When Cats Are Peeing Blood They Tend To Start Peeing Outside The Litter Box
You may start discovering blood spots on your rugs, furniture or a pile of clothes.
We know of a cat that had a bladder infection for a few days. It jumped up and peed in the sink while the family was doing dishes!
If you cat is peeing blood and youre finding spots around the house, its time to get your cat checked.
Whats Not Normal When It Comes To Cat Pee
Causes for concern in your cats health often crop up in the litter box first. Again, knowing whats a baseline normal for your cat is crucial to early detection of medical issues.
Here are some of the first indicators that something is askew with your cats health:
- Peeing too frequently
- An unusual odor
- Peeing outside the box
- Oddly colored pee: pinkish to a dark red hue are particularly disconcerting
Keep in mind that a cat peeing blood may not appear to be peeing blood. The blood can be faint. So, if you suspect that something is up with your cats pee, use a white paper towel to press out the color.
Causes Of Brown Urine
Any change in the color of urine can be caused by both pathological and non-pathological causes. Brown colored urine is no exception. Both pathological and non-pathological causes are known to impart various shades of brown color to the urine. The following are some of the potential non-pathological causes of brown colored urine:
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How To Recognize Your Cat May Have A Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection in cats can be completely miserable for your cat as well as lead to more unfortunate circumstances. Unfortunately, cats are frequently abandoned or left at an animal shelter due to urination issues. A cat that has urinary problems, such as feline lower urinary tract disease or a urinary tract infection typically struggles with urinating and frequently urinates outside of their litter box. When cats have a urinary tract infection it is stressful for both the cat and the cat parents. It can be disheartening for cat parents to watch their cat suffer with the symptoms. But the good news is with vigilant care, a visit to the veterinarian and an appropriate diet, your cat can get over a urinary tract infection.
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections
Unfortunately, some cats may not show any signs of a urinary tract infection until it becomes a more serious problem. This is especially common in outdoor cats and cats that roam freely inside and out, because their cat parents may spend less time with the cat that do owners of strictly indoor cats. Some of the most noticeable signs of a urinary tract infection may include:Straining to urinateThere may be inflammation and/or the formation of stones in the bladder, which leads to blockage, making it extremely difficult for the cat to urinate.
Ammonias Effect On Respiratory Health
Cat pee contains a particularly high concentration of ammonia. Although this is a natural compound containing nothing more than nitrogen and hydrogen, its not exactly good to breathe. The good news is that most cat caretakers wont need to worry about this. A corner of the living room carpet that smells faintly of kitty piddle isnt going to harm healthy lungs.
The risk occurs when either theres a very strong odor of cat urine in the room or when someone in the household has a respiratory condition, such as asthma or COPD. The amount of ammonia in a room that reeks of cat pee can irritate and eventually harm healthy lungs. Lungs that are already compromised, such as in someone with asthma, may be irritated by even a mild odor of cat urine, especially if theyre frequently exposed to the odor.
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Cat Articles: Health
Crystals are microscopic precipitants that can develop in your cats urine. Theyre usually discovered when you bring your feline to the veterinarian because of common urinary issues, such as urinating too frequently, not enough, or having accidents outside the litter box. Your veterinarian will run a urinalysis to check for sediment or crystals in your cats urine.
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:
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What Is Urine Spraying
Urine spraying is a form of territorial marking behaviour, performed by adult cats. There is still some debate about the purpose of urine spraying but it is suggested that it facilitates communication between cats from a distance, to coordinate different cats movements in a territory to enable timesharing, and for the avoidance of aggressive encounters.
There is, however, no evidence to show that any cat investigating the spray marks of another cat avoids or retreats from them. Information about the timing of when these marks were made may be present because sniffing and flehmen response varies depending on the age of the urine deposit. Odours are so important to a cats survival that they have a second organ of scent called the vomeronasal or Jacobsens Organ enabling them to taste significant smells.
This organ consists of two small apertures behind the front teeth in the roof of the mouth that connect to the nasal cavity. The cat opens its mouth and draws the air into the apertures the facial expression adopted at this time looks like a kind of grimace and is referred to as the Flehmen response .
See our information on identifying and addressing the signs of stress.
