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Sophia is not only very spiritual but she is also very creative; she’s involved in the local poetry organization and has become quite a star in the South Florida poetry reading events. As an employee who normally volunteers to work late each day when asked, I was shocked when she unexpectedly began running out the door at the end of her shift without even saying goodbye. Sophia also seemed a bit distracted and not behaving like the lively and delighted employee that I had come to know over the past several years. Out of concern, I made a decision to ask her if there was anything wrong or if there was anything I could do to help her. As she began speaking her eyes filled up with tears and she became visibly upset.

I have come to realize after years of being around musicians and artists that creative people tend to be very sensitive and emotional. through her tears she was able to describe the situation at her home involving her cat who had turned the family’s beautiful rug into her large personal litter box. each day Sophia had to run home and clean up after the cat before other members of her family came home and smelled or stepped in the urine. Her greatest concern was that she would be forced to give up her cat. After suggesting to her that it is possible that this condition may actually have a cure, Sophia called her veterinarian. The doctor did diagnose the cat with a urinary tract infection and prescribed a week-long course of antibiotics. apparently the infection was causing all these problems and after a week, what seemed like vindictive peeing was absolutely cleared up after the infection was cured.

Cats seem to suffer a lot more from urinary tract illnesses than other kinds of illness. at times we blame the cat for urinating at improper locations outside the litter box, and often the cat may even look like he or she is straining to urinate. These routines could be related to anxiety or other psychological influences but not always. The cat could be suffering from lower urinary tract disease, which may be caused by lots of different conditions of the urinary tract. Although some of these causes may possibly get better by themselves, a lot of do not. If the urethra gets obstructed, it need to be treated by the veterinarian as a medical emergency.

FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) can occur because of an infection, stones in the urinary tract, cancer, and stress. Interestingly, anxiety is normally the greatest cause and could be due to the litter being too dirty, regularly moving from home to home, another cat not being nice, or an owner not paying attention to the cat. Cats, like a lot of pets, prosper on the attention and love of their owner. anxiety isn’t only responsible for causing this condition but it can also be responsible for a variety of other illnesses. It is interesting to note that anxiety is the cause of multiple illnesses in humans also, so petting a cat can be good for both the cat and the human.

Symptoms of FLUTD are mostly seen in and around the litter box. Symptoms to enjoy for include: the cat appears to be urinating too often, seems to be in pain when urinating, has blood in the urine, appears weak and not motivated to do anything, and possible vomiting. If any of these symptoms are seen, it is crucial to take the cat to see the veterinarian. Your veterinarian can figure out the cause and come up with a treatment plan. considering that this condition could potentially be life-threatening, the sooner the vet is checked out the better.

Treatment may include antibiotics if there is a bacterial infection, surgery if there is an obstruction, or making a dietary change if a struvite stone is identified. It is possible that the veterinarian might want to lessen calcium oxalate stone formation by giving the cat Urocit-K a potassium citrate product which comes in 10mEq (1080mg) and 5mEq (540mg) controlled release tablets. If struvite stones are suspected, a dietary change may be recommended. A product called DL-Methionine may be prescribed for some cats as a urinary acidifier which will help to dissolve the struvite stones.

It is normally better for the cat, and less costly, to stop FLUTD than to treat it. The crucial to prevention is minimizing anxiety and diluting the urine. supplying the cat with clean water in any way times is very important. Cats are very sensitive and lots of are so finicky that they will not drink old water or dirty water. Changing the cat’s water at least once a day or twice even better will make sure that the cat is not avoiding it because it’s not “up to cat standards.” Some people find that their cat drinks a lot more water when given access to a pet drinking fountain with a stream of moving water. giving moist food instead of dry cat food may also help increase the water intake of the cat. It’s little things that we do daily that add up to a healthy cat.

As always if you suspect anything wrong with your cat it is very crucial to make an appointment to see the veterinarian. The earlier the detection and treatment occurs the better the prognosis and normally the lower the cost of treatment.  additionally if you have any medication related questions your 1800Petmeds pharmacist is also available to answer those for you.