Need help/advise

[WitchyWoman]

Sorry to hear this Steve. It was a concern that I was addressing when I asked about the vet checking for structural issues in my first post to you. I know very little about this issue. It can be caused by spinal injury, injury to urethra, or tumor for example. What is unusual is that both kittens have it which may mean it is congenital. Are there other siblings in this litter? If so, ask the breeder if they have the same issue.

Sounds as though your vet is taking a noninvasive and conservative approach which, IMHO, is always the best way to try to resolve a mystery. Perhaps talk to him again about running a full panel of tests to be sure nothing was missed the first time -- bacterial infection, kidney analysis, blood panel. And as Patti mentioned, there could still be a struvite or calcium oxalate stone or urethral plug of another sort present. I don't know whether the drug your vet is prescribing would also help removal of a plug so it would be a good thing got ask.

In the meantime, if they are eating kibble I think it would be best to switch them to a canned or raw diet. Just in case there is a blockage caused by dry food and not enough water intake. In any event, adequate water intake will be important in helping with whatever the ultimate diagnosis turns out to be.

Good luck with your fur babes, and please keep us updated. Hugs.

 

[Steve]

Thanks so much for your thoughts and concerns I have 2 other vets that I am going to consult with. One is the breeders vet and the other is our favorite vet who wasn't available last week. She manages the big cats at the zoo and is very familiar with Savannahs. Diet has been suggested as well as a medication. Not sure if it's Xanax but it is a muscle relaxer/anti spasmodic med so we'll start that immediately and go from there. Thanks again!

 

[Dantes]

Another thought I had is that if you are using clay litter or sand...I have heard/read that it can stick to a cat or kitten's bottom and create a blockage. Was the kitten you took in for an exam checked for this?

Out of curiosity, I recall (or maybe am haunted by) a post about a kitten that melted in clumping litter, could it be something like that? Maybe the litter burns them?

 

[Sue Armstrong]

I have been reading over this thread and just realized I know the breeder, as a matter of fact she called me last night for suggestions ....... she is very concerned and cannot figure out what this may be. She was going to have her vet call your vet to see what else they can come up with. When she first started telling me, my first thought was that is was a UTI as that is usually the only reason a kitten or cat will strain and stay in the litter box trying to pee. But then when she said that now the other kitten was doing it also, that to me is very very strange. She thought the kitten had been put on antibiotics but after reading the thread I am now not sure. I do know that this is the moms 4th or 5th litter and there have never been any issues in the previous litters. The only other suggestion I had is that possibly it could be something like phimosis. I had a kitten that had this once in my 30 years of breeding cats. It is very rare but it is where the hole where the penis comes out of is not large enough for the penis to protrude to properly pee. This as I said is extremely rare, and my kitten exhibited no signs of any issues until after about 3 months of age. He did have to have surgery to correct this and enlarge the opening. The vet said in his 32 years of treating cats, my kitten was only the 2nd case he had ever seen. Go figure. Here is a link discussing it http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/reproductive/c_ct_paraphimosis_phimosis my only concern is that now that both kittens are exhibiting issues I cannot for the life of me think that it would be anything like this. I sure hope that whatever the issue is gets resolved soon as I am sure it is concerning. Keep us posted please.

 

[Steve]

Thanks Sue. This is indeed Connies litter and we spoke at length today about the direction of trying to figure this one out. Definitely on the same page.

 

[Steve]

We took Pint to our #1 vet and he has been diagnosed with Feline Idiopathic Cystitis. He was also diagnosed with a heart murmur. Not sure how that got past the initial vet check. Anyone who knows anything about cystitis I would welcome your comments. I am very dismayed about the heart murmur though and don't know what to do.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

The murmur could be from stress and so the cystitis may cause this to appear. It's not uncommon for murmurs to appear and disappear with other health issues. So focus on the cystitis and when that is calmed down/resolved then have your vet listen again.

So saying that, when there IS a heart murmur it can be easy to miss. Many vet practices are busy and somewhat noisy places... my vet takes kittens into a quieter back room to listen because this has happened to me before...so I am paranoid about it. My very first Savannah was 18 months old and on his 3rd check up when they heard his murmur and he was in congestive heart failure by then! He'd been checked by more than one vet and they'd all missed it. If the murmur is "real" then I recommend having him checked out by a vet cardiologist to be clear on what is going on there. Early diagnosis and treatment can be key to many years of good quality of life even if there is something going on with his heart.

 

[Sue Armstrong]

Did your vet happen to grade the heart murmur? Many kittens can have heart murmurs that just go away as they get a bit older but it would be something to have checked periodically. Stress such as just being in the vets office can bring one on. Here is a really good sight with lots of information regarding FIC. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=612 I have not heard of this before so looked it up and read about it. How is your other kitten? You said both of them had the same issue or is it just the one kitten?

 

[Steve]

Yes the murmur

Did your vet happen to grade the heart murmur? Many kittens can have heart murmurs that just go away as they get a bit older but it would be something to have checked periodically. Stress such as just being in the vets office can bring one on. Here is a really good sight with lots of information regarding FIC. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=612 I have not heard of this before so looked it up and read about it. How is your other kitten? You said both of them had the same issue or is it just the one kitten?

Thanks Sue
I don't know the number but expect to get a report in the next day or two. I wasn't sure about the other boy. I saw something odd the other day and I just observed him with the same behaviour so yes, I think there is something up with him too. Rochelle and I are very upset

 

[Trish Allearz]

I think I'd follow Brigitte advice and treat the one issue before freaking out over the murmur. Easier said than done though. Kittens can present with murmurs and grow out of them. and a very minor murmur could be missed by something as simple as the kitten purring during an exam.

Anyways, hope everything resolves soon positively

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