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THE dysuria or difficulty urinating it is a symptom that can indicate a serious or very serious condition to the cat's owner. Difficulty urinating is usually accompanied by a decrease in the volume of urine excreted or its complete absence (enuresis). Both are real emergency situations, as the kidney's filtration function stops when urine is not expelled. Kidneys that don't work represent kidney failure, a situation that can really compromise the cat's life. Thus, at the slightest suspicion of dysuria or enuresis, it is necessary to take the cat to the veterinarian.
In this PeritoAnimal article we will explain to you both how to identify dysuria and the causes that can cause a cat can't urinate. Keep reading and find out to be able to describe to the veterinarian each of the symptoms that your feline presents.
How is dysuria identified in cats?
It is not easy to know whether the cat has urinated too much or too little, as the amount of urine produced is never directly measured. Therefore, it is necessary that the owner be very attentive to any changes in the cat's urination behavior. Details to be taken into account for detect dysuria or enuresis are:
- If the cat goes to the litter box more times than usual.
- If the time the cat is in the litter box increases, as well as the meowing, which is due to the pain it feels when urinating.
- If the sand does not stain as quickly as before. Abnormal colorations in the sand (haematuria, ie bloody color) can also be observed.
- If the cat starts to urinate outside the litter box, but the urination position is crouched (not marking territory). This is because the cat associates pain with the litter box.
- If the back starts to get stained, because if the animal spends more time in the litter box, it is more susceptible to staining. Also, it can begin to be noticed that the cat's cleaning behavior is lessened.
What causes dysuria?
Difficulty urinating in cats is associated with low urinary tract conditions, principally:
- Urinary calculations. They can be formed by different minerals, although struvite crystals (magnesian ammonia phosphate) are very common in the cat. Although the cause that can give rise to the calculus can be varied, it is very associated with a poor intake of water, a food with a small amount of water in its composition, a high content of magnesium in the diet and alkaline urine.
- urinary infections. Infectious cystitis and urethritis often lead to inflammation and a narrowing of the urinary tract, making it difficult for the feline to urinate.
- External or internal masses that put pressure on the bladder and urethra. Tumors in both females and males, or inflammation of the prostate (uncommon in cats).
- Inflammation of the penis in the cat. Mainly due to the presence of hair that curls around it.
- Traumatic. There may be a rupture of the urine bladder. Urine continues to be produced, but it is not expelled to the outside. It is a very dangerous situation for the cat, as it is at risk of acute peritonitis due to the presence of urine in the abdominal cavity.
What should be done?
The owner must be aware that anuresis is a potential situation of death of the animal in 48-72 hours, as it generates an acute renal failure and can go into a uremic coma in a short time, as a result of the accumulation of toxins in the body. The longer time elapses between the onset of dysuria or anuresis and the veterinarian consultation, the worse the prognosis for the animal will be. So, more than identifying the fact that the cat is unable to urinate, you should go to the specialist to be examined and determine both the cause and the treatment.
If your cat, in addition to not being able to urinate, is also unable to defecate, read our article on what to do if your cat cannot defecate.
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.