Written by Sam Taylor and Pieter Defauw
Sam Taylor and Pieter Defauw, from our medicine department, have recently co-authored the International Cat Care consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of lower urinary tract diseases, which aims to provide practitioners with up to date information on managing these difficult conditions.
Stones can form anywhere in a cat’s urinary tract and may need to be removed surgically. Source: Sam Taylor
Lower urinary tract diseases are very common in cats, and at Lumbry Park, we see the following cases regularly:
- bladder problems,
- cats with obstructed urethras (blocked cats),
- urinary stones and
- complex urinary tract infections.
Cats are unique in suffering commonly from stress-related cystitis (feline idiopathic cystitis), a painful condition where cats can pass urine with blood, strain in the litter tray and urinate outside the tray. This condition is not caused by bacteria, and needs to be managed not just with medication and diet, but also with changes to the environment to reduce stress and increase water intake.
Sam and Pieter have also created a guide for owners on managing cats with these diseases (in conjunction with behaviour experts), including crucial information on how changing the cat’s environment can reduce urinary problems. View the full guide to understanding urinary tract diseases and how to help cats at home.
