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Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease -- Will Your Cat Be A Victim?
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by: Darlene Norris
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Are you concerned about feline lower urinary tract disease? All cat owners should be aware of cat urinary health issues to prevent their cats from becoming victims of this common feline problem.
What Cat Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms Should You Be Aware Of?
Sometimes the most obvious symptom is that your cat is urinating outside the litter box. As wonderful as cats are, they don't have advanced powers of reasoning. If your cat is hurting every time he uses the litter pan, he thinks that somehow the litter pan is causing his pain. In his little kitty mind, if he urinates someplace else, it won't hurt when he goes.
Of course, we humans know it doesn't work that way. But if your cat suddenly stops using his litter box, it may not be a behavior issue. It could be one of several cat urinary tract infection symptoms.
If you use clumping cat litter, be observant of the size of the clumps when you scoop or change his litter. You should see a few large clumps. A whole bunch of little clumps indicates that he can't pass much urine at one time. This is another symptom of feline urinary problems.
Bloody urine is another clue to watch for. It's a little harder to see in cats than it is in dogs. However, if your cat is urinating outside his box, you may be more apt to notice it.
Be aware of your cat's behavior in his litter box. Is he crying out in pain when he tries to urinate? Is he straining to pass urine? Often cat owners mistake this for constipation.
Your cat should be using his litter box several times a day. If he is urinating less and less, or stops completely, he may have a cat urinary blockage, which is a veterinary emergency.
Treatments For FLUTD
In order to treat feline lower urinary tract disease, your vet will need to run several tests to find out what's going on with your cat. A urinalysis is necessary to determine if your cat has a bladder infection, or if he has feline bladder stones. A cat urine culture will tell your vet which bacteria are causing the problem, and a sensitivity test indicates which antibiotic will work best.
If your cat has a feline bladder infection, antibiotics are the usual course of treatment. Bladder stones in cats are a common problem, too. Your cat may have to eat a special diet so the stones can dissolve. If your cat is blocked, he may need to be catheterized.
Can FLUTD Be Prevented?
You can prevent your cat from becoming a statistic by taking these easy steps.
First, feed your cat a high-quality canned food. In the wild, cats are meant to get their water from their food, which is why cats don't seem to drink much water. When we take our cats out of a natural situation and feed them an unnatural diet of dry food with an extremely low moisture content, we're setting them up for urinary tract infection symptoms.
Canned cat food has a moisture level of about 75%, which is much closer to a cat's natural diet. If your cat has always been fed dry food, he may resist a change in his diet. Cats are notoriously resistant to change, but with patience, time, and persistence, you can switch him over to canned food.
A steady supply of clean, fresh water is a must, too.
Consider giving your feline friend a natural cat uti remedy that supports bladder health. Look for a remedy that's made especially for cats. You'll want to deal only with a company with a sterling reputation for producing only the highest quality pet remedies.
Don't let your cat become a victim of FLUTD. Start taking steps now to protect your cat from feline lower urinary tract disease.
About the Author
Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health. Learn how you can prevent feline lower urinary tract disease, and find the best place to buy herbal pet remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com
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