Urolithiasis in cats

The content of the article

• The causes of the disease
• The main signs and symptoms
• Diagnostics
• How to treat urolithiasis in cats
• Diet therapy
• Drug treatment
• Catheterization
• Surgical intervention
• Disease prevention

The formation of sand, followed by stones (uroliths) in a pet in the bladder and kidneys is a common cause of pet death. In veterinary practice, the following notations are used: ICD, urolithiasis. With an early diagnosis of urolithiasis in cats, treatment at home will be effective. In advanced cases, hospitalization and surgery will be required..

The causes of the disease

Cats are more susceptible to urolithiasis than cats. In castrated urolithiasis is common, as well as in their non-sterile counterparts. Castration does not apply to the causes of the disease, but if it was done when the kitten was less than six months old, the animal urethra will remain underdeveloped. Urolithiasis will be difficult, deposits will quickly clog a narrow lumen of the urinary canal. Tops the list of causes of urolithiasis in cats with improper metabolism.

Factors contributing to the onset of the disease:

• excess fish;
• fatty food;
• cheap feed;
• mixing in one feeding ordinary food and feed;
• lack of fluid, poor water;
• obesity, low activity;
• congenital disorders of the genitourinary system, heredity;
• infections, staphylococci, streptococci.

The main signs and symptoms

It is difficult to notice the disease at an early stage. Many owners start to sound the alarm, already observing the obvious signs of urolithiasis in the cat, when the situation is close to critical. Without timely assistance, the animal may die, so it is important to take measures without waiting for an exacerbation. Pet owners need to respond to possible symptoms of urolithiasis in cats:

• the cat is “sad”, moves less;
• the animal lost appetite;
• the cat behaves uneasily during urination, approaches the tray several times, urinates not at the first attempt, intensively licks the genitals.

In the future, more serious signs appear:

• Urination becomes more frequent, the cat sits in the tray for a long time.
• There is soreness, the cat screams during urination.
• Urine turns pink, blood clots remain in the tray.

At this stage, the cat’s life is already in danger. Salt deposits move along the urinary tract, the stones get stuck in the urethra, the ducts become clogged, the fluid accumulates in the bladder, which leads to intoxication. If urine does not exit the body for more than a day, it is deadly. The cat’s bladder is distended during the illness, the abdomen is greatly enlarged.

Diagnostics

The symptoms of the disease are so obvious that the veterinarian will make the diagnosis the first time he visits him. To select a method of treating a cat and prescribing drugs, the most important condition is to draw up a complete clinical picture. The chemical composition of stones varies. Stand out:

• struvites (magnesium, phosphate or ammonium in their composition), soluble stones;
• calcium oxalates (insoluble, extracted surgically);
• cystines;
• ammonium urate.

In cats, struvites predominate, but oxalates are also found, as well as a mixed type of disease. It is necessary to determine the type of deposits in order to prescribe the appropriate medicine. A detailed study of the disease includes:

• analysis of urine and blood;
• X-ray (to determine the size, shape, localization of stones);
• Ultrasound (bladder, kidney);
• chemical analysis of stones.

How to treat urolithiasis in cats

It is possible to cure the cat at home, but under the supervision of a veterinarian. You can not give a diuretic in the absence of urination, this will aggravate the disease. To relieve spasm, it is permissible to give “No-shp”. If there is blood in the urine, homeopathic injections “Traumatine” are recommended, they relieve pain, heal wounds. This first aid is exhausted. How to cure the cat, the specialist will decide, starting from the course of the disease.

Diet therapy

Cat nutrition for urolithiasis is of paramount importance. Not all animals agree to eat dry food, prefer natural foods. In this case, the diet will help. It is important for the owners to adhere to the rules of feeding the animal:

1. Follow the regimen, feed the cat up to 3 times a day, removing food leftovers. In between feedings, the animal does not have access to feed. Exceeding the recommended dose of food increases the content of minerals in the urine.
2. With struvite stones, it is important to enrich the cat’s menu with food that acidifies urine. Dairy products, eggs (yolk) are excluded, the food is mainly meat. If the cat agrees to drink acidified water, drip the juice of lemon, cranberry, red currant.
3. When the cat has oxalates, they give fish, eggs and boiled meat in limited quantities. If the animal likes sour vegetables, fruits – remove them from the diet. Calcium-rich liver and foods.
4. Water should be clean and fresh, a sick animal needs a lot of fluid. If the cat drinks a little – soak the food.

