Blocked Bladders in Cats..
Blocked Bladders (urethral obstruction) In cats
The emergency clinics rarely do not have at least one cat with a blocked bladder in its hospital, it is a very common condition which can prove fatal for some cats. For a variety of reasons, the urethra (the tube which carries urine from the bladder to outside of the body via the penis or vagina) can become blocked or restricted. The bladder continues to fill despite this causing a very painful and serious condition. Urine is filled with waste products the body needs to get rid of, these waste products will enter the blood stream causing kidney failure and other serious conditions if not treated promptly. The bladder will be at serious risk of rupture within 2-3 days if it can’t empty which will lead to sepsis and potentially death.
Causes:
• Bacterial infection can cause swelling of the urethra which will restrict or prevent urine flow.
• A physical blockage can be caused by crystal or stone formation (crystalluria/urolithiasis) within either the bladder or kidneys; blood clots, mucus, proteins and other debris may form a plug in the penis or urethra.
• The urethra can go into spasm as a result of inflammation and/or irritation but it can also spasm as a result of stress or for no apparent reason, stress being the most likely cause.
• Tumours, scarring, nerve damage and prostate enlargement are less common causes.
• Some cats seem prone to urinary problems for no apparent reason, this is known as idiopathic (disease with an unknown cause) cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) and can lead to a urethral blockage.
Symptoms:
• The cat will go to and from the litter tray spending a long time in there trying to pass urine but with no result or possibly only a few drops.
• The cat may be very agitated and crying out while trying to pass urine.
• If any urine is passed it may be bloody or even seem to be pure blood.
• If the cat is one which goes to the toilet outside and you do not witness the above behaviour it may take longer to realise there is a problem and not until the cat is quite distressed.
• Agitation and distressed.
• Hiding away.
• Crying if picked up or if you stroke the abdomen.
• Vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Many people notice their cat is not right if they are not able to see the obvious sign of trying to go to the toilet.
• Ultimately the cat will collapse.
Treatment:
• Veterinary treatment is essential; a cat will die from a blocked bladder.
• Once diagnosed the primary concern is to empty the bladder, this will generally be by passing a urinary catheter into the bladder and draining the urine. This is often left in place for a few days following placement.
• Due to the build up of toxins from the inability to pass urine a blood test is usually taken and the cat placed on intravenous fluids to help support the kidneys and flush the toxins out of the system.
• The cat will need to be hospitalised until the urinary catheter is removed, the kidneys are functioning normally and the cat is able to pass urine by itself.
• The bladder can rupture when it becomes too full, it may occur when the tissues just can’t stretch any further but any treatment of an enlarged bladder could also cause it to burst. It is something all veterinary staff are aware of during treatment but know it is a possibility during the process of passing a catheter it may occur. If the bladder ruptures the abdomen will be filled with urine (uroabdomen), this will cause peritonitis (inflammation of the tissue that lines the inner wall of the abdomen and surrounds the abdominal organs) which is very serious and will cause death if not treated quickly and aggressively. Surgery is required to repair the bladder wall and flush all of the urine out of the abdomen. At the stage where a bladder ruptures the cat will be very sick and may not survive the surgery but if there is any chance of survival the surgery must take place.
• Medications used are dependent on individual cases as some are dependent on kidney function but cats will need pain relief, possibly anti-inflammatories and if a urinary tract infection is present, antibiotics. A lot of studies have been conducted into urethral blockages in cats and while trends are noted there are still areas that remain a mystery, some cats block for no apparent reason. Some findings are:
• Neutered male cats are more prone to urethral obstruction due to their urethra being longer and thinner than females. Females may get the bladder problems and cystitis but rarely become blocked.
• There are links to cats that only eat dry food and therefore do not consume as much liquid as cats eating tinned meat diets. There is a lot of water added to the meat whereas in the dry food the cats must actually drink to consume water.
• There are studies that have found areas of hard water seem to have more cases of cats with urethral blockage.
• Overweight male cats have a higher chance of developing a urinary issue.
• Stressed or nervous cats are prone to urinary problems.
• Indoor cats seem to be at an increased risk.
• Siamese, Persian, Egyptian Mau, Himalayan, Birman and Russian blue are breeds predisposed to certain urinary tract disease.
It is likely that this can become a recurring problem for a cat if it has happened once so if the underlying cause can be found then steps can be made to help prevent further episodes.
• If the diagnosis of crystal or stone formation is made this can be managed by a specific diet to maintain the urine at a certain pH which will dissolve crystals and prevent them forming.
• Increased water intake will be encouraged so cats prone to urinary problems may need to eat a wet diet for the rest of its life.
• Providing filtered water in areas of hard water may be advised and using a water fountain may help to encourage the cat to drink, some cats like moving water.
• Pheromone therapy may be suggested if the cat is nervous or stress. Specific plug in diffusers for cats are often used with good results making them feel comfortable within their own home. The smell produced mimics their happy scent, the one they use when purring and rubbing their face around the home etc.
• It is really important to get advice on your home environment if you have a stressed cat as you may inadvertently be causing your cat to be unhappy leading to physical problems. Cat behaviour is complex, just by putting the cat litter tray or food bowl in the wrong place could lead to untold stress for your cat.
• It may be the case you are advised to use several of the preventative measures for your cat. Your veterinary surgery will be able to advise you on this.
A blocked bladder is serious, early detection is paramount for any chance of a good outcome and adapting to your cats’ needs must be factored into the long term care following urethral blockage or restriction.
