# Good thoughts for my Ziggy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355 "2015-09-15T13:36:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/21 "2015-09-17T03:39:39Z")
Fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/22 "2015-09-17T03:52:53Z")
Let me know any questions you may have. I’m an ER tech and deal with blocked cats all the time. I also have a three-strikes boy at home (result of a liver shunt, he’s 0.2% of the 0.5%) who had a PU (perineal urethrostomy is the go-to surgery upon the third blockage - what shodan refers to is the extreme done only after two failures of a PU) in 2011 and is doing great. Hope your guy keeps doing well. Our standard of care is 48 hours of diuresis to avoid too much inflammation of the urethra from inserting and withdrawing catheters, flush as much grit and crystals as possible, and to make sure kidney function and electrolytes are all 100%. Primary causes of death from blockage are heart failure from potassium buildup and bladder rupture, actual renal failure is third. I wouldn’t worry about his kidneys if his followup bloodwork checked out. X-rays to check for stones and urinalysis to identify crystals are important. First advice I have is to switch your kitty to an all wet food diet. That’s a precursor to an Rx diet if your vet didn’t already prescribe one. All urinary issue cats should be on canned food, any canned food. Actually, I tend to recommend brands that have been around a long time (I feed mine Friskies!) and in the pate format that doesn’t include wheat gluten. I don’t necessarily recommend the expensive “boutique” foods or “grain free” for myriad reasons. Also add water to that food, and encourage drinking around the house with lots of fresh available and/or cat fountains - especially if you can’t get them to eat the canned food. Feel free to PM me or ask questions here for others to read too, if you wish! ---
**Author:** ![automaticslim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@automaticslim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/automaticslim)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/23 "2015-09-17T03:57:44Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Thanks for the kind wishes and welcome! > > Zigs came home today. He was a good kitten overnight at the vets and peed like a racehorse after they got the cath out. When I got him home he jumped up, wolfed down his food, drank a bunch of water and peed! Such a difference from the kitty who could barely walk, wouldn’t eat or drink, couldn’t pee and cried when he was touched. > > He’s been a cuddle bug all night. His sister is so happy to have him home. She cried a lot last night and slept with me (which she never does). She dragged Zigs favorite toy around the house last night, too. > > So now we wait and see if he stays unblocked. Aw… Zigs will be fine. Are they gonna put him on a special diet? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/24 "2015-09-17T04:02:17Z")
Wow, thanks! He was cath’d for 24 hours and they did three A Cyte treatments in addition to IV fluids and flushing his bladder. He original labs were elevated and while follow up labs were much better, BUN and a few other tests were still somewhat high. He’s now on Rx canned food for a month and we’ll see how he does. After that we can look at regular wet food. He’s not a huge fan of wet food, so this evening I mixed bit of his dry food in which seemed to encourage him to eat. He did gobble down a can as soon I got him home, just because he was hungry! He has a kitty fountain (which we got when he had his first cystitis about a month ago) which he likes and drinks from a lot. Lots of kitty litter boxes around too to encourage peeing. He’s on a pain killer 2x a day and an antispasmodic for his ureter 2x. The vet says they’ve had a spate of cats with blockages lately and he was pleased we got Zigs in so early. He cautioned us that these things can repeat, but he knows we know what to look for. He just crawled into bed- so I guess it’s bedtime! Again, thanks for all the info and everyone’s good wishes. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/25 "2015-09-17T04:16:16Z")
Cats blocking does seem cyclical. More in the spring. But it seems often that when one shows up in the hospital, by the next day there are five. You’re on the rightest track you can be at this point, hope everything stays good! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/26 "2015-09-17T04:17:53Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Again, thanks for all the info and everyone’s good wishes. You both got those good wishes as always; when you need them and when you don’t. In the old Mumper tradition: **[[[[[SOAPY]]]]]** ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355/27 "2015-09-17T04:32:46Z")
Catic charges building up here for Ziggy! ETA and Moco is looking at me funny. She sends her bestest wishes too! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-thoughts-for-my-ziggy/731355.md?page=1)