Female cat blocked bladder?

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:24:51 GMT

Thanks everyone for the replies, very helpful.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Thomas Johnson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:18:56 GMT

I used an auroscope to visualise the urethral opening, but it sounds like you don't need to from the other replies.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

CatherineThomas — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 06:55:31 GMT

With the cat lying in ventral and legs stretched out behind you roll up a towel and place it across the table just in front of the back legs this helps to tilt the pelvis and seems to make it easier to catheterise. You only want a small towel as you don't want to tilt it too much.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Kate Richardson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:22:53 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Putnam"]

I find jackson's easy in female cats. Angle the catheter so the end is creating a little pressure on on the ventral floor of the vagina, & run it in. Most times it just slips into the urethra.

[/quote]

Same, lots of lubricant and run it along the ventral floor keeping it midline. Easier than bitches.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:12:08 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Putnam"]

I find jackson's easy in female cats. Angle the catheter so the end is creating a little pressure on on the ventral floor of the vagina, & run it in. Most times it just slips into the urethra.

[/quote]

Thanks Stephen.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Stephen Putnam — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:58:55 GMT

I find jackson's easy in female cats. Angle the catheter so the end is creating a little pressure on on the ventral floor of the vagina, & run it in. Most times it just slips into the urethra.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:35:49 GMT

Hi Thomas,

having re-read your post and realising you have catheterised a female cat, I'll ask you the same question i just asked Kate, can you please give me any tips on positioning and type and size of catheter to use (I have slippery sams, jackson type and catheters without stylets)

Thanks,

Amanda

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:30:53 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]

[quote user="amanda nicholls"]

no response yet to vetergesic, hypovase and xanax, what did you use to treat the spasm?

[/quote]

When did you start treatment- it will take a couple of days for the anti-spasmotic meds to work. I haven't treated a female with urethral spasm, but the males I have treated I have placed a urinary catheter for 2-3 days and then removed once the meds are on board. I guess if your cat is easy and amenable to express and it doesn't cause her too much distress, then that is an option for emptying the bladder. However, I found with the male cats with urethral spasm that expression was difficult unless they were anaesthetized ie muscle was relaxed, and passing a urinary catheter was also very easy under ga, ie no physical obstruction. An alternative treatment for urethral spasm is dantrolene (Dantrium) 0.5-2mg/kg bid instead of the Hypovase. I guess you could GA and pass a catheter to assess the ease of doing so and also to do some contarst radiographs?

[/quote]

Kate have you catheterised a female cat? Do you have any tips on positioning and type and size of catheter to use. I haven't and am worried about how easy/difficult it is! I don't want to GA the cat and cause more trauma to the urethra making the spasm worse if it isn't easy to do. So far she doesn't mind manual expression twice daily but I am concerned she'll get fed up with it!

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:22:42 GMT

That's what I was thinking Stuart and considered a neuro referral but the cat is not insured and the owner is on holiday to complicate matters, I am discussing the case with the son but he is reluctant to refer until his parents are back. Neurology is not one of my strong points but I can't find any other neurological deficits, the cat is bouncing around all over the place and can pass faeces.

She has passed a few drops today in the tray and has been straining a lot more than yesterday, maybe the drugs are starting to work to relax the urethral spasm if that's all it is - fingers crossed.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Claire Edgington — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:34:24 GMT

I've used Dantrium and Hypovase together in blocked cats before. Works very well!

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Stuart Fitzgerald — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:18:34 GMT

Doesn't this sound like a neurological problem? Why would a cat with LUTD be unable to empty its own bladder if it is so easy to express manually?

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Kate Richardson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:38:42 GMT

[quote user="amanda nicholls"]

no response yet to vetergesic, hypovase and xanax, what did you use to treat the spasm?

[/quote]

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Thomas Johnson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:23:13 GMT

I saw an apparently blocked female cat last year, it sounds similar to your case in that it had a full bladder, was straining, but seemed unable to pass urine on its own. I was able to express its bladder, but not that easily. Abdominal radiographs and ultrasound of bladder were unremarkable. I did GA and catheterise her, which was much easier than I expected it to be, I think the catheter was then left in place for 48hrs (can't check the notes as now working at a different practice). She did very well afterwards and my assumption was that urethral spasm was the cause.

I went to a lecture at BSAVA this year on blocked cats and a suggested treatment for male cats with urethral spasm but no physical obstruction was acepromazine and buprenorphine tid and cystocentesis as needed for up to three days.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

jose targa — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 22:35:56 GMT

Hi everyone!.

I´ve only seen 3 cases of blocked females, and all of them had urinary abnormalities (estruvite was present in all cases). We use vetoquinol´s spasmoglucinol.

Regards

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:17:06 GMT

[quote user="Laura Henderson"]

Can't the urethra go into spasm because of the irritation and apepar blocked? Have had cats before that have been easy to express and pass catheters, but couldn't pee themselfes until we treated the spasm?

[/quote]

no response yet to vetergesic, hypovase and xanax, what did you use to treat the spasm?

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Noweia — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:14:29 GMT

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Amanda Nicholls — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:50:07 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

If the cat is bright and eating well it's not presenting like any blocked cat I have ever seen.

Sounds like a bog standard cystitis to me. Seem to get better with some amoxycillin and cartrofen. Usually have empty bladder but not always. Cat is clearly not blocked.

[/quote]

My initial thought was FIC but why doesn't the cat pass any urine? She is not straining a lot, we have only seen her in the litter tray once today, she was in the tray for 10 mins straining but passed nothing and that's what I don't understand - why does she strain with a full bladder and not pass a drop?

I should have said, she wasn't eating when brought in (but only overnight) and was uncomfortable - the bladder was full, as soon as I expressed the bladder she started eating and purring so I guess she was acting like a blocked cat in that respect.

Re: Female cat blocked bladder?

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:39:38 GMT

If the cat is bright and eating well it's not presenting like any blocked cat I have ever seen.

Sounds like a bog standard cystitis to me. Seem to get better with some amoxycillin and cartrofen. Usually have empty bladder but not always. Cat is clearly not blocked.