Should A Vet Squeeze A Cats Bladder To Get A Urine Sample, Especially When He Knows The Cat Has Liver And Kidney Problems?

I would say that the vet would only do what is medically right, but it sounds as though he shouldn't.

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The bladder is not connected to the liver, so it is not relevant. The kidneys could possibly, rarely, have a problem with squeezing the bladder, but generally only if there is a urinary blockage, such as a stone or crystal. The ureters do not back up easily as the system is designed to be one-way. I do not see any reason why your vet could not squeeze to express the bladder.

It sounds as though that there may have been abdominal pain present (to which your cat may have been stoic before) that was worsened by the bladder expression. (I have seen a cat who had an intestinal tumor removed and gave no indication of pain for hours after the surgery - to the point where pain meds where in discussion of being withheld. The only indication of any discomfort was an increased heart rate.) The open mouth breathing could be from pain, or something else. My vote is the breathing and vomiting were from pain. You did not mention Tanny's age, so I am assuming adult if not older cat.

The best thing to do would be to talk with the veterinarian about the incident and concurrent problems. If you do not like the answer or feel uneasy with the veterinarian, you may want to look for another vet.

I do not believe that the vet could have foreseen a problem with the bladder expression. But I do not know your vet or what happened. I would think more along the lines of that if the cat had a healthy GI tract, that the expression would not have been an issue, but that something was wrong internally (thinned colon lining, irritation or inflammation, abdominal or colonic mass) that suddenly went wrong at that time. I would also say that I would rather have something like that happen in a vet's office rather than at home on its own, where medical treatment may not be close at hand.

The bottom line, though, is: If you are not comfortable with your health care provider then you should try to find someone you are comfortable with. Your vet should be able to explain to you what could be wrong and what diagnostics can be used to narrow the diagnosis.

I hope Tanny feels better, though it sounds very serious indeed. My thoughts are with you and Tanny.

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