Common Urinary Problems in the Dog and Cat

Urinary problems in the dog and cat are quite common.  Signs that your animal may have a urinary problem include urinating in strange places (such as the sink or kitchen floor), frequent urination (peeing small amounts in short periods of time), suddenly not being “house broken” or “litter box trained”, and straining to urinate. Other signs may include lethargy, bloody urine, no appetite, and urine with a funny odor.Many urinary problems respond well to treatment and can be prevented with diet and lifestyle changes.

The first urinary condition to consider is the basic urinary tract infection. These infections usually involve the bladder and are diagnosed by analyzing a urine sample (urinalysis). With recurrent infections, further diagnostics may include a culture (to determine which “bugs” are living in the bladder and which antibiotic will kill them the best) and routine blood work (to make sure the infection does not involve the kidneys or their function). A round of antibiotics cures most basic urinary infections. In rare instances, dogs and cats may have to remain on antibiotics for a month to be completely rid of an infection. We recommend that a follow-up urinalysis be preformed 2-3 days before finishing the prescribed antibiotics.

The next most common urinary condition is urolithiasis or more commonly, bladder stones. These stones form from minerals in the urine and can become very dangerous since smaller stones can pass into the urethra and cause an obstruction. Obstructions can be lethal to animals if left untreated.  Most bladder stones are diagnosed either by ultrasound or by a radiograph. Feeding a special diet that changes the pH of the urine can dissolve certain types of stones. However, most bladder stones need to be surgically removed. Depending on the type of stone, changing the pets’ diet and offering distilled water may prevent their reoccurrence.

Cats also suffer from a disorder called FUS (feline urolithiasis syndrome). FUS is a disease in which the male cat forms a urethral plug from crystals found in the urine and becomes “blocked”. FUS is very uncommon in female cats. Signs that a male cat may be blocked include crying in pain, spending a lot of time in the litter box without producing urine, having a low body temperature, or going into a coma. A complete urethral obstruction in a male cat is considered an emergency and needs immediate care. Blocked cats require sedation, fluids, antibiotics, and urinary catheter placement. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to clear the obstruction. Reoccurrence of FUS can be prevented in most cases by changing the cat’s diet. Cats are true carnivores. They require a diet that is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. To prevent FUS we recommend feeding a canned diet that is specially formulated for urinary care, which tends to be lower in minerals (ash). These diets also lower the pH of the urine that helps in preventing reoccurring infections.  Weight loss and exercise can also help prevent FUS.

The last urinary problem that I would like to discuss is urinary incontinence. This syndrome usually affects middle aged to older spayed females; however, males can be affected and occasionally we see this problem in young animals.  Signs of incontinence include a wet bed; leaking urine without active voiding and wet spots after the animal sits or sleeps.  Incontinence is usually caused by a lack of hormones, mainly estrogen.  This lack of hormones allows the sphincter at the bladder neck to open and urine leaks out.   Most incontinent animals can be helped with medication. The first treatment tried is actually an antihistamine (Proin), which helps to tighten the sphincter in the neck of the bladder.  This medication usually has to be given 2-3 times a day and the dose is altered as needed. If Proin does not work, incontinent animals are treated with estrogen supplementation.  Estrogen can have some detrimental side effects and is only prescribed when Proin is ineffective.