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A painful condition for cats

Urinary Tract Infections in cats can be very painful and need to be treated immediately

For all you cat lovers, here's all you need to know about Urinary Tract Infections.

Urinary Tract Infections, or UTIs, are caused by bacteria in the bladder or urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). UTIs are uncomfortable and can make urinating a painful ordeal. It is simple to test for and treat the infection at a early stage, as left untreated for a long time can prove to be life threatening.

Symptoms

* Frequent attempts to urinate; the cat is constantly scratching in and around the litter box.

* Small amounts of urine (wet spots in the litter box are small)

* Straining; the cat spends lots of non-productive time hunched over in the litter box.

* Painful urination; the cat may cry whenever he eliminates.

* Blood in urine; you may sometime see blood in the urine spots, but sometimes the blood can be seen only with a microscope.

* Inappropriate urination; the cat urinates in unusual places, such as on the floor, the couch, or your pillow.

UTIs can usually be treated very effectively with antibiotics. If left untreated, they can get worse, sometimes very quickly. The infection can ascend into the kidneys, prostate, lining of the heart and other organs. Urethral obstruction-when the cat's urethra becomes partly or totally blocked-is one of the most serious results of disease of the feline lower urinary tract. Male cats are at greater risk for obstruction than females because their urethra is longer and narrower. Complete urethral obstruction or blockage is life threatening and requires immediate veterinary attention.

Pets that cannot urinate could have a stone blocking the urethra. This is especially common in male cats. This requires emergency medical treatment

Give additional fluids - Cats that don't drink a lot also don't urinate a lot, and this allows bacteria to stay inside the bladder and urinary tract. You can't force pets to drink, but you can increase their fluid intake by giving them moist foods or by moistening dry food with a little bit of water or chicken broth.

Provide clean water - The chemicals in some drinking water can deter pets from drinking. This makes them more susceptible to infection because their urine gets very concentrated. It is recommended that you give your cat filtered or spring water to encourage them to relieve and to also prevent urinary tract nfections (especially if your cat is prone to them).

Provide plenty pee breaks - When cats are recovering from urinary tract infections, you want to encourage them to urinate as often as possible. Frequent urination will prevent urine in the bladder from getting too concentrated.

Keep her clean: In females, the urethra is very short and bacteria can ascend very quickly to the bladder. If your pet gets infections frequently, you may be able to prevent problems by giving her bottom a quick wipe with a baby wipe or wet paper towel whenever she urinates. This will remove bacteria before they get a chance to move upstream.

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