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Feline urologic syndrome, also known as "blocked cat" is a condition of cats in which crystals are formed in the bladder. This crystals tend to clump together in the bladder to form bladder stones and/or a worse condition in which these crystals clump together in the penile urethra of male cats causing a "plug" which prevents the cat from urinating. If this happens, a life threatening situation exists. With the cat not able to urinate, the condition will worsen to the point which the cat may suffer from a ruptured bladder, kidney failure, and/or heart failure due to a buildup of toxins. Obviously, this is a serious condition which needs immediate care. Due to the diameter of the male urethra, the male cat is more susceptible to this condition than the female. It is important to maintain your cat on a diet which helps to maintain a low ph(acidic) urine. Many diets claim to be able to do this but de la Houssaye Animal Hospital recommends Hill's Science Diet C/D. With this recommendation does not mean a guarantee but we find that this diet is the best in helping to prevent this syndrome from occuring. Some signs to watch out for are as follows: 1. Difficulty urinating 2. Frequent trips to the litter box 3. Constipated(some cats hurt so much they won't deficate either) 4. Vomiting 5. Lethargic 6. Severe pain on abdominal palpation 7. Excessive meowing while in litter box 8. Dehydrated It is very important to realize that some cats may begin with a low grade cystitis(bladder infection) which can worsen into this syndrome. That is why it is so important to seek care ASAP. Feline urologic syndrome can be a very difficult situation to deal with even after doing all we know to prevent or treat the existing problem. It is de la Houssaye Animal Hospital experience that if the problem is approached aggressively, the prognosis is much better rather than a lazy, hit or miss approach. The staff at de la Houssaye Animal Hospital would be happy to discuss this with you further. THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS NOT MEANT TO BE A DEFINITIVE WAY TO DIAGNOSE A SPECIFIC CONDITION. IT IS ONLY MEANT TO HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND VETERINARY LITERATURE. OPINIONS MAY DIFFER BETWEEN VETERINARY HOSPITALS AND VETERINARIANS. |
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