Another Charlie Update

So, kitty is hanging in there and getting a bit better. A urinary tract/bladder infection was actually not the problem (go Court for improper diagnosis yet again! There is a reason I didn't go to vet school!)- instead, he had and still has a buildup of crystallized minerals that his kidneys excreeted from his food. The crystals are called struvites and they can be really problematic for indoor male cats like Charlie. Left unattended, the struvites can build up to the point of blocking the urethra, and from that point it's a very quick descent for the cat - unable to eliminate toxins by urinating, his body is basically poisoned from within.

Thankfully I got my head on straight about Charlie's symptoms soon enough to get him to the vet before he got to the point of blockage. We switched him to a prescription diet that does not cause crystal buildup, and also put him on antibiotics (mostly for the sneezing side-effect he's experiencing, since the peeing thing isn't an infection I am guessing antibiotics won't affect that end of the cat?). Now it's a matter of waiting as his digestive system processes the rest of the struvites. He's still pretty uncomfortable and I feel awful for him, but the good news is it's getting better and he likes the new food.

Side note: I am once again incredibly grateful that he hates Out Side. Yesterday we got back from the vet and I wanted to lazy-man's-load my way up to the apartment. I.e. purse, new cat food, waterbottle, jacket, and cell phone held to ear in one hand, cat in cardboard cat carrier in the other hand... Bottom falls out of cardboard cat carrier, kitty is sitting stunned in the middle of the parking lot and DOESN'T MOVE, I manage to hang up on my friend and scoop up kitty and carry 1 wide-eyed scaredy-cat and all my other crap upstairs. Still all in one load!