Finding The Cats Bladder
Slip your dominant hand under the cats belly slightly closer to the rear than right below the ribs. Place your other hand along the cats side opposite from you so you can gently hold and/or lift the cat. When he has settled into position, feel the abdomen, slightly higher than the leg sockets. Beneath the spine is the colon and beneath that is the bladder. The bladder has a distinct shape and feel. It feels smooth and self-contained, much like a water balloon. You do not have to squeeze immediately. Give yourself a moment to move your fingers around the bladder. Become familiar with its size and shape.
Location Of Litter Boxes
Boxes must be strategically placed around the home, and there should be at least one box on each floor of a multi-story home. Boxes should be in a private and quiet area, but not located in an obscure location. For instance, boxes should not be located near a major appliance, such as a washer, dryer, or furnace, that intermittently turns on, which can startle a cat.
While people may prefer keeping all litter boxes in the basement, cats may not enjoy having to travel great distances each time they need to relieve themselves.
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.
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Prescriptions From The Vet
The vet is your first line of contact when you need to treat your cats UTI. If your vet sees it as necessary, they may prescribe antibiotics for the infection. They will likely prescribe an oral medication or an injectable medication. These antibiotics get rid of the infection or reduce inflammation.
Signs Of Urinary Blockage
Cats that are partially or fully blocked often show some or all of the following signs:
- Repeatedly straining to urinate in or around the litter box. This is often mistaken for constipation and straining to defecate.
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Producing only small drops of urine or none at all
- Crying or howling in or around the litter box or in general
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Licking at the genitals or around the base of the tail
- Hiding/lethargy
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Vomiting and/or refusing to eat
- Resenting being touched, especially around the abdomen
Cats can experience partial or complete urinary blockage and their signs can vary greatly. With a partial blockage, an affected may seem uncomfortable or in pain and spend excess time repeatedly going in and out of the litter box. An owner may notice urinary accidents around the house or find small puddles of urine in the litter box or unusual places.
As the condition progresses to a full urinary blockage and the cat is unable to pass any urine, the signs become more intense and the cat may experience life-threatening complications. It is common for a blocked cat to vomit, lose its appetite and become extremely lethargic. If left untreated, the urinary blockage can lead to kidney failure and death within 24 to 48 hours.
If your cat is showing any of the above signs, see your veterinarian or go to the nearest emergency clinic immediately.
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What Is Crystals In The Urine
Cats who present with crystalluria need to be seen by a veterinarian in order to properly identify the crystals and diagnose any underlying conditions that may be causing them to form.
The development of crystals in the urine, or crystalluria, occurs when normal minerals that float in the urine bind to each other. Crystalluria often occurs as part of another condition. The microscopic crystals have the appearance of fine sand. Though crystalluria isn’t always indicative of an accompanying condition or illness, such as a urinary tract infection or kidney stones, the formation of crystals puts the cat at an increased risk of these problems. A urinary blockage due to crystals in the urine is an emergency, and the cat needs to see a veterinarian immediately.
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How Do You Massage A Cats Bladder
When a cat sustains an injury or illness that makes it unable to urinate on its own, then you may need to help out by taking it to the bathroom. To achieve this, you need to massage the cats bladder, a procedure in which you press on the back of its abdomen to release urine.
This requires a little practice but can be vital to keeping your older, injured, or sick cat healthy. It is critical to ensure your cat stays in the correct position to make it comfortable and calm while applying light pressure to its bladder.
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Why Does My Cat Soil Indoors
There are numerous reasons why an individual cat would start to soil indoors. In some cases, the problem can be persistent and it is advisable to discuss it with your veterinarian rather than leave it to resolve on its own. If this is the case your vet will refer you to a specialist in cat behaviour.
Symptoms Of Cystitis In Cats
- Straining to pass urine sometimes crying out in pain.
- Urinating, or attempting to urinate, more frequently than normal.
- Urinating in unusual places, outside the litter tray possibly due to pain.
- Over grooming around the genitals and lower abdomen often causing hair loss.
- Changes in behaviour or behaviour that is out of character, for example, hiding more, or aggressive behaviour when being handled.
