FLUTD: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Why do potty-trained felines all of a sudden frequently pee outside a litter box? Why do they unexpectedly prefer to pee in other spots like tile flooring, countertops, or bathtubs? Do not get mad at your cat; your cat might be having uncomfortable trips to the litter box.
If pet cats tend to lick themselves excessively and show signs of painful urinations, that could be signs that they might be experiencing feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). This affects the bladder and urethra rather than the kidneys of cats.
What is FLUTD?
Feline lower urinary tract disease is the primary term for various conditions in the bladder and urethra. Another term for FLUTD is feline urologic syndrome (FUS) and feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). This condition results in tiny crystals and blood in the urine.
Causes
Numerous underlying clinical conditions can add to the development of FLUTD, such as urolithiasis (urinary stones), urinary infection, urethral obstruction, and urinary calculi (also called “sand” or “grit”).
FLUTD is generally seen in middle-aged, obese felines with little or no exercise. They typically have no outdoor access, use an indoor litter box, or eat a dry diet. Additional aspects such as environmental tension, abrupt changes in everyday regimen, and living with several cats in the house may also add to the development of FLUTD.
Symptoms
- Straining to pee (this can be confused with constipation)
- Urinating small amounts, often outside the litter box
- Crying while urinating
- Frequent licking of the genitalia
- Foul-smelling, bloody, or cloudy pee
Call or schedule an appointment with a board-certified Lacey vet promptly if any of these signs and symptoms appear.
Diagnosis.
It is rather challenging to detect FLUTD since it has many causes. Your vet would physically examine your cat based on the signs and symptoms appearing. The vet might refer you to lab facilities for urinalysis, assessing pH concentration and the presence of blood, crystals, or infection.
If the urinalysis can not rule out the illness, additional examinations such as urine culture, blood works, and x-rays might be advised. Visit websites like OlympiaPetEmergency.net to learn about veterinary laboratories you can visit.
Treatment.
According to the symptoms, you can find a specialist veterinarian for proper treatments here, considering that FLUTD has several causes.
If your cat has a blocked urethra, a catheter is passed into the bladder while your cat is sedated. This procedure gets rid of the obstruction and flushes the bladder. Hospitalization for a few days is recommended until your cat can urinate normally, and that blockage will unlikely reoccur when it appears.
Treatment of bladder stones might be a surgical procedure and dietary therapy. Depending on the kind of crystals in the urine. Struvite crystals can break down in acidic urine; thus, a diet that enhances the level of acidity in urine will be recommended. If the crystal is calcium oxalate, a non- acidified diet will be suggested since acidification might cause the recurrence of stones.
If neither urethral obstruction nor bladder stones are present, painkillers and antibiotics might be used for pain relief and infection. Diet may also be used to liquify struvite crystals in the urine.
What can you do to prevent the occurrence of FLUTD?
Consult your veterinarian concerning an appropriate diet; a specialized diet plan might be more appropriate than a commercial one. Small frequent feedings are optimal for FLUTD cases. Keep your cat hydrated with clean and fresh water at all times.
Provide a sufficient number of litter boxes, preferably more than the number of cats in the house. Put these boxes in safe and quiet locations of your home. Constantly keep the litter boxes sanitized.
Finally, reduce all environmental stressors to pet cats. Try to reduce significant modifications in the usual routine. Regular follow-ups with the veterinarian are required to keep track of any indications of recurring issues.
