Reply #18: Wednesday update:

[kestrel91316]

Kitty continues to do VERY well - eating like a pig, gaining weight, no surgical complications, very little visible blood in his urine. He still has some bladder control issues, but it's only a little over 48 hours postop. I am very encouraged by all this, and expect a complete recovery. The stone turned out to be struvite (magnesium-ammonium-phosphate), recurrence of which is easily prevented by appropriate diet (no cheap dry food, no food with fish). I am feeding him Prescription Diet A/D (canned) to get meat on his bones, some Science Diet turkey Adult canned to decrease the chance of diarrhea from the A/D, and all the Science Diet Adult dry mixed with Kitten dry that he can eat (for fiber and fat and to retrain him to eat dry food). He needs the high-protein A/D and kitten food to speed healing, especially since he had a slightly low albumin.

We had some quality time in an exam room today, sat on the floor and played for a while, and let him sleep on my lap. He likes to claw on my left shoe (guess I need to get him a scratching post!).

We removed his intravenous catheter today - he was a VERY GOOD BOY, only got a little upset. He is an excellent patient, very cooperative!