Feline Urinary Tract Infections
Cats are usually pretty low maintenance animals, but every once in a while even they suffer from ailments. One thing that affects middle age cats is urinary tract infections. Certain cats are more prone to these infections, while others will never have a problem.
Symptoms
Many cats won’t exhibit any symptoms of urinary tract infections except for urinating around the house. In fact, if a cat is not using the litter box like they should, it could very likely be because of urinary tract infection. Cats are usually not known to display signs of pain or discomfort. Rather, they will spend more time hiding, may vomit more frequently, may lick at the urinary opening, and may strain to urinate and produce bloody urine.
Also known as cystitis, urinary tract infection is an inflammation of the urinary bladder. It is usually caused by bacteria entering the bladder through the external urinary opening, or from kidney infections that spread to the bladder. Females are often more susceptible to cystitis than males, but both males and females can suffer from chronic cystitis.
Tests and Treatment
Most urinary tract infections can be treated with antibiotics. A simple urine sample evaluated at the veterinarian’s office will diagnose the infection, but chronic infections usually need more testing. Sometimes, the vet will recommend sending the urine into a lab to culture it in order to determine what bacteria is causing the infection. Certain antibiotics work on some bacteria, but are ineffective against others. Identifying the organism present will allow the vet to prescribe the medication that will best eliminate the bacteria.
Vets may also want to do blood work to test for kidney failure or kidney disease in chronic cystitis. Chronic cystitis may also require x-rays to see if stones are a cause. Sometimes stones will build up in the bladder and need to be surgically removed. Stones can also build up in male cats’ urinary opening, blocking the urine and causing a life threatening condition.
These cats are not able to urinate and will soon become lethargic, vomit, and show distress. Once the stones are cleared away, however, the cat will feel much better. Cats that have chronic stones and cystitis may benefit from special diet food that helps decrease the formation of stones.
