Incontinence in Cats or Inappropriate Urination? How You Can Tell the Difference
Author: Darlene NorrisHas this ever happened to you? You're noticing that your cat is urinating in places other than his litter box. People automatically assume that inappropriate urination in cats is because of a behavior issue, or it's because their cat is getting older.
However there could be a medical problem causing incontinence in cats to be a problem for your feline friend. A trip to the vet is always in order for a cat who suddenly starts showing signs of feline incontinence.
Feline Incontinence Versus Inappropriate Urination
An incontinent cat has no control over his bladder at all. He may urinate when he's lying down, or sleeping, or even dribble as he walks around. The usual cause is a weak sphincter muscle. This is not a very common condition in cats, although it's sometimes seen in spayed females who are somewhat overweight.
Incontinence in cats may also be a symptom of feline diabetes. Diabetes causes your cat to be extremely thirsty. If he's drinking lots more water, he may not always make it to the litter box in time.
If your cat is incontinent when he's resting, you should have him checked for feline leukemia. Both male and female cats who are positive for this virus are sometimes incontinent.
While inappropriate urination is sometimes a behavior problem, it can be a result of feline lower urinary tract disease.
Feline Cystitis Is The Most Common Reason For Urination Outside The Litter Box
A cat with a feline bladder infection has an inflammation of his bladder. This causes him to need to empty his bladder frequently. If you use clumping cat litter, you should see a few big clumps of urine when you scoop it. If you find many small clumps, this is a sign of cat urinary problems.
Other symptoms include crying out in pain as he tries to use the litter box. You may see him crouching over, straining to pass urine. Many cat owners mistake this for constipation, which can be a fatal mistake if he has a urinary blockage. A blocked cat is a veterinary emergency. Your cat will die within a day or two if he's completely blocked.
What Your Vet Needs To Know
Your vet will ask the following questions:
- Has your cat been under a lot of stress lately? Have you moved, or added a new person or pet to the household? Have you changed his diet?
- Where is your cat urinating? In a corner? On your bed? Where he sleeps?
- Is he drinking more water than he usually does?
- Is he dribbling urine or is he just urinating more often than usual?
- Does he have blood in his urine?
- Has your cat ever been injured?
Your vet will check your cat for a urinary blockage that could be caused by cat bladder stones.
Treatment For Feline Cystitis
Antibiotics are usually prescribed to clear up any infection. What you need to do at home is to increase the amount of water your cat is taking in. The easiest way to do this is to switch him over to canned food, which has a much higher moisture level than dry. It's been found that the key to preventing feline bladder infections is to increase the amount of liquid going through your cat.
You may also want to consider a natural remedy for feline urinary support. Look for one that contains both herbal and homeopathic remedies that support bladder health in animals. Uva ursi and barberry, along with Cantharis and Staphysagria have stood the test of time in humans, and they can be very effective for cats, too.
Your next step? To take what you've just learned and determine what's causing feline incontinence in your furball.
Darlene Norris has combined her long-time interest in natural healing with her experience working at a vet clinic to bring you her new website, Natural Pet Urinary Health. Learn more about solving the problem of incontinence in cats, and find feline urinary support information at http://NaturalPetUrinaryHealth.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/incontinence-in-cats-or-inappropriate-urination-how-you-can-tell-the-difference-751439.html
1 comment:
I will tell you how I succesfully treated my cat, BUT YOU MUST KEEP AN EYE ON THE CAT FOR BLOCKAGES!!!!!!If your''re not sure if the cat is urinating enough or at all, GET TO THE VET!!!!
I gave my cat chicken wet food(canned) with 2 teaspoons 2 times a day in it of "Silverbiotics 10 PPM Solution" by American Biotech Labs, sold in GNC stores. In addition she had PH balanced dry food which I sprinkled 1/2 capsule of Cranberry powder (only cranberry, not with anything else in it)in her dry food with a little water to mix it in.
I now give her 1-2 teaspoons a day of Silverbiotics 10 PPM on her dry food as a preventative. She has had no re-occurances in 4 months now (she's 11 years old). This stuff has anti-viral properties also and you might notice it helping other issues as well :)! They will not go toxic on it, it can be given while antibiotics are being given too!
JUST PLEASE MAKE SURE NO BLOCKAGE IS PRESENT OR DEVELOPING! That would require IMMEDIATE TREATMENT AT YOUR VET!
The silver solution will also help dissolve the mineral crystals that deleope into stones, and also help reduce inflamation!
It will also help with inflammation of the digestive tract.
American Biotech Labs has a product called PET SHIELD for pets that is FDA approved for cuts, abrasions and burns(works on skin conditions too) and is not toxic. It's made with all food products in addition to the silver soltion in it!
Good Luck!
Post a Comment