Urology Detective Cat Team🔍 Helps you understand feline urinary tract diseases
Pettington takes a closer look at Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) , a common and challenging feline ailment. The cause of FLUTD is difficult to pinpoint, and its onset and recurrence are unpredictable, making it a common nightmare for cat owners.
Possible causes of FLUTD
FLUTD is a common urinary tract problem in cats, with complex and diverse causes. Common causes include insufficient water intake, improper diet, bacterial infection, and feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). However, studies have shown that FIC is one of the most common causes, with stress being a major influencing factor.
When cats are stressed, they produce stress hormones. Over time, these hormones can overstimulate the bladder, leading to inflammation and idiopathic cystitis.
Most cats who experience FLUTD for the first time are between 2 and 7 years old, and the risk of recurrence is relatively high. Both male and female cats can develop FLUTD, but male cats are more likely to experience dysuria due to their slender, narrow urethra. Overweight cats are also at higher risk of FLUTD.
Can FLUTD be avoided?
The key to avoiding FLUTD is to increase your water intake and reduce stressors.
The most direct solution is to increase your cat's water intake. Cats require 50-70 ml of water per kilogram per day. For example, a 5 kg cat needs about 250 ml of water per day (including water from canned food). Providing multiple drinking points, placing a variety of water dispensers, and using running water dispensers can all help stimulate your cat's interest in drinking.
Reducing your cat's stressors can also help. This can start with the litter box and living environment, such as keeping the environment clean, using fresh litter, and providing your cat with private space.
In addition, social pressure between cats and interactions with people will also affect cats' stress, so it is necessary to pay attention to cats' behavior and emotions in order to detect and deal with problems early.
What methods are available to help detect the onset of FLUTD in cats?
Urinary problems in cats can cause changes in urinary behavior. These changes may include frequent attempts to urinate, decreased urine output, or an inability to urinate altogether .
Additionally, cats may experience frequent grooming of the genital area, loss of appetite, or other behavioral changes. They may also appear straining or in pain when urinating and spend increased time at the urination site. Urine may contain small amounts of blood , which may give it a pinkish hue.
However, the color of the litter or the minimal amount of blood can sometimes make hematuria difficult to detect. Therefore, it's recommended to take your cat to the veterinarian regularly for checkups to determine if there are any urinary issues. If you suspect a urinary problem in your cat, you can use Royal Canin's Blücare Feline Hematuria Test Kit to help monitor your cat's symptoms.
The Blücare Feline Blood and Urine Test Kit can detect the presence of blood in cat litter, even if the amount is small or the litter is cloudy. Simply sprinkle the test pellets on the litter. If the pellets turn from white to blue, the test result is positive and the cat should be taken to the veterinarian immediately for further examination.
What should I do if blood in my urine is detected during a test?
When blood in the urine is detected, the most basic approach is to isolate the cat in another space and prepare clean food, water, and a litter box. In addition, it is necessary to collect the cat's urine and record whether there are other symptoms at any time so that the veterinarian can quickly understand the cat's condition when visiting the clinic.
At the veterinary clinic, your veterinarian may perform further tests, including urinalysis, blood tests, X-rays, ultrasounds, etc., to determine your cat's condition and whether the diagnosis is correct.
How can I help manage my condition?
Urinary tract problems are a common health issue for cats, and the best way to manage them is through peaceful coexistence. Besides creating a stress-free living environment, diet is also an important factor in managing urinary tract problems.
Veterinarians usually recommend switching to a prescription food specifically for lower urinary tract diseases , such as Royal Canin's Urinary S/O , to help reduce the risk of crystal formation. In addition, you can use a "dry-wet feeding" method to feed urinary tract prescription food, which not only changes the taste of the food but also allows cats to absorb more water.
You might also be curious about whether cats can eat prescription food long-term. Because cats are more susceptible to urinary tract problems due to their physiological structure and constitution, veterinarians still recommend that cats eat prescription food for urinary tract problems long-term to prevent recurrence of the disease.
When choosing a cat's diet, owners should select appropriate food based on veterinary advice and follow the veterinarian's instructions for treatment and management.