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Cat Treats For Cats With Urinary Problems

How Do I Know If My Cat Has A Urinary Blockage

How to Prevent Urinary Issues in Cats

If your cat has a urinary blockage, its going to be obvious. Unfortunately, this condition will likely cause your cat a lot of pain. The most common sign of a urinary blockage is frequent trips to the litter box that dont result in any urination. Your cat will strain itself to pee, and it may yowl and cry out in pain.

Your cat will also lose some control of its bladder, and this will cause it to urinate in places it usually wouldnt. This isnt very pleasant for obvious reasons, but its important not to write off this behavior. Urinating outside of the litter box indicates that your cat is experiencing a blockage or other urinary problem.

When To Go To The Vet For Cat Urinary Obstruction

If you think your cat has a blockage, you should go to the vet as soon as possible. Keep in mind that this condition is life-threatening, and affected cats need professional medical attention.

The buildup of urine will cause the kidneys to rupture, and the electrolyte imbalance that results from decreased urine output can cause the heart to fail. Your local veterinarian will be able to give your cat the best care possible.

What To Do About Common Urinary Problems In Cats

Inappropriate urination is one of the most common problem behaviors observed in cats and one of the most common reasons cats are abandoned at shelters. Yes, it can be frustrating when your cat starts urinating outside of the litter box. However, it is also important to remember that cats dont exhibit this type of behavior out of spite or to seek revenge. Inappropriate urination is a sign that something is wrong with your cat.

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When To See A Vet

These at-home treatments and remedies may be effective for clearing up minor infections, but more serious infections need to be treated by a professional animal doctor.

If your cat is experiencing mild or moderate symptoms, you can try these remedies to relieve their symptoms. If their symptoms show no sign of improvement in a few days, talk to a veterinarian. If your cat seems to be in pain or is unable to pass urine, see a vet immediately. This could be a sign of urethral obstruction, which can be fatal if not treated within 24 to 48 hours.

A vet may be able to prescribe antibiotics to target the harmful bacteria. Be sure to give your cat the full dose of prescribed antibiotics to prevent the UTI from returning or becoming resistant to treatment.

Even if youre pursuing professional treatment, these remedies can be effectively used alongside antibiotics to strengthen the bladder and balance your cats pH levels. Some can also be used as a daily supplement to prevent the UTI from coming back.

Best For Senior Cats: Blue Buffalo W+u Weight Management + Urinary Care Wet Food

VetIQ Healthy Bites Urinary Care for cats and kittens 65g ...

Key Ingredients: Chicken, chicken broth and liver, pea protein, potatoes, whitefish, carrots, cranberries | Calories per Serving: 68 | Balance: Crude Protein min. 8.5%, Crude Fat min. 2.5%, Crude Fiber max. 4%, Moisture max. 78% | Life Stage: Adult, senior | Texture: Paté

  • Manages two problems with one food

  • Grain-free

  • Prescription required

Obesity can be a problem for senior kitties who become less active as they age, especially for indoor only cats and those with health problems that sap their energy or reduce their mobility. Since some urinary problems are more common in senior, overweight and/or obese cats, it makes sense to consider a food that provides ideal levels of fat, calories, and fiber to help your cat manage its weight as well as controlled mineral levels to keep urine pH lower to prevent crystal and stone formation.

Blue Buffalo W+U Weight Management and Urinary Care canned wet food is an excellent choice carried by many veterinarians. With chicken as the first ingredient, this food also has added plant fiber in the form of powdered cellulose so your cat will feel fuller despite being a lower calorie food. Levels of magnesium and sodium are controlled to promote balanced urinary pH.

Blue Buffalo reports that its science-based formulas are developed by a team of PhD animal nutritionists, food scientists, and veterinarians.

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Understanding A Misunderstood Condition

Because urinating outside the litter box is commonly mistaken for a behavioral problem rather than a medical condition, this and other urinary issues are among some of the most misunderstood health conditions in cats. Sadly, these issues can sometimes put a strain on the relationship between even the most loving cats and their pet parents. Thats why its important to be able to recognise the signs of your cats urinary issues so you can make more informed decisions about their urinary health.

How Else Will The Veterinarian Treat Crystals In My Cats Urine

In addition to modifying your cats diet, your veterinarian may help eliminate or control the underlying cause of urine crystals by increasing the volume and frequency of your cats urine through hydration.

In some cases, modifying your cats urine pH by prescribing medications may also be part of the therapeutic plan.

After your cats initial treatment, your veterinarian will analyze her urine again to see if crystals are still present, since chronic formations can lead to kidney stones in the future.

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Helping Cats With Urinary Problems

Often the most important aspect of helping your cat is detecting the problem at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be successful. This can only be done with regular veterinary visits. Cats are well-known for masking signs of pain, resulting in very subtle symptoms that are difficult for cat owners to detect. In addition, it can be difficult for cat owners to spot changes in litter box habits. Needless to say, if you do notice changes in your cats routine, you should consult with your veterinarian immediately.

