As cat parents, it becomes your preliminary priority to take notice of your cat’s behavioural traits and take care of the common habits like eating, passing waste, sleeping, being friendly or otherwise that happen to be your prime concern. If you notice any unusuality in any of these habits, you should immediately take hints and rush to the veterinarian to ensure your cat is in his best, health-wise.
Sometimes, it so happens that your suspicions come to life and your cat might get diagnosed with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. In such cases, you need to first understand that you cannot panic and lose hope; rather you need to seek ways to provide all possible forms of relief to your beloved pet. There are various alternatives to a urinary diet in the market for cats with urinary tract infections. These options have been proven to be exceedingly functional to help your pet heal from the situation, in the fastest possible way.
But, it is a must to take your cat to the nearest vet immediately after you realise your cat is in pain caused by a urinary urinary-related ailment. The doctor would be able to treat the disease more aptly if the signs are not ignored a steady treatment can be initiated right away.
What does Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) in cats mean?
This typically translates to a disease that casts its impacts upon the bladder and the urethra of cats and does not generally involve the kidneys. The condition, which is widely called cystitis, is one where the cat’s bladder undergoes inflammation.
Which is identified as the urethra in cats?
The duct that carries urine from the bladder and lets it get excreted outside the body is what is known to be the urethra in cats.
What are some of the most possible causes of FLUTD?
There is a range of causes that are believed to be responsible for FLUTD:
- When there develops urinary stones or crystals in the urine and annoy the inner walls of the bladder.
- When physical obstructions develop in male cats’ urethra in the form of urethral plugs.
- There may occur sudden, involuntary muscle contraction in the inner walls of the urethra.
- When problems like stress along with behavioural inconsistencies occur.
- Bacterial infection can lead to one of the root causes of the disease.
Can the root cause of FLUTD differ, even if the symptoms exhibited by cats are of similar manner?
Yes, even if the signs shown by the cats are similar in nature, their root cause can vary.
What are some of the most widely occurring symptoms of the disease?
Cats who are diagnosed with FLUTD show one or more of the following symptoms:
- Excreting lesser amounts of urine, which can lead to pain and difficulty in cats.
- There may occur the presence of blood in urine.
- Urinary straining can also be another symptom.
- Presence of urinary stones or crystals that need to be tested and diagnosed.
What does the term idiopathic FLUTD mean?
There are instances where any particular cause cannot be traced for the occurrence of the FLUTD disease. This condition is called idiopathic FLUTD.
What are the factors that need to be ensured to provide relief to your cat from the disease?
Several factors need to be kept in mind to provide relief and help your cat cope with the disease better:
- It is necessary for your cat to adapt to a changed diet as this proves to be very important in the journey of managing FLUTD. Special urinary diets that have been designed for such cats need to be maintained almost throughout the rest of the cats’ lifespan as this special diet will aid profoundly in preventing the disease from getting worse.
- These diets are known to dissolve the urinary crystals that develop in the urine, providing steady relief.
- A substantial increase in the amount of water intake needs to be ensured in your cat’s diet that would dilute the urine.
- Incorporating a specially prescribed wet diet for cats with FLUTD can prove beneficial.
Why dry diets for cats with FLUTD are to be avoided?
A dry diet does not contribute to the increased amount of water intake that is a must for cats with urinary inflammatory disease as it does not help dilute the urine and let it pass hassle-free. Hence, a wet diet instead of dry kibbles proves to be helpful in cats with FLUTD.
What are some of the notable gains that can be obtained by administering a prescribed urinary diet for cats with FLUTD?
Urinary diet can prove to be advantageous for more reasons than one:
- The urinary diet has been designed to break the urinary struvite stones down and dissolve them accurately so that they no longer bother the bladder.
- A special cat diet for urinary inflammation is particularly beneficial as it helps increase the amount of urine produced and prevent the formation and recurrence of struvite and calcium oxalate stones in the urine.
- These diets are meticulously designed to enable a very regulated amount of magnesium, as that is what forms the struvite stones, thereby helping in the prevention of the formation of these stones.
- These diets are specifically formulated to increase the amount of water content of the cat’s body for the purpose of urine dilution, which further aids in reducing the reappearance of idiopathic cystitis.
- Cats who have been diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis tend to have a lower level of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in their bladders. To elevate the quantity, the urinary diets are typically utilitarian.
- The diets are specially formulated to be protein-rich so that they promote urinary pH having a range of 5.9 – 6.3, thereby diminishing the chance of struvite stone development.
- These diets are low in fat content so that they do not promote obesity in cats, which happens to be a risk factor for developing FLUTD by the formation of struvite.
What are uroliths?
A mass of mineral and non-mineral crystals and crystalloids that develop in the urinary tracts of cats are called uroliths.
What are some of the common dietary alternatives available in the UK for cats with FLUTD?
Some of the most widely recommended urinary diets are:
Hills Prescription Diet Feline C/D
- This particular diet helps hold the urinary tract of cats with FLUTD in good shape.
- This reduces the risk of stones to reappear after the diet has been dissolved.
- This diet is low in salt content to ensure elevated kidney health.
- The presence of profound amounts of antioxidants, the diet aids in neutralising free radicals.
Hills Prescription Diet Feline S/D
- Prescription Diet Feline S/D has been laboriously designed by veterinary science that helps in settling the struvite and other urinary crystals in your cat.
- Dissolution of the struvite stones present in cats with FLUTD is facilitated by this diet.
- The rate of dissolvability of the struvite is increased by pointing toward the acidic pH of the urinary tract.
Purina Veterinary Diet Feline UR (Urinary Formula)
- This particular diet possesses the property of acidifying the urinary pH to elevate the urinary treatment.
- Lower levels of magnesium in this diet promote the dissolution of struvite stones in the cats.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary S/O LP 34 Dry Food
- This diet proves to be advantageous in a steady dissolvability of the struvite uroliths (solid masses of mineral/non-mineral stones in the urinary tracts).
- This prescribed diet contributes to the prevention of the reappearance of struvite urolithiasis.
- Calcium oxalate urolithiasis is duly kept under control by this diet.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary S/O Pouches/Alutrays
- This diet acts as a preventive measure to keep a regular check on the development of Feline idiopathic cystitis.
- This cat food lends a helping hand in the dissolution of the struvite uroliths.
- This diet proves to be single-handedly versatile, as it keeps a regular check on the recurrence of struvite and calcium oxalate urolithiasis in cats.
Is there a permanent cure for FLUTD?
No, there is no permanent cure if your cat has been affected by FLUTD. However, this disease can be hugely regulated and kept under proper control through administering prescribed diets with optimum levels of essential elements and by the intake of a great amount of water by your cat for urine dilution.
Though this blog gives an overview of cats affected by FLUTD, it is always a wise idea to consult a vet before making any strong decision to provide relief to your cat. It is to be noted that the vet, being a specialist, will be able to understand your cat’s unique needs and guide you through the journey of administering a urinary diet to your cat in a much-informed manner. You should always pay heed to your cat’s eating habits and if it does not like one diet, you should consult your vet, explore other alternatives available and see which one suits your cat best.
You should make regular visits to the vet in times when you see any changes in terms of behaviour, anything physiological or otherwise. Early diagnosis and initiation of the treatment is what your cat needs if it is in a state of suffering.
Recent post