Blood in your cat’s urine may not be an emergency, but it could be a symptom of a few common health concerns affecting cats.
As a cat owner, one of your priorities is to make sure your cat is healthy and happy. For this reason, you may be extremely concerned to find blood in your pet’s litter box. Blood in your cat’s urine may not be an emergency, but it could be a symptom of a few common health concerns affecting cats. Be sure to call your cat clinic if you find blood in your cat’s urine so that you can determine how serious the problem is. Here are a few common problems that could be causing blood in your cat’s urine.
Urinary Tract Infections
Just as humans frequently suffer from urinary tract infections or UTIs, cats do as well. In fact, UTIs can be very common in cats with kidney problems or decreased functionality. Luckily, this is typically not a serious concern, since UTIs are a bacterial infection. This makes them easy to care for with an antibiotic regimen. Be sure to get your cat into the veterinarian to get them the medicine they need for a UTI.
Crystals in the Urine
Urine crystals are particularly common in younger cats. Urine crystals can be related to your cat’s hydration and nutrition and can be quite serious. If your cat has urine crystals that go unchecked, it could create blockages that cause kidney problems. A veterinarian may recommend changing your cat’s diet to prevent worsening crystals. This can even clear up existing crystals that are causing issues for your young cat. It’s important to address this problem as soon as you notice it since crystals in the urine can be very serious, and even fatal if left unchecked.
Cystitis
Lastly, cystitis is perhaps the most common cause of blood in cat urine. This condition must be diagnosed by ultrasound, so it’s important to get your cat into the vet when you notice blood in the litter box. Cystitis causes straining and increased frequency of urination. The condition has no cure, but your veterinarian can help you treat cystitis by implementing dietary changes. These changes will typically be related to hydration. Cats do not typically drink a lot of water, but cats affected by cystitis may need to eat more wet food in order to increase their water intake and help prevent health issues.
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For 20 years, the Catonsville Cat Clinic has been providing quality veterinary care to the cats of Catonsville and beyond! Dr. Pam Nesbitt, who purchased the practice in July of 2011, runs the Catonsville Cat Clinic with compassion in mind. A team of professionals with an advanced level of veterinary medicine is at your service to make sure your cat is healthy and happy. So stop on by; we’d love to get to know you and your cat!
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