Nutrition can also play a part in managing many of the diseases that can cause inappropriate urination. However, the best diet for your cat will depend on your cats individual situation. Diets that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates are often recommended for cats with diabetes, while diets that help control urine pH are often advised for cats that tend to develop stones or crystals in the urine. There are even cat foods which contain glucosamine and/or fatty acids such as DHA or EPA. These are beneficial for cats with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions. Your veterinarian can help you determine which diet is best for your cat.

Urinary Formula Vs Renal Formula Cat Food

Ask A Veterinarian: Common Cat Urinary Problems

I find some of my clients get confused when talking about urinary and renal prescription diets for cats.

Urinary foods are formulated to help with bladder problems. Renal formula foods are geared toward supporting cats with compromised kidney problems.

These are generally two different problems, although occasionally they occur in the same cat.

Cats with bladder problems tend to be younger while cats with kidney problems tend to be older.

Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease include increased drinking, increased volume of urination, weight loss and decreased appetite.

Symptoms of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis are increased frequency and urgency of urination, straining to urinate, blood and crystals in the urine. Cats with FIC dont usually drink a lot more or lose weight.

Ask your vet to clarify whether your cat has a bladder problem, a kidney problem or both. That will help you and your vet choose the best diet option for your cat.

Many renal/kidney diets arent good maintenance food for growing young cats since they have a lower protein level. Make sure you ask your vet before you let young cats share prescription kidney diets!

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How Proper Nutrition Can Help Prevent And Treat Urinary Tract Disease In Your Cat

While it is often hard to imagine, our modern housecats are the descendants of desert felines, who lived in places where water was scarce. As a result, they evolved to get most of their hydration from their prey and did not rely on a separate water source. These felines ate small prey like mice, which are high in protein and moisture, and low in carbohydrates. The only carbohydrates that a cat ate in the wild is whatever was in their preys stomach.

Cats evolved like this for tens of thousands of years until the last 50-100 years or so, when we started keeping cats indoors and feeding them commercial pet foods. While the lifestyles of cats changed drastically in a short period of time, however, their biology has not.

When you take a look at modern cat food, it is often dry kibbles that are high in carbohydrates, low to moderate in protein, and void of any moisture, the exact opposite of cats natural diets. Not only do these foods fail to add any hydration to your pets bodies, but they require water from the body to process. This causes many housecats to live for years in a chronically dehydrated state.

There is a misnomer that cats with kidney issues need a low-protein food. This is only true when the proteins you are feeding are of inferior quality, such as by-products or plant-based proteins, which are hard for the kidneys to process. In reality, cats with kidney disease can often process moderate amounts of high quality proteins with ease.

About Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets

Purina believes that every pet should eat well. That’s why they’ve created a robust range of diets that tailor to the unique nutritional needs of dogs and cats with certain health conditions. From wet food to dry food and even treats, Purina crafts every recipe with high-quality, flavorful nutrition to help pets get the most out of every meal. Pets are their passion, safety is their promise, and innovation is their pledge.

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Diagnosing Uti’s In Cats

If a cat owner is observing symptoms of a urinary tract infection in their cat they should schedule a visit with their cat’s veterinarian. A urine sample will need to be collected either by the owner at home with the use of special, non-absorbent litter or by the veterinarian. The veterinarian may temporarily keep the cat in the animal hospital until it urinates on its own in some non-absorbable litter or the urine may be obtained by cystocentesis. Cystocentesis is a quick and non-invasive technique to obtain a urine sample through the use of a needle and syringe. Some veterinarians prefer obtaining urine by cystocentesis while others prefer to allow a cat to provide a sample naturally.

Once urine is obtained a urinalysis will be performed. This type of test checks the urine for bacteria, crystals, blood, parasites, abnormal pH levels, abnormal specific gravity levels, glucose, and other things to aid the veterinarian in making a diagnosis. If bacteria is present in the urinalysis a urinary tract infection is diagnosed. Sometimes a urine culture must also be performed to see exactly what type of bacteria is in the infection in order to choose a specific antibiotic.

Do Cat Treats Cause Urinary Problems

Best Cat Food For Urinary Tract Problems

Do Cat Treats Cause Urinary Problems? Do you know the answer to this question? Help our community by submitting an answer.

In general, good quality canned cat foods are better for urinary health than dry foods. Even if you choose a high-quality dry food canned food and water remain your cats most important weapons against urinary crystals or stones. While you may prefer to buy organic or specialty cat foods, it really isnt necessary unless your cat already has urinary issues or your vet suggests a particular type of food. If you do prefer to serve your cat dry food, its is still a good idea to supplement your cats dry food diet with a small amount of canned food each day, also avoiding the fish flavors.