Causes Of Reddish Dark Brown Urine In Dogs
We all know that the normal color of urine is yellow, and therefore, it’s normal for dog owners to be concerned about reddish, dark brown urine in dogs, but what causes a dog’s urine to become this color? If your dog’s urine appears brown, the best thing to do is to collect a urine sample and bring it along with your dog to the vet as soon as you can. Your vet may or may not use that sample to analyze it, but it allows him to observe the unusual color. There are various causes of brown urine in dogs, but they all require proper testing and diagnostics and your dog should be treated accordingly based on your vet’s findings.
Investigating the Issue
What causes brown urine in dogs? Dog owners may often wonder where the brownish tint comes from and there are several possibilities. In order to understand what causes the brown coloration in the first place, it’s necessary to get acquainted with potential pigmented substances that may be present in the dog’s urine and that may be responsible for causing the color changes.
One possible substance is myoglobin, an iron- and oxygen-binding protein that is found in a dog’s muscle tissues. The presence of myoglubin in dog urine is known as myoglobinuria.
Blood in a dog’s urine may also sometimes cause a brown, reddish tint. The presence of blood in dog’s urine is known as hematuria and in this case the red blood cells are intact in the urine.
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Why Is My Cats Urine Dark
I have 4 cats, male & female, all spayed & neutered. One of them has taken to urinating on the couch. Not spraying, but right in the middle of a cushion. The urine was very dark, like a dark orange color. Any ideas of what could be cause this ?
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By: Erika Raines El Segundo, CA
Replied on 04/19/2011
Urine can be dark orange simply because it is very concentrated, but it can also be orange if there is a small amount of blood present. Any time your cat has a problem with inappropriate urination like this, you must first rule out medical problems. Common medical problems that cause inappropriate urination include bladder infections and the presence of bladder or kidney stones. All of these problems can cause blood in the urine. You should have your cat evaluated by your veterinarian. He or she can perform a urine analysis and prescribe the appropriate treatment for any medical issues. If no medical issues are found, he or she can recommend the appropriate next steps.
What Is The Treatment For Flutd
This depends on the underlying cause. For example:
- Bacterial infections of the lower urinary tract usually respond well to antibiotic therapy. See handout “Urinary Tract Infections in Cats” for further information.
- If a cat develops a blocked urethra, emergency treatment is required to remove the blockage. Usually the cat will be given a short-acting general anesthetic and the urethra will be flushed or catheterized. Urethral obstruction occurs almost exclusively in male cats. Other treatment options may be recommended based on your cats specific blockage.
- If bladder stones or uroliths are present, they will have to be removed. Depending on their type, they may be able to be dissolved by using a special diet or dietary additive, or they may require surgical removal. In some cases, this can be determined by the results of a urinalysis. See handout “Bladder Stones in Cats” for further information.
“Treatment has to be tailored to the individual cat.”
There is no universal treatment for FLUTD. Each case has to be investigated to determine the underlying cause, and then the treatment has to be tailored to the individual cat. Sometimes despite appropriate tests and treatment, clinical signs may still recur, requiring further therapy and diagnostic testing.
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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.
Causes Of Your Cat Vomiting Up Brown Liquid
Bleeding in the Gastrointestinal Track: Brown vomit can be indicative of bleeding. If your cat has been vomiting chronically for some time, there may be inflammation in the mouth and/or esophagus that could be oozing blood. If your cat hasn’t been chronically vomiting, brown liquid vomit may be indicative of internal bleeding further down the gastrointestinal track. This could be the result of something like a foreign body ingestion or a large hairball impaction that is blocking the intestines and creating inflammation and trauma.
Brown Bile: Sometimes brown liquid vomit can be bile from your cat’s liver. Vomited bile is usually yellow in color, though, so if it is determined that the brown liquid your cat is vomiting is bile, that could be a sign of a problem with your cat’s internal organs.
Food: Of course, most cat food, whether dry kibble or canned, is some shade of brown in color. If you cat is a habitual ‘scarf and barf’ cat or if they have intestinal sensitivities, that may be causing them vomit up partially digested or undigested food. If your vet has ruled out other medical issues and thinks that what your cat is vomiting up is actually food, they may want you to try a commercial, sensitive systems food with your cat. If your cat is still struggling with vomiting food on this special diet, they may then want to put your cat on a strict, hydrolyzed protein diet.
