First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘cat urinary problems’

You may not know this, but if your cat is prone to feline urinary tract infection, he may have urinary crystals in cats.  Feline urinary crystals are a major cause of cat urinary problems.  Here are three natural ways you can prevent these crystals from forming in the first place.

Your Cat’s Diet Is Very Important

Most people who are owned by felines are very conscientious these days about feeding their cats a diet low in magnesium.In the 1970’s and 80’s, vets saw a lot more struvite stones in cats.  It was found that if a cat was fed a diet high in magnesium, he was more prone to developing mineral crystals in his bladder, which often led to a feline urinary tract infection.  Cat food manufacturers changed their formulas, and everyone thought the problem was solved.

But do you realize that if your cat is fed only dry food, he may be chronically dehydrated?  Since kidney failure is the leading cause of death in older cats, it makes sense to put these two things together.

Dry cat food has a very low moisture level, usually under 10%.  This is great if your only concern is to keep mold from growing on it, but if you’re worried about the amount of water your cat is taking in, it’s not so good. 

Cats normally don’t seem to drink a lot of water.  This is because a cat in the wild gets most of his water from the prey he eats.  Did you know a mouse is 98% water?  Canned cat food has a moisture level of around 75%.To bring the moisture level up to that of a cat’s natural diet, add a little water to it.

Of course, your cat should always have plenty of clean, fresh water to drink at all times.

Stress Causes Feline Urinary Crystals

Your kitty is a creature of habit.  They really don’t like change at all.Stress levels in your cat will go up if you move, or add a new baby or new pet to your household, or even take him to the vet.

A stressed cat can develop many different types of health problems, including urinary crystals in cats.Your stressed cat needs extra love, reassurance, and attention from you.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Prevent Cat Urinary Problems

Many cat owners use herbs and homeopathic remedies to treat their own ailments, so it’s only natural that there would be rising interest in natural remedies for pets. 

The herbal remedies uva ursi and barberry have a long history of use for treating human bladder problems.  Homeopathic remedies used for urinary tract infections in people include Cantharis and Staphysagria.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could give these safe, effective remedies to your kitty to support bladder health and prevent inflammation from urinary crystals in cats?  Well, now you can. 

There’s a remedy available now that combines all four of these traditional remedies for urinary problems.  This product has been specially formulated for pets, which is a very important safety consideration.  It’s made by a long-established company that has a sterling reputation for producing only the highest quality natural remedies for pets. 

So there you have it; three natural ways to prevent feline urinary crystals and support your cat’s bladder health.

cat urinary tract infections

Do you have unanswered questions about the cat urinary infection treatment your vet provides?Many cat owners don’t understand the treatment for cat urinary tract infecitons, and they still have questions that haven’t been answered.If you’re confused, read this article to find answers to your questions.

Are Feline Bladder Infections Contagious?

The short answer is no.  Your cat can’t pass cat urinary tract infections to you or to another kitty, so don’t worry about that.

What’s The Difference Between Feline Bladder Infections And Cat Urinary Tract Infections?

People get really confused about this, and for good reason, since the terms are used interchangeably.  However, to answer the question, a cat bladder infection really only affects his bladder.  A feline urinary tract infection (also called a UTI) can affect any part of your cat’s urinary tract.  This includes his kidneys, his ureters (the tubes that carry urine from his kidney to his bladder), his bladder, and his urethra (the tube that carries urine out of his body).  

Usually, when someone is talking about a UTI, they really mean a feline bladder infection.

What’s The Difference Between A Urinalysis And A Urine Culture?

Your vet may want to perform both of these tests.  Many cat owners don’t understand exactly what they are, and what they’re for.

Usually a urinalysis is done first.  Your vet looks at the sample to see if the urine is cloudy or bloody.  Cloudy urine is due to the presence of white blood cells, which indicate an infection.One obvious problem is if the urine is bloody.  Your vet may see that crystals are present, which indicate cat bladder stones.  The urine is also checked for protein.  

Based on the results from the urinalysis, your vet may want to do a urine culture.

A urine culture involves separating out the bacteria found in the urine sample from your cat.  These bacteria are then grown in the lab.  This test gives your vet some important information, namely, how many bacteria are present, what kind of bacteria it is, and which antibiotic will kill it.  

It takes at least a couple of days to do this test, as the bacteria need time to grow.

