What is Urinary Tract Disease?

Urinary Tract Disease (UTD) is any disease that occurs in the cat’s urinary tract, primarily in the bladder or the urethra. UTD can be diagnosed only once the chances of kidney stones and urinary tract infections have been ruled out. Here are the causes that can lead to UTD:

Urethral obstruction
Stones in the bladder
Inflammation in the bladder
Bladder infections
Other abnormalities in the bladder

Common UTD symptoms

If you suspect that your cat is suffering from UTD, you should check for the following symptoms:

Painful urination:

If you hear your cat crying out while peeing that might be a sure-shot sign of UTD.

Irritability:

A common sign of discomfort among cats, an irritable cat might be suffering from UTD, and pain could be the cause of its irritability.

Straining to urinate:

Some UTDs can lead to the formation of stones in the bladder or in the development of a urethral plug. This could soon become a life-threatening situation.

Not using the litter box:

See if your cat is avoiding the litter box and urinating on cooler surfaces like tiles or the tub.

Licking the genital areas or the abdomen:

Cats attempt to soothe their pain due to the UTD by licking these areas.

Multiple attempts of urination:

Cats with UTD urinate frequently but is lesser than usual quantities each time.

How can you treat the issue?

The best thing to do in this case is to take your cat to the vet. The vet will give her a physical check, collect urine samples and might prescribe some blood tests and abdominal USG. Although UTD can go away without any medical treatment, but it might recur in the long run. It is always advisable to get it treated once and for all to assure a safer and better life for your cat. Here are some things you can do to help your cat fight UTD:

Increase your feline’s water intake
Try to feed them canned food and keep a check on their weight
Encourage them to use the litter box instead of using random spots

However, if your cat’s UTD is due to reasons like bacterial cystitis, then it should be treated with antibiotics as home remedies alone don’t work in this case. It is the same with stones, which need to be removed surgically.

Cats are good at hiding any kind of discomfort, so a quick call to your vet on seeing any of the above mentioned symptoms can help your cat in fighting UTD issues.