Cat Care: Hematuria or Blood in the Urine

Cats have now become a part of the family like dogs and are equally good companions. They require a lot of attentions and care in order to remain the cuddlesome pets that they are.

Cats can cause worries with their ill health

Taking care of a cat and showering it with the attention that it has a right to, is the responsibility of every owner. If you take your responsibility seriously, there is no doubt that any problems with the cat can cause you to get upset. Its ill health can cause you insomnia and especially so if you notice that your cat is passing blood in its urine. This dangerous sign can even cause you to be totally upset and lead to panic.

Urine in the blood

Cats urinating blood is a sign of very bad health. It indicates a medical condition which needs to be treated as soon as possible as the cat will be suffering from hematuria. This condition may be visible to the naked eye, in which case it is called 'gross' or maybe 'microscopic', in which case it will only be visible under a microscope.

Causes of hematuria

There are a number of reasons why a cat will develop this condition of hematuria. It can indicate stones in the urinary tract or parasites in the tract causing this bleeding. It could be the result of cancer or abnormalities in the urinary tract that are genetic and there by birth. Hematuria can also be the result of an accident and the trauma due to this. Bacterial infections of the genital tracts can cause vaginitis or cystitis. If the cat has eaten some poisonous substances, this can also cause it to pass blood in the urine. Sometimes no causes are immediately apparent and this condition is called idiopathic hematuria and may be the result of a kidney problem. Medicines are also known to cause hematuria.

Treatment

The causes leading to hematuria are varied and can cause the condition to be classified as mild or severe. Mild conditions can easily be treated, whereas a severe condition would require expert medical intervention.

The treatment will depend on the factors that are causing the hematuria and the vet may decide on x-rays or analysis of the urine, sometimes both, to find out the exact reason for the hematuria. Quite often a dose of antibiotics may suffice to take care of the bacteria and infection that have caused the condition.

Bladder stones may be the cause of the hematuria and here the vet would advice that the cat drinks a certain amount of water or liquids so that the bladder stones are caused to be removed from the system.

Diet can also cause this condition and an alert vet would suggest a change of diet so that the food causing the formation of the bladder stones is avoided. Vitamins K and C may be advised. The ingestion of any poison is alleviated by the use of Vitamin K.

Remember that hematuria or the passing of blood in the urine is not the normal condition for a cat and you need to be alert and take your cat to the vet at the first sign of this problem.

Sources: http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-urinarytract-problems.htm
http://www.petplace.com/cats/hematuria-in-cats/page1.aspx