What is feline urinary system syndrome

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Syndrome (FLUTD) is not a single disease, but a collection of abnormal symptoms of the urinary system in cats. Like a ‘big package of symptoms’, it includes cystitis, bladder stones, urethral obstruction, spontaneous cystitis, and some unexplained urinary tract diseases. Simply put, any problem in a cat’s urinary system can be classified as this syndrome.

Incidence rate and harm

The incidence rate of this disease among cats is not low. According to relevant statistics, about 10% of cats will be found by urinary system diseases, and the probability of male cats suffering from this disease is as high as 90%. Moreover, feline urinary system syndrome poses a great threat to the health of cats. If not treated in a timely and effective manner, the condition can easily worsen and develop into serious diseases such as uremia and kidney failure, and even take the life of cats.

look out! These signals suggest that there is a problem with the cat’s urinary system

Cats cannot speak and cannot directly tell us where they are uncomfortable, but they will send us distress signals through certain behaviors and physical symptoms. As a cat pooper, it is important to learn to understand these signals in order to promptly detect any issues with the cat’s urinary system.

Abnormal behavior

Frequent entry and exit of litter box: Cats that used to only go to the litter box a few times a day suddenly become unusually frequent, even running in every few minutes. This is because problems with the urinary system cause cats to urinate frequently, even if there is not much urine in their bladder, they still have a strong urge to urinate.

Abnormal urination posture: A careful pooper may notice that cats no longer have their usual natural posture when urinating, but frequently change their posture, squatting down and standing up, as if searching for a comfortable urination posture, but still cannot urinate smoothly.

Urination outside the litter box: Cats are very clean animals and usually urinate inside the litter box. If one day you find your cat suddenly urinating outside the litter box, such as on the floor or in a corner, it is likely that it is hinting to you that there is a problem with the urinary system, causing it to be unable to urinate normally in the litter box.

Howling during urination: When a cat makes painful cries during urination, even accompanied by a mournful cry, it must be experiencing immense pain. This is due to inflammation, stones, and other issues in the urinary system, which can cause urine to irritate the urethral mucosa and cause pain.

Physical Symptoms

Blood in urine: This is one of the most obvious symptoms of feline urinary system syndrome. When you see red blood streaks in a cat’s urine, or when the urine color becomes abnormally dark, pink, dark red, or even brown, it indicates that the cat’s urinary system may have serious problems and needs to be taken seriously immediately.

Reduced or no urine output: Under normal circumstances, the daily urine output of cats is relatively stable. If it is found that the cat’s urine output significantly decreases each time, or even no urine is discharged throughout the day, it may be caused by urethral obstruction or other urinary system problems. Reduced or even absent urine output can prevent toxins from being excreted in a timely manner, posing a great threat to the physical health of cats.

Mental lethargy: The once lively and active cat suddenly becomes lazy, disinterested in anything, sleeping in corners all day long, or just lying quietly on the ground, unwilling to move. This is likely due to urinary system diseases causing physical discomfort and affecting the mental state of cats.

Loss of appetite: A cat’s appetite can also reflect its health condition. When cats suffer from urinary system syndrome, they may experience loss of appetite, disinterest in their favorite cat food, canned food, snacks, and even refuse to drink water.

Vomiting: Some cats may experience vomiting symptoms when they have problems with their urinary system. This is because the discomfort in the body stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, causing the cat to vomit. If a cat frequently vomits and is accompanied by other urinary system abnormalities, it is important to take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

What causes the urinary system of cats to be ‘injured’

After understanding the relevant knowledge of cat urinary system syndrome and how to detect signals of problems in the cat’s urinary system, we will now delve into what makes the cat’s urinary system so “fragile” and vulnerable to injury.

Innate ‘fragile’ structure

There are obvious differences in the structure of the urinary system between male and female cats, which also leads to their differences in the incidence rate of urinary diseases. The urethra of male cats is slender and narrow, with a certain degree of curvature, while the urethra of female cats is relatively short and thick. This structural difference makes male cats more prone to urinary tract obstruction. Some crystals and small stones are more likely to accumulate in the urethra of male cats, leading to urinary system diseases. Just like a narrow pipeline, a slight foreign object can easily block it, while a wide pipeline is relatively unobstructed. This is also why the probability of male cats suffering from urinary system syndrome is much higher than that of female cats.