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Reduce Stress To Promote Hydration
One main causes of blood in cat urine, stress, can result in problems such as cystitis and obesity. Therefore, we recommend offering your cat a calm environment and space to facilitate its recovery. This space should steer clear of annoying noises and excessive stimuli. In addition, we suggest establishing a home routine for your cat to follow.
Kidney Stones In Cats
Kidney stones or struvite crystals refer to the accumulation of minerals in the feline urinary tract. Apart from blood in cat urine, other symptoms of kidney stone in cats include a lack of appetite, difficulty urinating, pain and licking of the genital. If not treated in time, the presence of cat urinary crystals can and kidney stones in cats be fatal!
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Cat Stool Color Guide
While examining your cats stool may seem a bit odd, it is a great way to ensure that your cat is getting everything they need.
Changes in their stool color can be a sign that its time to visit your veterinarian.
They can help you figure out what could be causing certain health symptoms.
To help you better understand your feline friend, lets discuss each poop color in cats and what it can mean for their health.
The Uniqueness Of Cat Pee
Cat urine contains about 95 percent water and 2 percent urea, which is a waste product resulting from protein metabolism in mammalian urinary tracts. Cat pee also contains trace amounts of chloride, sulfate, phosphate, sodium, creatinine, ammonia and uric acid. Normal cat urine is clear and yellow to amber in color. Certain medications can cause urine to turn bluish, pinkish or other colors. Blood turns urine dark red or brown, and liver problems produce urine that is greenish, yellow-brown or foamy. Take your cat to the vet if you notice these abnormal urine colors.
Cat urine has an odor like no other. Thats because, as cats are carnivores, cat urine contains high levels of protein. The building blocks of protein are amino acids. Cat urine contains an amino acid called felinine, which is unique to felids. Although felinine is odorless to humans, it breaks down into volatile sulfur-containing compounds that produce pungent odors, which are also unique to felines. Intact males produce about three times more of it than neutered males or females, because testosterone regulates felinine excretion. These odors serve as territory markers and female attractants.
Since cats use urine to communicate these important messages, they are not as intent on removing those messages as we are. Cat urine odors are difficult to remove for two reasons.
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Possible Complications To Watch For
Talk to your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your cats condition.
- Some cats who take medications can develop side effects such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Make sure you understand what your cats reaction to any prescribed medications should be.
- It is possible for a cat to appear to be on the road to recovery and then suffer a setback. If your cat strains to urinate, produces only a small amount of urine at any given time, urinates very frequently, seems to be uncomfortable while urinating, urinates outside the litter box, or the hematuria worsens, call your veterinarian.
- Male cats with hematuria may be at risk for becoming blocked, a potentially fatal condition that completely prevents them from passing urine. If your cat is showing signs of discomfort and you arent sure that he is urinating freely, call your veterinarian immediately.
The Odor Of Your Cats Urine
Normal cat urine will smell slightly pungent and acidic. Many cat owners become used to this smell after a while, and it can be hard for them to notice a change in their cats urine odor. If you do happen to notice a stronger or more offensive smell than is normal for your pets urine, its best to contact your vet and have your cat examined further to rule out any potential health problems.
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Diseases That May Cause Brown Urine
The following are some of the possible pathological causes of brown colored urine:
- Infections: Examples of infectious causes of brown urine include yellow fever, blackwater fever, and leptospirosis. Blackwater fever is a complication of malaria. In this context, it is important to consider if the person with brown colored urine has recently travelled to Africa and other places where these infections are predominant.
- Liver diseases: Cirrhosis and viral hepatitis are examples of liver diseases that can cause brown colored urine.
- Kidney diseases: Glomerulonephritis and trauma to the kidneys can also result in brown colored urine.
- Iron toxicity: Brown colored urine may result from accumulation of abnormally high levels of iron in the body.
- Hematuria: As mentioned previously, the presence of blood in the urine can impart a brown color to the urine due to breakdown of hemoglobin. Hematuria can occur without any accompanying pain.
- Melanoma: Melanoma refers to a very serious type of malignant skin cancer. Excess melanoma pigment in melanoma can impart the urine a brownish color.
- Porphyria: Porphyria refers to a group of hereditary metabolic diseases that are characterized by impaired metabolism of hemoglobin. Excretion of hemoglobin in the urine can make the urine brown.
- Tyrosinosis: Tyrosinosis refers to a metabolic disease that is characterized by faulty metabolism and excretion of tyrosine in the urine.