Many cat owners have lost a cat because of cat urinary infection. Feline lower urinary tract disorder, formerly known as feline urologic syndrome, is known to affect only less than 3% of the entire cat population in the whole wide world. This may not be an alarming statistics; however, to those cats which have contracted this disease, this has caused them a major problem. Cat urinary tract infection not only brings along with it a series of cat urinary problems but serious and life-threatening risks as well.
When cats are diagnosed to have bladder infections, the vet would usually prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics are effective in treating the disease but aside from killing the harmful bacteria, they can also eliminate the beneficial ones. Furthermore, antibiotics only treat the symptoms of feline bladder infection; they do not address the root causes of the problem. Consequently, the cat may experience a recurrence of the infection after treatment.
There are many factors which could lead to cat urinary infection. Some of these causes are bacteria, virus, fungi, urinary stones such as struvite and calcium oxalate, and urethral obstruction. Cat urinary infection could also be caused by a disease called feline uterine disorder, a condition commonly seen in un-spayed or partially spayed and middle-aged female cats. In some instances, the reason behind a cat’s symptoms of cat urinary infection could not be known despite attempts to determine it. In this case, the veterinarian would diagnose the cat to be suffering from idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disorder (IFLUTD), a term used to point to a condition where symptoms of cat urinary infection can be seen but which cause could not be determined.
Cats with IFLUTD can usually survive longer even without medical intervention. In addition, the symptoms could vanish within a couple of weeks regardless of treatment. Therefore, veterinarians may not be so concerned with cats suffering from IFLUTD. Usually, the veterinarian would only prescribe a special diet which could help prevent the recurrence of the symptoms of IFLUTD.
However, in cases of cat urinary problems caused by infection, stones, or urethral obstruction, veterinarians usually put the cat under a series of tests to determine the right treatment. Especially for urethral obstruction, the veterinarian would have to perform appropriate medical procedures such as surgery to get rid of the obstruction and save the life of the cat. In case of infection, the veterinarian would likely prescribe antibiotics to help suppress the growth of infection.
Cat urinary infection can have multiple causes but symptoms are the same in all affected cats. Cats with this disease usually strain to urinate, have blood in the urine, have a foul smelling urine, lick their genitals frequently, demonstrate pain while urinating, and produce only small trickles of urine or could not urinate at all. It is imperative that a cat with these symptoms is immediately given medical attention as it may mean life and death for it. Cat urinary infection can be curable but extremely fatal if left untreated. Therefore, cat owners should be wary of the symptoms and be alert to bring the cat to a veterinarian for proper medication.
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