Pets are a great joy for the owner, but also a huge responsibility. The health of the furry creature depends entirely on our attention and prompt response to any change in state. Today we’ll talk about the most beloved, gentle and beautiful pets. Of course, these are cats. Who did not dream in childhood about their own purr? Unfortunately, their health is very fragile, and there are situations when we are not able to help on our own. In this case, qualified specialist assistance is needed. Today we will talk about the most common problem that is associated with kidney and urinary tract diseases. If the cat cannot pee, what should I do? Such words are heard by veterinarians almost every day. Behind them lies a formidable disease that can take the life of your pet if you don’t take action in time.
How can I determine the disease
The situation is quite common when the cat can not pee. What to do to the owner? Definitely: you should immediately go to the veterinary clinic. But usually we pay attention to the change of state too late, when it is already difficult to do without surgery. Yes, and surgical intervention in the later stages may not save the life of a pet.
What do you need to pay attention to first? If your cat began to hide in dark corners and did not go out for a long time, if he often sits in a tray for a long time, writes drops and blood appears in his urine, his stomach is very enlarged, and the animal does not allow him to touch, then this indicates problems. Lack of appetite is also an alarming sign that should not be missed. Be sure to call your veterinarian if you suspect that the cat cannot pee. What to do next, you will decide already with a specialist, but procrastination can be very expensive.
Cystitis is the most common disease in cats.
Indeed, this is one of the most insidious, difficult to diagnose and treat ailments. The most unpleasant thing is that a complete cure is almost impossible. Even with a successful operation, there is no guarantee that the symptoms will not return again soon. In this situation everyone suffers - both animals, exhausted by constant bouts of pain, and the owners. Constant worries, the need to visit a veterinarian, which means asking for leave from work and incurring serious expenses, a bad smell and puddles throughout the house, and worst of all, thoughts that a complex, long and difficult treatment can end up euthanizing a pet, exhaust anyone . So, if the cat cannot pee, what should I do? Where to begin? How to help a furry pet?
A little physiology
In order to understand well what you have to deal with, you need to imagine how the cat urogenital system functions. The bladder is a hollow organ that is a bag that can shrink and grow in size. Inside, the bladder is lined with a special submucous membrane, which is covered on top by a thin layer of mucus. The entire surface is streaked with a network of blood vessels. What is cystitis and how does it change the condition of the bladder? First of all, it is inflammation of the mucosa, which is already subjected to significant stresses. After the bladder is filled with urine, the animal feels the urination. After going to the toilet, the bubble shrinks again, forming a large number of folds from the inside. This ensures its large capacity. As urine builds up, the bladder grows again, the mucous membrane straightens, and the blood vessels stretch. If the cat does not pee, then the accumulated fluid begins to press on the walls, causing the animal pain.
The first signs of cystitis
When the disease is only beginning to progress, it is very difficult to notice it. Typically, a cat begins to walk into his tray more often, but if you live in a village or in a private sector, then it will simply spend more time outdoors and it will be extremely difficult to determine the true cause of this. Sometimes the cat begins to avoid caresses, does not allow to stroke his stomach. Sometimes the owners note a strong thirst, the cat begins to come to the drinker many times a day. However, this behavior may indicate a viral illness beginning, stress being experienced, or an approaching estrus. Therefore, only an experienced veterinarian should be diagnosed. However, if the cat does not pee, then this already clearly indicates serious problems of the genitourinary system.
When you need to sound the alarm
Gradually, the first signs progress, and it is no longer impossible not to notice the constant attempts to go into the tray. At the same time, the animal is clearly worried, makes mournful sounds in the tray, falls belly to the floor, flips onto its back. Often even a well-bred animal begins to leave puddles around the house. Veterinarians attribute this to the pain experienced by the cat, as well as the desire to draw attention to their misfortune. This is a kind of cry for help. This is especially evident when an animal suffering from pain demonstratively squeezes a small puddle out of itself at the very moment when the owner sees it. This is an occasion not to punish, but to try to help.
Typically, urine becomes darker, blood clots, grayish blotches or pus are visible in it. Urine has a heavy odor; it is cloudy and patchy. Further, the condition will only worsen, from the tray the animal is selected, already dragging the hind limbs and moving to the front. During rest, the cat carefully turns over from one side to the other, clearly experiencing pain. In this case, the stomach is tight and extremely tense. The next stage is the final, when the cat does not pee. What to do in this situation? Look for a good doctor and get ready for surgery, although help should be started much earlier.
Forms of cystitis
This is a complex disease that manifests itself in different cases in completely different ways. That is why diagnosis is complicated and treatment is delayed. A little later we will talk about why the cat does not pee, which is the reason for the development of such formidable complications. In the meantime, let's determine what forms of this disease are. Most often, two variants of the course of the disease are distinguished - this is acute and chronic cystitis. Both options are very difficult, but have a number of features. In particular, the acute form is manifested by severe pain, but this more clearly indicates the cause, which makes it possible to prescribe treatment faster.
