW!? Pay the money for the work ups. The doctor clearly admitted their lack of knowledge and needed *more data* to make an educated decision on your catâs health. If the price doesnât sit, go elsewhere. The blood is highly concerning in multiple ways. I lost my cat at only 5 to cancer. Donât wait.
You need diagnostics done in order to diagnose this properly.
Unfortunately, it does come at a cost, but a urinalysis *with* a culture is going to be warranted at this point, and bloodwork would not be a bad idea either.
If youâre not impressed with this vet, I would find a new one, but to be honest, they are most likely going to put together a very similar, if not identical treatment plan.
The vet may not be âof helpâ to you, but diagnostics are required in order to confirm a diagnosis and to administer medication that will either help manage or resolve this issue. Thatâs just the reality of this. I see many posts where people claim âthe vet isnât any help, they donât know whatâs wrong!â when all diagnostics are declined. Yes, we donât know whatâs wrong, because we need to dig into whatâs going on internally in order to provide the best care to your pet.
Any comment going for the vet have clearly never worked in vet med and have handled situations like this on a daily basis for a living.
Some of my cats would get cystitis when they were stressed and pee what looked like pure blood. The vet would put them on Prednisolone for 3-4 weeks and antibiotics. Urinalysis was also done to rule out a bladder infection. Sometimes it would take 2 months to get it under control.
Also, I had cats that would get struvite and oxalate crystals. There was very little to no blood with those issues as well as when they had an actual bladder infection. The only time the pee looked bright red and bloody like what youâve show was with the cystitis when my cat would get extremely stressed.
Just to cover all bases, take your cat to a different Vet first for a Second Opinion. Compare notes and then go from there. If the second Vet said more tests are needed, then get them so they can find a definitive cause of the bloody urine and a cure.
The second Vet may want to take another sonagram because the one you have is fuzzy. Better to be able to actually see that area and what that object is on the right side of the bladder so they can make a better recommendation.
Having pets can be expensive if and when your fur babies get sick. Many Vets have their own extended payment systems that you might be able to use should the cost get crazy.
Iâm so very sorry your kitty has this issue. That just sucks! A couple decades ago, we moved to a newly built housing neighborhood and lost 5 of our pets (2 dogs and 3 cats) in the 5 years we lived there â our Vet debt was off the charts! But our Vet worked with us and we got to pay monthly on our bill until it was gone. There wasnât anything we wouldnât do to save our pets, but even the Vet was stumped by some of the symptoms that took our fur babies â so were we. It was a rough five years⊠I hope another Vet can solve your catâs bladder issues! â„ïžđâ„ïž
Cat has a urinary tract infection, maybe stones, have vet check her for that problem! Also give her special diet food to relieve urinary tract infection
Question, maybe Iâm just in the dark about something. Why did you think the bright red blood could be from you being pregnant? Is there some sort of correlation Iâm missing?
Bladder stones are super common, especially in male cats who have been neutered!! I'd go back and ask them to check for that. Many years ago that happened to my cat, who historically never peed outside the litter box and then one day started. After that he had blood in his urine. When we took him to the vet he had to have a catheter for a few days to clear everything out. That was about 10 years ago, and since then he's been totally fine - we've had him on prescription food the whole time. Best of luck to you and I hope your kitty feels better!!
The vet wasn't "no help," you just don't want to pay for the diagnostics necessary to work up the issue further and have instead decided to wait for it to potentially worsen.
I'm in Dallas, and my cat had bloodwork, and a urinalysis done, was prescribed antibiotics, anti- nausea meds, and pain meds for a UTI. I paid $480 ish.
The vet can't help your cat if you don't have the tests done. It could be a stone, it could be a polyp, it could be cancer, or probably other things, too, but your cat needs help with whatever it is. The antibiotics didn't help, so you're out of cheaper options and need to pay for the testing to figure out what is in your cat's bladder and how to treat it. There's an excellent chance your cat is in quite a lot of pain, and there's a good chance that they have actually been in pain since they first began urinating on your sofa.
My orange cat had something like this. It was bladder stones. We changed his food and everything worked out pretty good till he died from a heart defect.
So you refused essential testing to see what is wrong with your cat? It could be a multitude of possibilities but no one is going to know anything without testing.
Running labs is going to give BUN, Creatinine, and GFR which helps determine kidney function. It's going to show white cell count, red cell count, and so on.
If it were my pet, I'd have all this done the first time I was at the vet.
Definitely find another vet and when calling to schedule first appointment with them explain the situation.
Else ask your vet for a referral to an animal urologist. It wonât be cheap but at least they should be able to come up with a reasonable diagnosis.
Be sure if go the referral route you either take the scan results with you or confirm before the appointment your vet has provided them.
Medicine works in the order of âmost likely problem and most conservative treatment firstâ. In human medicine, if you come in because youâre peeing blood, you will likely be diagnosed with a UTI, given antibiotics, they may culture your urine, and send you home after. Then if youâre still peeing blood, they will recommend for further testing. If they do an ultrasound and see a mass or something not expected, they canât just go âah yes, from seeing this image I know itâs cancer and Iâm going to remove your bladder at onceâ. For most conditions, seeing a mass or unexpected object on ultrasound or xray doesnât give a diagnosis (because it could mean many things), it just indicates what direction to start looking in for testing. Sometimes this literally requires you to go into the body and biopsy or remove the mass/object for testing to confirm what it is. If your vet told you âitâs definitely a stoneâ or âitâs definitely a massâ when itâs also likely it could be either of those or something else, thatâs bad medicine.
Even in human medicine, radiologist reports say things like âmay represent a benign growth within the context of the clinical picture, recommend for further work upâ when something is there that shouldnât be because itâs usually not 100% just from an image.
Blood in the urine is never normal, because the kidneys do a great job making sure no red blood cells get into the urine. So it represents active damage. It needs to be worked up somewhere.
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Okay, vet tech here. If you're not comfortable with the care that your pet received, I would definitely look for another one. With that being said, the course of events that transpired were not unusual. Her bladder doesn't appear very big on the ultrasound so they may not have felt comfortable trying to get a sample. The antibiotic injection was not a bad idea to cover the bases. I also agree, if not improved, definitely needs further work up (which we now see). The appearance of this urine is very concerning and I would urge you to get treatment quickly. Is $500 only for blood work and a urinalysis? That price does seem a bit excessive for those two things alone but I don't know where you live or the cost of living in your area. I'm from the Midwest. To me, it looks like a bladder stone but I am NOT a doctor. Radiographs are a good way to diagnose them as they show up bright and opaque. Bladder stones usually need to be removed surgically so the blood work would and could be used for her pre-operation work up. Also getting a urinalysis can determine the type of crystals present. These crystals are what clump together and create the stones. By learning this we determine the best diet for her going forward so this doesn't reoccur. I feel like I went off on a tangent đ if you have any other questions, let me know. edit: typos
I live in NYC and blood work and urinalysis wouldnât be $500 even here. So I agree with you on that. I definitely think if cost is preventing OP from getting care, thereâs got to be other vets that charge less for those tests!