- Blood present in the urine this can be seen as clots or just pink urine.
- Inability to pass urine usually seen in male cats.This represents a medical emergency as it is extremely painful and very quickly leads to life threatening complications.
If you suspect your cat has Cystitis you should contact your vet straight away for advice as they will know your cat and be able to advise on the available treatment options.
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Medical Problems That Can Cause Inappropriate Elimination
Urinary Tract Infection
If your cat frequently enters her litter box and seems to produce only small amounts of urine, she may have a urinary tract infection. See a veterinarian to rule out this possible medical problem.
Feline Interstitial Cystitis
Feline interstitial cystitis is a neurological disease that affects a cats bladder . Cats with cystitis will attempt to urinate frequently and may look as if they are straining, but with little success. They may lick themselves where they urinate, and they may have blood in their urine. Feline interstitial cystitis can cause a cat to eliminate outside of her box, but this is only because of the increased urgency to urinate and because there is pain involved in urination. Feline interstitial cystitis is very serious and can be life-threatening to the cat. It must be treated immediately by a veterinarian.
Kidney Stones or Blockage
If your cat has kidney stones or a blockage, she may frequently enter her litter box. She may also experience pain and meow or cry when she tries to eliminate. Her abdomen may be tender to the touch.
Moist Food May Help Prevent Urinary Tract Inflammation
Changing the diet from dry food to canned/moist food may be the single most important intervention for FIC/FLUTD cats. Multiple studies have found that FIC cats with more dilute urine had fewer recurrences . The brand or recipe is less important than the fact that the food is moist.
Make any food changes gradually over a period of at least 7 days to avoid digestive upset. If your cat refuses to eat canned food, check out the great suggestions on converting dry food addicts to moist food by Lisa Pierson, DVM at catinfo.org. You can also check Dr. Piersons extensive list of moist cat foods that are appropriate for cats with urinary tract inflammation.
You should encourage your cat to drink water but they will still get more moisture by eating moist food. If you can feed moist food AND increase your cats water intake by using a water fountain, youll see more benefits in preventing urinary tract inflammation.
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Increase Your Cat’s Fluid Intake
If your cat takes in more fluids this will mean that their bladder is less irritated and will reduce the risk of Cystitis coming back. There are various ways to do this but by far the most effective, if your cat is currently on a dry diet, is to change over to a wet food. Any dietary change should always be done gradually as this can be a significant stress trigger for your cat. Changing from dry food to wet food represents a major change for your cat, so add the smallest amount of the wet to the dry pellets/biscuits at each meal while reducing the dry at the same time. Once your cat is happy with a mix, increase the amount of new food slightly. Keep doing this for as long as it takes to transfer entirely to wet food. A complete change from dry to wet food may take up to two weeks or more. Your cat may be reluctant to eat even the smallest amount of the new food to start with, but perseverance should pay off and the benefit to their bladder health will outweigh any initial resistance.
If your cat really wont take to the new food, your vet may recommend a dry diet with added ingredients specifically designed to manage Cystitis. You should also make sure your cat has access to plenty of fresh water as well as other liquids that are safe for your cat.
How To Prevent Uti/fic In Cats
Treating feline idiopathic cystitis depends on first making an accurate diagnosis . Once the diagnosis is firm, your vet may prescribe pain medications and antispasmodic drugs for short-term use.
Long-term management of your cats urinary tract inflammation will require some general care changes. The three most important changes are
Read on for details
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Changing The Way Your Cat Feels
If your cat associates her litter box with unpleasant things, you can work to help her develop new and pleasant associations. Cats cant be forced to enjoy something, and trying to show your cat that her litter box is safe by placing her in the box will likely backfire and increase her dislike of the box. Its usually not a good idea to try to train your cat to use her litter box by offering her treats like you would a dog, because many cats do not like attention while theyre eliminating. However, a professional animal behavior consultant, such as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist may be able to help you design a successful retraining or counterconditioning program. Please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, for information about locating an applied animal behavior professional.
