Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease or FLUTD or FUS is a common and potentially serious disease for adult cats. Its exact cause is still unknown. Diet, limited water intake, bacteria, viruses, and stress may all contribute. FLUTD is a general term to describe four other related conditions that affect the bladder, urethra and other parts of the urinary system.
Feline Cystitis – occurs in both male and female cats. It affects the lining and the wall of the bladder.
Symptoms are:
Straining to urinate
Blood in urine
Urinating small amounts frequently
Failure to use litter box and urinating
Bladder Stones – crystals or stones formed in bladder in Alkaline urine (high pH) or Acidic Urine (low pH) . This condition can be managed effectively during the early stages of disease, but if allowed to continue, can be fatal.
Symptoms are:
Straining to urinate
Blood in urine
Urinating small amounts frequently
Failure to use litter box and urinating in unusual places
Urethra Stones – crystals or stones forming in the urethra, passage of urine in male cats.
Symptoms are:
No urination
Failure to use litter box and urinating in unusual places
Blood in urine
Frequent trips to the litter box
Discolored urine
Crying when urinating or licking genital area excessively
Uremia – inability to urinate, which leads to a full bladder. When blockage occurs, it is essential that immediate veterinarian care is rendered. If not treated quickly, death may follow from uremic poisoning. Uremic poisoning is the accumulation of poisonous wastes in the blood stream.
Signs of uremia:
Depression
Weakness
Vomiting and collapsing
KittyCheck™ 1
KittyCheck™ 2 Infection and Stones Monitor and KittyCheck™ 3 Diet Imbalance Monitor alert you when your cat's urine has high pH (alkaline urine) or low pH (high acidity urine).
For more information on FLUTD, check the websites below:
www.cfain.org/health/urinary-tract.html www.woofs.org/health/illnesses.html www.hdw-inc.com/healthfus.HTM