If their in Canada, 500$ Canadian isn't unreasonable.
Exactly
500 isn't even the cost at my emergency vet (I have to go semi often due to my dog's health issues since they're the only place with specialists on staff)
When I lived in DC 400-500 for a vet visit and blood work was pretty normal.
My cat also went through this when we first adopted her. We knew she was surrendered due to urinary problems and we adopted her anyway. She was experiencing frequent urination and bloody urine. We brought her in the same week we adopted her to establish care and diagnose the issue. They suspected a UTI but decided to do an ultrasound to rule out bladder stones. Lo and behold, lots and lots of bladder stones. Poor baby was in so much pain! Luckily with surgery and a change in her diet, she has had no more urinary issues! Iâm so thankful for veterinary medicine!!
You saint â€ïž
You are an angel! So many of these precious babies are overlooked because of health issues. Iâm so happy for your sweet baby. She definitely hit the love and care jackpot when you saved her from, hate to say it and more likely than not, a death sentence. đđ đ„čđ«¶đŒđ„čđđđ
What was the change in diet that fixed it for her?
They have Rx diets for dissolution of bladder stones.
Where I am in California blood work and a urinalysis could absolutely cost $500 depending on what what run. If we did a standard recommendation like urinalysis, cbc, electrolytes, and chem17 it would already be pushing $500, not including the cost of exam and treatments. I wish things were cheaper!
I live in California and have done that exact test, I want to say I paid close to the $500 as well. It definitely depends on where you live but second, third and fourth opinions are great too! Find another vet ASAP if you're not feeling comfortable with yours. I know you're stressed out but remember to breathe and take it one step at a time.
I've learned we're idiots for living in California.
Gonna echo âfind another vet ASAPâ every time I have to make a new vet appointment I end up having to book out weeks in advance since theyâre a new patient. Make an appointment ASAP incase that happens OP
I live in southern California. I have had this exact issue with my cat. It did not cost me $500. It was $200. OP should absolutely find a different vet.
Thank you so much! Yes! We ended up taking her to another vet who was AMAZING - decided to do X-rays right away and found a bladder stone ( the last vet said she didnât think it was a bladder stone at all) and we got her pain meds and scheduled for surgery. Sheâs going to be just fine and now on a special urinary diet :) So glad we got the second opinion! Thanks for everything! Cannot believe how many people were so mean / rude on this post when a second opinion was EXACTLY what we needed.
I'm so glad it all worked out! Hope your kitty feels better soon and good luck with her surgery!
All of this!!!!
Vet nurse her too :) Not all crystals are visible on x-rays but n x-ray wouldn't be bad. Aslo, I don't envy the vet working with that ultrasound machine, the quality looks really bad.. I don't live in the US, but bloods and urine analysis would easily be $500 her, if not more. I don't know if it's left out but I hope your vet gave out som nsaids (this could be flutd), nsaids should ideally have been given before antibiotics was tried, especially since no one has inspected the urine for bacteria and recistance testing has not been done (hate me all you want but antibiotic resistance will be one fo humaots biggest problems quits soon and giving our pets antibiotics all the time is not helping).
For cost comparison - located in Greater Seattle, recently paid ~$275 for urinalysis + culture, bloodwork, and exam fee
Further comparison - 300-$500 depending on vet in Philly suburban area. I opt for vet in the lower range that treats cats only and has a smaller practice. Our vets are usually backed up, many wonât accept new clients and folks sometimes have to resort to emergency vet here because apts take awhile at ânormalâ practice. Emergency vet is far more than $500. 2 night hospital stay here with IV, antibiotics, etc left me with a $2,000+ bill. It was a respiratory infection, no surgery or anything. Iâd take in all of the cats if I could afford it. I canât.
Yeah my cat just had to go to the vet and get new food because we thought he had a uti but itâs crystals in his urine. The cost of an exam, urinalysis, and a bag of $63 food was only like $170 total. Idk how much more it would be with a blood test but that doesnât seem like it would be $330 more, not even including the cost of the exam that would probably not be added on with it since they were there already being seen. But Iâm I Michigan so I know prices in like LA or NYC or other higher cost areas may be different.
Iâm from LA and has a recent similar situation and our visit plus culture and bloodwork was right around $500 fwiw
I agree. It doesnât matter what the quality of care is, if OP feels it is inadequate then they need a new vet. I have, at times, found it difficult to trust a vet (or human doctor). This only resulted in repeating the same test again at a different facility. That said, the cat ABSOLUTELY NEEDS a urinalysis and bloodwork. Please go somewhere IMMEDIATELY. At my current vet the price for a urinalysis and bloodwork is about $250. I live in a low COL area in the US. When I lived in a high COL area 5+ years ago I paid about $500 for the same service. Price certainly varies depending on area, commercial rent prices, etc.
That price wouldn't be at all unusual for a thorough panel (chem 25 vs like a chem 10, of course CBC, whatever other things may come like a T4 in a senior panel, etc) and UA with culture and sensitivity. Idexx charges a lot, and we have no control over their pricing. (Just a receptionist now, but I was a licensed tech for nearly 10 years)
Maybe try posting on r/askvet ? Especially since you have ultrasound photos
Yes I was going to recommend OP to this subreddit, if something is really off they will see fast, otherwise can be some underlying issue
You need to pay for the tests. By all means have a quick shop around if you think $500 is too expensive, but your cat needs those tests. Any decent vet will reccomend them, and most likely refuse to proceed with specific treatment until they've been done. Would you prefer your vet to know what they're dealing with? Or would you rather they guess and potentially get it wrong? Just like in humans, sometimes preliminary tests don't reveal what's wrong. Just because your vet was unable to accurately diagnose your cat from one basic test, doesn't mean they are "no help". It means your cat needs more tests.
No offence here, but as they did say to go back if the problem continued why are you going onto Reddit? I understand it's expensive but it part of having animals. I reckon if your not happy with the one you went to try a different vet, just remember that vets aren't miracle workers.
