On Sunday morning, Tenzing, a 4 year old Siamese was brought in to the Booval Vet Hospital as Tening seemed to be acting a bit lethargic. Tenzing’s mum, a human Nurse, and a previous Veterinary Nurse, knew things didn’t sound quite right, so instructed her son to bring Tenzing in for a checkup!
Tenzing had a thorough health check, but it was quickly determined that Tenzing was suffering from Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), specifically causing a blockage to his urethra stopping any possible urine output.
A blockage in a cat is always classed as a medical emergency as can be fatal if left too long. To find out more about the affects of FLUTD, click here.
Tenzing was sedated and the bladder ultrasounded. The bladder was over 5.5cm wide (a large orange) undoubtly causing Tenzing a lot of pain! With sedation and pain relief on board, Tenzing was anaesthetised so that the procedure to unblock his urethra could begin.
To unblock a bladder, a small tube (urinary catherter) is placed into the penis. This can often be difficult as not only can be obstructed by the bend in the urethra, but the catheter must be able to push past the blockage.
Luckily, the procedure all went to plan, and Tenzings bladder was able to be emptied via the tube. The urine was collected and then examined under the microscope to determine what was in the urine causing the blockage.
Ultrasounding Tenzing
Ultrasound of Bladder
Inserting the Urinary Catheter
Urine Collection
Stuvites in Urine
The Urinary catheter was then surgically sutured to Tenzing, so that the catheter would keep his urethra open for the next 48 hours, allowing him to freely urinate. The bladder was flushed with sterile saline until the contents became clear. As well as this catheter, Tenzing was placed on a high rate of intravenous fluids, to flush out any remaining toxins in his body due to him not being able to expel them via urinating. Tenzing was also prescribed medication to relax the muscles that cause urethral spasms.
Over the next 48 hours, Tenzing was monitored closely, ensuring all his parameters were normal. After the 48 hour period, Tenzing’s catheter was removed and once he had successfully proven he was urinating on his own, was able to be discharged and go home to his owners.
