The term “feline lower urinary tract disease” refers to a variety of illnesses that affect a cat’s bladder and urethra. Symptoms of FLUTD in cats include difficulty and pain when peeing, increased urination frequency, and blood in the urine. Cats with FLUTD may urinate on cool, smooth surfaces such as a tile floor or a bathtub, rather than in the litter box. While FLUTD can affect cats of any age, it is most common in middle-aged, overweight cats who receive little activity, use an indoor litter box, have limited or no access to the outdoors, and consume a dry diet.
Psychological or environmental stress, multi-cat households, and sudden shifts in daily routine can all raise a cat’s risk of developing FLUTD. Cats with such vaginal obstructions (a blockage in the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) will exhibit these symptoms as well, but will pass little or no pee and become progressively disturbed. Because male cats have a longer, narrower urethra than female cats, urethral blockage is more common in male cats.
A urethral blockage is a medical issue that must be treated right away by a veterinarian. (For more information, see the section on Urethral Obstruction.)
FLUTD symptoms can be caused by bacteria, fungus, parasites, or even viruses infecting your cat’s urinary tract. Despite the fact that bacterial infections are more common than fungal, parasitic, or viral infections in cats, they are still uncommon. If an infection is discovered, your veterinarian will most likely examine your cat for another condition or problem that could have put him at risk of infection. Uroliths and diabetes, for example, can raise the risk of a bacterial infection.
When a cat’s urethra gets partially or completely clogged, the most serious difficulty with urine function arises. These cats have a hard time urinating and make very little urine. The cat may appear constipated and straining to pass stool, although straining in the litterbox is more commonly a sign of urethral obstruction. Urethral blockage, which can be caused by urethral stones or urethral plugs, is a potentially fatal disorder.
The impediment must be removed, which is normally performed by flushing a sterile solution through a thin tube inserted into the urethra. Following the removal of the impediment, the cat’s condition determines the next course of action. Intravenous fluid treatment is used to treat dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities. Antibiotics, as well as medications that help restore bladder function, may be used to prevent or cure infection.
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