Do I Really Need To Give My Cat All Of Those Antibiotic Pills?

The good thing about antibiotics is that the cat urinary problems go away quickly.  The infection is still present, though.  Many cat owners make the mistake of not giving their cats the antibiotics for the entire ten or fourteen days.If you don’t give your cat all the antibiotics, he may be at risk for the infection to return.  

A more serious problem is that of antibiotic resistance.  More and more disease-causing bacteria are becoming resistant to common antibiotics.  One of the reasons is that people are not finishing up all the antibiotics, which encourages the bacteria which aren’t killed right away to keep growing.No matter how much your cat resists you, it’s essential for you to finish giving him the antibiotic treatment.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Help

You may be interested in learning more about herbal pet remedies.  These remedies are safe and effective, and can be given every day to prevent cat urinary problems.You should buy them only from a reputable company that’s known for manufacturing the best quality products for pets.

Now that you’re armed with this information, you can understand cat urinary infection treatment better.

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t thought too much about urinary crystals in cats.  But if you have a cat who’s prone to cat urinary problems, you need to know more about cat bladder crystals.

Why Are Feline Urinary Crystals Important?

Even though these crystals are hard to see without a microscope, they have sharp edges which rub against the bladder walls, causing your cat’s bladder to become inflamed and irritated.The inflammation is what causes symptoms of a feline bladder infection.

Because a male cat has a long narrow urethra, it can easily become plugged if large numbers of feline urinary crystals are present.  This is a veterinary emergency, as a cat that can’t pass urine will fall victim to a fatal case of uremic poisoning within a couple of days.  Since it’s hard for an owner to tell if the cat is blocked or not, it’s important to have your cat examined by the vet if he has a feline urinary tract infection.

Out of the many different types of urinary crystals, struvite and calcium oxalate are the types that are most common.

Struvite Crystals In Cats

Struvite crystals, which contain magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, used to be very common in cats.  This problem was thought to be a result of a diet with high levels of magnesium.  Cat food manufacturers responded by producing diets lower in magnesium.  Cats eating this food also produce more acidic urine. This helps to prevent the formation of struvite crystals, which are still the most common type of crystal that causes feline urinary blockage.

Although this dietary change helped to lower the incidence of struvite crystals in cats, now vets are seeing calcium oxalate crystals more often.   

Why Do Some Cats Get Calcium Oxalate Crystals Instead?

Certain breeds of cats seem to have a genetic predisposition to developing calcium oxalate crystals if they’re fed a diet low in magnesium.  This problem is often seen in Himalayans.The ironic part is that by feeding these cats a diet that prevents struvite stones, you instead support the formation of calcium oxalate stones.  

This is why a urinalysis is essential, so that the crystal type can be properly identified.  You don’t want to feed your cat a diet that will encourage his body to form feline urinary crystals.

Can Urinary Crystals In Cats Be Prevented?

Cat owners can do several things to prevent their felines from developing cat urinary problems.  The first is to feed your cat a high-quality canned food.  People don’t realize that cats are meant to get most of their water from their food, which is why cats don’t seem to drink much water.  

Canned food has a moisture level that’s much closer to what your cat would eat in the wild.  You can also add a little water to the canned food to increase the moisture even more.It’s essential that your cat always have access to plenty of clean, fresh water.

You may want to give your cat one of the many natural remedies for pets that are available now.These remedies lower his risk of developing a feline bladder infection by supporting bladder health.In order to find a remedy that’s safe enough to give your kitty every day, you’ll want to find one that been specially formulated for pets.

Make no mistake about it, if your cat has already had a feline urinary tract infection, you can’t afford to be ignorant about urinary crystals in cats.  Take steps now to protect your cat’s health.

cat bladder infection symptoms

Has your cat ever been blindsided by a feline bladder infection?  Don’t let this happen to your kitty.If you need to know more about cat bladder infection, you’ll find answers to your questions in this article.

Your Cat’s Urinary Tract

Most people know that the urinary tract is comprised of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.  The kidneys are constantly filtering waste products out of your cat’s blood.  These waste products are carried out of the kidneys into the bladder by the ureters, tubes that run between your cat’s kidneys and his bladder.

The bladder is a muscular little bag that holds the urine until it leaves the body.  The urine passes out of the body through the urethra.