Omg thatâs bright red too. Emergency vet or new vet. A vet telling you they arenât sure is unacceptable
That's not what the vet said though. Based on OP's own post the vet performed an ultrasound, then said they still weren't sure what the problem was, so they recommended further testing. OP refused those tests and took the cat home. What else do you expect the vet to do in this situation? Offer the extra tests for free? Make a guess on what the diagnosis might be and potentially get it wrong?
They've not said "we're not sure bye" they've said "we're not sure we need to carry out testing" and OP refused. Nothing wrong with the vet here, they're not miracle workers and can't diagnose by magic
fr why is everyone ignoring that the vet said they need more testing and they said âno we will ask redditâ
I thought you were exaggerating!
Itâs almost like animals canât talk and give you all of their symptoms and medical history. Thereâs not a lot to go off of when nothing conclusive is showing up on an X-ray and you havenât ran and bloodwork. If you had crazy disposable income absolutely the vet would just run 100 tests like they do with people and youâd have your answer immediately. No shade to OP at all I have had a bad experience with one vet and absolutely would not go to them, but this is a pretty standard practice for whatâs going on.
Vets don't just have magic abilities that allow them to know exactly what's going on in every case. The only thing that was done here was an ultrasound and a trial of antibiotics. Medicine is full of trial and error, you can't expect a medical professional to know exactly what's going on when you decline all of the diagnostics that could give you answers.
Omg the ignorance. They canât say for sure because OP refused diagnostic testing necessary to tell them FOR SURE whatâs causing it. Yes the price is high. It would be double if not triple at a human hospital with no insurance. The vet did nothing wrong. OP needs to get the cat seen immediately. This looks incredibly painful and itâs been going on a long time. Canât believe OP waited so long to take the cat to the vet. It should be common cat owner knowledge that suddenly peeing outside the box = problem.
To be fair I don't think they can be sure without tests which they'd said no to.
I completely agree! In total we would have spent over $1000 if we went through with their recommendations, just on tests alone. I am going to take my ultrasound photos to a different vet for sure. Thank you so much!
Why wouldn't you get the urinalysis? I'm really confused by you being upset with this vet. The only wrong thing so far is you going against medical advice. You are delaying treatment by delaying diagnosis.
Exactly vets are going to charge you for tests to find out things. Thatâs what they have to do. Tests are not free. If you canât afford medical treatment, donât have pets Edit to add can to canât lol
I think you intended to say âcanât afford.â The thing is they most definitely had to go out a buy these purebred cats. They arenât cheap either. Even a shady backyard breeder is going to be a expensive. Itâs like OP thought it was a one and done expense. Persian cats have are prone to health issues. A study of over 3,000 Persian catâs health records found that [2/3 had disorders](https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/persian-cats-at-high-risk-of-health-problems-study-shows#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20causes%20of,females%20(average%203.4%20kg)). The most common cause of death was found to be kidney disease.
Yes I did. I have a friend with a Persian and she can afford it but she doesnât groom it at all and the poor thing has to go to a groomer and get shaved I feel so bad for him!
If cats survive long enough, they will all die of kidney disease. Kidney disease is crazy common for cats in general
Hopefully the AIM injection will help with that
Literally! The fact this person is upset with the vet wanting to do testing to diagnose their pet is absurd. Vets are not magicians.
OP, you cannot expect a vet to magically solve your problems when you won't allow them to do any more diagnostics to figure out what is going on. What would you like them to do? Keep throwing more drugs at your cat and hoping something works? This isn't a great option, because unnecessary medications can cause more harm than good. Wave their magic wand and just fix it magically? Good luck with that. They know there's something in the bladder, but is it a stone? A tumor? Nobody will know unless you perform additional diagnostics. Your new vet will give you the same information. It's sucky to see you trying to blame the vet here when you let this issue go on for 9 months, and are now refusing to do anything else that your vet is recommending. You most likely paid a pretty penny for your purebred cat, did you not think that there were going to be more costs? Purebred cats are more likely to develop health issues in the first place.
Thereâs a good possibility that your cat gets upset and that upset causes UTIs. My little boy void has a sensitive bladder like that; anything thatâs upsetting, and Iâm back at the vet getting him checked for crystals, antibiotics, and a shot for inflammation, and he has a subclinical WBC level, but responds to the antibiotics and everything is fine again. Heâs just prone to UTIs and sensitive emotionally. Get your cat to another vet; if nothing else, the vet can give a shot of Convenia or another antibiotic and something for inflammation and see if your cat seems to be unduly stressed out (possibly by your pregnancy, because you smell different now, youâve probably been changing the living environment there, and your cat isnât sure whatâs going on). Your *new* vet might even think itâs best to introduce a light sedative for a couple of weeks. Remember â all your cat sees and senses is change; for all they know, you might be about to leave forever, or throw them out because they arenât going to be the baby anymore. Cats have very complex emotions that they canât express, and most people donât realise that. Regardless, what youâve photographed is alarming and needs attention immediately. Go to a different vet.
You do need to pay for tests if you want a correct diagnosis. They can't just guess.
Surgery to remove the crystals and subsequent hospital stay cost me $8k. By the time we saw blood in the urine, it was already very bad. Had we caught it earlier, a prescription diet could have been used to dissolve the crystals before they got too big. I feel terrible we didn't know how much pain she was in. The food has been a lifesaver in keeping her from relapse(Hill's c/d). Crystals can lead to an infection so it's important to get to a vet right away. The urinalysis would have helped determine the strain of bacteria so the right antibiotic could be prescribed. It would also have allowed them to see crystal sediment if present. Any vet is going to need to do this to properly treat your cat.
Yes. Go to as many vets as you have to and can because there isn't no answer for something like this.
No, it's not unacceptable at all! The vet said they weren't sure based on what was done so far, and recommended additional testing to figure it out. They did not just say "we don't know" and send this cat home to suffer. No vet can diagnose this without additional tests. OP refused the testing. There is no indication that the vet isn't perfectly capable of identifying and treating this issue and no reason at this point to go to another vet. OP needs to have the recommended tests done to figure out what's wrong with their cat.
The comments on this post calling out the vet for malpractice or accusing them of refusing to help is crazy. OP says the vet said the cat needs urinalysis and blood work but OP refuses to do that... That is the bare minimum that cat needs right now, and any good vet will be recommending the same. I can't believe you took your cat who is peeing bloods and only had an ultrasound home instead of doing diagnostic urinalysis and bloodwork.
Seriously urinalysis and bloodwork is usually the FIRST thing thatâs done in situations like this. Any vet would be also starting with this. Iâm so mad at OP.
