My 7 year old male cat has...

Question
My 7 year old male cat has a UTI. I know from his behavior (he peed on my dining room table cover) and I checked the small puddle he left and it is tinged with blood.  What medication is for UTI's.  I have many antibiotics from my vet which are still current but I am not sure which is for a UTI.  He(my cat) is vetrified of riding and will not go willingly to the vets.  If I can give him the meds at home., I am sure he will be fine.  Incidentally, that is the only sympton, he eats normally, and has normal stools, too.

Answer
Hi Rosie!

NEVER give a cat left over antibiotics for a UTI. Reason: they DO become resistant to it. We see it all too often at my cat hospital with cats needing a second opinion for chronic uti issues in cats.  Then you wind up using the 'big guns' of the antibiotic world and those are expensive.

You need to take your cat to the vet for a urinalysis. There are 3 types of uti's cats can get.
1. crystaluria -this is a PROBLEM! especially in male cats, THEY CAN AND DO BLOCK and this is an emergency.
2. bacteriuria
3. sterile cystitis-they get a uti for no reason other than stress.
ALSO- bladder stones can occur in the extreme forms of crystaluria.

Call your vet and ask to see if they can give you a product called NOSORB for you to get a nice urine sample at home (its easy!) and bring the sample to them to run.

If your cat seems to be straining at all at the litterbox. You MUST get him to the vet.

Don't take a uti lightly in a male cat. It's better in the long run to help the situation earlier than later.

Hope this helps!