Urinary Tract Problems in Cats
Dr Jules Wilson MRCVS of the Maunu Rd branch of the Northland Veterinary Group HAS THIS SAY...
Cats frequently are presented to the Vet with problems related to urination. In some cases a cat has taken to urinating in the house, or the owner has noticed blood or red staining in the litter tray, or sometimes the cat seems to be trying to urinate very frequently.
This group of problems is often referred to as FLUTD (Feline Urinary Tract Disease).
Changes in pattern or habits of urination often signal the early stages of urinary tract infection (like cystitis in people) or the appearance of crystals or stones in the bladder (similar to kidney stones in man). Many owners also notice their cats "washing their bottoms" more frequently and with great vigor.
A cat who is being bullied outside by a "new cat on the block" or is feeling insecure or anxious about life may well start to urinate inside. These cats usually "spray" ie use the urine to mark vertical surfaces eg door frames etc, but in some cases they may use the bathmat or shower tray etc.
All these cases should be examined by the Vet to check that there are no bladder problems going on.
All cats (by virtue of their size) have small diameter urethra and so it does not take much to block the flow of urine. At first the blockage is often incomplete and the cat is able to pass small, bloodstained, volumes of urine. Owners often notice this increased frequency and that is the time to seek help.
If a partial blockage progresses (usually quite quickly) to a full blockage, the cat still tries to pass urine and also to "wash" the area around the urethra frequently. In these cases the bladder soon fills, becomes overfull and starts to leak backwards to the kidneys. This is a life threatening situation, the cat will die very quickly once the backpressure stops the kidneys from working.
No one single cause is to blame for these urinary problems. As with many things several factors conspire together to produce the disease situation.
Both males and females suffer from FLUTD. It is the males who are more often seen, though, as their urethras are particularly narrow.
Overweight cats are more prone to FLUTD, it is thought that these cats urinate less frequently than slimmer cats so the urine sits in the bladder for a longer time becoming stale, more viscous and more alkaline.
Foods containing too much mineral (usually magnesium or phosphorus) seem to predispose to FLUTD. Foods that produce an alkaline pH also allow bacterial growth in the urine and so contribute to FLUTD.
Prevention is always better than cure. Feeding a high quality cat food eg made by Hill's or Iams, which produces a good quality urine is the best way of preventing the onset of FLUTD, treating the problem once it has occurred and also preventing recurrence later on.
Early diagnosis and treatment of FLUTD is life saving (and more cost effective than a late night call out, the difficult catherterisation of a blocked male cat urethra and expensive aftercare). If the situation is spotted before complete blockage had occurred the outlook for the cat is much better and treatment more straightfoward.
SO if your cat has changed their habits of urination, phone the clinic and book a consultation with one of our Vets as soon as you are able.
Issue 2
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