Bladder infection in felines difficult to diagnose
Diagnosis of urinary tract infections is an extremely difficult task. The traditional signs of such an infection are straining to urinate, obvious pain when urinating, licking of genitals, frequent urination without output, urinating in unusual places and cloudy or bloody urine.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these symptoms are the No. 1 reason that cats visit vets. Most vets treat urinary problems as bacterial infections and dose cats with antibiotics. However it can be something other than an infection.
Bladder “issues” may result from gritty materials (stones, crystals) in the urine. If your cat is a male, please make sure you take him to the vet A.S.A.P. since males cannot pass crystals/stones through the urethra due to their anatomy and this condition then becomes extremely critical, not to mention extremely painful. This is not to say your female cat cannon get crystals, but she should be able to pass them. Stress can also cause bladder issues.
Some of the fixes for your cat’s bladder condition include diet. Poor quality food with a carbohydrate base is alkaline, causing your cats pH to rise resulting in crystals. Meat-based foods make the urinary tract naturally acidic and antibacterial. Please use high-quality food available at pet stores and can be recommended by your veterinarian.
If you are into homeopathic, here are some suggestions. But before using these on your own, please consult your veterinarian for what to use and dosage. You can try belladonna for pain and straining, mercurius vivus for licking and straining, nux vomica for irritable cats, pulsatilla for cats that become too quiet, cantharis for cats with inflamed genitals and Coccus cacti if the other remedies don’t work.
Studies also show glucosamine can help sooth the lining of the bladder and cranberry capsules or powdered vitamin C can lower the pH of the urine.
Again, pease discuss all these options with your vet.
Look for a new feature in The Buddy Beat called “Ask the Veterinarian” featuring Dr. Scott Petereit of Camp McDonald Animal Hospital, a prominent veterinarian in our area. If you have any questions please email them to us at buddyfoundation@att.net or send them to: The Buddy Foundation, 65. W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, attention “Ask the Vet.”
Please join The Buddy Foundation at 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, for pictures with the Easter Bunny from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday March 23. Bring your pets and children and join the fun. Raffles, egg hunt, bake sale, adoption eggstravangza and many more surprises. $7.50 donation per picture benefits Buddy’s animals.
Featured felines
Ÿ Bosco, who is black with a little white on his chest, and Rio, who is jet black with a white face, are brother and sister and are 6 months old. They were spotted by a friendly animal lover on top of a roof. He coaxed these kittens for a few weeks before he gained their trust and was able to bring them into The Buddy Foundation. Both are adjusting extremely well to humans and would make anyone a great addition to their family. Both have been spayed/neutered and fully vet checked.
Ÿ Contact The Buddy Foundation at (847) 290-5806; visit the shelter at 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights; or find them online at thebuddyfoundation.org.