Licky's at the vet: UPDATE

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First, thanks everyone for all the well-wishes and purrs.

I talked to the vet this afternoon and she said he had no crystals.
No blockage, either. But he did have an inflammation, so she prescribed
an anti-spasmodic (not anti-inflammatory as I had thought) plus an
antibiotic "just in case". I asked about that, because I certainly
prefer not to take them myself unless necessary, and I figure Licky
shouldn't have them either, unless he has to. But apparently an
inflammation like this depresses the immune system in that area, and
leaves it open to infection. They cultured his urine to see if there
was any bacteria, but don't have results yet.

Meanwhile, no more free-feeding of dry food for a few weeks at least,
until he's recovered. And then, everyone's going to get c/d dry, and
we'll see how Licky does on that. The vet recommended it, so I'm going
to give it a try. Meanwhile, if Roxy or Smudge want any dry food (the
kind I've been giving them), they'll have to eat it in a separate room,
and then I'll take it up so Licky doesn't get any.

He managed to avoid a blockage this time but please explain why, despite all
you've read about dry being bad for boycats urinary systems, you still want
to give him dry again after he's recovered.
Isn't it possible to feed him on wet?
Boyfie just *loves* dry. I suspect he was reared on it. He gets wet food
and a couple of times a week I sprinkle dry on it to make him happy.
I don't think dry food was invented when KFC was born. I did try her once
on it but she seemed unable to understand it was edible. "what is that in
my dish?"

Tweed

Christina Websell wrote:

He managed to avoid a blockage this time but please explain why, despite all
you've read about dry being bad for boycats urinary systems, you still want
to give him dry again after he's recovered.

I'll be giving him a prescription dry food from the vet, c/d dry. It has
acidifying properties, which keeps the urine from getting too alkaline.
That's what creates crystals and blockage. This food is made especially
for male cats who have urinary problems.

BTW, Licky did not have crystals either time he got cystitis. He didn't
have any blockage either. What he's had is irritation of either the
bladder or the urethra (not sure which), which causes spasms, bleeding,
and also causes him to feel like he has to pee all the time, even when
he doesn't. I believe, as does my vet, that his episodes of irritation
and spasm were caused by stress, not by his diet.

Roxy eats very sporadically, rather than wolfing everything down at
once. So she needs to have something available all day so she can go
and graze from time to time. That's why I leave dry food down all
the time. (Big cats in the wild have more of a binge/starve pattern
to their eating - generally, they gorge themselves on a kill, since
they don't know when they'll next have meat. But Roxy seems to believe
she's an ungulate. )

--
Joyce ^..^

To email me, remove the XXX from my user name.

wrote in message
...
Christina Websell wrote:

He managed to avoid a blockage this time but please explain why, despite
all
you've read about dry being bad for boycats urinary systems, you still
want
to give him dry again after he's recovered.

I'll be giving him a prescription dry food from the vet, c/d dry. It has
acidifying properties, which keeps the urine from getting too alkaline.
That's what creates crystals and blockage. This food is made especially
for male cats who have urinary problems.

BTW, Licky did not have crystals either time he got cystitis. He didn't
have any blockage either. What he's had is irritation of either the
bladder or the urethra (not sure which), which causes spasms, bleeding,
and also causes him to feel like he has to pee all the time, even when
he doesn't. I believe, as does my vet, that his episodes of irritation
and spasm were caused by stress, not by his diet.

.. That's why I leave dry food down all the time.

It's up to you, of course.
Myself, after I've read all about dry food, mine are fed on wet. Boyfriend
would prefer to eat dry all the time given the choice. I feed him on wet
with a sprinkling of dry to keep him happy.
I doubt if KFC ever saw dry. It was probably not invented when she was a
young cat and her teeth are not up to trying it now.
Even if she could, I don't think she would.

Tweed