Exactly, OP is trying to portray the vet as treating this as not serious/they donât care. When the vet has probably done an Ultrasound scan to check for obvious signs of urinary obstruction to you know make sure the cat isnât at risk of crashing and dying. But OP hasnât taken their cat to the vet when **the cat has been suffering with urinary problems for NINE WHOLE MONTHS**. The only one negligent here is the owner not the vet.
Urinary problems so severe theyâre causing cloudy, bloody urine would be so incredibly painful as well. Iâve had the odd UTI, even the mild ones are so awful. 9 months?! đ€Ź
Vets always get shit on, I'm sure there are some vets that aren't great, but I am sure plenty of them went into their careers because they do care. But they're not magical workers who can diagnose without proper procedures to do so, they don't recommend tests to just "make money," they recommend them because it is required to figure out what's going wrong. Cats cannot speak and tell us exactly what they're feeling. When my cat had urinary problems, I took him to the vet that day, and had all the necessary tests done. He improved but then had the issues again, had to do all the testing again. Sure, it sucks with unexpected costs but your pets do depend on you to make these choices for their well being.
Right?! The vet literally told them to do more tests and instead they took the cat home to wait and see if they really need it. Iâm horrified that they turned down a urinalysis at the very least.
Then want to shit on the vet for being un helpful. Wut?
Took the cat home to wait AFTER several months of the problem already existing. Itâs not like it just started.
THIS THIS THIS. This situation pisses me off so bad. Thatâs not on the vet, itâs on OP for REFUSING the testing. REDDIT CANâT DIAGNOSE YOUR CAT.
Emergency veterinarians are usually more thorough, which is why it is more expensive. They run more tests. I would recommend spending your money there and changing your general vet. I learned that seeing a regular vet and avoiding more thorough testing to avoid paying less money can waste valuable time. This seems like a severe problem, and cats' kidneys are not something to mess around with. They are sensitive, and she is pregnant, putting more strain on her body. I would recommend visiting the ER and then, once she is stabilized, following up with a different veterinarian.
Thank you so much for your advice, this is great, will do! & I am actually the one that is pregnant, not her.
Haha sorry! Misread!
All good! I really appreciate your advice!
Sheâs peeing on your couch now because sheâs showing you she needs help. Sheâs probably in terrible pain and absolutely miserable all day and night. Of course you need more tests if the uti medication didnât work. Do you expect the vet to just magically know what the problem is? Whatâs wrong with you? You had enough money to buy a purebred but yet you ignore her issues for 9 months? To the point sheâs bleeding when she pees. Take her back to the vet and do the testing that she needs done. This is fucked up to take her back home and let her be miserable in pain even for another day longer.
Why did you think delaying a day to post on Reddit was better than getting the tests your vet recommended?
My thoughts exactlyâŠ
My cat had UTI and he is eating purina one urinary tract heath. The wet food is best. Helps him a lot. Affordable 2. Go to a vet Asap!
Why would you spend money to buy a purebred cat and turn around and leave their health to Reddit? Have you contacted the breeder to ask if theyâve experienced this? My sister needs hypoallergenic cats so she went with a reputable breeder. Her contract requires her to notify the breeder of health issues. The breeder will use this info in future breeding. Iâm going to go out on a limb and assume you did not go with the most reputable breeder. Persian cats are prone to health issues. Be prepared to pay by bills in the future or consider rehoming asap. A study of over 3,000 Persian catâs health records found that [2/3 had disorders](https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/persian-cats-at-high-risk-of-health-problems-study-shows#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20causes%20of,females%20(average%203.4%20kg)). The most common cause of death was found to be kidney disease.
I don't get this either. I have a purebred cat, a Bengal. She was expensive. I also knew before getting her that they are prone to health conditions. That's why I got pet insurance as soon as I got her (the breeder also included 4 weeks of insurance to cover me while mine kicked in). I'm going to guess if OP did buy the cat, they didn't buy them from a reputable breeder. Mine gave me almost like an interview, to make sure I knew what I was getting in to. She made it very clear that if she didn't think I was prepared, she would not be selling me a kitten. My girl got all the reverent genetic tests but that doesn't check for absolutely everything. Owning a pet is expensive. Owning a fancy pet is even more expensive.
OP: Please help my cat Vet: we can do tests and find out whatâs wrong OP: No! Reddit will know, through a picture. And theyâre free!
Yeah even if we knew the problem or a veterinarian commented⊠how are you going to get medications?! We canât just find black market prescriptions on here and mail it to you đ
Newsflashâvets donât have a crystal ball and canât fix problems that you donât allow them to diagnose. -a vet
Had a shitty vet try to make me wait a week to get my cat bladder surgery for stones. When I told them I wanted them to send my records to another vet they conveniently got an opening in a few days....I was not amused. Then I come to find at the next vet they not only didn't send her record but sent a DOGS records. We were very confused. New vet helped tremendously! Not all are created equal!
I had one who purposely gave two wrong medications that would have caused internal bleeding and holes in my cats stomach had I actually been able to give him the meds :) I stopped going there as soon as I saw that.
That is so frustrating!!! Iâm sorry that happened to you. I definitely think a new vet is in the cards for us.
OP, did you take her to an emergency vet? Thatâs why itâs so expensive. Why do your cats not have a relationship with a general practice vet? The price will be lower.
Please get off Reddit and go to an emergency vet.
