The Fourth of July has arrived and all of us at Atlantic Animal Hospital are very pleased to announce Charlie Riggio as our Companion Animal of the Month of July! Charlie is an eight year-old black domestic shorthair. He and Sassy, another domestic shorthair, and Suki, a pug, own Connie Riggio. Connie adopted Charlie from the Halifax Humane Society in February of 2001 and was amazed that he had no tail-- just a short stub! Charlie is a happy, easy-going boy. He loves everyone he meets and will come to Connie when she calls for him. It was during the early start of the summer when Charlie became very lethargic, refused to eat, and seemed to be painful in his abdomen. Connie knew something was not right with Charlie and immediately brought him in to see Dr. Sukhija.
Connie was right to be so concerned about Charlie. After examining Charlie and performing abdominal x-rays, Dr. Sukhija revealed several bladder and kidney stones in Charlie's radiographs. Some of these stones had become lodged in Charlie's urethra, preventing him from urinating. He had become blocked, which is a time-critical emergency. Dr. Sukhija started treatment immediately and put Charlie under anesthesia, so he could place a urinary catheter, and flush out the sediment. However, the stones would not flush out and had to be pushed back into the bladder in order to unblock Charlie's urethra. Charlie would have to undergo surgery to remove the bladder stones, in addition to another procedure called a perineal urethrostomy. This surgery would be performed to prevent future urinary blockages.
Most urinary blockages are caused by
sediment and stones, made up of urinary crystals, that
have formed in the kidneys and passed down into the bladder. Male cats are
most often affected because the urethra is much narrower than that of females. If the blockage is not removed, death can result from the buildup of
toxins in the body, kidney failure, or urinary bladder rupture. Many times, if a
cat develops bladder or kidney stones, the stones can redevelop at a later date.
The perineal urethrostomy (PU) surgery can help lower that chance of becoming
blocked again. This procedure effectively prevents urethral obstructions
in about ninety percent of male cats. Although the surgery does not
prevent the formation of crystals, it does provide a wider passageway for them
to leave the body. The blockages should not recur, but urine crystals and
bladder infections may develop. The PU surgery essentially turns a male cat's
genital anatomy
into that of a female cat. The penis is removed, the urethra is shortened, and a
new opening is created just below the anus from which urine will now pass.
Cats that have undergone this type of surgery are predisposed to bladder
infections, so regular exams and urine testing are highly recommended.
These cats can also experience some degree of muscle tone loss that can cause
urinary or bowel incontinence. The surgery does not change the male's
behavior into that of a female.
Charlie's surgery was a success. Most of the bladder stones were removed
and the PU surgery allowed a wide enough opening so that the remaining stones
would be able to pass through without causing a blockage. The kidney
stones will need to be dissolved or broken down before they can be passed.
Charlie's new diet, Royal Canin Urinary SO dry and Hill's c/d canned, will help to
dissolve the stones and also will help keep new ones from forming. Charlie
stayed with us here at the hospital during his extended recovery. The
inflammation from the surgery left him temporarily incontinent, and infection
was causing him to not have much of an appetite. He also had severely
elevated renal (kidney) enzymes that showed up on his lab results. Renal
enzymes are basically urine in the blood. The higher the count of enzymes,
the more toxic the blood will be. Those enzymes can cause nausea and are
very harmful to the organs and mucous membranes. Charlie's enzymes were so
high, not because his kidneys were failing, but because the urine being filtered
from his blood could not be eliminated due to the urinary blockage. After
the hospitalization with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, the
remaining kidney stones continue to cause this problem, but at a much lower
level now.
Charlie is doing very well now and has completely recovered from surgery. His lab results have improved significantly, his urine and bowel functions have returned to normal, and his appetite is great. Dr. Sukhija will continue to monitor Charlie's progress and will perform x-rays again three months after surgery to ensure that the kidney stones are dissolving. Connie reports that Charlie is back to playing with Sassy and Suki, and sleeping on every bed when he is not curled up in Connie's lap. As we discovered during his stay here at Atlantic Animal Hospital, Charlie quite a love-bug. He enjoys giving and receiving love just much as he enjoys "talking," and especially likes to do both at the same time. Although we do miss having Charlie here with us, we are able to visit with him and Connie when he comes in for follow-up visits. But most of all, we are thrilled to see him happy and healthy after such an ordeal!
--Written by Jennifer Liggett (Client Advocate)
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