FLUTD (Urinary Disease)
FLUTD stands for Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease and is a condition that most commonly affects male cats. Overweight cats on poor quality dry food diets are at most risk. Stress can lead to inflammation of the bladder which can predispose to other problems including the accumulation of mucous and urinary crystals which can cause obstruction to urine flow (“blocked” cats). This can be life threatening! Clinical signs can include straining to urinate, passing only small amounts of urine or none at all, toileting in unusual places, bloody urine and in extreme cases vomiting and reduced appetite due to electrolyte and enzyme imbalances.
Treatment involves placing a urinary catheter to allow urine to flow and intra-venous fluid therapy. A urine sample will be tested to look for bacteria and crystals, and sometimes a sample is sent to an external laboratory for cultre and sensitivity testing. A course of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and anti-stress medications may be required. Prescription diets are also required to help dissolve and prevent the re-formation of crystals but should not be feed unless on the advice of a veterinarian. Feeding a high quality premium food such as Eukanuba, Royal Canin or Hills in combination with increasing your cat’s water intake reduces can reduce the risk of crystal formation.
To help minimise recurrence, increase your cat's water intake by providing several water bowls, wetting down food, considering purchasing a water fountain and feeding more wet food than dry. Provide several litter trays to indoor cats so they have lots of opportunity to toilet when necessary, and if he/she is an outdoor cat, allow them supervised outdoor access to encourage frequent urination.
Keeping your cat trim and minimising stress will also help prevent problems. Feliway diffusers or spray can help to decrease stress in, and maintaining the same routine will also help, as cats are very much "creatures of habit". Unfortunately cats that "block" have a tendency to do so again and surgical intervention is required in some cases.
