Feline Urinary Crystals Symptoms

For upper urinary tract issues in cats please see our article on kidney problems.

Feline urinary crystals symptoms. Even so they represent a risk factor for kidney stones. A cat with urinary crystals may show a multitude of signs and cats are affected to varying degrees. Symptoms of crystals in the urine in cats. One key to treating flutd is to determine the root cause which may include bladder stones urinary tract blockage infection or cancer.

It mainly occurs due to lack of or inadequate moisture in cat food or lack of drinking water. Additional causes of urinary blockage are from feeding foods high in magnesium or the presence of an underlying condition called feline idiopathic. If your cat has been displaying symptoms of urinary tract disease and has been diagnosed with crystals you are likely very keen to know what treatment options are available. Crystalluria in cats with anatomically and functionally normal urinary tracts is usually harmless because the crystals are eliminated before they grow large enough to interfere with normal urinary function.

Infections cause a variety of symptoms that cat owners should learn to recognize in order to get their cat the help it needs and prevent bigger problems from occurring. If the cause of these symptoms cannot be determined the cat is considered to have bladder inflammation cystitis. Signs of a urinary blockage include producing no or very little urine pain lethargy and poor appetite. Urinary tract infections are just one of the types of urinary tract problems that can affect cats.

Urinary blockages are most common in neutered male cats and life threatening when not treated quickly. Symptoms of urinary crystals in cats. Initially an owner may notice that the cat is spending more time in the litter tray and is straining to go. Well the treatment will depend on which type of crystal is involved as the options are really quite different for each crystal type.

Many owners will actually confuse this behavior with constipation as the posture cats go in to can. The three standard crystals in cats are struvite oxalate and urate. Though the main symptom of crystalluria is the appearance of fine crystals in freshly expelled urine other symptoms from accompanying conditions may also occur. Symptoms of struvite stones in cats.

Bladder stones are rock like deposits of minerals crystals and organic material that are found in a cat s bladder. A mixture of cells that are used to line the bladder mucus and crystals formed from minerals in the urine. Because crystals in the urine that are passed in the litter box may be missed by pet owners other symptoms may help pet owners discover. A male cat s urethra can also become blocked by small urinary stones or by urethral plugs.