Texas A&M Vets Use Innovative Technique To Treat Cat With Complex Urinary Stones

Using newly published research, a team of specialists performed a first-of-its-kind surgery from Japan to treat a cat with kidney stones.

For Alessandro Mazzamuto and Chiara La Ferla, music is a constant presence in their lives, shaping both their work as piano teachers and the way they see the world.

That influence extended to their 1-year-old cat, Bebe, whose name comes from the musical note “B.”

However, during his first year of life, Bebe faced health challenges that made life anything but harmonious.

After surviving parvovirus and enduring months of chronic urinary tract infections as a kitten, Bebe was eventually referred to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH), where a team of veterinary specialists performed an innovative, life-saving procedure.

A Discordant Beginning

Bebe was born in Philadelphia, and shortly after birth, Mazzamuto’s brother took him to Italy. During his time there, Bebe developed a blocked urinary tract and was taken to their local veterinary hospital, where, while receiving treatment, he contracted parvovirus.

After two months in the hospital, Bebe recovered. Soon after, Mazzamuto’s brother decided it was no longer practical to keep him in Italy and sent him back to the United States.

“As soon as he got here, we took him to the vet so he could get all his vaccines, but the vet saw that he still had an active infection,” Mazzamuto said. “We tried a couple of different antibiotics, but it wouldn’t go away.”

Bebe’s condition soon began affecting his behavior and daily life.

“He wasn’t gaining weight and he was very skinny,” La Ferla said. “He was also peeing everywhere, including on the couch.”

Soon, their local veterinarian did an ultrasound to find the cause of the infection.

“They found that he had kidney stones and needed to have a surgery because, otherwise, the infection wouldn’t go away,” Mazzamuto said. “That’s how our vet got us in contact with your amazing hospital.”

A Note-worthy New Technique

After being referred to the SATH, Bebe was quickly evaluated by the Soft Tissue Surgery Service to determine the cause of his ongoing urinary stones and identify possible treatment options.

“Bebe came to us with a urinary tract infection, suspected to be a result of stones lodged in the proximal portion of his right ureter, or the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder,” said Dr. Meghan Watt, a third-year veterinary surgery resident. “Often times, when this tube becomes obstructed by stones, it can be quite challenging to manage because the tube is so small in cats.”

Because Bebe was still only a year old, treatment options were limited.

“Historically, when cats have this disease, we use a Subcutaneous Ureteral Bypass device, a medical implant used to bypass an obstructed or blocked ureter,” Watt said. “But this is not ideal in a young cat because they have the risk of becoming infected or clogged with long-term use.”

Instead, the team chose a new technique known as a side-to-side ureteroneocystostomy that allows urine to bypass the blocked part of the ureter . 

“This was the first time this procedure has been done here at Texas A&M,” Watt said. “We connected the ureter adjacent to the kidney directly to the bladder so urine can flow from the kidney into the bladder without going through the blocked tube with all the stones.”

All Paws On Deck

Because the technique was so new, the procedure required careful coordination across multiple services.

“Anytime we do a new procedure for the first time, there’s always a little bit of hesitation and quite a lot of planning that goes into it,” Watt said. “We were fortunate to be able to have the Interventional Radiology department, Dr. Genna Atiee, and our senior surgery faculty, Dr. Vanna Dickerson, able to scrub in and do it together. 

That teamwork extended well beyond the operating room.

“Postoperatively, Bebe had a lot of follow-up lab work that came back,” Watt said. “We sent samples for bacterial culture and the stones to be analyzed so we can help prevent similar issues in the other kidney.”

Bebe stayed in intensive care for five days after surgery. He went home with pain medications and antibiotics, and a two-week follow-up showed the repair was healing as expected.

“The owner’s willingness to trust us with Bebe for a procedure that had never been done before led to the best patient outcome,” Watt said. 

For Bebe’s owners, the experience meant repeated six-hour drives from North Texas to College Station. In total, Mazzamuto made the trip six times.

“I had an appointment one time for a CT and another for the ultrasound,” Mazzamuto said. “A couple of times, I had to come before the surgery itself, and I drove him again after another two weeks to check if everything was healing properly.”

Throughout Bebe’s stay, the hospital worked closely with his owners, keeping them in constant communication.

“They kept updating us every day,” La Ferla said. “I was on all the phone calls, so we knew everything, all the steps that they made. It was a great experience.”

Finding His Rhythm at Home

Today, Bebe has settled comfortably into life as the center of attention.

“He flies on top of the kitchen counters; he flies on top of the bathtub. If you leave a glass of water on the countertop, after 10 minutes, you’re going to find it on the floor and him playing in all the water,” Mazzamuto said. “Or if you forget to close the bedroom, you’re going to find him walking down the stairs with the bedsheet.” 

As piano students and parents come and go through the house each week, Bebe greets them all without hesitation.

“He’s very sweet with everyone,” La Ferla said. “He follows me everywhere, and sometimes when he needs attention, he starts doing things I don’t like just to say, ‘Hey, I’m here! I need this! I need that!'”

Now, thanks to his team of veterinarians and dedicated owners, Bebe has returned home and settled back into rhythm — bringing playful energy and a renewed sense of harmony to the household.