How often has your cat had cystitis?

[karenjet]

My Belle had it last year and I still don't know the cause, could think of nothing that might've stressed him.  I changed his diet totally (posted about it in your other thread), got a water fountain, got some uncovered trays (which I found Belle definitely prefers) and he has Cystaid once every other day. So far it hasn't came back and here's hoping it won't. I know how you feel, it's horrible 

[Lotzy]

What a great name for a cat, Pinball.  By the way, my cat with the cystitis is called Lottie.

My vet advised a 100% wet diet (not that it's made any difference, in fact has got worse!).  I've had a look at the Arden Grange website and like you say it's a dry food.  It's a shame as they do a wet food for dogs.  I'll keep with the wet food a bit longer and see if a change there helps, but I haven't completely ruled out Arden Grange.  Thank you.

[Mark]

Arden grange might be worth trying as it has a decent meat content, as well as d-mannose (listed as cranberry extract). Then again, they say wet food only is better for cats that are prone to cystitis.

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

Since a new cat moved into the area a few months ago and started coming into our garden Pinball has had cystitis 3 times from the stress 

[Lotzy]

My lovable cat has cystitis again.  It doesn't surprise me this time as it's been hard to get her to eat with the hot weather and she won't drink water.  Luckily this time just one spot of blood and she wasn't irritated at all, so the vet said for now one more course of Cystease and then she will see her again.  At least this time I know what caused it. 

We do live in a highly cat populated area, so it's hard to say if another cat is upsetting her.  Our cats are quite chilled with the two next door and will sit within a metre of eachother washed.  I've gone over and over again if anything has changed outside or in and have no ideas.  I was going to paint a room in March but have delayed that to avoid upsetting her.  What I do for my cat!

Does anyone think a change in diet would be worth ago, something with a higher meat content? 

[Millys Mum]

Is it possible a new cat outside is upsetting her?
As the cystaid seems to help her you could also ask your vet about trying a course of cartrophen, taz's course was 1 injection a week for 4 weeks. Its for doggie joints but helps some cats with their bladders

[Lotzy]

Pinkbear - I know all cats are different, but it was interesting to hear that a maintenance dose of Cytease seems to have helped your cat (I've just started this myself so hopeful it might help a little).  Recently mine has been getting it every 4-6 weeks and as we all know it's not nice to watch them struggling to go to the toilet and passing blood.

Still open to any other posts on this, but thanks for your replies every one.  I've got lots of things to think about or work on bit by bit.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Tilly went through stages of cystitis and we had a 8 month run of her getting it once a month. The vet tried everything and she had all the tests going. She came back negetive for bacteria and nothing had changed in the house to point to an obvious stress trigger, so go figure.  Eventually we started her on a maintenance dose of Cystease S and she hasn't had a flare up again since. 

[Lotzy]

I know Cytease somehow coats the lining of the bladder reducing irritation and this does help when she has it.  The vet wants to see her next time I need more Cytease off her, so I will ask if they feel bloods could be worth doing.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I remember when Pebbles had cysitis, the vet wanted to do bloods to rule out any kidney issues.

[Lotzy]

No, the vet hasn't done any bloods - just an x-ray and urine analysis.  Do you know that the bloods could reveal/exclude in cases like this?

[Desley (booktigger)]

HAs the vet done any bloods?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Jaffa has had it 3 times.  A year between the first 2 occasions (both around bonfire night) and then another bout a few months after the second.  He is on cystease now (maintenance dose of every other day).  Hard to say if it helps as he doesn't have it that often, and hopefully would not have had another bout since he's been on the cystease anyway.  I take the view that it won't harm so I might as well try it.  He has had metacam when it flares up and that sorts him out very quickly.  I think it is stress related with Jaffa.

[Lotzy]

She is ten years old and yes, she does get to go out - she can come and go as she pleases.  In the winter she literally chooses to hibernate inside and I hoped things would improve as she started going out more in March, but the cystitis came back again.  I just use clumping clay cat litter, which she readily uses. 

The vet said next time I want Cytease off her, to take my cat back in.  I will then ask about Metacam. Is it an anti-inflammatory or painkiller?  I thought I'd give Feliway a trial for a few months and see if there is any difference when I stop it.  I think a few of the things that have been suggested could be trial and error, but I'm willing to do anything that might help her.  Thanks for your replies so far.

