Urolithiasis in a cat - symptoms, treatment

Urolithiasis in a cat, called differently by urolithiasis, is a dangerous disease that threatens the life of your pet. Every responsible owner needs to know how to protect his animal from this disease, and also how to cure it if it does get sick. Let's get acquainted with this problem more closely.

Urolithiasis in a cat - causes and symptoms

With urolithiasis, stones or sand form in the organs of the urinary system. They can be several, they can have a different composition and be different in size. Urinary stones are the same size as wheat grain, and with a walnut. The reasons for their formation may be different. To date, one thing is clear: insoluble compounds appear in the cat's urine, which combine into crystals. This can be caused by individual characteristics, diet, a sedentary lifestyle of the animal, infections, systemic diseases. Urolithiasis in a cat occurs under the following conditions:

1. Alkaline reaction of urine.
2. The chemical components from which stones are formed are present in the urine in a high concentration, as a result of which the crystals fall out. The latter then gather in microfilms.
3. The presence of a foreign body, the products of the vital activity of bacteria or viruses, as a matrix for the formation of a urolithic crystal.
4. Specific bacterial flora.

Urolithiasis in cats - how to treat?

Symptoms of the disease vary greatly depending on its shape and stage, location and size of the stones. Urolithiasis in a cat may not manifest itself at all until the lumen of the urethral canal is clogged, especially if the stone does not have an acute edge and does not damage the mucous membrane. If such trauma occurs, then in the urine appears blood, on which the owner of the animal and can judge the presence of the disease in the cat. Urolithiasis is more severe in cats due to the structure of their excretory system. Although at first it can appear only as a barely noticeable difficulty in the release of urine. Urination is accompanied by stress, often interrupted.

Urine pours a weak stream, it contains sand. The animal becomes restless, often runs to the tray. The diagnosis is based on laboratory and ultrasound.

The first and most important step is the restoration of the outflow of urine, if it is disturbed. For this, a catheter is inserted into the lumen of the urethra . The bladder is washed through it with an antiseptic solution under anesthesia. In especially severe cases, when it is not possible to release the lumen of the urethra, an operation is performed to remove the stones or to create an artificial channel for the outflow of urine. In the recovery period after washing or surgical intervention, droppers are required, as well as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy. After removing the acute condition, you need to transfer the animal to a special diet, give him diuretics, regularly take tests.