Partial Urinary Tract Blockages In Cats, Infection, And The Connection Between The Two
If your cat is producing less urine than normal and/or straining to urinate partial urinary tract blockage could be the cause.
Not only can this condition lead to bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infection in cats but if total blockage occurs it can become a life threatening medical problem with death occurring within 48 hours if urine flow is not restored.
Needless to say recognizing and managing any partial urinary tract blockage early rather than later is very important.
Urinary tract blockages in cats can be caused by one of a number of genetic and health concerns including birth defects, inflammation or compression on the urethra, blockage caused by stones (struvite, calcium oxalate), urinary diseases (most often seen in female cats), and prostate disease (male cats).
Note: Struvite stones are by far the most common accounting just over 50 percent of stones in cats.
They generally form in the bladder or somewhere in the urinary tract.
Struvite are made up of either magnesium or ammonium phosphate and have been found in cats of all ages.
Calcium oxalate stones only account for 39 percent of cases and are more likely to form in the kidneys.
They typically occur in male cats particularly 10 to 15 year old neutered males.
The remaining 11 percent is made up of other types of stones.
Making the connection between urinary tract obstruction and infection Urinary tract infections are generally caused by bacteria gaining access through the urethra and working its way up the urinary tract to the bladder and possibly to the kidneys.
The immune system is responsible for recognizing and eliminating the bacterial threat before it has a chance to flourish and turn into a UTI.
When obstructions are present your cat can no longer fully empty their bladder and flush invading bacteria out of the body.
These factors create a favorable environment for bacterial infection.
The chances increase even more if the cat in question has a weakened immune system due to age, disease, either high or low urine pH levels, stress (such as separation anxiety) or exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoke or electrical dust.
Additionally, cats who are inactive, perhaps due to joint disease, or may be regularly exposed to unclean litter boxes are at increased risk.
Female cats are at higher risk for infection while male cats are at higher risk of total urinary tract blockage.
Looking for signs Urinary tract blockage in cats leading to infection have to start somewhere and in many cases the first sign may be tiny crystals curiously found in litter box urine.
At some point these tiny crystals will bind to other crystals forming stones which are too large to pass.
Once this occurs you may notice your cat straining to urinate, giving the appearance of constipation.
An increase in visits to the litter box will occur as your pet desperately tries to empty their bladder.
During this stage your felines urine may turn cloudy, smell pungent (almost ammonia like), and may appear dark or blood-tinged.
As the condition worsens so will the pain causing some cats to cry out, stop eating, and become depressed.
In advanced stages vomiting likely will be another sign.
It is important to point out that both urinary tract blockages in cats and urinary tract infection in cats may have similar symptoms.
It is not all that unusual for these two conditions to occur simultaneously especially if a partial obstruction has gone unnoticed for a while.
In conclusion, once blockage, partial blockage, and/or infection has occurred it is time have your veterinarian carefully examine your cat in order to find answers and then suggest treatment options.
These treatment options will likely will include a round of antibiotics and possibly a drug formulated to dissolve uroliths/stones.
In truth when it comes to these types of pet illnesses prevention is the best solution.
Among the preventive steps pet parents can take are diet modification using only age appropriate foods with appropriate mineral content, plenty of clean filtered water, daily exercise or play time, and homeopathic pet urinary tract supplements formulated with all natural ingredients to stave off infection and reduce the chances of stone formation.
Additionally, another reason why prevention is the best remedy is that bacterial urinary tract infection in cats becomes recurring/chronic just over 40 percent of the time.
Not only can this condition lead to bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infection in cats but if total blockage occurs it can become a life threatening medical problem with death occurring within 48 hours if urine flow is not restored.
Needless to say recognizing and managing any partial urinary tract blockage early rather than later is very important.
Urinary tract blockages in cats can be caused by one of a number of genetic and health concerns including birth defects, inflammation or compression on the urethra, blockage caused by stones (struvite, calcium oxalate), urinary diseases (most often seen in female cats), and prostate disease (male cats).
Note: Struvite stones are by far the most common accounting just over 50 percent of stones in cats.
They generally form in the bladder or somewhere in the urinary tract.
Struvite are made up of either magnesium or ammonium phosphate and have been found in cats of all ages.
Calcium oxalate stones only account for 39 percent of cases and are more likely to form in the kidneys.
They typically occur in male cats particularly 10 to 15 year old neutered males.
The remaining 11 percent is made up of other types of stones.
Making the connection between urinary tract obstruction and infection Urinary tract infections are generally caused by bacteria gaining access through the urethra and working its way up the urinary tract to the bladder and possibly to the kidneys.
The immune system is responsible for recognizing and eliminating the bacterial threat before it has a chance to flourish and turn into a UTI.
When obstructions are present your cat can no longer fully empty their bladder and flush invading bacteria out of the body.
These factors create a favorable environment for bacterial infection.
The chances increase even more if the cat in question has a weakened immune system due to age, disease, either high or low urine pH levels, stress (such as separation anxiety) or exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoke or electrical dust.
Additionally, cats who are inactive, perhaps due to joint disease, or may be regularly exposed to unclean litter boxes are at increased risk.
Female cats are at higher risk for infection while male cats are at higher risk of total urinary tract blockage.
Looking for signs Urinary tract blockage in cats leading to infection have to start somewhere and in many cases the first sign may be tiny crystals curiously found in litter box urine.
At some point these tiny crystals will bind to other crystals forming stones which are too large to pass.
Once this occurs you may notice your cat straining to urinate, giving the appearance of constipation.
An increase in visits to the litter box will occur as your pet desperately tries to empty their bladder.
During this stage your felines urine may turn cloudy, smell pungent (almost ammonia like), and may appear dark or blood-tinged.
As the condition worsens so will the pain causing some cats to cry out, stop eating, and become depressed.
In advanced stages vomiting likely will be another sign.
It is important to point out that both urinary tract blockages in cats and urinary tract infection in cats may have similar symptoms.
It is not all that unusual for these two conditions to occur simultaneously especially if a partial obstruction has gone unnoticed for a while.
In conclusion, once blockage, partial blockage, and/or infection has occurred it is time have your veterinarian carefully examine your cat in order to find answers and then suggest treatment options.
These treatment options will likely will include a round of antibiotics and possibly a drug formulated to dissolve uroliths/stones.
In truth when it comes to these types of pet illnesses prevention is the best solution.
Among the preventive steps pet parents can take are diet modification using only age appropriate foods with appropriate mineral content, plenty of clean filtered water, daily exercise or play time, and homeopathic pet urinary tract supplements formulated with all natural ingredients to stave off infection and reduce the chances of stone formation.
Additionally, another reason why prevention is the best remedy is that bacterial urinary tract infection in cats becomes recurring/chronic just over 40 percent of the time.
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