[Millys Mum]

How old is she, does she get to go out? They can be stressed by very small things, one of mine suffered awful bladder probs from around the age of 8 months to 3 years, he didnt tray hop but passed good sized wees full of blood  like your cat he had nothing 'wrong' with him.
I used cystaid daily (starting on 2 capsules) and feliway (not sure if it helped!) and tried to keep him in mind before doing anything remotely scary. I changed all the trays bar one to a fine clay litter that was nicer for him to use.
Hes now 4 and about a year ago he suddenly stopped weeing blood, touch wood hes ok.

One of the most useful things for him was metacam, you would need to speak to your vet about it but sometimes a day or two is all they need to break the cycle (til the next time)

[Desley (booktigger)]

I have had a foster with stress related cystitis, Cystaid worked wonders on him. My vet didn't like prescription food, so he was on mainly wet (he had a few biscuits at bed time to stop him finding his own food at 3am), and Cystaid. Feliway is supposed to help, but it didn't make much difference with him.

[tab]

Amber has stress cystitis and she gets it when I get stressed which isnt helpful. her last attack was in january and february which as Mogs died in the new year was partly that and then I think partly because I was ill. Since then shes been ok and has had a daily cystease capsule just in case.
love
Tab

[Lotzy]

My cat adores Whiskers pouches, but only has them occasionally. I'm luckily in that I can mix the Cytease in that and she doesn't seem to notice.  It's a shame Willow wouldn't have it.  Like you say with being ill, it might have just been one thing too much.

[Mark]

The maintenance dose sounds good. I thought that is what they recommended for cats that keep getting it. I tried with my ^Willow^ when she got it a few times when her CRF was advanced. She was on other meds and refused to take it. I think in her case, she was stressed about being ill.

[Lotzy]

My cat has been put on Cytease which has helped solve the problem each time.  Have to admit I've just bought some online and was thinking about putting her on one every other day to see if that helped.  Also, so house sitters can put her on them without having to see vet while we are away.  The vet said she didn't have an infection, but I will certainly look into D-mannose and the Zyklene, perhaps trying one at a time.

[Mark]

Have you tried using Cystaid or Cystease? - they are both the same thing but one is cheaper (I forget which one) you can get them cheaper from places like www.vetuk.co.uk (they are usually the cheapest place)
Most vets recommend them to prevent recurrence They are totally safe - they are a form of glucosamine so drug-free.

Otherwise you could try Zylkene - it isn't a drug. It is a neutraceutical. It is based on a sugar in buffalo milk. Sounds odd but I have heard of people having great sucess with it (and others who say it doesn't help). A few weeks ago, I was at the WHF and we were told one of the tigers is on it (supplied free of charge). Also, this morning, I was talking to the herbalist across the road. She has been asked if she can help a monkey at Howletts zoo who is self-harming. She doesn't want to get involved as she isn't licensed to treat animals. She has advised they find an animal herbalist. ATM, the monkey is on Zylkene but it doesn't seem to be helping - maybe they haven't allowed enough time.

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/pet-stress-zylkene-capsules-c-149_427/zylkene-natural-pet-destressing-100-tablets-p-2094

Another thing you might want to try that is also drug free is d-mannose - you can order it online or fron a decent health shop (unlikely Holland & Barrett sell it then  ) - it is the sugar that is found in cranberries. It is usually recommended for some types of bacterial cystitis but it may prevent cystitis taking hold during stress. The way it works is it doesn't allow bacteria to stick to the wall of the urethra so it can't colonise.

http://www.moggies.co.uk/html/fus.html

[Dawn F]

stress can certainly be a factor, I know there are a few people on here who's cats have this problem - unfortunately stress is such a general term it can be tricky to work out why

[Lotzy]

My cat had her first dout of cystitis in October and since then has had it another three times since February.  I now have a Feliway diffuser, am feeding her wet cat food with a little water adding and am trying to be calm around her, but this has made little difference. The vet has done a urine analysis and x-ray and come to the conclusion this is what she has.  I know I have to learn to live with it, but just wondering how often other cats can get it.  Does anything make it worse or trigger it?