Drinking less water is one of the culprits

Cats are naturally not fond of drinking water, which is related to their physiological structure and evolutionary history. The ancestors of cats lived in desert areas where water sources were scarce. They gradually evolved body mechanisms that could adapt to water scarce environments and had relatively low water demands. Even though the living environment of domestic cats has undergone significant changes, their habit of not liking to drink water has still been retained.

Drinking less water can lead to the concentration of urine in cats, increasing the concentration of harmful substances in urine, which can easily form crystals and stones in the urinary system. Just like a cup of water that dissolves a large amount of salt, as the water gradually evaporates, the salt will crystallize and precipitate. The same goes for cat urine, long-term concentrated urine can increase the risk of urinary system diseases. Generally speaking, cats need to consume 40-60 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, a 5-kilogram cat needs to drink approximately 200-300 milliliters of water per day. However, many cats’ actual water intake falls far short of this standard.

Hidden dangers in diet

In the diet of cats, there are also hidden factors that may harm the urinary system. Most cat food on the market now is dry food, which has a low moisture content, usually only about 10%. Cats cannot obtain enough water from dry food, which requires them to drink extra water. But as we mentioned earlier, cats themselves do not like to drink water, so long-term consumption of dry food can easily lead to dehydration in cats.

In addition, some cat food contains excessive carbohydrates, which limits the digestive and absorption capacity of cats. Excessive carbohydrates can be converted into fat in the body, leading to obesity in cats. Obesity is also an important cause of urinary system diseases, which can increase the burden on the kidneys and bladder. Some cat food contains high levels of minerals, especially magnesium, calcium, and other elements, which can easily form crystals in urine and cause stones.

The Trouble Caused by Emotional Stress

You may not expect that emotional stress in cats can also have an impact on their urinary system. Cats are very sensitive animals, and even seemingly ordinary things can trigger stress reactions in them. For example, if a stranger comes to the house, a new environment is changed, a new pet is added to the house, the owner is not at home for a long time, and so on.

When cats are under stress, their bodies secrete hormones that can affect the normal function of the urinary system. Long term stress response may lead to urinary system diseases such as spontaneous cystitis in cats. Just like when people are under excessive pressure, they are also prone to urinary system problems such as frequent urination and urgency. Therefore, creating a stable, comfortable, and quiet living environment for cats is crucial for their urinary system health.

Scientific response to help cats’ regain new life ‘

When we notice symptoms of urinary system syndrome in cats, we must not panic, but remain calm, respond scientifically, and help cats recover their health as soon as possible.

Timely medical treatment is key

Once symptoms of urinary system syndrome are found in cats, such as frequent entry and exit of litter boxes, difficulty urinating, and bloody urine, it is important to take them to a pet hospital as soon as possible. Time is life, seeking medical attention in a timely manner can greatly improve the cure rate of cats and reduce the occurrence of complications.

Some scavengers may choose to delay seeking medical treatment due to busy work schedules, concerns about costs, and other reasons, which is highly undesirable. If left untreated, urinary system syndrome in cats can rapidly worsen, potentially leading to serious consequences such as urinary incontinence, kidney failure, and even life-threatening situations.

I once encountered a poop scooper who noticed that his cat had symptoms of frequent urination and bloody urination. Instead of immediately taking the cat to the hospital, he thought of observing it for a few days first. After only two days, the cat developed urinary incontinence and its bladder swelled up like a balloon. After being urgently sent to the hospital, the doctor performed a series of treatments such as catheterization. However, due to the delay in the optimal treatment time, the cat’s kidney function was severely damaged and long-term medication was needed to maintain it. So, all cat owners must remember that when a cat shows symptoms of urinary system syndrome, do not hesitate to take it to the hospital immediately.

Know all about the treatment plan

Pet doctors will develop personalized treatment plans based on the severity of the cat’s condition. Common treatment methods include medication, catheterization, and surgical intervention.

Drug therapy: For cats with mild conditions, drug therapy is a commonly used method. Drug therapy mainly includes the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, etc. Antibiotics can be used to treat urinary system diseases caused by bacterial infections; Anti inflammatory drugs can alleviate inflammatory reactions and relieve pain; Painkillers can alleviate the pain of cats during urination. For example, if a cat’s cystitis is caused by a bacterial infection, the doctor will choose the appropriate antibiotics for treatment based on the results of the drug sensitivity test.