Sometimes retraining to overcome litter-box fears or aversions may not be necessary. Here are some steps that you can try to help your cat learn new pleasant associations:
Treatment for Household Stress
Treatment for Multi-Cat Household Conflict
Medications
Always consult with your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist before giving your cat any type of medication for a behavior problem.
How Do Bladder Stones Form In Cats
Regardless of stone type, the formation process is very similar. If too many of these minerals come out of solution in the urine, they collect as a sandy silt at the bottom of the bladder. This causes irritation of the urinary bladder wall, which leads to mucus being secreted in response. The sandy/silty crystalline particles mix with mucus particles and over time enlarge into stones.
As an example, think of a glass of water that you then add some salt to. If you add just a small amount, the salt will dissolve in the water. But if you continue to add salt the mixture will become oversaturated, and youll see salt start to collect at the bottom of your glass. This is similar to what initially happens in a kittys bladder.
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What Is Urinary Blockage
Read this if you see blood in cat urine.
When the urethra is blocked, the urine cannot be drained and the kidneys stop producing more urine since the bladder is still full. When the kidneys stop working, the cats body can no longer get rid of toxins from the blood or balance fluids and electrolytes which can lead to kidney failure or death. Male cats are more susceptible to urethral obstruction due to the smaller size of the opening of their urethra compared to that of female cats. However, it also occurs with female cats as well as dogs.
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Will My Cats Uti Go Away On Its Own
Getting your kitty the treatment she needs can be a time-pressing matter when dealing with UTIs. As time progresses, the bacteria in your cats bladder continues to grow and reproduce, causing more and more distress. If left untreated, this infection can spread to your cats kidneys which can either result in organ damage or terminal illness. The longer a UTI goes undetected, the more it will cost to revert its damages.
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Treatment Of Bladder Inflammation In Cats
The treatment of feline cystitis involves relieving the cat’s discomfort and treating the underlying cause of the inflammation if there is one. Immediate treatment for cystitis often includes a course of pain medication to reduce the inflammation and keep the cat happy while any potential causes are treated. In addition, efforts should be made to reduce the cat’s stress at home.
If the inflammation is caused by an infection, the veterinarian will prescribe a course of antibiotics to treat a general infection. Persistent infections often require a culture and sensitivity test to determine the type of bacteria present and the antibiotic it is sensitive to.
Crystals may need to be handled surgically to prevent obstruction of the urethra, a fatal condition in cats. If the condition is minor at this time, the veterinarian may prescribe a diet designed specifically to dissolve these crystals. Stones must be removed surgically, and a prescription diet may be needed to prevent the reformation of these stones.
Worried about the cost of Bladder Inflammation treatment?
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How To Find Cats In Minecraft
To find cats in Minecraft, you need to use a cat follower. If you want to know where to find them, go to the Nether Portal and look for a portal that has a redstone torch inside it. Then, place a block of dirt next to the portal and put a cat follower on top of it. The cat follower will follow the player around until they leave the area.
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Care After A Blockage
After your cat has blocked once, there is a chance they will block again. To prevent this happening, you will need to follow your vets advice and make some changes to your cats lifestyle and diet. These changes may include:
- Feeding a special food
- Encouraging them to drink more
- Weight loss
- Medication to treat infection, pain, spasm or crystals.
Its very important to keep an eye on your cats toileting habits if they have suffered a blocked bladder in the past.
Your vet may ask you to collect a urine sample from your cat and bring it to check up appointments. Watch our video below on collecting a urine sample from your cat.
Signs Of A Blocked Cat And What You Need To Know
It is upsetting for a pet parent to see their fur baby in pain. When a cat is blocked or has an obstruction, the waste products accumulate in the system, which is not only toxic to the cat, it causes pain in the urethra and other unpleasant symptoms.
It is essential to understand the signs of urinary obstruction and what to do in the situation.
When your cat is blocked, you will see signs such as urinating only small amounts mixed with blood or making frequent but unsuccessful trips to the litterbox. Obstructions are painful for cats, and they can also be life-threatening.
When you see the first signs that your cat is blocked, you must get them to the vet as soon as possible. Read this article and learn the symptoms of a blocked cat and what you need to know.
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