Bladder & Urinary problems in cats and dogs.Cats and dogs can suffer from many problems to do with the bladder, some dog breeds such as Dalmatians are thought to be predisposed to urinary disorders. Cystitis is a very common problem in cats; it's very painful and if left untreated can quickly escalate into a more serious problem. You may see your cat displaying odd behaviour; increased trips to the toilet but producing very little urine, over grooming towards their backend, sometimes blood is visible in their urine, they can become more vocal or do the opposite and withdraw from normal contact, they may eat less and be less responsive. If you see any of these signs it's important that you take your pet to the vet for a check up. Male cats are particularly prone to a full blockage of the bladder, this can be very serious and your vet will need to see your pet straight away. So what causes Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)?
There are many triggers - stress, infection, obesity, predisposition, anatomical influence (the way the body parts are structured) - cats that have one episode are very likely to have repeat occurrences, but don't worry, there are lots of things you can do to help your pet. Your vet may prescribe medication for the immediate treatment of the problem. They may also discuss long-term treatment and prevention plans with you. We are able to offer you a wide range of top quality diets, prescription medications and vital supplements that would help the condition including; Diet - Royal Canin Urinary dogs, Royal Canin Urinary cats and Hills C/D dogs and Hills C/D cats
Diet is crucial in the treatment and management of urine problems. Environmental conditions within a normal bladder don't allow bacteria to grow or crystals to form. Cats and dogs with most urine problems have conditions within their bladder that promote bacterial growth and crystal formation, such as an alkaline pH. These special diets have been created to help combat bladder problems by maintaining normal urine pH and by actually dissolving any crystals that have formed. When fed any of the specified diets long term, they support the prevention of bladder conditions moving away from normal again and the problem reoccurring. You may also have seen that Hills offer another urine diet called S/D, this diet is made to combat a specific urine crystal called Struvite. Your vet will have advised you if your pet has this sort of crystal. Both diets are available in a dry and wet form. It's important to note that your pet must be encouraged to drink lots of fresh water, so a wet diet maybe a better option. Leave plenty of water bowls around the house to encourage an increase in fluid intake. Supplements - Cystaid Cat & Cystaid Dog and Cystease Cat
The inside of the bladder is protected from urine by a thin layer of mucus. Repeated attacks of cystitis and/or infections weaken this barrier. The bladder wall is not protected as well as it should be and in turn this causes pain, inflammation and can lead to infections so the whole cycle starts all over again. The supplements mentioned above have been designed to support the cells that produce the protective layer of mucus, helping to maintain those all important normal conditions. They are sprinkle capsules that can go directly onto food so there's no mess or fuss. Most vets will strongly recommend the use of one of these supplements. Please note that Cystease capsules are not suitable for use in obese pets or pets that may have diabetes, so please check that both of these conditions are not applicable with your vet before using. Combat stress and anxiety - Feliway, DAP and Zylkene
All kinds of situations can cause stress in cats and dogs, anything from moving house to moving furniture around the house can cause upset. There are many ways to reduce stress, provide a secluded litter tray away from busy parts of your house, provide multiple trays, bowls of food and water in multi-pet households, is your pet being bullied outside? Are your children pestering your pet? As stress is becoming more widely recognised as a trigger for some medical conditions, excellent products are becoming available to help pet owners soothe their worried pets. Feliway for cats and DAP for dogs contain a synthetic pheromone used to create a calm atmosphere in your home, in carriers and on bedding. Some pets are more susceptible than others but I have personal experience with this product and would thoroughly recommend it. It can be purchased in a handy spray form or as an odourless electrical plug in. Zylkene is a capsule that can be sprinkled onto food or given whole, it contains a patented bioactive peptide which has been studied by behaviour specialists and many well known institutes. | |
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