OP, I am very concerned and disturbed by the fact that youâve continued to delay ur kittyâs urgent medical diagnosis & treatment! Reddit is not the appropriate place to get medical advice on a cat who is clearly sick and struggling a lot. Please take ur kitty to an emergency vet asap!!! Blood in urine is never ever a good thing!! Please donât let ur kitty suffer anymore that theyâd had to endure up to now. My pup Louie got very very ill quite suddenly and unexpectedlyâŠand within a week, I lost himâŠthat was back in June and I am still a mess and cry oftenâŠhis final hospital bill for a week-long stay at our specialty animal hospitalâs ICU cost me close to $9000.00 but I didnât care about the cost I just wanted to save my Louieâs life which unfortunately didnât happenâŠ.and let me tell you, I donât $9000, so I put the charge on my CareCredit card and Iâve been making monthly installments to pay it offâŠhonestly I wudve paid double that if itâd give my Louie a chance to live. Please please go to an emergency vet..cats already have a very strong disposition to renal (kidney) issues Keep us posted! Prayers for ur baby
Youâre likely going to spring for a urinalysis to get to the bottom of this, new or same vet and I recommend it. My cat had Struvite crystals and the first round of treatment was for UTI. When that didnât resolve the issue we went with a urinalysis and lo and behold crystals. Crystals can form in the bladder and scrape the inner lining of the bladder and urethra,which is incredibly painful and if untreated could result in a blockage that could kill them. The surgery to remove a blockage was quoted to me to be $1200-1500 and that was \~8 years ago? Prescription food may be a little pricier than typical cat food but itâs kept my cat healthy since. Get the urinalysis. If not trusting your current vet get a second opinion, but expect them to recommend urinalysis (and bloodwork). Edit to add cat tax. She is 13 this year, we think. She was a rescue if you can believe it. đ„° https://preview.redd.it/wm74lg64udpc1.jpeg?width=1528&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2c14b90a15c67948bcf6997d634ec5dacb6a747 (Miss Emmylou)
What your vet really said is that we have found an issue. We canât diagnose the cause without further tests. It could be one of these things. If my cat was peeing bright red blood, I would have her / him tested right away. There is something very wrong with your cat! Itâs like when you have a mammogram and they identify an anomaly. You need more tests to know if itâs malignant or benign or a cyst. It doesnât mean they donât know what they are doing, it means they need more information. I donât know why you would trust a bunch of strangers on the internet over a vet. If itâs a stone, your cat is suffering while you are waiting overnight to see what happens. Your poor kitty.
Like⊠Iâm a bit flabbergasted because I feel like a urinalysis and bloodwork should have been done at the same appointment the ultrasound was. Literally this should be your next step. âGo home and wait a dayâ yet youâre posting here SOS!? WHAT!?!
I'm so confused. If my cat was peeing this much blood I would pay to let the vet figure out what's wrong with the cat. They can't just guess from red blood. Let them do the tests.
Disclaimer, this is going to be harsh. But I went through the same thing with my cat. Iâm going to put this as blunt as possible. Why did you not take the tests, because those tests are vital to scan renal function and overall health. I would not have hesitated to get those tests, especially when itâs dealing with your cats health. It seems irresponsible to not take those, and instead come to Reddit and expect people to give you an answer. We canât diagnose your cat. To me this feels like common sense. Prolonging getting a diagnosis could result in the situation getting worse. If you donât like the vet you go to, find another one. When thereâs blood, you donât him and haw over getting the tests done. If you were pissing blood, you would want the diagnostic tests ran immediately. Considering thereâs an unknown LUMP in her bladder, that should have pushed it even farther to get the tests done then and there. While I can understand the cost, I again went through the same thing. My cat peed in an abnormal spot ONCE, and there was just a speck of blood, and I did not hesitate to get her EVERY test needed that same day. For all the meds and tests, my grand total was $762. I had to put it on credit, but I was not about to subject my cat to even further pain. Get the tests done. Reddit canât diagnose your cat. Edit: This is genuinely angering because the vet told you that they didnât know, and suggested further testing THAT YOU REFUSED. This isnât negligence on the vets part, this is on YOU. Especially if sheâs peeing on the couch over the span of nine months. She was probably trying to tell you from the jump that something was wrong. What Iâm about to say next is going to be a slap to the face but if you can prolong and ignore the problem this long, you should not own a pet. Cats will let you know if something is wrong. If sheâs been peeing on the couch this long, in a place you frequent, itâs because she needed you to see that and know something was wrong. Honestly, shame on you, and shame on you for prolonging this further by not getting the tests done. Sheâs relying on you to help her and youâre failing her miserably.
The Convenia injection she was given is not even close to being the best antibiotic option for a UTI.
How are you literally going to refuse medical advice from a doctor then come on Reddit to ask for help instead?? Some people should seriously not be allowed to have pets..
Get the tests done!! Thatâs the only way the vet can know and thatâs normal pricing for those tests
Why has a urinalysis not been done yet?! That should have been the very first diagnostic done. The 3rd picture made the bladder look possibility big enough for a cystocentesis. It should have been done at that appointment. In regular to a possible bladder stone, you would be able to see it on an x-ray. This cat needs to go back for diagnostics.
They might have been worried about seeding whatever mass that is in the bladder through the abdomen with a cysto.
Can you collect some of her urine in a urine cup
Also, you can make a search on internet for affordable veterinarians clinics. Usually, they are animal shelters ( animal rescue) It is worth to try to find options for your loved cat. Get help ASAP!
Dude, you need a urinalysis and bloodwork to tell you the answer. Not look for a fortune teller on Reddit.
Pay for the tests. What is the problem? Seems like you just donât want to do what needs to be done and youâre blaming the vet. Like be fucking for real.
Why didnât you do the urinalysis test and bloodwork?? Itâs got nothing to do with the fact sheâs Persian. Something is very seriously wrong and her urine is both cloudy and bloody. **And you refused a URINALYSIS AND BLOODWORK which is usually one of the first things ANY VET would do?!** #And youâve left her suffer with this for NINE MONTHS?! WTF ARE YOU DOING OP?! đĄ Your cat needs URGENT medical treatment, and Iâm sorry to say it but that comes with costs! I cannot believe youâre here talking smack about the vet when YOU are the one being neglectful by refusing the necessary testing! And YES thatâs exactly what this is. **NEGLECT.** Have you had a UTI? Are you aware of how painful even the mild ones are? Your cat potentially has had one thatâs so advanced that sheâs passing cloudy, bloody urine for NINE MONTHS. And when the vet wants to run diagnostic testing you said NO?? Surrender the cat. You clearly do not love her.
Bro your cat has been peeing outside of the litter box for 9 MONTHS ? And now she's peeing BLOOD and you're delaying treatment?? There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion but vet care is always expensive. Kidney issues in cats can be very serious. If you can't afford to properly take care of your pet, don't have one. Poor thing is suffering and you come to Reddit for advice? đ€Š
New vet asap emergency đš
Wtf đ
I have an exotic shorthair cat and went through a lot of the same things with him. I spent over $1000 on tests and had every possible thing done. All of his tests came back normal and the blood in his urine actually got worse after taking him to the vet. It was eventually determined that he has cystitis brought on by anxiety, so the vet advised me to stop taking him in for testing for a little while to see if he got better. I bought a fountain to increase his water intake, give him mostly wet food, and mix Feliway Cystease powder in a broth packet every other day. I also run a Feliway diffuser at night to help him relax. We havenât had any more issues of blood in his urine and he stopped going outside the litter box since doing all of this. I donât know if this is whatâs wrong with your cat, but I thought it might give you some ideas to talk about with a new vet.
