Blood in cat urine causes and treatment

Finding blood in cat urine (in the litter box) is alarming for any pet owner. It may be a sign of a serious underlying cat health problems. Don’t panic though. Your best course of action should be to book an appointment with your veterinarian immediately. Even then, you may want to know some of the possible causes of bloody urine in cats. Here we explore some of them long with the treatments used.

Blood in Cat Urine Causes

What does blood in cat urine mean? As already mentioned, presence of red blood cells, or hematuria, can mean that your cat is having a serious feline condition. It is up to your veterinarian though to ascertain the underlying cause. Among the most common underlying causes of blood in cat’s urine are:

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)

FLUTD is not a single cat health problem, but a collection of clinical symptoms with numerous possible causes. It affects about 3% of cats according to Jean Hofve, DVM, a veterinarian and a contributor at CatsofAustralia.com. FLUTD is diagnosed more commonly in older cats (over 4 years old). FLUTD is characterized by signs and symptoms such as:

Video: Cat Urinary Tract Blockage Can Be Deadly-Does Your Cat Have It? Life Saving Information

• Frequent urination
• Painful urination
• Straining to urinate (affected cat passes very small amount of urine)
• Licking of the genitals
• Bloody urine
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Increased thirst
• Hard distended stomach
• Strong ammonia smell in urine

Some cats associated the burning sensation that often occur when cystitis (bladder inflammation) is involved with the litter box itself. Such cats look for alternative options, often opting to urinate in corners, on rugs, in laundry piles, on beds, or in sinks and bath tubs.

Among the most possible causes of FLUTD are:

• Crystals or stones in the bladder or urethra.
• Urethral blockage resulting from an accumulation of debris in urine. Male cats are more predisposed to blockage of the urethra than their female counterparts.
• Bladder inflammation or infection. Older cats are at higher risk for a bacterial urinary tract infection, says Dr. Kathleen Small, veterinarian and owner of Le Chat Cat Hospital. Any cat at any age can nevertheless be affected.
• Urine leakage (urinary incontinence). Weak bladder muscles and excessive water consumption are some of the common underlying causes for the problem.
• Urinary tract injury or tumor
• Stress: Stressful events such as home remodeling and severe weather can trigger episodes of FLUTD.
• Spinal cord complications.
• Congenital (birth) defects.

Video: Blood in Cat Urine - What you should know when your cat has blood in its pee

Treatment of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)

FLUTD are serious in nature. The first focus for treatment is to determine the root cause. According to Dr. Hofve, about two-thirds of FLUTD cases have an unknown cause. If the cause of the symptoms cannot be identified, the cat is assumed to have bladder cystitis (inflammation). The term “idiopathic cystitis” is often used to denote a bladder inflammation with no known cause.

The treatment course for FLUTD will vary depending on the prognosis and may involve the following:

• Medications: Antibiotics are often prescribed for cases that involve an infection. If no infection is involved, however, the focus of treatment may be pain alleviation with medications along with stress reduction. Anxiety medications may also be necessary. Steroids can also be used to treatment severe bladder inflammation.
• Dietary modifications: Cats with crystals often require a modification in their diet to regulate their urine pH. It is often necessary also to increase water intake for cats with urinary crystals.
• Urinary acidifiers: Certain types of crystals are corrected by increasing urine acidity. Urinary acidifiers are a short-term measure though as continued use may have a negative effect.
• Surgery: Surgery may be needed to remove bladder stones or tumors. Congenital (birth) defects may also be corrected surgically. Male cats whose urethra block frequently may benefit from a surgery to widen the urethra. This is a treatment of last resort and still doesn’t offer a guarantee against a recurrence of the problem.
• Urinary catheter: Your veterinarian can also use a urinary catheter to reverse blockage of the urethra.

Poison Ingestion

Another likely cause of blood in cat urine is oral intake of a poison. Rat poison is one common culprit. You should suspect poisoning if there is no other symptoms suggesting problems with the urinary tract e.g. frequent urination, licking of the urinary openings etc.

Poisoning is an emergency. If you suspect a case of poisoning, take your cat to the veterinarian immediately. This holds true even if you don’t have rodenticides in your home. Your neighbor may.

Treatment for cat poisoning involves putting the affected cat on vitamin K. this aids in blood clotting. Whether or not your cat recovers depends on how fast she is treated.

Video: Blood in Cat Urine

Bladder Cancer

Although rare, bladder cancer is another possible reason for blood in cat urine. It is seen more in older cats. When cancer is the underlying cause, the affected cat will not respond to treatment with antibiotics and will continue having blood in the urine with no other symptoms of urinary tract infections.

Video: Checking out Blood in the Urine

Female cats and obese cats are also more predisposed to bladder cancer. Bladder cancer treatment may involve one or more of the following:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Surgery
• For example, anti-inflammatory medications such as piroxicam may be given.

Acetaminophen Toxicity

According to the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Animal Science, ingestion of certain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) could also cause blood in cat urine.

Blood in Cat Urine Home Remedies

Bloody urine in cats warrant the attention of a veterinarian. You should not ignore it. Home treatment of blood in cat urine is not an option. With that said, there are still numerous home remedies that can help a cat with recurrent cases of bloody urine. These include:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a long history of use in treatment of bladder inflammation. It is a natural anti-inflammatory agent, which makes it a potential home remedy for blood in cat urine caused by bladder inflammation or cystitis.

A classic way to introduce your cat to apple cider vinegar is to pour a teaspoon or so to your cat’s water bowl. If your cat doesn’t like and thus doesn’t drink the water, try adding a ¼ teaspoon to her food. If this fails as well, try administering the apple cider vinegar orally with a syringe.

Cranberry Extract

Cranberry juice has been found to contain a compound that prevent the some bacteria (e.g. E. coli) from adhering to the bladder wall. This means that it is beneficial to cases or urinary tract infection involving a bacteria. Most cases of FLUTD however don’t involve bacteria. This suggests that cranberry juice or cranberry extract may not be beneficial to cases of FLUTD.

As Dr. Hofve however says, cranberry has still been found beneficial for many cases, including those that don’t involve bacteria.

Cranberry extract is sold in most health food stores in 250 mg capsules. These are safe for use in cats, even in the long term. Fresh or dried cranberries can also be safely added to your cat’s food.

Vitamin C and E

According to Dr. Hofve, vitamins C and E can also be helpful for FLUTD. This is especially true for cases where the symptoms are triggered by stress.

Turmeric

Turmeric is another popular home remedy for blood in cat urine. It is rich in curcumin which helps to stop bladder inflammation. To use this herbal remedy, all you have to do is add ¼ teaspoon to your cat’s food once or twice daily.

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