Cat urinary tract wellness is a very important part of pet health. Granted it is only piece of the overall puzzle but an important one because your cats urinary system is responsible for filtering and eliminate toxins in the form of urine. Without this under-appreciated bodily function your feline would not be able to survive for very long.
So when cat urinary tract problems occur it is important to recognize them early enough to avoid a serious, even life threatening, crisis.
The most common types of cat urinary tract problems often are bladder related. This type of urinary tract system problem generally includes the bladder not emptying fully/correctly or a bacterial infection which has gained access through the urethra,
I would like to tell you that there is one obvious cause, but in truth that is simply not the case. As my veterinarian likes to put it "Cat urinary system problems are a mix of clinical symptoms that may have more than one possible cause."
Is your cat experiencing any of these 15 clinical symptoms?
*Visiting the litter box more often than normal
*Squatting in the litter box for an extended period of time
*Unable to urinate or only passes a small amount of urine
*Strains or cries out in pain when attempting to pass urine
*Total or partial loss of bladder control
*Cloudy urine
*Urine stream may contain blood, especially toward the end of the stream
*Urinating outside the litter box
*Hard, distended abdomen
*Increased in water consumption possibly sleeping next to the water bowl
*Constant licking of urinary opening
*Foul urine odor possibly reminding you of ammonia
*Fatigue/Lethargy
*Vomiting
*Depression/Social Avoidance
My personal experience with cat urinary tract problems is that increased water consumption and fatigue/lethargy tend to precede many of the other symptoms. If you recognize these symptoms early enough you might be able to fend off the crisis by adding a moderate amount of blueberry/raspberry/cranberry juice to your cats water in combination with a homeopathic pet urinary tract supplement.
On the other hand if your cat is straining when urinating, squatting repeatedly without urinary success, or crying out in pain you could be looking at a medical emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention.
Once at the clinic your veterinarian will likely want to first palpitate the hind quarter of your pet in the area of bladder checking for soreness and sensitivity. He may also examine the urethral opening for blockage. The next step will likely be a complete physical exam including a urine analysis, blood work, ultrasound, and radiographs.
He will be looking to rule out possible cat urinary system culprits on his way to establishing the true underlying cause. Examples of possible causes would be urinary tract infection, a urethral plug, bladder stones, a tumor in the urinary tract, congenital abnormalities, incontinence from excess water consumption, a weak bladder, spinal cord problems or possibly something as simple as too much stress.
By getting your veterinarian involved early you will be doing your part to make sure that a cat urinary tract problem such as an obstruction or advanced bacterial infection is not allowed to rupture the bladder or damage the kidneys. Both which can prove to be fatal if not effectively treated right away.
