urinary tract health - Maine Coon Cats

 

Urinary Tract Health

Maine Coons are usually very good water drinkers. Wet food helps hydrate the body… if your

kitty is not drinking enough water, increase the amount of canned food to supply more moisture

in your cat’s diet.


Water consumption is the key to this issue.


How Can I Tell if My Cat Has Lower Urinary Tract Problems?

The following signs may indicate that your cat is having trouble with his urinary tract:


Inability to urinate or only passing a small amount of urine

Bloody or cloudy urine

Loss of bladder control, dribbling urine

Increased frequency of urination or visits to the litter box

Straining and/or crying out in pain when trying to pass urine

Prolonged squatting in the litter box

Fear/avoidance of litter box and soiling in inappropriate places

Constant licking of the urinary opening

A strong odor of ammonia in urine

Lethargy

Vomiting

Increased water consumption

Hard, distended abdomen


What Should I Do If I Think My Cat Has Lower Urinary Tract Problems?

Please see your veterinarian for immediate medical attention, especially if your cat is straining

to urinate or crying out in pain. This could be a medical emergency!

How Are Lower Urinary Tract Problems Diagnosed?

To diagnose a lower urinary tract problem, your vet should conduct a complete physical exam, a

urinalysis and possibly urine culture, blood work, radiographs, or ultrasound.

How Are Lower Urinary Tract Problems Treated?

Because feline urinary problems are so varied and potentially serious in nature, your first step is

to get immediate veterinary care. Depending on your cat’s prognosis, one of the following may

be recommended:


Antibiotics or other medications

Dietary changes

Increase in water intake

Urinary acidifiers

Expelling of small stones through the urethra

Surgery to either remove bladder stones or tumors or to correct a congenital abnormality

Urinary catheter or surgery to remove the urethral blockage in male cats

Fluid therapy


What Can Happen If a Cats Lower Urinary Tract Problems Go Untreated?

Untreated urinary problems can cause partial or complete obstruction of the urethra, preventing

a cat from urinating. This is a medical emergency that can very quickly lead to kidney failure

and/or rupture of the bladder and can prove fatal if the obstruction is not relieved right away.

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