Kitty, nurse Amy’s beautiful cat, recently came in with a suspected blocked bladder. Dr. Giné confirmed the blockage by palpating a firm, large bladder in his abdomen. Due to the severity of the matter, he was admitted into hospital where we anaesthetised him and placed a urinary catheter to relieve the blockage. We confirmed the placement of the urinary catheter via an x-ray.
We performed a series of blood and urine tests to determine the underlying cause and severity of Kitty’s condition. Luckily his case was mild as he was brought in promptly after nurse Amy noticed him straining to urinate and displaying abnormal behaviors at home. Kitty was on IV fluids for the rest of the day and taken to NEVS for overnight monitoring.
After 3 days of in-hospital care, he made a full recovery.
Kitty was diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). This is a type of lower urinary tract disease that causes inflammation of the bladder in cats. The underlying cause for this condition is unknown but potential contributing factors include stress, bladder wall defects or inflammation controlled by the nervous system.
Clinical signs include:
- Straining to urinate
- Increased frequency of urination
- Blood in urine
- Urinating outside of the litter box
- Inability to urinate – especially in male cats (this is an emergency and your cat need immediate veterinary attention)
Managing FIC is done via a multimodal approach where we make several changes to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Changes include reducing environmental stressors, increasing water intake, dietary modification and in some cases, behavioral medication.
Kitty has not had a recurrence of FIC since nurse Amy increased his water intake and started him on a urinary diet that also helps to reduce his stress levels.
