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In the presence of blood in cat urine it's a symptom that tends to scare the owners a lot, and most of the time with good reason. Hematuria (as it is called in medical parlance) is a symptom that can be related to many conditions and needs immediate evaluation by the veterinarian.
To inform and alert you of what may be happening with your feline, in this PeritoAnimal article we will talk about the main causes of blood in cat urine. Pay attention to your furry companion's behavior and check for other symptoms to give the veterinarian as much detail as possible, as it is essential to identify the condition in time to ensure the feline's recovery.
What is hematuria?
As we have already mentioned, the presence of blood in urine (from red blood cells) is medically referred to as hematuria. However, there are similar symptoms, such as the presence of hemoglobin in the urine, which is known as hemoglobinuria. Hemoglobin is the pigment that the red blood cell has inside, so it has to break up beforehand and massively, and be filtered by the kidney to be eliminated through urine. It is necessary to distinguish one from the other and this can be done through a cat urine analysis that only the veterinarian can perform.
What can cause blood in cat urine?
There are several conditions that can manifest with hematuria and hemoglobinuria. However, whenever trying to reach a diagnosis, the most likely causes are usually ruled out first. But, it should be taken into account that the most likely causes can vary with the cat's age, food and lifestyle habits.
The most likely causes of blood in cat urine are usually:
- Traumas. It is common when the cat has fallen from a considerable height, in addition to other trauma, there may have been a small bleeding in the bladder due to the impact.
- Infections. Cystitis in cats is usually relatively frequent, as well as balanitis in males (infection of the penis). Due to the urine elimination position, ie, crouching urination, the anal and genital area can be stained and this is the way of penetration of various infections, thus causing the appearance of blood in the cat's urine. In long-haired cats it is usually more common.
- Gallstones. In the case of the cat, it is because it is an animal that tends to drink little water, if the food is not rich in water and slightly acidic, it can gradually form urinary stones or uroliths. These rub and corrode the entire mucosa of the urinary tract, causing small hemorrhages that can be seen through the feline's urine.
- In longhaired cats It is very important to make sure the hair does not mat and does not create knots around the male penis as this could lead to infections and necrosis in the area.
- Different blood parasites. They are usually protozoa that are transmitted through fleas and ticks. When they massively destroy red blood cells, in addition to causing anemia, they can give rise to hemoglobinuria.
- bladder tumors. They are not very common in the cat, but they can occur. They usually occur in animals of advanced age and, due to the infiltration of tumor tissue in the bladder wall, it can lead to profuse bleeding.
- viral diseases associated with immunosuppression, such as feline immunodeficiency, etc. In animals, bacterial diseases are usually less resistant, such as cystitis, which present with hematuria.
- In the case of uncastrated females, the pyometra it can occur with the expulsion of hemorrhagic-purulent material through the genital orifice, being carried away by the urine.
Consult the veterinarian
Once you know the main causes of blood in your cat's urine, you can already see the importance of consulting a specialist. It will be the veterinarian who, through the information provided by the owner, the exploration of the animal and other diagnostic means (urine and blood analysis, as well as radiographs and ultrasounds), will determine the disease that the cat has and indicate the most appropriate treatment.
Remember that, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, offering your cat the basic care it needs and providing it with adequate nutrition can notably help to prevent the onset of conditions causing hematuria. In addition, and especially if the feline is of advanced age, it will be important to keep its vaccination and deworming calendar up to date.
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.