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Whether your kitty underwent surgery or endured a catheter for days, it’ll be feeling sluggish and distressed. Give your kitty some extra TLC during this time; they’ll certainly need it. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to remedy a urinary blockage at home. Cats require veterinary attention, and trying to solve the issue at home may worsen the problem.
Just like in humans, cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder that makes your bladder think you need to pee constantly. Cats will be dashing into and out of their litter tray frequently. You might also see your cat straining while he or she tries to pee, usually while producing very small amounts of urine or no urine at all.
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If too many of these minerals come out of solution in the urine, they collect as a sandy silt at the bottom of the bladder. This causes irritation of the urinary bladder wall, which leads to mucus being secreted in response. The sandy/silty crystalline particles mix with mucus particles and over time enlarge into stones. A bladder stone is essentially a hard rock of crystalline mineral, often roughly spherical or oval in shape, that can form in the bladder of a cat. The diet depends on what type of stone or crystals are present, and the pH of the urine.
I have a neutered tomcat, who is approximately 18 months – two years old. A week back, his frequency of trying to pee began to increase – sometime 3-4 times an hour. Then, there were small amounts (5-10 mL) of a viscuous, red syrup which began to appear, generally within around fout feet of the litter box. He’s been exclusively on a diet of kibble, which I now moisten a little bit. The results of a urinalysis may prompt a vet to evaluate the bladder for stones using either radiographs (x-rays) or ultrasound. With x-rays, bladder stones will appear as bright white objects.
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These bladder stones are often seen in cats who consume high amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, chloride and fiber. Our Windsor vets often see cats suffering from uncomfortable symptoms related to bladder stones, but how do they develop and how can they be treated? Today we look at the types, causes, symptoms, and treatments for bladder stones in cats.
A special therapeutic food, such as Hill's Prescription Diet, can help dissolve struvite stones. Therapeutic urinary foods come in a variety of flavors and forms and therapeutic treats may be available so your cat will not be deprived. One study showed that stones were, on average, 50% smaller in just 2 weeks and the average time to completely dissolve stones in about a month.
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Canned food has a higher water content than dry food and will keep your cat adequately hydrated. As a result, their urine will be less concentrated, and there will be less chance of urinary blockages developing. The signs that may accompany bladder stones in cats are not exclusive.
Bladder stones in cats tend to be less common than in dogs, but most vets will still see a couple cases a year in cats. Unfortunately, these methods alone are not as successful, and recurrence of stones can occur. The second drawback to a diet is that it does typically take several weeks to work, sometimes at least 2 months. During this time, a kitty may continue to exhibit signs of inappropriate urination, and the risk of urinary obstruction is a constant concern. Your veterinarian may recommend regular urinalysis to check for new stones, as often as every three months.
This is a sizeable deficiency compared to a cat’s natural diet. A dehydrated diet makes the urine more concentrated, resulting in a higher occurrence of mineral stones in the urine. A urinary blockage occurs when the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder, becomes obstructed by foreign material. This material plugs the tube-like urethra and prevents urine from leaving the cat’s body. The buildup of urine can cause the cat’s bladder to overfill, which will consequently cause the kidneys to swell and rupture. Armed with the right information, you can help prevent urinary crystals and struvite stones to ensure your cats comfort and longevity.
Further on in this article, we’ll take a look at what you can do at home to prevent blockages from happening. Your cat will also lose some control of its bladder, and this will cause it to urinate in places it usually wouldn’t. This isn’t very pleasant for obvious reasons, but it’s important not to write off this behavior. Urinating outside of the litter box indicates that your cat is experiencing a blockage or other urinary problem.
Both types of stones can be caused by insufficient water intake and nutritional deficiencies. Both types of stones can also benefit from some of the same treatments. Several different pet food manufacturers make commercially available diets that meet these parameters. Your veterinarian can make appropriate recommendations; some will even provide “sampler packs” so owners can easily figure out which type of food their cat likes best.
These diffusers emit the same pheromones that cats do naturally to calm down. Therefore, they have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and bad behavior. A cat UTI occurs when bacteria travels up the urethra and finds itself in the bladder. If you think your cat has a urinary tract issue, this article is here to help.
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