This system usually works with no problems, but sometimes trouble arises in the form of a bladder infection.

Cat Bladder Infection Symptoms

Your cat’s bladder is a sterile environment that, under normal conditions, doesn’t have any bacteria in it.  However, if bacteria find a way in, they can cause a bladder infection in your cat.

• Symptoms of a feline bladder infection include:
• Urinating outside the litter box
• Straining to urinate or having trouble passing urine
• Crying out in pain when trying to urinate
• Bloody urine
• Drinking a lot of water

Inflammation in the bladder is what causes these symptoms, not the infection itself.  It’s possible for a cat to have a bladder infection without showing inflammation, especially if your cat is being treated with an anti-inflammatory medication like cortisone.

Be aware that if your cat can’t urinate at all, this is a blockage, which is a veterinary emergency.  Get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.

How Your Vet Treats Cat Bladder Infection

Your vet will probably prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection.  Tests ordered may include a urinalysis to check for white blood cells and crystals in the urine, and a urine culture to identify which bacteria is causing the problem.  The results of the urine culture can help determine which is the best antibiotic to use.

Tips For Preventing Cat Urinary Problems

There are several ways to prevent your cat from getting a bladder infection in the first place. 

First, try to feed your cat canned food.  A cat that eats only dry food is more prone to a bladder infection.  Cats are meant to get most of their water from their food, and moisture levels are much too low in dry cat food.

Second, your cat must have access to lots of pure, clean water at all times.With all the concerns about drinking water, you’ll want to give your cat filtered water to drink.

Cat Bladder Infection Can Be Prevented With Natural Remedies For Pets

People have been using herbal and homeopathic remedies for bladder problems for centuries.The question many cat owners are asking is, “Will these remedies work on cats too?”. 

The answer is yes.Do your homework and find a remedy that’s formulated for pets, not humans.  The remedy should include the herbs uva ursi and barberry, along with the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagris.  These ingredients have a proven track record for treating bladder problems.

You’ll also want to find a remedy that’s safe enough to give your cat every day to prevent cat urinary problems.  It needs to be easy to administer, too.If you have to fight your cat every day to get a pill into him, you won’t use the remedy for long.  Be sure you purchase your remedies only from a company with a good reputation that stands behind its products.

Now it’s time for you to put these tips into action so your cat won’t suffer from feline bladder infection.

If you’ve ever had any experience with a cat bladder stone, you want to know why this happened to your cat and how to prevent it from happening in the future.  By the time you’ve finished reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of bladder stones in cats.

How Do Bladder Stones In Cats Form?

Researchers have several theories on this.Many agree that stones form because of high mineral levels in your cat’s urine.  This can be due to a bladder infection or from his diet.  When the mineral levels get too high, crystals form.  These crystals grow and form stones in your cat’s bladder.  These stones can be very small, about the size of a grain of sand, or they can grow to the size of a small pebble.

It can be impossible for your cat to pass urine if a stone should block one of his ureters (the tube that goes between his kidney and his bladder) or his urethra. 

Tips For Preventing Bladder Stones In Cats

The most important thing you can do is to start feeding your cat a high quality canned food.  Cats who eat dry food exclusively are more prone to developing bladder stones because they are usually chronically dehydrated.  Cats are made to get most of their water from their prey.  A mouse is over 90% water, so a cat in its natural environment doesn’t need to drink as much water.

Most canned foods have a moisture level of about 78%.  You can see that feeding your cat canned food will help prevent him from becoming dehydrated.If your cat is always dehydrated, his urine is more concentrated, which can lead to bladder stones forming.

You need to provide plenty of fresh, clean water for your kitty.  It’s best to give him filtered water to be sure it’s pure.  A cat that drinks plenty of water will have dilute urine, which is helpful in preventing bladder stones.

Some cat owners give their cats a supplement containing cranberry.An herbal remedy that prevents the formation of bladder stones, cranberry works by making your cat’s urine more acidic.  It also helps to prevent cat bladder infections, too.

Herbal Pet Remedies Can Help Prevent Cat Urinary Problems

People have been using herbal remedies like uva ursi and barberry to treat and prevent urinary problems for centuries.Interest in homeopathic remedies is on the rise too. 