Chronic cystitis can be almost asymptomatic. A fluffy pet looks almost healthy, only at the time of exacerbation, suffering from pain during urination. But this form of the disease is also very dangerous for the animal. A sluggish disease worsens the work of the whole organism, depletes immunity and shortens the life span of a pet. In this case, exacerbation can occur at any time, and the chronic form can be replaced by acute.
The three forms that are most difficult to treat and diagnose
Indeed, the list does not end there. If the cat is peeing with blood, this is a sure sign of a serious mucosal lesion. That is, it is damaged so much that rupture of blood vessels occurs. In this case, the diagnosis of hemorrhagic cystitis. It is dangerous with serious consequences. So, it can be anemia, clogging of the ducts with blood clots, intoxication. Very often this formidable symptom indicates the presence of stones or sand in the bladder, kidneys or urinary canal. It is almost impossible to save the animal in this case without surgery.
But it’s especially difficult to diagnose an “idiopathic symptom” in cats. Its peculiarity is the complete absence of reasons that could lead the animal to such a state. Symptoms can be pronounced, that is, the cat is not standing on its feet, or not appear at all. But besides cystitis itself, the doctor cannot find failures in the body that led to the development of the disease. It is especially dangerous if a castrated cat cannot pee. Now we will talk about this in a little more detail.
Causes of the disease
Very often, the owners do not go to the doctor, but to the veterinary pharmacy, asking them how to help the cat pee. Usually they get a brief recommendation and a symptomatic drug like Stop Cystitis or Cat Erwin. Indeed, if the drug was given at an early stage, the result is visible almost instantly. The pet calms down, he no longer feels pain, calmly walks into the tray. The hosts calm down, but after a while everything repeats again. At the same time, the proven drug helps much worse, and the condition may already be worse than the first time. Therefore, it is important to treat not the effect, but to undergo an examination and look for the cause.
Who's guilty
So the cat can't pee. The reasons for this usually lie on the surface, we just don’t see them. And the very first vets call improper feeding. Poor-quality feeds like “Whiskas” and “Kitiket” are very cheap, so many began to switch to such convenient feeding. But delicious pads contain very little meat, the basis is grain, flavors, flavors and colorings. Heavily swollen, the feed absorbs a large amount of liquid, practically dehydrating the body. Moreover, all chemical constituents have an extremely negative effect on the health of the cat. Lack of water or poor-quality drinking also provokes the development of cystitis.
The next ones on the list are infections and chronic diseases, exhaustion or constant overfeeding, urolithiasis, stress and trauma. If you are faced with a problem such as cystitis, then you should not look for ways to make the cat pee (there are many variations, starting with diuretics and ending with mechanical pressure on the stomach), and consult a doctor right away.
Full examination
If you notice signs of cystitis in your pet, you must consult your veterinarian and take the necessary tests. If the doctor has prescribed treatment immediately upon contacting the clinic, you need to look for another specialist. The cause of the disease may be different, so you will need to donate blood and urine (biochemistry, clinic, bacteriological analysis). If the condition is already too serious, and the question of how to help the cat pee is no longer appropriate, then catheterization is performed, while urine is removed with a special catheter.
In addition, to assess the condition of the animal, it is necessary to do an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder. Sand can come out by itself, and large stones will have to be removed, since they injure the walls of the bladder. If the cat did not write for a day, then the chance that the urethra is blocked is great. If catheterization has already been performed several times, then another operation will have to be performed, namely urethrostomy. The surgeon makes an incision above the bend of the urethra, and the sand ceases to get stuck in this S-shaped passage. Now even small stones pass freely and do not cause pain.
Gender differences
It should be noted that urolithiasis is the most dangerous for cats. They even sand can cause the death of the animal, if there is a blockage of the urethra. In cats, it is wider, and only the largest stones can get stuck in it, so cystitis is most often expressed by painful urination, sometimes blood appears in the urine, but it can be cured without surgery. Therefore, if you are going to castrate a cat, then consult your doctor at the same time about conducting a urethrostomy.
Treatment of cystitis in cats
Of course, the owners are primarily concerned with the question of how to help the cat pee. To do this, you need to remove the pain symptoms in order to alleviate the condition of your pet. For this, antispasmodics, Stop-cystitis, hemostatic and pain medications are used. But this only relieves the symptoms while you are being examined. When the tests are ready, the doctor must choose the most suitable drugs. If pathogenic microflora is detected, then antibiotics are prescribed. It should be remembered that, in addition to therapeutic effects, antibiotics harm the body. Therefore, it is advisable to conduct a sensitivity test first, and then begin the course of treatment. If the results of the test determine the high sensitivity of organisms to the drug, and there is no result for a long time, then immunostimulating agents are prescribed.
Treatment difficulties
The main problem is determining the cause of the disease. This can be a metabolic disorder, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, nephritis and much more. However, if you treat the symptoms, the disease will come back again and again. Do not forget that the cause of cystitis can be commonplace stress or hypothermia. For treatment to be effective, it is especially important to observe the last two factors. It is necessary to provide a warm litter in those places where your pet likes to sleep. The cat should not be allowed to sleep on the tile and on the window sills by the open window. Even if the treatment is successful, it is necessary to continue to follow these rules, adhere to a special diet and take preventive drugs to avoid relapse.