Why Is A Urine Sample So Important
We veterinarians are looking at how concentrated the urine is . We also want to evaluate if there is evidence of white blood cells, red blood cells, crystals, or even bacteria on microscopic examination. If we do see crystals , we may need to put your cat on a permanent urinary-appropriate diet to dissolve these crystals. Please keep in mind that you shouldnt just randomly put your cat on these diets without consulting your veterinarian, as these two types of crystals dissolve in different urine acidities , and it could potentially worsen your cats problem if the wrong diet is used.
Next, if the urine sample is sterile, well want to do a urine culture this is the most accurate way of determining if a true bacterial infection exists. This test takes several days to get the results back, as the urine is put onto a microbiology plate to see if certain types of bacteria grow. Typically, well send your cat home on a few days of antibiotics until we get these culture results. Now keep in mind that UTIs are relatively rare in young catsless than 2-5% of the time is it actually due to a bacterial infection . That said, if your cat is middle-aged or older, urinary tract infections can be more prevalent, especially if underlying medical problems exist . Thats why additional testing is necessary to rule out the source of blood!
Does Your Cat Have Blood In Its Urine 5 Reasons Why And When It Is An Emergency
- 31 Aug, 2016
Blood in your cats urine is never normal and always needs to be assessed as soon as possible. If your cat is urinating normally, you do not need to rush into an emergency clinic. However, cats that are not passing urine, straining to pee, peeing only small amounts of urine or yeowling in the litterbox need to be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Here are the top five reasons for a cat to be urinating blood:
Treatment Of Cystitis In Cats
- Cystitis is always painful, so the number one priority is to administer painkillers. There is a range of options from opioids to anti-inflammatories. Your vet will be the best judge of whats appropriate.
- Fluids are sometimes given subcutaneously or intravenously to encourage frequent emptying of the bladder. Also, your vet may recommend additional water in the diet to increase their intake at home .
- Dietary change may be appropriate for some patients to change the pH or reduce the formation of bladder crystals/stones. Some bladder stones can be successfully dissolved with a correct diet.
- Antibiotics are appropriate only if an infection is suspected.
- Longer-term medications such as anti-anxiety drugs may be used in persistent cases of FIC.
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Increased Thirst And Urination
Sudden changes in your cats thirst and urine volume production are important clues to underlying disease. The two most common causes of these signs are and .
Your veterinarian will need to check blood and urine samples to determine the cause of your cats signs. Having your pet seen on an emergency basis for these signs is important because the sooner your pet receives treatment, the better their chances for recovery. Many times, exposure to certain toxins such as antifreeze or lilies, will cause similar signs, and delaying veterinary care can be fatal.
Preventing Blood In A Cats Urine
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When Seeing Blood In Your Cats Urine Is An Emergency
If your cat is peeing blood and is only able to get a few drops out at a time, this is a medical emergency. First, contact your regular vets office and let them know what is going on. They may be able to see your cat otherwise you need to get your cat to an emergency vet oranimal hospital as soon as possible.
These signs indicate an emergency:
- Straining to urinate with no to little urine production
- Yowling while in the litter box, as if in pain
- Being painful in the belly
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Not eating
If your cat is a male cat, this is even more so an emergency. Male cats, especially overweight male cats, can get a life-threatening urinary blockage. If not treated immediately, your cat could die. It is always best to be on the safe side and have your cat examined to see if they are blocked than just waiting and seeing if they get better on their own.
Treatment Of Blood In Cat Urine
Treatment for blood in the urine varies based on the particular reason, as it does with many disorders.
For example, if the underlying cause was a bacterial infection of the lower urinary tract, your vet would treat it using antibiotics.
Other therapies for sterile or idiopathic cystitis may include dietary adjustments, anti-inflammatory medicines, environmental changes, promoting higher water consumption, and others.
If a cats urethra becomes blocked, immediate treatment is essential to clear the obstruction, which can be life threatening.
The urethra will be flushed or catheterized in most situations, and the cat will be given a short-acting general anesthesia.
Uroliths must be removed if they are present. Depending on the kind of bladder stone, it may be possible to dissolve it with a particular diet or dietary supplement, or it may be necessary to remove it surgically.
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Sudden Inability To Use The Hind Legs
Cats with some forms of heart disease are at risk for developing blood clots. Many times, these clots can lodge in a large blood vessel called the aorta where they can prevent normal blood flow to the hind legs. If your cat experiences such a blood clotting episode, often called a saddle thrombus or thromboembolic episode, you will likely see a sudden loss of the use of their hind legs, painful crying, and breathing changes.
On arrival at the emergency room, your pet will receive pain management and oxygen support. Tests will be done to evaluate the cats heart and determine if there is any heart failure . Sadly, such an episode is often the first clue for an owner that their cat has severe heart disease. In most cases, with time and support, the blood clot can resolve, but the cats heart disease will require life-long treatment. Learn more: “.”
Causes Of Blood In Cat Urine
Your cats urinary system starts at the kidneys. Urine produced here moves through the ureters and is stored in the bladder until it is voided through the urethra and into the tray.
Things can go wrong with any part of this system to cause blood in your cats urine. The most common problems occur in the lower urinary tract and form a spectrum of diseases called Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease or FLUTD.
