When our hospital first met Walden in late September, it was clear the sweet boy was
in some substantial discomfort. He was actively vocalizing his feelings about the situation, and his owner reported to us that he had been more lethargic than normal and his bathroom habits seemed a little “off” the past couple of days. As Dr. Sappington, along with our staff, began the initial examination, the diagnosis was clear: Walden had a urinary blockage.
Urinary blockages in cats most often occur in males from 1-10 years of age. A male cat’s urethra is longer than a female’s, and narrows as it reaches the outside world, creating a bottleneck effect as urine leaves the body. In this “bottleneck”, obstructions can occur due to inflammatory material, mucus, crystals, or even small stones from the kidneys.
The same day he came to see us, Walden underwent an emergency surgical procedure to remove his blockage and to insert a catheter to be worn overnight. Walden also had a complete blood panel ran to check his current kidney function. Although his procedure went well and his bladder had emptied overnight, Walden was not out of the woods yet.
Because a blockage does not adequately allow toxins to leave the body, Walden had a buildup of these toxins in his blood stream. Dr. Sappington set up Walden with a few days of hospitalization and monitoring to make sure he was eliminating normally on his own and his body was flushing out the toxins.
While spending a few days in the hospital getting IV fluids, seemingly using the litter
box normally, and winning over the hearts of all the staff, Walden’s blood work was rechecked. All of his levels were thankfully back to normal and Walden was set for discharge!!
Walden’s owner was so thankful to have him back home and it was bittersweet for the staff to have the sweet boy leave. Little did we know, it wouldn’t be for long.
After Walden settled in at home, he must have decided he missed his new friends at Rock Bridge and has periodically had to come in for rechecks when he starts urinating more frequently. Fortunately we have been able to keep him comfortable with medications and have not had to unblock him again. In general, most blocked cats do not need to be on long term medications after a successful surgery, and we are hopeful that Walden can soon join them.
Walden’s owner’s quick action to get him in to see us, along with her willingness to provide Walden with the best care possible has all been integral in allowing Dr. Sappington and the rest of the staff at Rock Bridge Animal Hospital to get Walden happy and healthy again.
