Question: Feline Urinary Issues Pt 3

Dr. Schaeberle,

My cat continues to have urinary issues and problems, why?

Thanks,
Heather

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Dear Heather,

In the past two articles I discussed the complexity of feline bladder disease. To review, the cause of feline bladder inflammation includes infection, bladder stones, irritating crystals in the bladder and rarely cancer. But in over 50% of cats we never really know the exact causes of bladder inflammation (termed feline idiopathic
cystitis). Today we’ll discuss the treatment and prevention.

A urinalysis is our best test to determine a probable cause. Once we know what is causing the inflammation then we can discuss treatments. For an acute painful
bladder inflammation with an unknown origin, I will give fluids under the skin to help dilute the urine, antibiotics just in case we have infection and a special diet. I recommend Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D, the food is a magnesium restricted diet that retards crystal and stone formation. Over time the prescription diet creates a healthy urine pH.

Depending on the severity of feline bladder disease other treatments can include surgery, pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-anxiety medications may be used when the suspected cause is behavioral.

So how can we prevent urinary disease in cats? The most important thing you can do is to encourage as much fluid intake as possible. For cats with chronic problems, offer a wet cat food 2 to 3 times daily and add extra water to the food. Always offer cool fresh water daily and try a pet fountain that constantly moves water, as some cats enjoy drinking moving water.

As mentioned above, there are prescription foods formulated to help with urinary issues in cats. An exam and urinalysis is a great place to start when you suspect your pet is having a urinary problem. Please visit myshilohvet.com, go to Resources, and explore feline lower urinary tract disease.

There are only 3 hospitals in the York Area accredited by the AAHA. The Shiloh Veterinary Hospital in Dover, Shiloh Veterinary Hospital East in Manchester and
Patton Veterinary Hospital in Red Lion.

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, V.M.D.

Question: Feline Urinary Issues pt 2

Dr. Schaeberle,

My cat continues to have urinary issues and problems, why?

Thanks,
Heather

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Dear Heather,

As I reviewed last week there are many different causes of urinary issues in cats. In general the age of the cat is important in determining the cause.

Younger cats vs Older cats - the statistics:

In 50% of younger cats a cause cannot be determined. Only about 1 to 5% of young cats experienced true bladder infection.

Yet in a cat 10 years or older the percentages are reversed, 50% have an infection versus only 1 to 5% unknown causes.

A urinalysis is an essential first step in determining the disease causing the cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). Your veterinarian also may recommend x-rays of the bladder to check for stones. In some cases, a labratory test called a culture and sensitivity can be useful. The test checks urine to determine what bacteria might be growing within the bladder and what antibiotic can best be used to fight it.

I personally feel that most of our bladder diseases are related to a single problem. Cats are poor water drinkers and when urine gets extremely concentrated crystals can develop. The crystals then cause irritation, can form into stones or can create an environment susceptible to infection.

I remember many years ago reading an article in which it was suggested that cats were domesticated by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. As the Egyptians went into middle Africa in search of stones for their pyramids, they brought back kittens from the Congo River Valley. There is lots of water in the Congo River Valley and not much in the desert of Egypt. So the theory goes, cats were forced to drink less water over the centuries and as a result their urine became more concentrated. Although I’m not too sure about this story, it is true cats seem to drink less water than dogs and people.

Next week we are going to talk about the specific treatments for each form of bladder disease. Please visit myshilohvet.com, go to Resources, and explore feline lower urinary tract disease.

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, V.M.D.

Question: Feline Urinary Issues pt 1

Dr. Schaeberle,

My cat continues to have urinary issues and problems, why?

Thanks,
Heather

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Dear Heather,

A number of years ago one of my partners, Dr. Hoffman, commented that many diseases that we had difficulty either diagnosing or treating 25 to 30 years ago are now diagnosed and treated with ease. One exception however is feline urinary disease. The trouble is that feline urinary disease is a complicated syndrome with multiple causes. Thus my plan is a three-part series. Today I will talk about the variety of lower urinary tract syndromes we see, next week I’ll discuss the causes, and in two weeks I’ll review the treatments.

The usual history of lower urinary disease is either that the cat is urinating outside the litter box and/or straining to urinate in the litter box. Our first job is to decide if the cat has urinary disease or a behavioral problem. A urinalysis is needed to determine if we have disease.

What are the typical feline urinary diseases seen?

Bacterial infection. The simplest cause but researchers say it is not that common in young or middle-aged cats.

Irritating crystals in the urine. The development of mostly magnesium crystals in the urine can cause a life-threatening urinary blockage in male cats. As crystals develop they can plug the urethra, which if left untreated, can be fatal. It is believed by many veterinarians that these crystals in the bladder can cause a cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) in both male and female cats.

Bladder stones. As with dogs and people, cats can develop bladder stones which mostly are made up of either calcium or magnesium. A bladder x-ray is necessary for this diagnosis.

Bladder cancer. A relatively a rare disease in cats.

Feline idiopathic cystitis. The word idiopathic means that we simply do not know the cause of the bladder inflammation.The inside of the bladder is inflamed but no cause has yet been determined.

Please visit our website myshilohvet.com, go to Resources, and explore feline lower urinary tract disease. You will see that this syndrome causes almost 50% of our cystitis cases.

Next week we will talk about the cause of these syndromes.

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, V.M.D.

Question: How safe is anesthesia for my pets?

Dr. Schaeberle,

How safe is anesthesia for my pet?

Thanks,
Jody

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Dear Jody,

As with the human medicine, anesthetic agents and protocols have greatly improved over the past few decades. When I was a student at the University of Pennsylvania 32 years ago, I was trained to use a common combination of human anesthetics to anesthetize pets. Shortly thereafter I experienced my first anesthetic death in a small poodle. It was devastating to me and I even questioned whether I wanted to practice veterinary medicine.

With the many changes in anesthesia protocols through the years, veterinary medicine is now safer for all pets, including older dogs and cats with chronic medical conditions, not just young pets for neutering.

What is the difference over 30 years?

1. Probably the biggest difference over the past few decades has been in anesthesia monitoring. As a certified member of the American Animal Hospital Association, we are
obligated to monitor all pets that undergo surgery. All of our patients are monitored for oxygen levels, respiratory and pulse rates, body temperature and EKG recordings.

2. As mentioned in last week’s article, we are proud to have 8 college graduate technicians. Our technicians are well-trained in anesthesia protocols and the monitoring of anesthesia. They stay with the pet from the beginning of anesthesia to the pet’s awakening.

3. Over the past 30 years, there have been a few new anesthetic agents introduced but what has changed veterinary medicine the most is the combination of anesthetics that we use, increasing safety dramatically.

4. The placement of an IV catheter and administration of IV fluids helps to maintain a stable blood pressure while a pet is under anesthesia. It also allows rapid delivery of the anesthetic drugs, and if necessary, life-saving medications in the event of an anesthetic problem.

5. Lastly, preoperative bloodwork is mandatory for most of our anesthesia and surgery cases. Anesthetic drugs are removed by the kidney and/or liver, and problems such as diabetes or clotting disorders are also picked up with preoperative bloodwork.

Go to our website, myshilohvet.com to download our surgery check list: under Services, Fees, click on Major & Minor Surgery. This informative brochure will help you understand the keys to a safe surgery for your pet.

Thanks,
Thomas Schaeberle, V.M.D.