Blood in the urine or hematuria in cats might indicate a serious causal disease process. The familial hematuria is commonly implicated in the young cats, while the cancer is the common cause in the younger felines. The female cats are at higher risk for urinary tract infections, which lead to blood in the urine than are in males. Get to learn more about this feline condition. Give this article a read!
Hematuria in Cats: What is this feline condition?
Professional vets use the term hematuria in describing the presence of blood in the urine of a cat. The female cats are more likely to develop this feline condition, rather than in males/. The existence of blood in the urine may be an indication of an infection, a more serious health condition, or a hereditary issue.
Moreover, if the cat develops an issue in its urinary tract, you might notice some blood in its urine. This may be an indication of a mild condition or it might be a sign of a more serious, causal condition.
Furthermore, there are several types of conditions, which might cause the cat to have a blood in its urine. Some of the most common are as follow:
- Maladies of the urinary tract
- Diabetes
- Diseases of the endocrine system
- Infection
Causes of Cat Hematuria
A range of conditions may cause hematuria to happen. They may range from mild to very serious and may include the following:
- Idiopathic or of indefinite origin
- Medications
- Kidney stones
- Cancer of the urinary tract, which may happen with tumors
- Trauma
- Blood clotting conditions
- Parasitic infection
- Abnormality of the urinary tract
Symptoms of Cat Hematuria
The signs and symptoms of hematuria in cats that are in association with blood in the urine vary on the cause of the malady. Below are some of the most common symptoms, which may accompany in the cat’s urine:
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Excessive thirst
- Distended abdominal area
- Urinating in uncommon places inside
- Avoiding the litter box
- Elongated straining or squatting while on the litter box
- Ammonia odor in the urine
- Licking of the urinary area
- Pain when urinating
- Palpable mass in the cats that have tumors
- Red, raised skin patches
- Passing urine more often than the normal
- Red stained urine
Prognosis of Cat Hematuria
The vet may need some information from you right before examining the cat, in order to determine the cause of the condition. He‘ll start by asking some questions regarding the cat’s behavior and health. Further, make sure to give as much info as possible about the cat’s pre-existing health conditions, trauma, and birth history, which might have happened. Moreover, the doctor may also ask when did the signs first begun and if they‘ve increased in austerity recently.
Right after the vet took a medical history, he will be examining the cat. A blood sample might be taken from the cat, too. A CBC, urinalysis and biochemical profile may also be run at this point in time. Moreover, the vet may also use a strip, in order to determine if the red discoloration in its urine is really blood.
Some diagnostic tests like in-house X-rays might also be used in diagnosing the cause of the hematuria in cats. Additionally, an ultrasound may be conducted in providing additional information, contingent on what the doctor thinks the problem might be. In addition, a CT scan with a contrast dye might also show a comprehensive picture of the urinary tract of the cat. If the vet palpates a mass in the abdominal area of the cat, he might want to conduct a biopsy. Throughout this process, he might take a trifling tissue sample of a tumor. This will be sent to an outside lab. This process is used in determining if the tumor’s malignant or benign.
Treatments for Cat Hematuria
It’s significant to cure the cause of the hematuria in cats, as soon as possible, in order to avoid any serious complications. The cats, which have blood clotting conditions may lose a huge amount of blood in a short time. Diseases like kidney stones may entirely hinder the bladder and may cause it to breach. This might be a dangerous situation for the cat.
The treatment for hematuria in cats largely depends on the condition that’s causing it. If the infection is causing the hematuria, the veterinarian might place the cat under antibiotics treatments, until the infection finally clears. Cats, which are unstable or dehydrated may be cured with IV fluids. Cats, which have been on medicines like steroids that causes blood to show, might be taken off gradually. In addition, it’s dangerous to stop the medications too quickly, so the vet may wean the cat from these medications. In some cases, this is already enough in stopping hematuria from happening. If the veterinarian finds tumors or kidney stones in the urinary tract, surgical operation might be suggested.