Pet owners are also asking if herbal pet remedies will work on cats.  The answer is yes.  The advantages of these remedies is that not only are they safe and effective, but they’re inexpensive, and don’t have any side effects.

However, it’s extremely important to buy products that are formulated especially for animals.  You’ll want to purchase herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that stand behind their products.

Natural remedies for cat urinary problems can help treat and prevent the problem of cat bladder stones.  This is an easy way to keep your kitty healthy.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help treat cat bladder stones, and find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com

Has this ever happened to you?  You find your cat in his litter box, straining to urinate, crying out in pain.  He can’t seem to pass any urine.Your vet tells you that your cat’s urinary problems are caused by cat bladder stones. 

Bladder Stones In Cats

A bladder stone, or urolith, is made up from minerals present in your cat’s urine.  These minerals sometimes form crystals that stick together to form a stone in your cat’s bladder.The stones can range in size from a grain of sand to a piece of pea gravel. 

Your feline friend may have only one stone, or he could have several dozen. 

Why do the minerals form crystals?  There are several theories.  Your cat’s urine may be high in minerals due to his diet, or it may be because he has an infection in his bladder.

Bladder stones usually take several months to form, but they can grow in just a couple of weeks.

Symptoms Of Cat Urinary Problems

If your cat suddenly starts urinating in places other than his litter box, this can indicate that he’s having a urinary problem.You may observe a change in your cat’s grooming habits when he’s licking his bottom more than usual. 

Blood in the urine is another symptom to watch for.  It can sometimes be hard to see this in cats as they usually go in the litter box.  But if he’s urinating outside his box, you may see it.

If your cat is straining to urinate, or can’t pass any urine, this indicates a blockage.  A urinary blockage is a veterinary emergency, and you need to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.

Treatment For Cat Bladder Stones

Tests that are needed to verify that the problem is bladder stones include x-rays or an ultrasound.  Once they are diagnosed, you vet will probably outline two treatment options.

Removing the bladder stones by surgery may be a suggested treatment.If the problem is severe, surgery is the fastest way to eliminate a blockage. 

The second is to try to dissolve the stones with a special diet.For many cats, this is a good option.  However, it may not work well for all felines.  The major reason is that it’s a slower treatment.  It can take several weeks or months for the stones to dissolve.  During this time your cat will still be passing bloody urine, and may still be straining to urinate.

Diet therapy doesn’t work with all stones.  It’s helpful if the cat passes a stone so that you vet can analyze it to see what it’s made of.  Some types of stones can’t be dissolved.

Some cats won’t eat the special diet food.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t work unless it’s the only thing your cat is eating.

Are Herbal Pet Remedies The Answer To Cat Bladder Stones?

Many cat owners are turning to herbal pet remedies to help solve cat urinary problems.  These herbal and homeopathic remedies have been used by people across the world for centuries.Instead of just treating the symptoms, natural remedies help to correct the underlying problem. 

It’s very important to buy these herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that specialize in producing them.  Do your homework and be sure that the company stands behind its products.  You want to be sure that you find remedies especially formulated for pets.

These natural remedies are inexpensive and readily available.Side effects aren’t a concern when these time-honored remedies are used. 

Now that you have this information, you can take action to prevent cat urinary problems.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help treat cat bladder stones, and find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com

Are you sick and tired of dealing with feline bladder infections?Join the crowd.  Cat urinary problems are probably the most common reason for a vet visit.This article is an overview of how your vet will treat a cat bladder infection, plus tips for helping your cat at home.

Cat Bladder Infection Treatments

Your vet may want to do a urinalysis to check your cat’s urine for the presence of bacteria, blood, white blood cells, or crystals.  White blood cells indicate an infection, while crystals can show that bladder stones are forming.  If your vet suspects bladder stones, x-rays or an ultrasound may be the next step.

Most bladder infections are treated with antibiotics.  If your cat suffers from frequent feline bladder infections, your vet will want to do a urine culture to try to identify the bacteria involved.  This will help to determine the best antibiotic to use.

If your cat has a bladder infection, it’s very important to treat it.  If you don’t, it can progress to a feline kidney infection, cat bladder stones, or other cat urinary problems.

Home Treatments for Bladder Infections In Cats

Diet is very important for cats with urinary problems.Most cat owners are shocked to learn that if their cats eat only dry food, they’re probably chronically dehydrated.A consequence of a dehydrated cat is extremely concentrated urine, which has been linked to both cat bladder infections and cat bladder stones.