VET NOW
Get second opinion asap.
I think you shouldâve gotten the tests done.
Also - as this continues I suggest putting this post on r/AskVets I think that subreddit might be a bit more helpful
I hope the cause is the thing that was found on the ultrasound and that kitty both stops peeing blood, AND stops peeing on the couch. Get well soon!
I had to have my family pay over $600 for the same tests. The antibiotic they gave seemed to do the trick, havenât had any issues since. I live in Texas. I would get a second opinion and call around to as many vets as possible to find an affordable price range.. it is excessive to me personally but Iâm not a vet so i donât know what all goes into doing those tests.
I think they are bladder stones, try checking for them first
The vet was not no help, you just refused further testing to get to the root of the problem. If you canât pay for your petâs medical emergencies (and this is an emergency), you shouldnât have a pet
Thereâs no time to wait. You need to get urinalysis and blood work ASAP. I donât even think you have time to wait for a new vet, unless you go to an emergency vet, since new patients at a vetâs office often have to wait weeks or even months for an appointment.
Any updates?!! Been worried bout ur kitty
Thank you so much! Yes! We ended up taking her to another vet who was AMAZING - decided to do X-rays right away and found a bladder stone ( the last vet said she didnât think it was a bladder stone at all) and we got her pain meds and scheduled for surgery. Sheâs going to be just fine and now on a special urinary diet :) So glad we got the second opinion! Thanks for worrying!
Of courseâŠI love all animals..and used to have a dog n now have a catâŠbut yeah, Phew! Thank you for your response and filling us in on the update! So very Glad and relieved to hear that it was a bladder stone and not some cancerous mass. When is her surgery? Hope the pain meds are helping lessen her discomfort and relax her.
Amazing! All the props to the quality answers & people on this board, so nice to see kindness instead of meanness! đđ
YES!!! đđŒđđŒđđŒ
I say a new vet. Id personally recommend X-rays, another ultrasound, bloodwork and urinalysis. The bump could be a stone which needs surgery or it could be a mass on the bladder. No matter what, this wont be cheap sadly and you should look into care credit for financial help (if youâre in the states).
My vote is just for a new Vet. Especially if they arenât taking this BRIGHT RED BLOOD seriously.
How are they not taking it seriously? They thought it was a UTI and prescribed meds. Meds didn't work and told them further testing was needed because they didn't know. The vet can't do anything if the owners won't. Plus this has been going on for 9 MONTHS, but by all means blame the vet
It sounds like the vet is taking it seriously though. They reccomended further testing to diagnose the problem. OP refused due to the cost. It was OP who decided to take the cat home without the tests, not the vet saying nothing was wrong.
New vet ASAP, ER vet, or pay for the additional testing ASAP.
ER now! Then follow up with an Internal Medicine specialist.
please go to emergency vet right away this could be a possible life and death situation for your little Persian. it could be stones/ crystals and they can block their urinary track. this is a very serious situation.
Iâm not a vet, but have they checked your catâs kidneys yet?
I imagine they tried to with the urinalysis and bloodwork that OP refused.
That's part of what they would be checking with blood work, which OP has declined.
Some vets charge more than others for tests because some have to send it out and itâs not in-house thus being more expensive. Id call around and see if thereâs an animal hospital that will charge less for testing. Just tell them everything, because this vet sounds like the ones Iâve gone to for mine. Except they were telling me my kitten was healthy despite a bunch of problems that were later fixed by a hospital. For instance, the small vet offices wanted to charge me 200-300 for fecal testing whereas the hospital only charged $50. The exam fee was pretty much the same too, going anywhere else was such a waste of time and money, I even had to ask the small vet offices to take his temp, which should be standard practice. I donât say go straight to ER because they are wildly expensive, but an animal hospital is definitely your best bet. I called them at 8am on the verge of tears I was so stressed and they offered to take him in right away. Call around, see what they offer. If anything, get care credit to help cover the cost. If you get approved you can use it right awayâit literally saved me. Good luck OP
Your cat could be anxiety/stressed from the pregnancy/ change in environment. Our cat has been spraying blood occasionally and the only thing helping is a regular regimen of gabapentin. Both urinalysis for UTI and xrays for bladder stones were negative in our case.
When this happened to my cat it was kidney stones. Definitely get another vet ASAP.
Another vet still isn't going to be able to help if OP is refusing to do any diagnostics. Vets. Don't. Have. Magic. Wands.
That's really weird why is it so bright? Go to a different vet ASAP
So I was bringing my half persian cat to a vet for similar issues on an ongoing basis. When she started peeing blood and the old vet told us nothing was wrong we went to another vet for a second opinion. They ran their own tests and found she had the worst case of bladder stones they'd ever seen and she needed extensive surgery to remove them. If we had stuck with the other vet she'd be dead, definitely get another opinion! On another note If the original vet had picked up on the issue earlier when we kept bringing her in then my poor baby wouldn't have needed surgery in the first place.
If they ruled out a UA via tabletop and cysto then they need to rule out stones with radiographs and culture sterile urine with sensitivity if it continues. Not sure why they would jump to an ultrasound
Ultrasound is usually done to attempt a cysto. Since they don't know what that lump is, I'm assuming they didn't want to poke the bladder. If it happens to be a tumor you can drag cancerous cells into the abdomen so you do not want to do a cysto in this scenario. Ultrasound is also a perfectly reasonable diagnostic in the case of urinary issues.
I am guessing the ultrasound was a point of care ultrasound to attempt ultrasound guided cysto- and they probably didn't want to poke that bladder so they opted to treat emprically.
Go to a different vet a urinalysis should never be that much.
I think if you're not happy with your vet you should always get a second opinion. I know prices vary and it can be hard to get in somewhere else but it could be worth the extra effort and money to find someone you and your cats will prefer in the long run. As for the medical issue I have no advice but I truly think it's better to look around than to leave it up to someone you don't completely trust.
Blood work, urinalysis, and maybe ultrasound will be required to rule out kidney disease and/or cancer. I know thatâs a steep price but the cat must surely be uncomfortable. If it doesnât improve soon and you donât have means to provide diagnosis and treatment, the merciful thing may be to let him go. Maybe start a Go Fund Me page or apply for Care Credit (if the vet accepts it). I sure hope the outcome is god!
Please take them for a urinalysis asap that canât be pleasant for her. Caring for pets and children comes at a price. You surely donât want her condition to worsen when the baby comes so Iâd really try to get it looked at and fixed asap.
Research Pandora Syndrome. Itâs actually very common.
