Urinary Obstruction in a Cat Can Be Life-Threatening Because of Toxicity & the Chance of Bladder Rupture.
Signs of Urinary Obstruction
- Straining to Pass Urine
- Urinating Out of the Litter Box
- Passing Blood-Tinged Urine
- Passing Small Amounts of Urine More Often
- Crying When Passing Urine
- Excessive Licking of Privates
If Your Cat Shows Any of These Symptoms Call the Clinic Right Away!!
Causes
Many factors are involved in causing urinary obstruction including diet, stress, viruses, bacteria, decreased water consumption, and physical inactivity. Diet is extremely important. Previously it was thought that ‘ash’ or magnesium levels were a very important factor, but research showed that this is not true. Current studies have shown that urine pH is a very relevant factor in causing this problem.The concentration of the urine is also very important. Dry food increases the concentration of the urine which increases the chance of crystals forming. Canned food dilutes the urine and flushes the bladder out decreasing/eliminating the occurrence of crystals.
Cats That Eat Canned Food Will Rarely Become Obstructed!
Things that you can do to help ensure that your cat does not develop a urinary obstruction are:
- Feed your cat canned food daily
- Ensure that your cat always has easy access to fresh clean water.
- Keep your cat as slim and trim as you can.
- Keep the litter-box clean by ‘scooping’ it every day.
If your cat refuses to eat canned food, we can help you with an appropriate choice of dry food.
Treatment:
When a cat is obstructed, it must be admitted to the hospital, anesthetized, catheterized, unblocked and observed for several days. This is a costly painful ordeal that is best avoided if possible. If you follow the above recommendations, it will not guarantee that your cat will never have a urinary obstruction, but it will almost eliminate the chance that your cat could get this unpleasant problem.
