Herbal tea/tincture? ABSOLUTELY! Re: Kitty bladder issue?
Howdy Eme -
YES!!! HERBAL TEA/TINCTURE WORKS! Urinary tract problems in cats are very common and usually go far deeper than just a simple infection. Just like in humans,
Antibiotics /CS may temporarily relieve the infection, but they don't address the CAUSE of the infection.
YES!!! Distilled water is optimal - especially if there's kidney stones.
If you've ever done a 'Uny/Schulze' kidney/bladder cleanse, then you might have everything you need right there (leftover?)...because the Kidney/Bladder Tea and/or Tincture is the best bet. That's both relieve the infection (if there is an infection) AND address the cause of whatever the problem is).
(Check this out! Here's a site that specializing in doggie health that uses Schulze/Christopher formulas!
http://www.caninekidneyhealth.com/Ingredients.html
I've known THREE different folks that cured their doggie kidney issues with the Kidney Tea/Tincture...one person whose dog had been sent home to die from the vet).
The dose for the tincture is 'one drop per pound', 3-4 x daily. If you have some there, you could squirt it directly into her mouth IF you've got a good grasp on the dropper and her open mouth (you don't want her to bite down on a glass dropper - YIKES)...so if you have a plastic dropper, that's safer (I've had no problems with my kitties and 'dropper dosing' because they learn early on to 'submit calmly' when I dose them with anything).
With the tea, just brew it up and give it to her in her water dish (not added to the water, just her normal water dish full of tea). Or you could spoon it or 'dropper it' into her.
If you don't have either 'at the ready', we can easily ship a bag of tea and a sample bottle of the tincture tomorrow first thing (the sample bottles are 1/2 ounce, and would likely be enough for a little kitty emergency.
If you can find the herbs locally, of course that would be a bit faster (but maybe more expensive, if you have to pay 'retail' for a bunch of different herbs)...but here's the blend you're looking for (you don't have to use them all, just use any you can find - don't leave out the parsley, juniper, dandelion if you can help it):
Kidney/Bladder Tea...Organic Juniper berry, Cornsilk, Uva Ursi leaf, Parsley root/leaf, Dandelion root/leaf, Horsetail grass, Goldenrod herb, Orange peel, Peppermint leaf, Hydrangea root, Gravel root, Marshmallow root.
Kidney Tincture...Organic Juniper Berry, Uva Ursi Leaf, Cornsilk, Horsetail Grass, Pipsissewa Leaf, Burdock Root, Goldenrod Herb, Parsley Root in 100 proof alcohol.
Here's a site that sells a feline tincture that has almost the same ingredients in their tincture:
http://www.loveyourpetlonger.com/page67.html
If your little one has a kidney stone/s, then infection may or may not be the issue (but infections are fairly common with kidney stones). Eme, I'm sure you know, CS isn't something I use or recommend...however, if you feel there's a 'desperate infection', do what you and your "veternarian within" feel right about...a typical vet will likely dose her with high-strength
Antibiotics .
Just fyi, if you want to (and have it available), you can use Echinacea for kitties, but it sometimes makes them foam/drool a bit at the mouth due to that 'tingly-numby thing)...and even though there are some sites that say raw garlic is toxic for cats, there are also sites that say it's not (I feel very strongly that it's not, and the only "evidence" I've ever found indicates 'large quantities' would be the issue). But there IS the issue of raw garlic 'burning' the mouth/stomach...so if you use it, be sure to dilute it.
Healing hugs to you (and your precious kitty!) -
Unyquity