The #1 Problem: Urinary Tract
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
Watch your cat for more frequent visits to the litterbox, urination outside the litterbox, increased thirst, painful or vocal attempts at urination, and minimal or bloody urine.
Feline Urinary Syndrome (FUS)
Cats suffering from this affliction are also termed &blocked cats&. This condition encompasses several feline health problems including calculi (stones), bacterial urinary tract infection, and sterile cystitis.
Stones can occur anywhere along the urinary tract - from the kidneys (nephroliths), the ureters (ureteroliths), the bladder (cystoliths), to the urethra (urethroliths) which delivers the urine outside the body. Stones and mucus plugs cause trauma and bleeding but can also cause complete obstruction.
Complete obstruction is an emergency situation requiring immediate veterinary care!
Renal Failure
Kidneys function to filter toxins from the blood and assist in maintaining appropriate body hydration. They are amazingly resilient organs as well, able to withstand up to 75% reduction in function before they are no longer able to remove toxins adequately. Two markers in blood chemistry, BUN and creatinine, are referenced to help determine kidney function. Kidney failure is not reversible but it is treatable through supplemental hydration, diet modification, and medication therapies. Behavior - Second only to feline aggression, inappropriate elimination the most common behavioral complaint among cat owners. Causes for behavior-related inappropriate urination typically have their roots in either inappropriate litterbox and litter used or stress. It is crucial to rule out any medical condition for a cat's urination problem before discussing behavior as the cause. To determine the reason for your cat’s urination problem we may recommend urinalysis, radiographs, ultrasound, and complete blood counts and chemistry. Medical treatments range from diet change and antibiotics to urinary catheterization, hospitalization, and surgery.