Content
- Causes of crystals in cat urine
- Symptoms of crystals in cat urine
- Types of crystals in cat urine
- How to eliminate crystals in cat urine? - Treatment
- Diet for cats with crystals in urine
Crystals in cat urine are a problem to pay attention to as they can easily end up forming stones, popularly known as stones. They can cause urinary obstruction, which is an emergency.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will see which factors predispose to the appearance of crystals in cat urine, which are the most frequent types and what measures should be taken to eliminate them, but we have already stated that proper nutrition and hydration are essential . Read on for all the information about the crystals in cat urine.
Causes of crystals in cat urine
The crystals in cat urine are formed from minerals normally present in the urine and which, due to different circumstances, have grouped together to form the crystal. The set of crystals is called a calculus or stone. They are more common in male cats, which have a narrower urethra. They usually appear at a relatively early age, between 2 and 5 years.
Other risk factors are the obesity, a dehydration, as the volume of urine decreases, some illnessesinfectious and stress, quite common in cats because they are very sensitive to changes in their routine. In the same way, a concentrated urine, for example if the cat drinks little water and little urine, constitutes a risk because it increases the probability of formation of crystals and makes its elimination difficult.
If you suspect that the cause of crystals in your cat's urine is stress, don't miss this article on 11 things that make your cat stressed.
Symptoms of crystals in cat urine
Symptoms of crystals in cat urine are pain when urinating or the presence of blood in urine, which is known as hematuria. In addition, the cat that is eliminating crystals may show changes in its behavior at the time of evacuation, such as urinating outside the litter box.
Upon noticing any of these symptoms, we should quickly go to the veterinarian, as the clinical picture can get complicated. Urine crystals are one of the causes of the disease known as FLUTD, which affects the lower urinary tract of cats and is often recurrent. In severe cases where stones form in cats and an obstruction occurs, there are more symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, pain in the abdominal region or distended abdomen. It's a case of veterinary emergency. A complete blockage of urine can be fatal to the cat.
Types of crystals in cat urine
Depending on the minerals present and the characteristics of the urine, different types of crystals can be noticed in cat urine. The most frequent in this species are the crystals of struvite, based on ammonium phosphate and magnesium. However, its incidence is currently decreasing, as it is known that it can be avoided through diet, which can modify the pH of the urine and decrease magnesium levels.
Another type of crystal that appears in cat urine is the calcium oxalate. They are becoming more frequent as struvite ones are decreasing because they are related to lower magnesium intake. That is, with a diet reduced in magnesium, the formation of struvite crystals is avoided, but it provides the circumstances for the formation of calcium oxalate crystals.
Other types of crystals can be found in cats, although they are diagnosed in a smaller percentage of cases. Are the crystals of ammonium urate, uric acid, calcium phosphate or cystine. Regardless of type, crystals can be located anywhere in the urinary tract.
How to eliminate crystals in cat urine? - Treatment
Treatment for crystals in cat urine it will depend on the type of crystal gift. That's why it's important to have a good diagnosis. The veterinarian can identify the crystals by looking at a urine sample under a microscope. It is not always easy to collect urine from cats, which is why the veterinarian often needs to extract it directly from the bladder. Stones can be seen with radiography, ultrasound, or both.
Drugs can be used to remove some crystals. Also, an important part of the treatment is the diet and the hydration, as we'll see in more detail in the next section. With a specific feeding, the struvite crystals can be dissolved. On the other hand, calcium oxalate crystals will not break down with dietary modification, and may need to be removed in surgery. Cases of total obstruction are also resolved with surgical intervention.
Diet for cats with crystals in urine
On the market we find several specifically formulated foods to dissolve and prevent the formation of crystals in urine. These foods are lower in protein, balanced in minerals and rich in sodium. They modify pH, prevent excess minerals and increase water intake.
In the case of struvite crystals, the aim is to reduce ammonium phosphate, magnesium and pH.For those with cystine or urate, protein intake should be limited. The cat must consume these foods for a few weeks to eliminate the crystals. But not only is nutrition essential, hydration also plays an essential role. Cats tend not to drink a lot of water. Perhaps because in nature their prey provided them with a great deal of fluid or because their ancestors lived in desert regions.
If, in addition, the cat is fed only chow, it may be that it is not well hydrated, and a good Hydration is essential for proper elimination of urine.. In the presence of crystals, it is necessary to increase the volume of urine to decrease its concentration. Therefore, it is recommended that the diet, if it is based on feed, also includes moist food. This is what is called dietmixed.
Also, it is necessary to encourage the cat to drink water. One idea is to install a font. Cats love moving water. Putting several drinking fountains and, of course, always with clean and fresh water, is essential. It has also been shown that dividing the daily ration into several portions makes the cat drink more, as do wide-mouth drinkers that their whiskers don't touch. Drinkers should be placed away from the litter box and food. And finally, the digestibility of food also influences. A low quality diet implies a greater loss of water at the faecal level, not urinary. It's all the more reason to feed your cat with quality products.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Crystals in Cat Urine - Types, Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.