CYSTITIS AND LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE
What is cystitis?
Cystitis is a general term referring to inflammation in the urinary bladder. The term cystitis
does not imply a specific underlying cause.
In cats, diseases of the lower urinary tract (bladder and urethra) are grouped under the term
‘feline lower urinary tract disease’ (FLUTD). This is due to the fact that it can be difficult to
distinguish between diseases of the bladder and urethra, and many diseases will affect both
structures.
What are the signs of FLUTD?
Typical signs in cats with FLUTD are those of inflammation and irritation of the lower urinary
tract. The common signs are therefore:
• Increased frequency of urination.
• Difficulty in urinating (spending a long time straining on the litter tray while passing only
small quantities of urine).
• The presence of bloody urine or a foul odor.
• Complete urinary tract obstruction resulting in the inability to urinate (straining
persistently without producing any urine).
With urinary tract obstruction, it is important to seek immediate veterinary care because
blockage to the flow of urine can be a life-threatening complication if untreated.
What causes FLUTD?
There are a vast number of potential causes of FLUTD, but many cats experience severe
inflammation of the bladder and/or urethra without an identifiable cause. This is known as
‘idiopathic' or ‘unknown’ FLUTD. These idiopathic cases must be differentiated from other
potential causes so that appropriate treatment can be given. Some of the potential causes of
FLUTD are listed below:
• Idiopathic - unidentifiable cause
• Urinary calculi or bladder stones
• Bacterial infections
• Neoplasia - tumor
• Anatomical abnormalities
• Urethral plugs - blockage of urethra with a mixture of crystals or small calculi/stones and
inflammatory material
How is FLUTD diagnosed?
The initial diagnosis of FLUTD is based on the identification of signs of lower urinary tract
inflammation. The clinical signs displayed by the cat are often characteristic of FLUTD. A
urinalysis will confirm the presence of inflammation or infection.
Initially, a cat with uncomplicated FLUTD may be treated symptomatically with antibiotics.
However, if the signs do not respond to this treatment or if there is recurrence of the clinical
signs, additional diagnostic tests may be required to identify the underlying cause of the
FLUTD.
What further tests are required to diagnose the cause of FLUTD?
When clinical signs are persistent or recurrent, a number of investigations may be required to
differentiate idiopathic FLUTD from the other known causes of urinary tract inflammation.
These diagnostic tests include:
• Laboratory analysis of a urine sample
• Bacterial culture of a urine sample
• Blood samples to look for other evidence of urinary tract disease or other systemic
disease
• Radiographs (x-rays) of the bladder and urethra
The information from these tests should help to identify a specific treatable underlying cause if
present.
What is the treatment for FLUTD?
This depends on the underlying cause. For example:
• •Cases of idiopathic disease may respond to treatment with anti-inflammatory or
analgesic (‘pain-relieving’) drugs, but it is crucial that you only use drugs specifically
prescribed by your veterinarian, because many human products are extremely dangerous to
cats.
• •Bacterial infections of the lower urinary tract usually respond well to antibiotic therapy.
• •If a cat develops a blocked urethra (this occurs almost exclusively in males), emergency
treatment is required to remove the blockage, which may require flushing of the urethra while
the cat is given a short-acting anesthetic.
• •If bladder stones (calculi) are present, they may have to be removed surgically or,
depending on their type, they may be able to be dissolved by using a special diet or dietary
additive
There is no universal treatment for FLUTD. Each case has to be investigated to determine the
underlying cause, and then the treatment has to be tailored to the individual cat. Sometimes
despite appropriate tests and treatment clinical signs may still recur, requiring further therapy.
How can FLUTD be prevented?
It is impossible to completely prevent diseases of the lower urinary tract from occurring.
However, FLUTD is more common in cats that have lower water consumption and in cats that
are inactive and obese. All these factors may relate, at least in part, to the frequency with
which a cat urinates. Weight control and encouraging exercise may be of some help in
preventing FLUTD.
If a cat develops urinary calculi (stones) or crystals, the feeding of special diets (available from
veterinarians) may help to prevent FLUTD.
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| Animal Hospital of Fate 1001 North W.E.Crawford (Highway 66 in Fate) Rockwall, Texas 75087 972-722-0066 |
1001 North W.E.Crawford (Highway 66 in Fate) Rockwall, Texas 75087 972-722-0066 |
| Darren L. Goucher, DVM Dusty B. Goucher, DVM The Staff of the Animal Hospital of Fate |
