Mary Allen
Cystitis in cats is fairly easy to spot once you know what to look for. You should know these symptoms.
Bladder infections are relatively common in cats. They cause pain when urinating and affect the well-being of the house cat. Animals of both sexes are affected.
Symptoms of cystitis
Problems with the bladder cause similar symptoms in cats as in humans or dogs: the kitty feels a strong urge to urinate and urinates more. At least that’s what she’s trying to do. In short: She runs to the litter box particularly often.
If the bladder infection is more severe, urinating will cause you pain. She meows miserably and sometimes the urine is streaked with blood.
Other signs that something is wrong with your four-legged friend’s bladder:
- The urine comes out in small drops or in small amounts.
- The cat strains to urinate.
- Your darling always has a mishap outside the toilet.
- The cat licks its genitals more often.
Should a mishap happen, we have the right tips for you here: Remove cat urine – the best tips.
Causes of cystitis
While bacteria usually cause cystitis in us humans, it’s a little different in cats. Although there are cases of bacterial bladder infections in house tigers, these are relatively rare. Only about five percent of all bladder infections can be traced back directly to bacteria.
In most cases, blister crystals, grit, or stones cause the inflammation. These promote the development of infections. In the worst case, they block the urethra.
There are different types of bladder stones depending on their composition. For example, the struvite stone consists of magnesium phosphate and the oxalate stone consists of calcium oxalate.
Since cats generally tend to drink too little, the risk of stone formation is particularly high with them. (You can find out here whether your cat is drinking enough. ) Especially when eating dry food, kitties must always drink enough liquid.
This favors the development of urinary stones and bladder infections:
- The cat drinks too little.
- There is too much magnesium in cat food.
- The cat suffers from a lack of exercise and obesity.
- The cat is stressed.
Rarely, these are the reasons for a bladder infection in cats:
- bladder tumors
- Congenital malformations of the bladder
- polyps
Complications from cystitis
As cystitis progresses, the kitties clearly show that they feel sick. An acute emergency is blockage of the urethra. The cat can then no longer urinate and the bladder continues to fill with urine. In the worst case, the bladder bursts or the kidney is damaged.
Affected cats stop eating and drinking and appear lethargic. If left untreated, death is imminent. Males are more likely to suffer from a blocked urethra than females, but it is important to act quickly for both sexes.
Treatment at the vet
In contrast to incurable cat diseases, cystitis in kitties can be treated well. The vet will first examine the urine to find out the cause. A special plastic bedding makes it easier to collect urine.
If there are no urine stones, crystals, or grit involved, the vet will usually give the cat an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. Medications such as spasmoglucinol or dridase soothe the irritated bladder wall.
In some cases, an infusion is necessary. In the event of a bacterial infection, the kitty will be given an antibiotic. Depending on the diagnosis, the vet will also recommend a stress-reducing drug or special dietary supplements and diet food.
Dissolution of urinary stones
If urinary stones are involved in the development of cystitis, the veterinarian will often prescribe a special diet that dissolves the struvite crystals. These feeds lower the pH value in the urine and thus also prevent the formation of new stones and crystals.
However, some crystal and stone types cannot be remedied by changing the feed alone. Medical treatment in the veterinary practice or an operation can help here.
It is essential that you go to the vet in good time if you notice any unusual behavior in your darling. So he can be helped quickly.