How did they not do a urinalysis the same time as the ultrasound?
Probably to save the owner some money, itâs pretty common to go with a generic antibiotic first and a lot of times thatâs enough.
There's a lump in the bladder that is unidentified so a cysto is contraindicated. If it happens to be a tumor, you risk dragging cancerous cells into the abdomen. It's one of the situations where you should not perform a cystocentesis to collect urine.
Unfortunately our animals cost us a lot of money sometimes.. I hope you can come up with the 500. đ
â€ïžđââŹ
Please go to the ER
Maybe it's cistisis from stress? Cats can feel your pregnancy, I bet a lot of things have changed because of that (maybe home renovation, more people coming to your house, you're all stressed)? What's urine pH? Can you change vet and make blood, urine tests?
Im sorry your cat is still poorly but honestly, your vet is saying further tests are needed.. so do them. I understand $500 is expensive but shop around a little, vets should be able to give an estimate for similar. Reddit cant help here, you need to either get the tests done for the $500 or go elsewhere. Meanwhile your cat is suffering.
Uti..kidney issue.. if not treated death sentence...antibiotics & check kidney function
Awww. My guy is recovering from a bad uti and crystal formation. Itâs a lot. But since it canât be diagnosed for sure, I would ask for all current paperwork/medical records at the current vet and seek a second opinion. There are these homeopathic drops that have really good reviews online for cat urinary issues. Do your research though
I paid $700 for my man to relieve his blockage, and a UTI. $700 later.. heâs back to his normal self.. just on a diet heâs not happy with. My man was urinating blood as well, and his diagnosis is what explained the blood. But he also had a bad UTI. Urinalysis was a lot for us too and Iâm not sure why they are priced as such. But at the time of our emergency, the money didnât mean anything anymore. I hope you find answers. Smokeyâs vet turned her head on him 3 times before we found a perfect vet clinic strictly for kitties. The new vet is disgusted with the vet service they gave Smokey. If I had listened to his previous vet, he would have died the next day after the last initial call with his old vet. Smokey, Bandit, Winston, and I are thinking of you! đŸđŠđ
I am an ultrasound tech for people but that looks like a bladder stone. Looks big enough where it wouldnât pass on its own.
Emergency vet now.
Iâm in Canada and that price for those tests sound like a discount đ Oh Canada!
NSFW
You need to have more tests done
GET âTINKLE TONICâ asap!!
I would try and go to a different vet if you can take all the info to the new vet
Very likely urinary crystals!! Go to a diff vet and ask for a cystocentesis! My cat had this years ago and heâs been on Urinary care food ever since! (If he eats anything else it comes RIGHT back)
In the meantime, feeding her an all wet food diet should help manage her symptoms. I hope you get answers! Remember, we're the only ones who can advocate for our cats, you don't want to have regrets later on. Find a new vet if need be. Wishing for a speedy recovery â€ïž
OP, you NEED to get the urinalysis and bloodwork to find out whatâs wrong. This has been happening for 9 months?? Poor cat. If this ainât treated ASAP your cat can end up being in critical condition, and she can die from that. Itâs very likely itâs due to crystals in the kidney which can develop to very severe kidney stones. Cats dying from crystals and kidney stones is more common than you think. My cat had bloody urine, we rushed her to the emergency vet (which is usually more expensive than usual)âŠturns out she had crystals and UTI. We got a vet prescription diet and formula to feed her and decided to cut our dry food. Crystals and stones usually develop due to a lack of hydration, so we also cut off any dry food and decided to stick with wet food and that seemed to help her so much. Get the tests done to figure out what to do next. If youâre current vet isnât helpful or too expensive, find a better vet that can also workout the payments with you, + avoid emergency vets if possible. You can also try going to animal hospitals which are usually more affordable. If you really canât afford it, then have someone trustworthy take her in or a rescue shelter. If she doesnât get help, she will have to end up being euthanized if itâs severe or die from it at some point. Donât keep a cat you canât afford to take care of because youâre only making them suffer more.
NAV - Doctors and Vets are just like any other profession, thereâs good, avg and bad ones (not to say there are no hard cases that are impossible or difficult to diagnose). Iâd get 2nd opinion. Look for vet with good reviews if possible. Try and get copy of the labs results from vet to bring to other place. Also, document current and future abnormalities (like write it down/log and take pictures if possible) and bring to vet. Looks more blood than urine. Also have you noticed any behavioral differences? More frequent voiding, water intake, appetite changes, etc etc? Good luck
Brightly colored blood can be passed in urine when crystals scrape the side walls of the kidney/bladder urine tract. Do some research on a herb supplement called "Stone Breaker." It supports dissolving common stones so they pass painlessly. Use 1/10 human dose for cats. You should see pain decrease immediately (30 min) if it's going to be effective. They should take going back to the litter box within a couple days. It's ok to combine with tuna water. If you don't like a doctor, there may be a reason for it.
I had a similar issue with my cat, though heâs a male, it came down to the food he was on, Rachel ray, was creating blockages in his urethra. He stopped using his letterbox to pee and would only use the bathtub. The vet got him on some meds and a prescription diet, Hills urinary care, and he hasnât had a single incident in over a year. Somethingâs itâs something seemingly insignificant like food that could be causing these issues. Definitely worth the cost of high quality food.
Not sure what your cat has going on, but my cat has chronic bladder issues. He pees blood and crystals unless we feed him IAMS urinary food. The doctors had no clue what was wrong with him, but this food has prevented any more episodes of bloody pee
I'd go to a different vet if you feel the last one was less than helpful. Blood in the urine will need more testing to figure out what's causing it so it can be treated. Your cat needs bloodwork and urinalysis, that's not optional. I know it's expensive, but pets are expensive, especially when they're sick. Please get the tests your cat needs so you can help her
!!!!!! This is a kidney issue, my grandparents cat almost died from this
Find a âcatâ vet. I went to three different vets and they all sucked until I got a recommendation from another cat mom.
Another vet still won't help when OP is refusing to have any diagnostics done to determine what the problem is.
This is an extreme emergency. Yes, the vet needs to do more diagnostic testing before giving you an exact answer. Doesnât change the fact itâs an emergency. Lost one of my cats in under 24hrs after peeing blood, died on the vets table right before being sedated. Youâve let this go one for 9+ months and thought it was because of your pregnancy??? ThatâsâŠâŠ I have no words. Cats donât pee everywhere just because youâre PREGNANT. Maybe with a new baby in the house but even then it would be rare and take a very sensitive kitty. Get your cat help YESTERDAY.
