Perineal Urethrostomy Surgery For My Cat- Experiences and Suggestions?

[Mark Fuller]

My dear Buddy the cat is going through hell with his first round of Urethral blockages and it's looking more and more like the only potential long-term solution would be Perineal Urethrostomy.

I am being quoted prices around $2500.00 barring complications.

Does anyone have experience with their cat having this procedure?

Suggestions for surgeons?

For post-surgical care?

Thank you in advance,

Mark

[Shandi]

Hi Mark,

I hadn't heard of this surgery before, so I went online. There's a lot of information on it.

I hope someone can recommend a good local vet. You must love Buddy very much to
be willing to spend that kind of money to help him. In my situation, I'd have to put
my cat down, due to finances.

I've learned that a steady diet dry cat food can be the cause of many problems, like this.

It's always hard when our beloved pets are suffering. I hope you find a solution soon.



My dear Buddy the cat is going through hell with his first round of Urethral blockages and it's looking more and more like the only potential long-term solution would be Perineal Urethrostomy.

I am being quoted prices around $2500.00 barring complications.

Does anyone have experience with their cat having this procedure?

Suggestions for surgeons?

For post-surgical care?

Thank you in advance,

Mark

[kit-kit]

cat foods low in ash content are best - at the vet they carry Science Diet foods.

have you contacted the vet school at U.C. Davis?

i've purposefully delayed neutering my male cat until he is about a year old to minimize this problem.

heard about a vet clinic - think it is back east though - that does low cost surgeries, they also limit their practice to surgery only.

hope you can control your cat's problems by changing his diet - maybe there is a food that will help (think outside the box, i.e. my DOGS LOVE broccoli ...

yogurt, increase water in his diet - cranberry juice is good for people - it inhibits bacteria attaching to the wall of the bladder, decreasing urinary tract infections.

sugar and juice not typical cat foods, but the cranberry material is also available in capsules or tablets - the acid may dissolve the material in your cat's urine that is causing blockages

good luck!

[anathstryx]

Hi Mark,

I hadn't heard of this surgery before, so I went online. There's a lot of information on it.

I hope someone can recommend a good local vet. You must love Buddy very much to
be willing to spend that kind of money to help him. In my situation, I'd have to put
my cat down, due to finances.

I've learned that a steady diet dry cat food can be the cause of many problems, like this.

It's always hard when our beloved pets are suffering. I hope you find a solution soon.

It's not necessarily a constant diet of dry cat food that causes this condition. At one time it was thought that high ash content or magnesium content in cat food promoted the condition but now it's not so clear that this is so in all cases. Most cat food producers now limit magnesium content to what is considered safe levels since this was a pretty wide-spread problem at one time. Also, always having fresh water available, a somewhat acidic (but not too) diet, clean cat box (if for an indoor cat), and low stress area for the cat box seems to help prevent it. Male cats seem to be more prone to this. I had one years and years ago that got it but medication resolved it quickly and I changed over to Meow Mix and have stayed with that brand for about 25 years with no problems but my cats also get wet food once a day.

My vet is Dr. Carter at the Central Animal Hospital in Petaluma. These folks are just wonderful. But, usually, when the perineal urethrostomy is recommended, it's the last resort.

So sorry for you, Mark, and your good Buddy. It's an awful, painful condition and the surgery is pretty terrible, as well. You might give Central Animal Hospital a call and see what they have to say about it.

Anathstryx

[Adrenalyn]

Our cat, Captain, had this problem. We went through the catheterization process with him twice. By the third time this happened, we were at the Affordable Animal Emergency Clinic in Santa Rosa, and the vet there advised us to go with the operation as everything we done to avoid surgery had not worked. We had tried the special wet food diet and methijell, the cranberry juice like dietary stuff, and it hadn't worked. We feel that we got great value for our money and great treatment for Captain there. Originally we had gone to the emergency clinic in Rohnert Park and they had quoted us well over $2,000. This was much more affordable. The clinic is nothing fancy, you get what you pay for, but the staff are super caring with the animals. All that happened last October/November, and now we have a very healthy pet.

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or want to talk about it.
Lynn 415.203.9954

Affordable Animal Emergency Clinic
4122 S. Moorland Ave., Santa Rosa
707.584.8273

[Mark Fuller]

Great information, private and public.
Thanks to all. Keep it coming if something comes to mind.
My Buddy cat is recovering (fingers crossed).
Learning lots about Raw food/Homeopath solutions for the future.
Once we get through this crisis I'll be looking towards many of the suggestions you folks have put forth.

Thanks to all!!

Mark