anyone know about cat urinary tract infections??

[blayzeingsun]

does anyone know about cat urinary tract infections?? my cat has started peeing on other surfaces outside of the littler box i have heard this is indicative of urinary tract infections does anyone have any experience with this??? Thanks in advance

Liz

[SisMorphine]

Male or female? Any changes in the house, normal daily schedule, or feeding?

[SLS61185]

I don't. Our cat had it a few years back from eating regular cat food, and he almost died from it, because his level/vitals? dropped too low... So now he's gotta eat prescription cat food.

[blabsforbullies]

Obviously I haven't seen your kitty, so it is impossible to guess what's going on thru the forum, but I thought this might help a little.

The three most common causes for sudden, inappropriate urination are:
1) UTI's (urniary tract infection)
2) crystaluria (having crystals in the urine because of an imbalance of the unrine pH), and
3) behavioral

Cats can have very hard to detect UTI's and can sometimes only be diagnosed with a culture of the urine. But, crystals in urine are tough too. They can get crystals in the urine if the pH is too high or too low, and this causes irritation in the bladder. Cats often respond by urinating in different places. These crystals are microscopic, and cannot be seen with the naked eye. The danger of these crystals is that if left untreated, they can cause a blockage and keep the kitty (most commonly males, as they have more tubing to get blocked with ) from peeing. You will often see a kitty cry, strain, or go in/out of the box when this is happening. Also if the kitty is lethargic and/or won't eat, there could be a problem. If the kitty is unable to or is producing very little urine, it needs medical attention IMMEDIATELY, as it is a life threatening condition.

Another risk of crystals in the urine is that they can form bladder stones. Those are dangerous for all the same reasons that crystals are. Those, in a male cat, are almost always surgical.

If it is behavioral, then that gets a bit complicated. Too much to be discussed here, but there are ways to treat it.

Bottom line is that the kitty probably needs an exam and a urinalysis to start with. If there is no straining and the kitty seems ok otherwise, it can likely wait until tomorrow. But, the sooner the better. If you can, collect the urine that has be voided on the other surfaces and refrigerate it until you can bring your cat in. If not, then try to not let the kitty go before the appointment so that the doctor can get a sample.

Good luck and I hope you feline is feeling better soon!

[iluvk9]

What she said.

I had the same problem with Bo about a year (?) ago. He was put on Science Diet, which he refused to eat, and given Clavamox.

I also noticed he was trying to pee in places he shouldn't be, so I confined him to his cat condo until he was better. He only came out to stretch and play while supervised.

[BigDogBuford]

If it's behavioral then I highly recommend Cat Attract cat litter. It's worked really well for my cats when needed.

But I ALWAYS start with an exam and UA. I had a kitty with bladder stones that almost died with his first episode and I was able manage it successfully for many, many years.

[call2arms]

Best to go to your vet, get a urine sample analyzed to be know about crystals/bacteria, and x-rays to check for stones. This is pretty common, and generally treated easily in the case of crystals (my cat was just put on special food and no longer has them).

[pitbullmamaliz]

The Piss got a UTI a couple years ago. I had taken her in because she was also peeing out of her box. They gave her a saline injection under the skin (the kind that makes them look like a humpy-back camel) and put her on meds. She cleared up quickly. She still occasionally peed outside the box, but that was behavioral.

They're pretty easy to fix.

[ArtGypsy]

Unfortunately, I've owned several cats who have developed UTI's or had crystals in their urine. The one true symptom I"ve always seen (which let me know there was a problem), was coming up and finding the kitty just SITTING in the box, waiting (straining?) to piddle. That's the classic sign for me.

Neutered Males seem to be more prone.........and after a urine sample and prescription cat food, we're usually on our way out the door under a hundred bucks.

The vet is beginning to suspect our bad water here in the middle of Nebraska.........

Jody, with a stubborn pup

[Malli]

its true, few weeks back, it started snowing, one of our ER vets first comments was "I hope we have lots of unblocking supplies " ("blocked" means unable to urinate in vet-eese)