Some cats don’t drink enough water either.  This is because cats in the wild get most of their water from their prey, so they don’t have to drink a lot of water.  However this leads to big problems when cats are fed only dry food.

How can you change this?  The best answer is to feed your cat a good-quality canned food.Your cat gets almost the same amount of moisture from canned food as he would from eating his natural diet in the wild.  

Be sure that your cat always has access to clean, fresh water.  You wouldn’t want to drink water that’s old and has stuff floating in it, and your cat won’t either.

Cranberry juice is an old remedy for preventing bladder infections in people.  However, most cats won’t drink it.  You can find cranberry capsules at the drugstore.  If you’re good at giving your cat pills, this can be an effective way to prevent and treat bladder infections in cats.  But if you’re like most cat owners, poking a pill down your cat’s throat is not high on your list of fun things to do.

Can You Treat Cat Urinary Problems with Natural Remedies For Pets

Over the centuries, people have learned by trial and error which plants can help heal different health conditions.  Uva ursi and barberry are two herbal remedies for human urinary tract problems that have stood the test of time. 

Homeopathic remedies for bladder problems in people are very effective, with no fear of side effects.  Cantharis and Staphysagris are proven natural remedies to support bladder health.

The question is, how to use these natural remedies on your cat.  It’s very important to find a product that’s specially formulated for pets, not people, so it’s safe for your kitty.  And of course, it has to be easy to give to your feline friend, or you won’t use it for long.

Take charge of your cat’s health by finding a product that’s effective and easy to use, and so safe that you can give it to your cat every day. This is the easiest way to prevent feline bladder infections.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Here you can discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help prevent and treat feline bladder infections.  Find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com

Let’s face it.  Until your cat is one of the lucky ones who comes down with a cat bladder infection, you probably don’t even think about feline bladder infections.  But they can be prevented, with a little care on your part.  Here’s how.

Does Your Cat Drink Enough Water?

It comes as a shock to many cat owners to find out that their cats are chronically dehydrated.  Cats don’t always drink a lot of water.  This is because your cat’s ancestors lived in the desert, where there’s not much water around.Cats are supposed to get most of their water from their prey. 

Did you know that a mouse is more than 90% water?  A cat in the wild who is living on the animals he catches and eats gets most of his water from what he eats.  This isn’t true of our domestic house cats.  Dry commercial cat food contains about eight percent water.  So if your cat’s diet consists exclusively of dry food, he could be heading for trouble in the form of cat urinary problems.

Your cat’s urine will become too concentrated if he’s dehydrated.  This puts him at a much higher risk of developing cat bladder stones and cat bladder infections.

The best thing you can do is to feed your cat a good quality canned food.  Most canned cat food has a moisture content around 75 percent.  The problem is that many cats are addicted to dry food, so it can be very difficult to get them to eat canned food.  But with patience and persistence, it can be done.

Your kitty needs lots of clean fresh drinking water.To be safe, give him filtered drinking water that’s free from contaminants.  Change your cat’s water several times a day so it’s appealing to him.  You wouldn’t drink bad-tasting water with stuff floating in it, and your cat won’t either.

You Can Avoid Cat Bladder Infection With Natural Remedies For Pets

Humans have been using herbs to treat and prevent bladder infections for centuries.These herbal treatments are still being used every day in many places in the world. 

Homeopathic remedies have also been proven to be safe and effective in treating bladder infections in people, with no side effects.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were herbal and homeopathic remedies for cats that would prevent cat urinary problems?This product should be formulated especially for pets, not for humans.  It would have to be safe enough to give your cat every day, along with being effective for preventing feline bladder infections.  Most importantly, it needs to be in a form that’s easy to administer.  Trying to give a cat a pill is not fun, either for you or your cat.

You’ll want to purchase this remedy only from a reputable manufacturer who has years of experience in formulating natural remedies for pets.  Do your homework to be sure that the company stands behind the safety and effectiveness of its products.

Do your kitty a favor.  Prevent the pain and stress of feline bladder infections by using a safe and effective natural remedy for cats.

Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health.  Here you can discover how herbal and homeopathic remedies can help prevent and treat feline bladder infections.  Find the best place to buy these remedies at http://naturalpeturinaryhealth.com