Saving Your Cat from Hematuria -Blood in Cat Urine

Hematuria is a medical term that means "blood in urine", or occurrence of red blood cells in the urine, to be more specific. When your veterinarian diagnoses your cat with microscopic hematuria, this means that while your cat's urine might look normal, red blood cells are found in the urine, when examined under a microscope. On the other hand, gross or macroscopic hematuria means the blood in the urine can be seen with the naked eye.

Why does your cat suffer from hematuria? According to veterinary science, there are various conditions that causes your cat to discharge blood in its urine. Aside from accidents and injuries, complications in the urinary tract, bladder, kidneys, like infections, tumors or stones are known causes of hematuria. Poisoning can also be the cause of the blood discharge in your cat's urine. If for instance the cause cannot be diagnosed, it is called "idiopathic".

Blood discharge in your cat's urine is not the only sign that your cat may be suffering from some serious medical conditions. If you see that you cat, who used to be very active, becomes flaccid and unreceptive, it might be a cause for alarm, especially when these changes in behavior are coupled with some pain in the stomach area. If you also notice that your pet is frequently urinating than its usual, or is in pain when urinating, these might be signs that your cat is feeling something bad.

Regardless of the cause, cat hematuria needs immediate medical attention, specifically by a veterinarian.

Aside from physically examining your cat, a Veterinarian would normally run some laboratory tests to confirm and determine the cause of your cat's hematuria. These tests might include urinalysis, complete blood count or even an abdominal ultrasound. These diagnostic exams will help find out what your cat is suffering from and save its life.

Once you notice blood in your cat's urine, do not hesitate to run to your veterinary clinic for proper action.

Since there are varying causes of hematuria, each cause may need to be treated differently. Normally, the first stage of the treatment is having your feline friend get enough water. Dehydration is common for cats suffering from hematuria.

In case when your cat is diagnosed with stone in the urinary tract or bladder, the stones can be removed through surgical procedure. If you feel that open surgery is risky, some vet practitioners could recommend special diets that would help dissolve the stone in your cat's bladder. But that depends on the size of the stone.

Veterinarians can also prescribe antibiotics to treat the cause of your cat's hematuria. Especially if your cat has been diagnosed with an infection, the antibiotics will kill and eliminate these bacteria that cause the blood discharge in your cat's urine. In case where poisoning is the confirmed cause of the blood discharge, your cat would need extra dosage of Vitamin K.

Urinary tract infection is actually considered common problems among domesticated pets, including cats. Your cat's urinary tract provides the path to where urine exits, but at the same time for some bacteria to come in. The high concentrations of urea in your cat's urine is responsible for cleansing this path way and the bacteria that are potential causes of infection. When your cat does not frequently urinate, these "flushing" process do not happen which can also affect other vital organs like bladder and kidney. In the end, infection becomes severe and blood discharge in the urine becomes apparent.

To prevent this from happening, make sure your cat gets enough water or moisture in its diet. Having a clean litter box can also help minimize bacterial growth and infection, especially those bacteria from cat feces.

If you do not want to subject your pets to the strong effects of antibiotics, there are herbal and natural remedies available in the market. These natural medication acts to maintain the normal pH levels in the urinary tract. When buying natural remedy for your cat's urinary tract health, make sure that they contain active ingredients such as Arctostaphylos uva ursi, the herb Berberis vulgaris, Cantharis(6C),Staphysagris(6C) andLactose. These natural ingredients have been proven to help maintain a healthy urinary tract and bladder.

Blood in your cat's urine, regardless of its cause is an alarming medical condition that would need your veterinarian's attention. The good news is that there are so many options to prevent, diagnose or cure this condition in your feline friend, if you act on it right away.