Cats who cannot urinate properly can cause frustration for their owners whether they urinate outside of the litter box or are unable to urinate at all. There are many factors that cause cats to do this, which range from stress to craving attention. In some cases cats may be unable to urinate at all because of a complete obstruction of the urinary tract, or they may be straining frequently to urinate only to pass just a few drops of urine at a time, often with blood in it. Cats with a complete obstruction need to be treated immediately as urinary obstruction is a medical emergency that can result in kidney failure and even death if left untreated.
An examination and appropriate diagnostics are necessary to find the underlying cause and to direct appropriate treatment strategies. The syndrome of difficult urination in cats is known by several names, most commonly Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) and Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS).
Veterinarian Checks
Cats exhibiting difficulty in urinating need to be examined. An obstructed cat is diagnosed primarily based on the feel of the urinary bladder on physical examination. In a non-obstructed cat, the bladder is usually small and empty of urine. Obstructed cats build up toxins in there bloodstream that are normally eliminated through the urine. This results in an internal poisoning that is fatal if left untreated. Further, while rare, a severely distended bladder may rupture on its own, leading to the leakage of urine into the abdominal cavity. This causes a severe problem called peritonitis.
The first step the vet will undertake is a urine analysis which checks for crystals, blood cells and measures the concentration and pH of the urine. All this information gives the vet clues as to the underlying cause of the cat's problem.
Cats that are straining to urinate usually suffer from cystitis, inflammation of the urinary bladder. Cats with inflamed bladders will feel the urge to urinate as a result of irritation. They try to relieve that irritation by urinating frequently, often outside of the litter box. As they urinate frequently the bladder will remain almost empty. If the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to the outside of the cat, becomes completely blocked, the straining cat will not urinate at all and will often cry with discomfort when it tries to urinate.
Common causes of cystitis in cats include crystal formation in the bladder and a condition most commonly called Feline Interstitial Cystitis. Less common causes include bladder stones, drug reactions, and tumours.
Crystals within the Bladder
Crystals or stones will form within the bladder of a cat, and although microscopic, they have sharp edges causing irritation to the walls of the bladder. This leads to inflammation, irritation, and often blood in the urine. If a large number of crystals materialize, they may get stuck in the urethra, causing complete obstruction and the inability to urinate. Untreated cats will continue to strain, often becoming vocal as the bladder becomes larger and larger. They will stop eating, start to vomit, and eventually be too sick to get up. Death will occur if the obstruction is not relieved and the effects of the toxin build-up treated. This is why all cats showing signs of cystitis should be examined by a vet and owners should be quick to react to signs of their car displaying some of the above symptoms.
Sources from Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401
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