Catheterization: When a cat experiences urinary obstruction, catheterization is an emergency measure. Through catheterization, urine in the bladder can be expelled, reducing the pressure on the bladder and avoiding bladder rupture. During catheterization, the doctor will insert a catheter into the urethra to drain the urine. During the catheterization process, doctors will be very careful to avoid damaging the urethra. After catheterization, it is usually necessary to leave a urinary catheter in place for a period of time to ensure that urine can be discharged smoothly.

Surgical treatment: For some serious urinary system diseases, such as urethral stones, bladder stones, etc., surgical treatment may be a necessary choice. Common surgical methods include urethrostomy, bladder incision and stone removal, etc. Urethrostomy is suitable for cats with severe urethral obstruction that cannot be resolved through catheterization. By surgically changing the position of the urethral opening, urine can be discharged smoothly; Bladder incision and stone removal surgery involves surgically cutting open the bladder to remove stones. The effect of surgical treatment is usually significant, but the surgical risk is relatively high and needs to be evaluated and guided by a doctor.

Prevention is greater than cure, safeguarding the urinary health of cats

The pain caused by feline urinary system syndrome to cats is something we do not want to see, so prevention work is crucial. As we humans often say, ‘prevention is better than cure,’ the same applies to the urinary system health of cats. As long as we put more effort into our daily lives, we can greatly reduce the risk of cats developing urinary system syndrome.

Encouraging drinking water has tricks

Since drinking less water is one of the important causes of feline urinary system syndrome, we should find ways to encourage cats to drink more water. Here are some small tricks that shovel shit officials may want to try.

Mobile drinking water equipment to help: Cats are naturally more interested in mobile water, which may be related to their survival instincts in the wild. Mobile water is often considered fresher and safer. So, preparing a mobile water dispenser for cats is a good choice. There are various types of mobile water dispensers on the market, including waterfall style and fountain style. They use water pumps to continuously circulate water, which not only attracts the attention of cats but also increases the oxygen content in the water, making it taste better. My cat has significantly increased its water intake since using a mobile water dispenser.

Food with Water Trick: If cats really don’t like to drink water, we can add some water to their food. For example, adding an appropriate amount of warm water to cat food to soften the dry food, so that cats can consume more water while eating cat food. For cats who eat canned food, you can add some water to the can and stir it evenly, allowing the cat to enjoy the food while unknowingly drinking more water.

Canned food has sufficient moisture: In addition to adding water to the food, it can also increase the feeding ratio of canned food. The moisture content of canned food is usually around 70% -80%, much higher than that of dry food. Choosing high-quality canned staple foods as daily food for cats can not only meet their nutritional needs, but also help them replenish enough water. Like some canned goods made of meat paste, cats can eat them conveniently and have sufficient moisture.

More water bowls for easy drinking: Place several water bowls at home so that cats can easily drink water wherever they go. The position of the water bowl is also important, and it should be avoided from being placed next to the litter box, as cats do not like to drink water near the toilet. You can place the water bowl in areas where cats often move, such as the living room, bedroom, etc. In addition, cats prefer larger water bowls so that they don’t touch their whiskers when drinking water and feel more comfortable.

Change the water every day to ensure freshness: Cats have high requirements for the freshness of water, so we need to change the water in the water bowl every day to keep it clean and fresh. If the water in the water bowl is left for too long, it can breed bacteria and affect the health of cats. It is best to clean the water bowl thoroughly every time the water is changed to avoid residual dirt and bacteria.

Summarize

Family members, feline urinary system syndrome is not a small matter and poses a great threat to the health of cats. From its complex causes, such as innate physiological structure, lack of water intake, dietary risks, and emotional stress, to the heart wrenching symptoms such as frequent entry and exit of the litter box, hematuria, difficulty urinating, and even serious harm that may develop into uremia, kidney failure, and even life-threatening conditions, every point is gripping the hearts of us poop scoopers.

But don’t be afraid, as long as we put in more effort and take preventive measures in our daily lives, we can greatly reduce the risk of cats getting sick. Encourage cats to drink more water, adjust their diet structure, create a comfortable and quiet living environment for them, and take them for regular check ups. These seemingly simple measures are actually the key to safeguarding the urinary health of cats.

Cats are our cutest companions, and their health is in our hands. Let’s take action from now on, using love and scientific methods to safeguard the health of cats, so that they can always accompany us happily. If you have any other questions about cat health, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section to share. Let’s communicate together and protect the health of these little angels!