Content
- What is urinary incontinence?
- Urinary Incontinence Symptoms in Cats
- Causes of urinary incontinence in cats
- Diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence in cats
- Types of treatment to apply
Anyone who has a cat at home knows how careful they are with their personal hygiene, especially when it comes to using their litter box correctly. When the feline messes out of its place, this is a sign that something is wrong, whether or not it does it intentionally. Keep reading this PeritoAnimal article to know everything about urinary incontinence in cats, its causes and treatment.
What is urinary incontinence?
It is the inability that the animal develops to control the muscles of the urethra. sphincter does not stay closed, making the cat unable to decide when to urinate, continuously suffering from accidental spills or losses.
Incontinence is never manifested for a casual reason nor should it be ignored, as it indicates that something is wrong with the cat's health, either emotionally or physically.
When it has been confirmed that it is incontinence and not territory marking, you shouldn't scold the feline, as he does not intentionally urinate. An appointment with the veterinarian is necessary to determine the cause of the problem.
Urinary Incontinence Symptoms in Cats
Like any other health problem, urinary incontinence is accompanied by various signs like the following:
- Drops or puddles of urine when the cat gets up.
- Abdomen and wet paws.
- Strong smell.
- Urine in unusual places.
- Dermatitis.
- Inflammations or skin diseases.
- Swelling of the pelvis or vulva.
Sometimes, the feline urinates outside its box to indicate that it feels uncomfortable, as when suffering from a urinary tract infection, for example. Therefore, it is important to distinguish these warnings from the indiscriminate, disordered and involuntary urination that characterizes incontinence.
Causes of urinary incontinence in cats
Determining the reason that causes urinary incontinence can be tricky as it is a common symptom of different conditions and diseases. Among them, it is possible to mention the following:
- Old age: in cats over 10 years of age, incontinence may simply be a sign of old age, because the tissues are not strong enough to control the sphincters.
- Sterilization or neutering: Due to the suppression of hormones, whether estrogen or testosterone, that these procedures entail, the cat can lose control over its urine.
- Kidney stones in the bladder.
- Bladder tumor: constant pressure and generates an uncontrollable urge to urinate.
- Congenital deformities: the bladder or urethra are not positioned where they should be. It manifests itself during the first year of life.
- Diseases like feline leukemia or diabetes.
- Urinary infections: like cystitis, they cause an urge to urinate that the cat cannot satisfy due to the discomfort of the disease.
- Stress caused by changes in the feline's routine (a change, the arrival of a baby or other pet, etc).
- Trauma to the pelvis, hip or spine resulting from a fall or a very strong blow that affects the nervous system.
- Obesity.
- Overactive Bladder Syndrome.
- Neurological problems.
Diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence in cats
Because of multiple causes of incontinence, treatments are varied and can only be chosen by a veterinarian. A complete physical examination is performed, urine and blood tests, as well as radiographs, ultrasounds and other studies, depending on the case, to accurately determine the cause.
Types of treatment to apply
When it comes to incontinence by castration or sterilization, for example, hormones are usually prescribed to make up for their lack. Antibiotics and other medications are recommended for urinary infections. Faced with a tumor, surgery is prescribed after treatment at home.
In obese cats and cats with kidney stones, a low fat diet is recommended, as well as some medication if necessary. If the reason for the incontinence is very serious and no other solution can be found, or the cat does not respond as expected to treatments, it is possible that a catheter or cystostomy tube will be needed for life, through which it can drain the urine. However, in most cases the patient usually responds positively to the initial recommendations.
As part of the treatment, it is also recommended a lot of patience on the part of the owners, to understand the situation that the cat is going through and help it to live with the situation as best as possible.
If the incontinence condition is chronic, we suggest the following:
- Place a larger number of sandboxes around the house, to make it easier for the cat to access them quickly.
- Place waterproof fabrics or absorbent plastics on the cat's bed, furniture in the house, and other surfaces that are difficult to wash.
- Be patient and don't scold the cat.
- Protect your cat against its own urine to prevent skin infections. Clean your fur when you find it damp or dirty and ask your veterinarian for other recommendations.
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.