Urinary Tract Obstruction in Cats
Brrrrr, its chilly out there! Just as much as you may not feel you want to venture outside- you have probably noticed your cats hanging around inside more frequently as well.
Did you know this could lead to a potentially life threatening condition???????
Urinary Tract Obstruction in Cats
Cats can suffer from a variety of urinary tract disorders. These can range from urinary tract inflammation, to infection, to a crystal build up in their urine. These crystals, or the mucous produced by inflammation of the bladder can work its way into a male cats urethra causing blockage of the outflow of urine from the bladder. Kidneys continue to produce urine but there is nowhere for it to go. If the obstruction is not relieved, your cats bladder may rupture, becoming a life threatening problem very quickly.
These urinary tract issues can be caused by one or more factors.
The problem affects both male and female cats although the problem becomes life threatening in male cats only as they have a much narrower urethra than females, making it easier for a blockage to occur.
Ways of knowing your cat has a urinary tract disease are
Did you know this could lead to a potentially life threatening condition???????
Urinary Tract Obstruction in Cats
Cats can suffer from a variety of urinary tract disorders. These can range from urinary tract inflammation, to infection, to a crystal build up in their urine. These crystals, or the mucous produced by inflammation of the bladder can work its way into a male cats urethra causing blockage of the outflow of urine from the bladder. Kidneys continue to produce urine but there is nowhere for it to go. If the obstruction is not relieved, your cats bladder may rupture, becoming a life threatening problem very quickly.
These urinary tract issues can be caused by one or more factors.
- Stress is a big component- change of house, routine or another cat coming around and threatening your cat can cause urinary tract inflammation.
- Delaying toileting due to cold weather because the cats don't want to go outside
- Delaying toileting due to dislike of using a litter tray or even dislike of the type of litter .
The problem affects both male and female cats although the problem becomes life threatening in male cats only as they have a much narrower urethra than females, making it easier for a blockage to occur.
Ways of knowing your cat has a urinary tract disease are
- straining to pass urine
- regular visits to the litter tray (and lots of scratching around with not much urine produced)
- blood in the urine
- frequent licking at their anus/ genital area
- in male cats- pain on being picked up under the abdomen.
