1249. Follow up on 3-year-old cat with recurring FLUTD

Jan 17, 2013

No news is good news. The lady owner didn't phone me. I phoned her at 10.47am to find out about her cat as part of my research on FLUTD treatment. It is best practice to follow up in any case, but many vets don't do it.

I tried to phone the Tampines girl whose male Miniature Schnauzer, born in 2004, had spikey bladder stones removed in August 17, 2007 by her young vet operating together with me. This case study was written by me as she was a veterinary clinic helper and her vet was a younger vet doing his first bladder stone surgery with me.

Her mobile phone seemed "dead". No answer and then a dying sound. I phoned her home and hIer mum said the dog is OK, took my mobile phone for her to call me. I asked her vet to call me. No response. The dog did not have recurrence of bladder stones despite being fed dry food! 



CASE OF THE RECURRING FLUTD CAT
"Totally normal," she said happily. "He was fully recovered yesterday, around 6 days after the problem." The cat was so aggressive when she brought him for treatment on Jan 11, 2013. This time, she was prompt in seeking treatment and so the urine did not look red as at 22 months earlier when FLUTD first manifested. "Continue feeding the C/D + water and no other food," I replied. So far so good.

Follow up provides the vet with feedback on the efficacy of his management and treatment. I sent the cat back home with in-dwelling cathether on the same day.  The cat ripped off the catheter the next day although he had an e-collar. The case is written in a blog a few days ago.

The X-rays do not show radio-dense struvites. Negative crystals in the urine doNOT mean that there are no struvites inside the bladder. In any case, with medication and irrigation of the bladder under sedation, the cat recovered fully 6 days after treatment and the lady owner is most happy. This time, she was prompt in seeking treatment and there was no need for fluid therapy and hospitalisation as occurred 22 months ago.

Many Singapore pet owners delay seeking treatment of difficulty in urination of their dogs or cats and the outcome may not be so favourable as much inflammation and damage to the bladder had been done owing to the delay in seeking prompt vet treatment.