Does urinary tract cat food really work? In general, good quality canned cat foods are better for urinary health than dry foods. That said, however, there are some dry foods that have been carefully pH balanced.

How do you dissolve struvite crystals? A struvite stone must be bathed in under-saturated urine for dissolution to be effective. This is why dissolution for urethroliths and nephroliths or large uroliths is often ineffective. It is preferable to remove large bladder stones via cystotomy and submit them for urolith analysis.

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Symptoms Of Urinary Problems In Cats Include

  • Frequently going to the toilet but only passing a small amount of urine each time
  • Blood in your kittys urine
  • Straining to urinate
  • Weeing outside of their litterbox particularly if theyre toilet trained
  • Appearing as though theyre in pain there may be crying or moaning as they try to pass urine
  • Paying extra attention to and licking their urethral opening

Best Wet: Hill’s Prescription Diet C/d Multicare Urinary Care With Chicken Canned Cat Food

Key Ingredients: Pork Liver, Carrots, Chicken, Tuna, Wheat Gluten, Rice, Spinach, Corn Starch, Chicken Liver Flavor, Fish Oil, Chicken Fat | Calories per Serving: 82 | Balance: Protein min. 6.5%, Fat min. 3.0%, crude fiber max. 2.0% | Life stage: Adult and senior cats | Texture: Rice sized chunks in a light gravy

  • Shown to dissolve struvite crystals and prevents new ones

  • Not grain-free

  • Requires a veterinary prescription

Nutritionists and veterinarians developed Hills Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care wet cat food specifically to support a cat’s urinary health. Hills claims that c/d Multicare was studied and demonstrated to lower the recurrence of most common urinary signs by 89 percent. They also claim that struvite stones have dissolved in some cats in as little as seven days, and on average 27 days, while also reducing the risk of forming struvite and calcium oxalate stones.

The ingredients are recognizable on the label and in the food. Top ingredients include pork liver, carrots, chicken, tuna, rice, spinach, chicken fat and fish oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Also containing important vitamins and minerals, the amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium are controlled to prevent crystal formation. This brand is also available in chicken and vegetable stew flavor.

  • Long history developing the formula

  • Science-based nutrition

  • Not a fit for some cats with sensitive digestive systems

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How Vets Diagnose Utis In Cats

Vets diagnose urinary tract infections by collecting a urine sample and examining it for the presence of bacteria. These samples must be collected through a process called cystocentesis, where urine is drawn directly from the bladder with a fine needle. This is necessary to prevent contamination of the urine sample from cups, tables, or any other surface the urine may come into contact with.

After cystocentesis, your veterinarian will run a culture-and-sensitivity test. During this test, the bacteria are isolated and studied. This helps the vet determine the best antibiotics for your cats exact infection.

Occasionally, acute infectionsespecially first-time infections that show up suddenlyare treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic without trying to determine which bacteria are involved.

Chronic infections, however, almost always require more testing to isolate the type of bacteria causing the problem and identify the best antibiotic.

What Is The Shelf Life Of Feline Greenies Dental Treats

How to Treat Urinary Tract Infections in Cats

FELINE GREENIES Dental Treats have a shelf life of eighteen months from the date of manufacture in the original unopened package. The package is flushed with nitrogen to reduce the level of oxygen in the package to levels low enough to prevent fat oxidation. Once opened, the product will have a shelf life in your pantry of one to two months.

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Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Ur St/ox Urinary Formula Dry Food

For cats that fancy dry food, this Veterinary Diets UR St/Ox Urinary Formula Dry is an irresistible treat. Like other foods from Purina Pro Plan, the food is formulated to help promote better health of urinary tract health in felines. It encourages your canine to take more water, helping to keep the problem of bladder stones away.

Another notable thing about the food is that it helps to raise the acidity of the urinary system, dissolving the crystals that could have formed in the bladder.

Because of its low level of magnesium, and balanced minerals, vets recommend this food as one of the top options for all-round health of the urinary system protection.

In addition to helping your cat keep its urinary system in top shape, this food also supplies all the nutrients that the feline needs for good health. It contains essential vitamins, including vitamin B-12 that supports healthy metabolism and antioxidants that help to reduce toxins in the body.

Specs

What Are Urinary Tract Infections In Cats

Urinary tract infections are not common in cats. Only 1-3% of cats with signs of urinary tract disease will have a urinary tract infection.

Because they can resemble so many other conditions, UTIs need to be distinguished from other conditions, such as crystals in the urine. Fortunately, by running some simple tests, your veterinarian will be able to tell the difference.

In most cases, UTIs in cats are usually caused by bacteria. Bacterial urinary tract infections in cats are generally relatively easy to treat and respond well to medications. Chronic infections, or those that do not respond to regular medication, can require more testing to figure out why your cat is at higher risk for urinary tract infections.

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