The emergency clinics rarely do not have at least one cat with a blocked bladder in its hospital, it is a very common condition which can prove fatal for some cats. For a variety of reasons, the urethra (the tube which carries urine from the bladder to outside of the body via the penis or vagina) can become blocked or restricted. The bladder continues to fill despite this causing a very painful and serious condition. Urine is filled with waste products the body needs to get rid of, these waste products will enter the blood stream causing kidney failure and other serious conditions if not treated promptly. The bladder will be at serious risk of rupture within 2-3 days if it can’t empty which will lead to sepsis and potentially death.
Causes:
• Bacterial infection can cause swelling of the urethra which will restrict or prevent urine flow.
• A physical blockage can be caused by crystal or stone formation (crystalluria/urolithiasis) within either the bladder or kidneys; blood clots, mucus, proteins and other debris may form a plug in the penis or urethra.
• The urethra can go into spasm as a result of inflammation and/or irritation but it can also spasm as a result of stress or for no apparent reason, stress being the most likely cause.
• Tumours, scarring, nerve damage and prostate enlargement are less common causes.
• Some cats seem prone to urinary problems for no apparent reason, this is known as idiopathic (disease with an unknown cause) cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) and can lead to a urethral blockage.
Symptoms:
• The cat will go to and from the litter tray spending a long time in there trying to pass urine but with no result or possibly only a few drops.
• The cat may be very agitated and crying out while trying to pass urine.
• If any urine is passed it may be bloody or even seem to be pure blood.
• If the cat is one which goes to the toilet outside and you do not witness the above behaviour it may take longer to realise there is a problem and not until the cat is quite distressed.
• Agitation and distressed.
• Hiding away.
• Crying if picked up or if you stroke the abdomen.
• Vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Many people notice their cat is not right if they are not able to see the obvious sign of trying to go to the toilet.
• Ultimately the cat will collapse.
Treatment:
• Veterinary treatment is essential; a cat will die from a blocked bladder.
• Once diagnosed the primary concern is to empty the bladder, this will generally be by passing a urinary catheter into the bladder and draining the urine. This is often left in place for a few days following placement.
• Due to the build up of toxins from the inability to pass urine a blood test is usually taken and the cat placed on intravenous fluids to help support the kidneys and flush the toxins out of the system.
• The cat will need to be hospitalised until the urinary catheter is removed, the kidneys are functioning normally and the cat is able to pass urine by itself.
• The bladder can rupture when it becomes too full, it may occur when the tissues just can’t stretch any further but any treatment of an enlarged bladder could also cause it to burst. It is something all veterinary staff are aware of during treatment but know it is a possibility during the process of passing a catheter it may occur. If the bladder ruptures the abdomen will be filled with urine (uroabdomen), this will cause peritonitis (inflammation of the tissue that lines the inner wall of the abdomen and surrounds the abdominal organs) which is very serious and will cause death if not treated quickly and aggressively. Surgery is required to repair the bladder wall and flush all of the urine out of the abdomen. At the stage where a bladder ruptures the cat will be very sick and may not survive the surgery but if there is any chance of survival the surgery must take place.
• Medications used are dependent on individual cases as some are dependent on kidney function but cats will need pain relief, possibly anti-inflammatories and if a urinary tract infection is present, antibiotics. A lot of studies have been conducted into urethral blockages in cats and while trends are noted there are still areas that remain a mystery, some cats block for no apparent reason. Some findings are:
• Neutered male cats are more prone to urethral obstruction due to their urethra being longer and thinner than females. Females may get the bladder problems and cystitis but rarely become blocked.
• There are links to cats that only eat dry food and therefore do not consume as much liquid as cats eating tinned meat diets. There is a lot of water added to the meat whereas in the dry food the cats must actually drink to consume water.
• There are studies that have found areas of hard water seem to have more cases of cats with urethral blockage.
• Overweight male cats have a higher chance of developing a urinary issue.
• Stressed or nervous cats are prone to urinary problems.
• Indoor cats seem to be at an increased risk.
• Siamese, Persian, Egyptian Mau, Himalayan, Birman and Russian blue are breeds predisposed to certain urinary tract disease.
It is likely that this can become a recurring problem for a cat if it has happened once so if the underlying cause can be found then steps can be made to help prevent further episodes.
• If the diagnosis of crystal or stone formation is made this can be managed by a specific diet to maintain the urine at a certain pH which will dissolve crystals and prevent them forming.
• Increased water intake will be encouraged so cats prone to urinary problems may need to eat a wet diet for the rest of its life.
• Providing filtered water in areas of hard water may be advised and using a water fountain may help to encourage the cat to drink, some cats like moving water.
• Pheromone therapy may be suggested if the cat is nervous or stress. Specific plug in diffusers for cats are often used with good results making them feel comfortable within their own home. The smell produced mimics their happy scent, the one they use when purring and rubbing their face around the home etc.
• It is really important to get advice on your home environment if you have a stressed cat as you may inadvertently be causing your cat to be unhappy leading to physical problems. Cat behaviour is complex, just by putting the cat litter tray or food bowl in the wrong place could lead to untold stress for your cat.
• It may be the case you are advised to use several of the preventative measures for your cat. Your veterinary surgery will be able to advise you on this.
A blocked bladder is serious, early detection is paramount for any chance of a good outcome and adapting to your cats’ needs must be factored into the long term care following urethral blockage or restriction.