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Treatment For Urinary Tract Disease
Treating blood in your cats urine should address the underlying cause of the haematuria. For cats with a urethral blockage, treatment is urgent and involves catheterization.
The exact treatment your cat undergoes will depend on their symptoms and final diagnosis. For the most common cause- cystitis- theres no specific treatment. Instead, symptoms are controlled using anti-inflammatories.
Herbal supplements are available that may help the bladder lining, but most of these have little clinical evidence to back their use. Since FIC is associated with stress, calming supplements may also be of use.
Of course, if your cat is suffering from another type of urinary tract disease, treatment might differ. Cats with infections, for instance, will need antibiotics, as well as treatment for the underlying cause. Cats with urinary stones may need a special diet to help reduce the crystals in the urine, and these stones may need to be removed surgically.
Cats with a blocked urethra will need unblocking urgently- by passing a urinary catheter under general anaesthetic. And cats with bladder tumours may have chemotherapy or surgery as an option- although whether this is appropriate for your cat is a decision for you and the veterinary surgeon to make together.
There is some new evidence that suggests that water supplements may increase hydration in cats too- so thats something to look out for in the future.
How To Identify Blood In Cat Urine
Hematuria can often be observed clearly as urine that appearsbrownish or red in color. When the red blood cells cause discolorationthat can be observed by the naked eye, the condition is called gross.Cat owners may discover drops of discolored urine in or around thelitter box or on the fur of the affected animal. In other cases, urinesamples viewed microscopically by an animal medical professional mayalso indicate the presence of blood in the animal’s waste product.
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Causes Of Blood In Urine
If reading these signs has sent you into a panic, take a deep breath. Some of these signs are not typically associated with blood in cat urine and are seen only with rare diseases. Most cases of hematuria in cats are the result of urinary illness and your veterinarian is the best person to help identify what and where exactly that source of illness is.
Your vet will start by taking a medical history of your cat and a physical exam. Some basic labwork for a cat peeing blood may include blood tests, such as a serum biochemistry panel and complete blood count , as well as an analysis of the urine. Depending on the potential underlying disease, your vet may recommend more specific lab tests, such as a panel to check for abnormalities in blood clotting. If your vet suspects a urinary tract infection, a urine culture test can help identify the specific bacteria that may be present. Abdominal X-rays or an abdominal ultrasound are often recommended to help identify urinary tract stones, tumors or other abnormalities that can cause a cat to peed blood, such as an inflamed bladder.
Most cases of hematuria in cats are due to FIC . Urinary tract infections are actually pretty rare among cats.
Cat Emergencies That Need Immediate Vet Attention
In my role as an emergency veterinarian I treat some very sick cats. And I also meet some cat owners who feel very guilty. They wonder whether their cats might not have gotten so sick if they had recognized earlier that a problem was developing. Although some cat emergencies come on suddenly and are anything but subtle, it is true that many other cat emergencies start with vague symptoms.
It is certainly true that early recognition of subtle cat emergencies will improve the chances of a good outcome. But owners should not feel guilty if they fail to recognize these subtleties cats dont come with warning labels, and a person who doesnt know the symptoms cant be expected to recognize them . For instance, I owned cats including males for 25 years before I knew that any urinary irregularity whatsoever in a male cat could be an emergency.
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Unfortunately These Issues Wont Go Away On Their Own
In most cases, theyll get worse if theyre left untreated.
Bladder infections, for example, can progress into kidney infections. This means your cats kidney function will decrease.
Sometimes, this is reversible. Other times, it can be permanent.
It all depends on the length of time youve waited to seek help.
Signs Of Severe Pain Or Obvious Distress
Bring your kitty to an emergency vet immediately if you notice this one. Pain itself always warrants treatment, but it also can be a sign of more serious problems such as urinary obstruction or aortic thromboembolism . Symptoms of pain and distress include vocalizing , panting, hiding and overreacting to contact with a painful area.
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Preventing Common Urinary Problems In Cats
You may have heard of a cat parent who struggled with their cat urinating inappropriately or perhaps you’re a bit more acquainted with this yourself than you would like. Sometimes called feline lower urinary tract disease , this refers to a spectrum of different diseases that result in inappropriate urination from our feline roommates, explained the Cornell Feline Health Center. No one fully understands why these conditions develop or how to always successfully treat them. Here are two broad categories you can experiment with to prevent your cat from developing feline lower urinary tract signs .
Cat Is Peeing Outside Of Litter Box Due To A Uti
Your cat is not able to pee in their litterbox. Cats will often urinate outside of their litterbox when they have a UTI. When the cat has pain during urination, they associate the box with the pain therefore, they go outside the box.
What is the Main Cause of Feline Urinary Tract Disease?
Cystitis is a bladder infection associated with a bacterial infection, mineral imbalance, and unusual pH levels. Cystitis is synonymous with the creation of microscopic mineral crystals in the cats pee. These crystals can form uncomfortable stones and be quite debilitating.
It can cause a severe block in the urethra, causing your cat to have difficulty urinating or not being able to pee at all.
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Bringing The Cat To The Vet
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