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Does You Cat Have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease Flutd |
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Does You Cat Have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease FlutdFLUTD, also known as feline urologic syndrome or FUS, is a common term
that applies to an assortment of ailments affecting a cat’s lower
urinary tract such as cystitis, infection of the urinary tract, kidney
stones and the formation of crystals in the urinary tract.
More
prevalent among male cats over 12 months old FLUTD is a problem that
can keep cropping up in some cats over their lifetime and is usually
very painful and potentially lethal if not treated quickly. If you
think your cat has FLUTD take them to the Vet as quickly as possible
because in some extreme cases death can occur within a day.
FLUTD - Potential Causes
Since
FLUTD comprises several different diseases it can be hard to isolate
the exact causes but here are some commonly accepted reasons your cat
can contract FLUTD:
Most cats usually don’t drink very much
water and because of this they may not urinate enough to keep their
urinary tract cleansed.
Overweight cats usually are not very
active and tend to make fewer visits to the litter box so their urine
sits in their bladder longer and crystals can form or infections can
develop.
Some evidence suggests that having your cat neutered might make it easier for them to get FLUTD.
Cats
that are always indoors and use a litter box have a greater chance of
having urinary tract problems as opposed to cats that spend a lot of
time outdoors.
Your cat can become dehydrated if you use a dry
cat food but you should know that many cat experts recommend dry cat
food over moist in most cases.
Even though it might be hard to
believe stress can play a major role in a cat’s life and this is also
felt to be a trigger for FLUTD.
FLUTD - Symptoms
It is
important to make note of any change in your cat’s daily behavior as
this can be a clear sign a urinary tract problem is developing:
Is your cat urinating more frequently?
Are there any traces of blood in your cat’s urine? If so take them to the Vet immediately.
Does
your cat strain while urinating or is unable to go at all? Do not
mistake this for constipation which is the inability to have a bowel
movement.
Is your cat urinating outside the litter box or
spraying doorways? This might indicate FLUTD but can also be attributed
to behavioral problems.
Does your cat have a sudden loss of appetite?
FLUTD - Treatments
If
you think your cat might be having some type of urinary problem your
Vet can do a simple urine test to check for Feline Lower Urinary Tract
Disease.
The good news is that FLUTD is easily treated through
medicine and changes in your cat’s diet. Be sure and follow your Vet’s
advice and your cat will be healthy in no time.
FLUTD – Prevention
FLUTD
related diseases typically go away in a week or two but you do not want
to take the chance and wait to see if your cat gets better because
doing so can be risky to your cat’s long term health.
You need
to make sure your cat is drinking enough fresh water and using a water
fountain designed just for this purpose might help.
If you think stress is the problem you need to find out what the stressors are and eliminate them.
Follow your Vet’s advice to the letter.
If there is one central theme to this article it is that you do not
want to take risks with your cat’s health. If you think they have FLUTD
you need to get them to your Vet quickly so a professional diagnosis
can be made and the appropriate treatment prescribed. Do not disregard
your cat’s sickness thinking it will go away as FLUTD can not only be
very painful but lethal as well.
 Tags: Cat Health and Care Cat Health Does You Cat Have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease Urinary tract Feline health |