Cat Crystals In Urinary Tract

Chronic urinary tract infections.

Cat crystals in urinary tract.

Urinary tract obstruction especially in males urine spraying. Especially with cats that have been on a dry food diet for some time. Urinary crystals are microscopic structures that can be found in the urine of many animals including cats. Flutd includes crystal formation in the bladder which might obstruct the cat s urethra.

Water is the most important solution for a cat s urinary health. A lot of dry foods don t provide the proper balance of nutrition and vitamins a cat needs and they can develop urinary tract crystals struvite stones. This is a medical emergency that can very quickly lead to kidney failure and or rupture of the bladder and can prove fatal if the obstruction is not relieved. Calcium oxalate and struvite crystals make a kitty s urine sparkly in the sunlight but this glitter is anything but good in your cat s urinary tract system.

For most cats suffering from urinary issues such as crystals or bladder stones wet food is best since it has more moisture to keep your cat hydrated that s one of the reasons why we picked royal canin s veterinary diet urinary so canned cat food for the overall best cat food for urinary tract health. If you cat is adequately hydrated there are minimal chances of your cat suffering from urinary crystals. Some normal animals can have crystals in their urine although sometimes they are indicative of an underlying issue especially if present in large numbers or accompanied by urinary symptoms. Untreated urinary problems can cause partial or complete obstruction of the urethra preventing a cat from urinating.

Crystals and urinary stones form thanks to dietary and metabolic issues and can also be see in feline utis. The detection of urinary crystals is not synonymous with kidney stones or the clinical signs associated with them nor is detection of urine crystals irrefutable evidence of a stone forming tendency but there is some association with an increased risk for kidney stones in animals that are. Struvite specifically is a material that is composed of magnesium ammonium and phosphate. Struvite crystals are microscopic crystals that are found in the urine of some cats.

The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes. Well the treatment will depend on which type of crystal is involved as the options are really quite different for each crystal type. If your cat has been displaying symptoms of urinary tract disease and has been diagnosed with crystals you are likely very keen to know what treatment options are available. Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.

What can happen if a cat s lower urinary tract problems go untreated.