Looking for an OTC med to treat urinary tract infection please..

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whayface - 17 Jul 2004 17:17 GMT

I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
brewed concoction please.

I recently switched from World's Best Litter original strenght to it's
new extra strength for mutiple cats and within 6 weeks 2 of them were
throwing up and had developed urinary tract infections and are doctor
prescribed meds for digestive tract and urinary tract problems. I
sincerely think that the thing that caused it was the fact that the
extra strenght that I got had more dust and powder in it then the
original version of World's Best.

Don't get me wrong - if my babies are sick they go to the vets. For
these two it cost me over $500 to have them completely tested and
checked out. What I am looking for is some type of preventive thing
for urinary tract infection that might keep it for ever really
developing.

TIA

My babies:

http://members.aol.com/larrystark/

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Wendy - 17 Jul 2004 17:42 GMT

> I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
> infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> http://members.aol.com/larrystark/

What food are you feeding the cats?

W

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MaryL - 17 Jul 2004 18:14 GMT

> > I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
> > infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> W

Good question. I just posted a message about using Vitamin C. In addition
to that change (described in my message), I also changed from dry to cannet
food. If the OP is using dry cat food, I would *strongly* recommend a
transition to premium canned food, fed a 12-hour intervals. I use Wellness
and Felidae.

MaryL

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Gene Royer - 17 Jul 2004 18:30 GMT

> > > I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
> > > infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> MaryL

Yes, these are good, common-sense, prevention methods. But not cures.
She's looking for something to cure the condition.

--Geno

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MaryL - 17 Jul 2004 19:31 GMT

> > > > I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
> > > > infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
> --Geno

She asked about both treatment and prevention, but you are right --
treatment must come first. Also, I would not try anything OTC for this.
The consequences of not getting proper treatment can be fatal. UTI can
progress very quickly, especially in males.

MaryL

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Judy - 18 Jul 2004 05:36 GMT

> > > I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
> > > infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> MaryL

From another ng post, here's what the OP is feeding.

>Thanks for info. Will try it (Vitamin C) after I get the furbabies
>cured and back on track.

>As for what caused the present UTI I think it was the change in litter
>but as for the preventative treatment it does not matter what could
>cause it. I want to try to pervent it no matter what could cause it
>AFTER the vet cures what they presently have.

>As for food they get mostly canned but have dry always available which
>is Hill's Science Diet dry mixed half and half with Friskies Gourmet
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>and cared for. They are my babies and I will not take a chance on
>anything happening to them!!!

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MaryL - 17 Jul 2004 18:11 GMT

My first cat (so, I am going back *many* years and want to warn you that
this is *old* information) had a series of urinary tract infrections. This
was so many years ago that no vet even mentioned things like interstitial
cystitis to me. This cat went through all sorts of procedures, even
exploratory surgery -- at which time, the walls of the bladder were
extremely thickened. He was on prescription medication, but still developed
UTI every few weeks. Then, I moved to my current location and had to find a
new vet. This was a young veterinarian who had just returned from England,
where he had worked specifically with this type of problem. He told me that
one of the most effective things they had found as a *preventative* was to
administer Vitamin C (which acidifies the urine). He had me give 250mg
twice a day. That seemed like a massive dose for a cat, but excess is
excreted in the urine.

Well, it worked! He had been having urinary infections every few weeks, and
they were getting progressively more serious -- but he *never* had another
one after I began to administer Vitamin C. I looked at various brands to
find the smallest one (physically smallest) because some Vit C tablets can
be very large for a cat, and he got Vit C morning and evening for the rest
of his life. He lived another 17 years.

Keep in mind that I am reaching back a good many years, and you may want to
research this. It was a wonderful discovery for me, though.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'<
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

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Gene Royer - 17 Jul 2004 18:29 GMT

> > I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
> > infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 50 lines]
> http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
> http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

Yes, there are some *citrate* products that are well-recommended for
prevention. But I'm under the impression that this problem already exists
and needs fixing.

--Geno

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whayface - 17 Jul 2004 18:48 GMT

>> I am looking for an over the counter med to treat urinary tract
>> infection in my cats please and please not some off the wall, home
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
>Keep in mind that I am reaching back a good many years, and you may want to
>research this. It was a wonderful discovery for me, though.

Thanks for info. Will try it (Vitamin C) after I get the furbabies
cured and back on track.

As for what caused the present UTI I think it was the change in litter
but as for the preventative treatment it does not matter what could
cause it. I want to try to pervent it no matter what could cause it
AFTER the vet cures what they presently have.

As for food they get mostly canned but have dry always available which
is Hill's Science Diet dry mixed half and half with Friskies Gourmet
dry. They get a variety of 9 Lives canned, Fancy Feast caned and or
Sheba in the morning and evening. Plus they get fresh water AT LEAST
twice a day and they have mutiple litter boxes. The furbabies are
from 1 year to 8 years and get all their shots and yearly checkups
plus they go to see Dr Tina whenever they get sick or act different
for more then a day and are strictly indoor cats so they are well fed
and cared for. They are my babies and I will not take a chance on
anything happening to them!!!

http://members.aol.com/larrystark/

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Gene Royer - 17 Jul 2004 18:17 GMT

It is possible that the problem was not caused by the litter, but not a
certainty. Perhaps an unfortuitous coincidence. In any event, it won't
cost you to switch back. But I would look for another cause. In my own
case it was once caused by my lowering my standard for the food they ate. I
learned my lesson and went back to premium food. If that's not the case
here, then talk it through with your vet.

OTC? I don't think so. I would bite the bullet and take the little guys
in. Especially if either is a male. And I empathize the cost--but the real
pain is the daily medication. I have a house full of cats, and I hate that.

--Geno

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