Bladder stones, or more correctly termed "uroliths", are
rock-like collections of minerals that form in the urinary
bladder. They may occur as a large, single stone or as
dozens of stones the size of large grains of sand or pea
gravel.
!! Steps !!
Check for symptoms. It's important to be certain that your cat
really does have uroliths. See your vet to be certain: in the course
of testing to pursue symptoms, a vet will take a radiograph or other
tests such as pressing your cat's abdomen, checking its urine, or
taking an ultrasonography test. If the cat has bladder stones, a
stone, or group of stones, will be seen in the urinary bladder, or
other parts of the urinary system such as the kidney, ureter,
urethra.[1] Alternatively, the cat might have no symptoms of any
kind and the stone will be discovered when a bladder infection fails
to resolve after appropriate antibiotics. Here are some of the
classical symptoms of feline idiopathic cystitis, caused by bladder
stones in 20 percent of cases:[2][3]
* Frequent urination
* Straining or distress when urinating
* Bloody urine
* Urinating in unusual places
* Genital licking.
Act fast. Growth of the uroliths will depend on the quantity of
crystalline material present and the degree of infection present.
Although it may take months for a large stone to grow, some
sizable stones have been documented to form in as little as two
weeks.[4] While tiny stones don't tend to interfere, larger
stones can interfere with urination, cause a lot of pain, and
bring about vomiting and depression in an affected cat.[5]
* If a blocked ureter is not diagnosed quickly, the blocked kidney
is destroyed.[6]
Consider the options. After discussing the severity of the uroliths
and the treatment options with your vet, you may be left with the
following options:
* Surgery. Removing uroliths surgically requires major surgery in
which the abdomen and bladder or other urinary areas are opened.
Following two to four days of recovery, the cat is relieved of
pain and dysuria (painful urination). The hematuria (red blood
cells in the urine) will often persist for a few more days, then
it stops. Surgery is not the best option for all patients but cats
with urethral obstruction and those with bacterial infections
associated with the stones should be operated on unless there are
other health conditions that prohibit surgery.
* Diet. This option seeks to dissolve the stone by placing the cat
on a special diet. This avoids surgery and can be a very good
choice for some cats. It has three disadvantages: First, it's not
successful for all types of stones. Unless some sand-sized stones
can be collected from the urine and analyzed, it's not possible to
know if the stone is of the composition that is likely to be
dissolved. Calcium oxalate stones cannot be removed by diet and
must be removed surgically.[7] Second, this method is slow. It may
take several weeks or a few months to dissolve a large stone so
the cat may continue to have hematuria and dysuria during that
time. Third, not all cats will eat the special diet. The diet is
not as tasty as the foods that many cats are fed. If it is not
consumed exclusively, it won't work.
Provide post-disease care. Your vet will provide you with the
options to care for your cat after its surgery, if this has taken
place. This may require giving your cat medication regularly, and
more frequent veterinary check-ups.
* After it is clear that your cat is prone to bladder stones, it is
important to monitor your cat's progress more closely from now and
to see the vet more regularly.
Seek to prevent future formation of bladder stones. There are
different reasons why bladder stones form. While veterinary
researchers are still not completely sure as to why uroliths form,
there has been an increase in certain types of stones (calcium
oxalate) in recent years.[8][9] Some vets blame the development of
the stones on abnormalities in the cat's diet. What you feed your
pet is very important. If you feed it with foods that have a high
salt content, the chances of the mineral forming into stones in the
bladder is also high. But then again, diet is not the only reason
why cats develop bladder stones. Infection caused by certain types
of bacteria could trigger it as well. Or, an irregularity in the
cat's system could lead to the over-production of certain minerals
that would only solidify in the bladder, leading to bladder stones.
Prevention is hard to pinpoint when the reasons are also hard to
pinpoint but there is never any harm in providing your cat with an
optimal diet.
* If not already done, ask your vet to send the stones away for
analysis by a laboratory. If your vet knows the precise mineral
content of the stones, he or she may be better placed to suggest
appropriate prevention methods, including the prescribing of
suitable medication to prevent the formation of future bladder
stones.[10]
* Feed your cat a vet-approved diet high in nutrients suitable for
cats and low in salt and carbohydrates, and avoid giving your cat
unsuitable treats.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Do not feed your cat food that is too salty.
* Check your cat's litter box regularly, to ensure that it's normal.
* Some cats are more predisposed to developing bladder stones than
other cats; for example, Burmese and Himalayan cats appear to have
a genetic predisposition to developing calcium oxalate bladder
stones.[11]
* Calcium oxalate stones tend to develop in cats aged between 5 and
14 years.[12]
!! Warnings !!
* It is a given that if urine can't pass freely out of the cat's
body, its abdomen gets very painful. Your pet could cry and wince
in pain as it urinates. Slight pressure applied to the cat's
abdominal could produce violent reactions on your cat due to
momentous pain. So be careful, and try not to pick up your cat,
taking special care of it's abdominal area.
* Always take your cat to the vet if you suspect any health issues.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Carrier for vet visits
* Appropriate food as recommended by the vet
* Medications as prescribed by the vet
* Water
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Keep a Cat Healthy
* How to Cook for Cats
* How to Take Your Cat to the Vet
* How to Give a Cat Medicine
* How to Know if Your Cat Is Sick
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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