About a week ago, we noticed little spots of blood in one of the cat litter boxes. It didn’t take us long to figure out which cat was in trouble, so off to the vet she went, promptly last Monday morning.
Diagnosis, UTI, urinary tract infection. We have dealt with any number of those, although lately the occurrence seems to have become more frequent, which is troubling.
Anyway, a course of antibiotics was prescribed and an injection administered.
Grant had been in favour of rushing Sikkim off to the emergency clinic in Latham, last Sunday night, already convinced that our local vet would be closed for Veteran’s Day.
Grant cannot bear it when any of the cats gets sick and I usually have more time managing him that managing the sick animal, but I can hardly fault him for it!
While he was in the shower I made a couple of phone calls and determined that there was really no need to panic just yet and also that our vet would in fact be open the next day.
Sikkim gets horribly car sick, so I was able to talk Grant out of a hurried sortie into the pitch black night.
I am not a fan of driving in the dark around here. I see horrible pictures in my mind of deer crossing the road.
So Sikkim at least was not subjected to that. We heaved a sigh of relief and waited for the medication to take effect. Only it didn’t and after a few days another weekend was lurking.
Funny how often things go wrong on weekends.
But it was obvious Sikkim’s problem must be a little more complicated, so back to the vet she went, accompanied this time by Penny who unwisely sneezed in Grant’s presence.
Although, I will admit, the doctor did say that her throat was slightly inflamed and with 12 cats in residence, you don’t want anything going around.
Sikkim got x-rayed and this revealed the true cause of her problem. Stones in her bladder.
Although it wasn’t the only option, we decided that the best way forward was to be rid of the wretched stones, rapidly and completely which meant surgery.
Sikkim sleeping it off 
Back in her favourite chair
Friday saw our poor girl going under the knife (:
Having an animal anaesthetised always provokes intense anxiety. We once lost a cat after a simple dental procedure and it’s hard to put that experience out of one’s mind at these times.
Particularly in the case of Sikkim. She had a dental procedure last year and although she came through just fine, the anaesthesia knocked her completely sideways. For a week she staggered around in a haze.
And this time she was having her little belly cut open and her bladder was being scraped.
Glad to say, all is well. Sikkim did come home in a very drugged state, wobbling and staggering. It was heart-piercing to watch the poor creature and of course she must have been very sore. Still is, I’m sure.
But the stones are gone and hopefully we can persuade her to follow a diet to prevent re-occurrence, although I am not holding my breath for that!
Grant is now recovering from two nights spent sleeping on the floor in order to keep our little patient company, un-molested by her pesky siblings. That didn’t go down well with some of the afore-mentioned!
Good to hear that Sikkhim’s surgery went well and was successful. I hope there are no more recurrences any time soon. I love all the pics of Penny with those white whiskers! Minnie is solid black and has only ONE white whisker and I love it. I’m glad to hear that she wasn’t getting sick again, too. Bless Grant for his devotion and having a bed on the floor for those nights.
You may be far more informed than I am. But here’s some info just in case it could be helpful. The owners of this company said that their cats lived longer without problems because they love the water that the company sells. Dogs and cats both prefer this water. Well, even though it’s true, I needed to construct a reason why, so that I could actually follow the instructions. Then I found that with dry food, cats tend not to drink enough water to keep their urinary tract healthy. With the water provided by this company, they tend to drink more, and that might explain why the cats live healthier and longer with it. Humans do, too, and not from only drinking it. It works well for external use as well.
Please don’t buy the same label from either Amazon or Vitacost. There is a company selling diluted knock-offs; even so, the original company has not sued. As customers we just have to buy from the right source.
https://www.willardswater.com/content/48-first-time-buyers
Hi Nancy, I should have mentioned that our cats are mainly fed wet food with dry food only as treats and we are trying to reduce even that. Specifically for kidney and urinary tract issues. A friend once put me onto Willards Water. Maybe I need to re-visit! Thanks.
So glad all went okay for your beautiful Sikkim.