Urinary problems
Urinary problems include cystitis, feline lower urinary tract disease and spraying.
What is cystitis or feline lower urinary tract disease?
Cystitis is a general term referring to inflammation in the urinary bladder. In cats this is often grouped with inflammation of the urethra and referred to as feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD).
Symptoms
Symptoms include signs of irritation and inflammation affecting urination, increased frequency and urgency to urinate, difficulty urinating and presence of blood in the urine.
What causes FLUTD?
There are a number of causes of FLUTD and triggers can range from food causing urinary crystals to form to bladder stones. In addition, overweight cats are prone to disease or bacterial infections.
Treatment
If you think your cat has urinary problems, contact your vet who will be able to advise on the appropriate treatment.
What is spraying?
At approximately 8 or 9 months of age a male cat will develop new behaviour, become protective and start marking his territory. This involves spraying urine, which is a particularly strong and difficult to remove odour, around your house.
Treatment
To prevent spraying arrange for your male cat to be neutered before he reaches puberty. The longer a cat is left, the less likely neutering will stop tom cat behaviour like spraying and fighting.
What are renal problems?
Kidney disease is very common in middle aged and senior cats. Cat’s urine is very concentrated and you may have noticed that your cat doesn’t urinate very much. This means that their kidneys work very hard, so it is no surprise that older cats may develop problems.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of kidney disease are related to the kidneys failing. This includes increased drinking and urination. As the disease progresses, cats can vomit bile and become disorientated, with extreme weight loss.
What causes renal disease?
Renal disease can be caused by a number of things, from kidney infections to cancers or scarring. If a cat ingests a toxin such as antifreeze the kidneys can quickly become damaged.
Treatment
If you think your cat has renal disease, contact your vet who will be able to advise on the appropriate treatment.
