FLUTD/FUS
Contact Author: Vick

Disclaimer: the information provided below is not intended to replace or override the advice of your veterinarian. Both the author and the site owner assume that this information will be used to work with your vet in planning the best treatment plan for your cat



 

What are the symptoms?

Note: not all of the symptoms need be present for your cat to be in trouble. If you notice any of these symptoms or are concerned your cat may be having difficulty urinating call your vet immediately! If he or she has a urinary blockage, they can die within hours.

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What is FLUTD?

The term Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is used to describe a host of problems associated with a cat's lower urinary tract: inflammation of the bladder and/or urethra; the formation of crystals and tiny stones in the urine; and the partial or total obstruction of the urethra. FLUTD may also be called Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS), Lower Urinary Tract Disease (LUTD) or Cystitis.

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What should I expect at the vet?

If they suspect a blockage, they will likely take your cat from the exam room to a back area where they can work better. This is really easier on the cat and them, so let them take him. Once in back, the vet will palpate your cat's bladder and try to manually express it - basically, she'll squeeze it gently to see if urine can pass through the urethra. If your cat is blocked and urine cannot pass through, they will sedate your cat in order to pass a catheter up his urethra into the bladder to clear the blockage.

A blockage generally means an overnight stay. They will use a couple stitches to keep the catheter in place, attach a bag to collect the urine and keep the cat under observation. At the clinic I worked at, we usually gave subcutaneous or IV fluids too. After the cat has had the catheter in for at least a day, the vet removes it and the cat is watched for a while longer to be sure he can urinate on his own. Your vet will test your cat's urine to determine what crystals led to the blockage, and then will select a diet appropriate for the type of crystals your cat has.

If the cat is not blocked, your vet will do a urinalysis. Some vets feel comfortable using a needle and syringe to collect the urine directly from the bladder (this technique is called cystocentesis), while others prefer to hold your cat for the day and wait for him to use an empty litter box. Either way, they really need the sample to help you help your cat. The urinalysis will tell them the pH, if there is any blood or bacteria present and how concentrated the urine is. In addition, they will examine any sediment in the urine to determine what type of crystals (if any) are present. Again, the vet will make diet recommendations based on the crystal type.

If your cat merely has a bladder inflammation, some vets will prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria that are causing the inflammation. Sometimes a vet will prescribe antibiotics even if no bacteria are found but they think the crystals will scratch the bladder and lead to infection. Still other vets will prescribe the antibiotics even if they can find nothing wrong. This has happened to my cat Sam several times. The vets have told me that even though they can't find the cause, the antibiotics always seem to help. I believe this occurs because of the phenomenon I mentioned earlier: unobstructed cases tend to resolve within 5 days regardless of the treatment used. So now I tell them I have antibiotics at home and save myself $20 if they can't find anything wrong with him :)

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Does my cat need a special diet?

That depends.

If your cat had a bladder infection, diet probably isn't to blame. But if he had crystals or a blockage, look long and hard at what you're feeding. In either of the latter two cases, your vet probably sent you home with either a prescription food or recipes for a special diet anyways.

If you are free-feeding your cat a dry food, sometimes simply switching to feeding 1 or 2 meals a day of at least a high quality canned food will eliminate the problem. Better still, a switch to a raw diet cures many chronic crystal producers. But not all of 'em. Of course, my Sam is one of the exceptions (he exists to torture me:). I've tweaked his diet with the help of a holistic vet and tried herbs, homeopathy and vitamins to get his problem resolved, and none have afforded us a permanent solution. I recently purchased a urinary acidifier in the hope that will do the trick. We'll see.

The more water you get into the cat, the better, as it will help dilute the urine and decrease the concentration of crystal components in the urine. Add a little filtered water (not tap water) to your cat's canned, cooked or raw food. Your cat's bladder is about the size of a walnut when empty, so just getting a couple extra tablespoons of water in your cat will help. If your cat is amenable to it, you can use a syringe to administer extra water. I give Sam 5 cc's (5 mL or one teaspoon) at a time, several times a day. I also add extra water to his food, and sometimes do sneaky things like strain the liquid from tuna in spring water and add lots more spring water to spread it out, then pour a tablespoon or so on his food. Or add lots of extra water to a meat baby food and use that as 'gravy'.

I think the most helpful diet related thing you can do is stop leaving out food all day and stop feeding dry food. Feed your cat two meals a day, and clean up all traces of food after 1/2 hour of serving him. When cats smell food all day, their bodies react by becoming more alkaline, and their urine is affected as well. By leaving food available, you may actually be helping create the crystals that are causing you (and him) so much distress.

If you'd really like to make your own food, and don't have a holistic vet to work with,  check the various food and supplement recommendations below, then look through our cooked diets or raw diets to decide which appeal to you and talk to the people on the mailing list to see what's working for them. It's weird, but from what I've seen, one thing that works for one cat may not work for another, so ya gotta talk to people and see what's been tried.

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Is there anything I can do that will help prevent later attacks?

Vitamins A, C and E are very helpful. Pitcairn recommends the following for one month after an episode:

For sub acute cases where the cat is uncomfortable but not obstructed: ** Give every 4 hours for a total of 3 treatments, then wait for 24 hours. If there is no improvement, reassess the situation. **

For chronic cases try shave grass, (a.k.a. horsetail) for two to three weeks. Bring one cup of water to a boil. Pour it over one rounded teaspoon of dried herb or one tablespoon of fresh herb. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Give this twice a day

Anitra Frazier looks more to vitamin and nutritional support. She recommends that at the first sign of a urinary problem, withhold all solid food and give your cat 500 mgs of Vitamin C, 100 IU Vitamin E and a teaspoon of chicken broth. For the rest of the acute phase and during convalescence, she bolsters her veterinarian's treatment plan with the following:

Once the cat has recovered: Dr William Winter suggests increasing water intake (of distilled, spring or mineral water) by adding high water content foods, adding water to food and regular fasting on water, broth, bouillon or juice. He also suggests adding Sea Salt to the diet to encourage water consumption.

In addition, he recommends you try to acidify the urine by offering tomato or cranberry juice; giving 1,000 mgs of Vit C 1 - 2 times a day; offering a few drops of apple cider vinegar; or by use of a commercial acidifier. You also want to make it as easy and pleasant as possible for your cat to urinate. This can be accomplished by having multiple litter boxes that you clean fastidiously. Also be sure the litter is one your cat likes and you do not feed him anywhere near the box.

For cystitis, Dr. Winter suggests the following

Homeopathic Therapy:

Herbs: Supplements back to top

Sources Consulted


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