Feline Urinary Tract Problem

Question
I have a 14-month-old female cat.  Mo was spayed at 8 months of age.  Shortly after getting her home, she began to scratch a lot.  I started noticing little scaly spots, which would turn into scabs.  A few months later, the problem had worsened.  My vet tested for mange and checked for fleas and determined that was not the problem.  He gave her a cortisone injection and told me to apply Tresaderm twice a day to the spots.  A round of Clavamox was ordered to combat the infection that had set up in some of the scratched areas.  They started healing nicely, but within a couple of weeks her urine began to smell like a tom cat's spray (only stronger!).  Her solid waste no longer had much odor.  A coouple of months later, she started "squatting" about every two or three minutes, releasing only a drop or two of extremely stong smelling urine, along with a tiny bit of blood.  I took her to the animal emergency center and she was diagnosed with a bladder infection.  A non-steroid injection was given, along with a two-week supply of Clavamox.  She immediately stopped having the urinary frequency problem (though the odor remains).  Throughout all of this, she has been happy, frisky and playful, never showing signs of pain or discomfort.  She eats and drinks normally.

The two weeks of Clavamox ended and, three days later, she was having the frequency problem again once in a while.  I start pumping her full of fluids and this stopped - but the odor remains.

My vet doesn't know what the problem is with the odor.  Can you give me any clues about what her problem might be and some practical things I can do to help her?  I am in the process of filing for disability myself and don't have the money for any expensive care for my little baby right now.

Thanks for your time and help.

Answer
I would recommend a bladder x-ray to rule out bladder stones since she is having frequent UTIs.  

I would also try to target the diet to help combat the odor.  I would recommend an all-natural diet, free of dyes and preservatives, and that has no meat by-products such as Natural Balance, Eagle Pack or Nutro Natural Complete.  Feeding some canned food is always a good idea when there are urinary problems.

(The odor may be due to her releasing a bit of her anal glands and other than diet there isn't really anything in particular you can do.)