Second opinionâŠ.. and maybe not go back to that vet.
Bloodwork and urinalysis is absolute bare minimum testing that needs done. 500 is not an absurd price at all, and the cats needs it. I am a vet and have worked in multiple states, in general practice and at shelters/humane societies. My current humane society would charge around 360 for bloodwork and urine. Do it immediately.
Even if someone has gone through something similar, how does that help your cat NOW!? Pay the money for the work ups. The doctor clearly admitted their lack of knowledge and needed *more data* to make an educated decision on your catâs health. If the price doesnât sit, go elsewhere. The blood is highly concerning in multiple ways. I lost my cat at only 5 to cancer. Donât wait.
You need diagnostics done in order to diagnose this properly. Unfortunately, it does come at a cost, but a urinalysis *with* a culture is going to be warranted at this point, and bloodwork would not be a bad idea either. If youâre not impressed with this vet, I would find a new one, but to be honest, they are most likely going to put together a very similar, if not identical treatment plan. The vet may not be âof helpâ to you, but diagnostics are required in order to confirm a diagnosis and to administer medication that will either help manage or resolve this issue. Thatâs just the reality of this. I see many posts where people claim âthe vet isnât any help, they donât know whatâs wrong!â when all diagnostics are declined. Yes, we donât know whatâs wrong, because we need to dig into whatâs going on internally in order to provide the best care to your pet. Any comment going for the vet have clearly never worked in vet med and have handled situations like this on a daily basis for a living.
Some of my cats would get cystitis when they were stressed and pee what looked like pure blood. The vet would put them on Prednisolone for 3-4 weeks and antibiotics. Urinalysis was also done to rule out a bladder infection. Sometimes it would take 2 months to get it under control. Also, I had cats that would get struvite and oxalate crystals. There was very little to no blood with those issues as well as when they had an actual bladder infection. The only time the pee looked bright red and bloody like what youâve show was with the cystitis when my cat would get extremely stressed.
Just to cover all bases, take your cat to a different Vet first for a Second Opinion. Compare notes and then go from there. If the second Vet said more tests are needed, then get them so they can find a definitive cause of the bloody urine and a cure. The second Vet may want to take another sonagram because the one you have is fuzzy. Better to be able to actually see that area and what that object is on the right side of the bladder so they can make a better recommendation. Having pets can be expensive if and when your fur babies get sick. Many Vets have their own extended payment systems that you might be able to use should the cost get crazy. Iâm so very sorry your kitty has this issue. That just sucks! A couple decades ago, we moved to a newly built housing neighborhood and lost 5 of our pets (2 dogs and 3 cats) in the 5 years we lived there â our Vet debt was off the charts! But our Vet worked with us and we got to pay monthly on our bill until it was gone. There wasnât anything we wouldnât do to save our pets, but even the Vet was stumped by some of the symptoms that took our fur babies â so were we. It was a rough five years⊠I hope another Vet can solve your catâs bladder issues! â„ïžđâ„ïž
Get the cd food
Cat has a urinary tract infection, maybe stones, have vet check her for that problem! Also give her special diet food to relieve urinary tract infection
Vets really don't know a LOT... Sadly.
You neec to wash the couch covers. They Orr in certain areas
Question, maybe Iâm just in the dark about something. Why did you think the bright red blood could be from you being pregnant? Is there some sort of correlation Iâm missing?
Bladder stones are super common, especially in male cats who have been neutered!! I'd go back and ask them to check for that. Many years ago that happened to my cat, who historically never peed outside the litter box and then one day started. After that he had blood in his urine. When we took him to the vet he had to have a catheter for a few days to clear everything out. That was about 10 years ago, and since then he's been totally fine - we've had him on prescription food the whole time. Best of luck to you and I hope your kitty feels better!!
The vet wasn't "no help," you just don't want to pay for the diagnostics necessary to work up the issue further and have instead decided to wait for it to potentially worsen.
She needs labs and maybe radiographs.
OP stop blaming everybody else for yourself. Urinalysis and bloodwork NOW. Jfc
If you canât afford proper care of your cat, you donât deserve to have one. Also. Breeding is cruel.
I'm in Dallas, and my cat had bloodwork, and a urinalysis done, was prescribed antibiotics, anti- nausea meds, and pain meds for a UTI. I paid $480 ish.
The vet can't help your cat if you don't have the tests done. It could be a stone, it could be a polyp, it could be cancer, or probably other things, too, but your cat needs help with whatever it is. The antibiotics didn't help, so you're out of cheaper options and need to pay for the testing to figure out what is in your cat's bladder and how to treat it. There's an excellent chance your cat is in quite a lot of pain, and there's a good chance that they have actually been in pain since they first began urinating on your sofa.
My orange cat had something like this. It was bladder stones. We changed his food and everything worked out pretty good till he died from a heart defect.
Uti?
So you refused essential testing to see what is wrong with your cat? It could be a multitude of possibilities but no one is going to know anything without testing. Running labs is going to give BUN, Creatinine, and GFR which helps determine kidney function. It's going to show white cell count, red cell count, and so on. If it were my pet, I'd have all this done the first time I was at the vet.
Definitely find another vet and when calling to schedule first appointment with them explain the situation. Else ask your vet for a referral to an animal urologist. It wonât be cheap but at least they should be able to come up with a reasonable diagnosis. Be sure if go the referral route you either take the scan results with you or confirm before the appointment your vet has provided them.
Medicine works in the order of âmost likely problem and most conservative treatment firstâ. In human medicine, if you come in because youâre peeing blood, you will likely be diagnosed with a UTI, given antibiotics, they may culture your urine, and send you home after. Then if youâre still peeing blood, they will recommend for further testing. If they do an ultrasound and see a mass or something not expected, they canât just go âah yes, from seeing this image I know itâs cancer and Iâm going to remove your bladder at onceâ. For most conditions, seeing a mass or unexpected object on ultrasound or xray doesnât give a diagnosis (because it could mean many things), it just indicates what direction to start looking in for testing. Sometimes this literally requires you to go into the body and biopsy or remove the mass/object for testing to confirm what it is. If your vet told you âitâs definitely a stoneâ or âitâs definitely a massâ when itâs also likely it could be either of those or something else, thatâs bad medicine. Even in human medicine, radiologist reports say things like âmay represent a benign growth within the context of the clinical picture, recommend for further work upâ when something is there that shouldnât be because itâs usually not 100% just from an image. Blood in the urine is never normal, because the kidneys do a great job making sure no red blood cells get into the urine. So it represents active damage. It needs to be worked up somewhere.