How to feed a cat with urolithiasis

The diet for urolithiasis in cats always includes therapeutic feed. Many veterinarians insist on using only factory-made feed, dry or wet, during the illness, with no natural products. If the owners decide to combine food with regular food, you can not do this in one meal. Special medical nutrition is selected depending on the composition of the deposits:

1. With struvite uroliths, the Hills Prescription Diet Feline S / D, Eukanuba Struvite Urinary Formula will help. These foods contribute to the dissolution of stones, their removal from the body.
2. When oxalates are prescribed Hills Prescription Diet Feline X / D, Eukanuba Oxalate Urinary Formula.
3. If the disease is of mixed type, Royal Canin Urinary S / O Feline is recommended..

Drug treatment

If the pet’s condition is not serious, conservative treatment will help, without surgical intervention. With the help of a diet, the acidity of urine changes, struvite, cystine and urate stones dissolve. But proper cat nutrition does not solve all problems, drug support is necessary. With urolithiasis, the following drugs are prescribed:

1. Antibiotics. If the disease is complicated by an infection, the veterinarian prescribes Lincomycin or antimicrobials from the group of cephalosporins (Kefzol, Ceparin, etc.). Give 5-7 days, 0.2 g twice a day.
2. Uroseptics are antibacterial drugs that act on the genitourinary system. Cats are prescribed 5-NOC, Palin, and Furagin. Take 7 days, in the fourth part of the tablet, 2-3 times.
3. Means for rehydration (for dehydration) – “Rehydron”. Pour into the cat’s mouth in small portions, with severe dehydration every half hour.
4. Homeopathic remedies. These include Kantaren for injection. Relieves spasm, acts as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic. With urolithiasis, inject subcutaneously or intramuscularly, 1-2 ml up to three times a day. The course is 7-10 days.

Catheterization

When the cat can not urinate for a long time, they do catheterization. A tube is inserted into the urinary canal to drain fluid. Sometimes the catheter is hemmed for 2-3 days. This is required if the stones (stones) are large or the urethra is very swollen. After catheterization, it is necessary to remove intoxication, while the urine did not pass away, the cat’s body received poisoning, from which the kidneys could suffer. A pet is given a dropper.

Surgical intervention

A cat operation is required if:

• the stones are very large and do not come out after washing;
• oxalate calculi, insoluble;
• cat urethra clogged.

There are two types of surgical treatment for cat disease:

1. Urethrostomy. A hole is made in the urethra through which the stones are removed. Until the cat’s condition becomes stable, the hole is not allowed to overgrow.
2. Cystotomy. A more radical method of intervention is used in severe cases of the course of the disease. The cat is opened with a bladder and the uroliths are removed. You have to go for such an operation when the stones are very large, and otherwise they cannot be removed.

Disease prevention

Some animals tolerate urolithiasis once, but in most it recurs. Cats, both recovered and never suffering from urolithiasis, need prophylaxis. It aims to control the acidity of the urine of a pet and includes the following items:

• From the age of one, take a urinalysis every six months.
• The daily ration of the animal is divided into equal portions and given, observing the dosage.
• Cat nutrition should be balanced.
• The bowl should have water: fresh, not hard, from the filter. Check if it is decreasing properly.
• Monitor urination of the cat, if it is rare, urine will be concentrated, as well as substances dissolved in it. Norm – twice a day.
• The cat needs to move more so that the metabolism does not slow down.
• Use food for the prevention of urolithiasis, for neutered cats (if the animal is operated on).

Details on how the owner can prevent a dangerous disease in his pet are described in the video. If you recognize the first “bells” of the ICD, this increases the chances of helping the pet without surgical intervention and complications. Risk group – cats and cats that are more likely to get an unpleasant diagnosis.