Not sure if this is possible but they probably got a bad batch of Frontline - I've used it in the Northeast with zero proplems (and like it because it addresses fleas & ticks). My vet also started using a product called v-somthing but it doesn't help with ticks. If you know for sure you only have a flea problem (no ticks) then advantage is a good product (and will get rid of ear mites and worms as well). Just spoke to a lady yesterday who does rescue. She orders advantage from Canada via the mail as it is much cheaper that way.
About the stones - does the cat appear to be straining when peeing or appear constipated? That would be indicative of stones. Also if the cat is prone to stones he may have developed an aversion to using the litter box and choose other objects to pee on instead or he may have developed an aversion to using the litter box for another reason. So changing the type of litter you use may help. Having said all that we had a cat that prone to UTIs and they way she would let us know she had one is by peeing on our bed (hooray for waterproof matress covers). Is there anyway you can call and ask your vet at home what they use to diagnose kidney stones? In googling feline kidney stones it appears that x-trays or ultrasounds are used for diagnosis. Found x-rays mentioned on a couple of sites (but note that the information below is from a site I just found by googling so not sure how good it is http://www.cat-health-guide.org/felinekidneystones.html). My guess is that if the vet finds no stones via x-ray the next step they will suggest an ultrasound (which of course is even more expensive). "If cat kidney stones are suspected, your vet will take x-rays. The stones will usually show up white on the x-ray. Some kinds of stones don’t show up on x-rays and can only be seen by ultrasound. Your vet will look for stones elsewhere in the urinary tract as well. Your vet will also test your cat’s urine to see if she has a bladder infection. Bladder infections are very common in pets with kidney stones. " On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 11:23 PM, Cindy McHugh <ci...@furangels.org> wrote: > This is a little off topic, but please forgive me. My email is acting up > and I've been unsubbed from my more "general" cat discussion list. > > I'm fostering a neutered male cat that is urinating outside of the > litterbox. This was one of the reasons he was relinquished several months > ago - and one of the reasons his former owner kept him in a basement for 3 > years. He seemed to be doing well here and was overcoming some of his other > issues (aggression and obsessive licking/chewing), but he urinated on my bed > about 2 months ago and then on an upholstered chair. I was fostering 2 dogs > at the time and attributed it to stress over the dogs. They were adopted and > all was well until a couple days ago. > > He's urinated on a chair and on the bare floor 3 times in the past 2 days. > There's large amounts of urnie, no trace of blood, and he does also use his > litterbox. I don't think he has a UTI based on his past behavior, but I > thought I'd run him to the vet to be sure. I'm not at home, so I used a > clinic that is relatively new to me and I was surprised by what I was told, > so I thought I'd run it by you folks... > > In the past, when I've suspected a UTI in a dog or cat, I simply took a > urine sample (dog) or took the cat and they obtained one, checked it, and > gave me an answer and antibiotic if needed. > > The vet today told me they could do an "in house" check, but it wouldn't > really give us much information and I advised I send it away for a culture. > She also suggested they x-ray his abdomen to check for stones. This is not > my cat, but it is in the care of a rescue I co-founded. We want to do what's > necessary to help the cat, but we don't have extra funds for > tests/procedures that are not necessary. > > If I had seen my regular vet (at home) and she suggested these procedures, > I wouldn't hesitate, but I get the feeling this vet is more interested in > money. The other reason I say this is because we just spent more than $100 > on flea products recommended by another vet in this office. When I mentioned > today that the Frontline doesn't seem to be helping the flea situation, the > vet and tech both said they've had many, many complaints about Frontline > this summer and agreed that it's ineffective (in this area, anyway). The vet > said the fleas laugh at Frontline. They suggested I purchase another flea > product (V-something, I didn't catch the name). They said it's the same > price, but much more effective. This is the same place that swore by, and > sold me, Frontline about a week ago. > > They're holding the urine sample overnight because I wanted to see what > tests the cat had by his prior owner. (I didn't have the vet records with me > at the time.) > > If he needs the culture and x-rays, I'll have it done. But I don't want to > spend the rescue's very limited funds needlessly. Any input would be most > welcome. The cat is NOT FeLV+. > > Thank you for your time. > Cindy > > > > ______________________________**_________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/**mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_**felineleukemia.org<http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org> > _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
