Normally, each biological fluid has a characteristic color, smell, and composition. If any of this changes, then they talk about changes in the functioning of the body. In animals, as in humans, the appearance of foreign elements in the urine is common. Sometimes it turns red. It is important for the owner to know if a cat is peeing blood, what to do and how to treat it.
Causes of blood in urine
The cause of blood in a cat's urine may be:
- Diseases of the genitourinary system (urethritis, cystitis, urolithiasis, renal lymphosarcoma, polycystic kidney disease, kidney parasites).
- Damage to internal organs as a result of a fall or injury.
- Cat worms.
- Hemolytic poisoning (poisoning of animals with zinc compounds).
- Infectious diseases (leptospirosis).
- Invasive diseases (pyroplasmosis).
- Reaction to the administration of certain medications to a cat.
- Hypothermia.
- Poorly performed cat sterilization operation.
- As a result of uterine bleeding after lambing, during heat and during estrus.
Establishing diagnosis
If you notice blood in your pet's urine, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. During the visit, a specialist will examine the animal and perform a series of diagnostic procedures to identify the causes of blood and make a diagnosis.
The examination includes:
- Studying the medical history : with the help of a specialist responsible for storing data, the veterinarian will obtain a history of visits to the clinic. From the owner’s words, information will be collected about the animal’s behavior, changes in the environment and the pet’s daily schedule, as well as other important points that were noticed by the owner.
- Physical Exam : At the appointment, the veterinarian will examine the animal.
- Blood and urine tests: the results will show the condition of the cat’s internal organs, as well as the presence or absence of dehydration, inflammation in the bladder, and infections.
- Sensitivity test and urine culture: Ideally, urine collection should be done through cystocentesis, a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the bladder through the abdominal wall.
A urine culture is a way to identify the specific bacteria that may be causing a urethral infection. Using this method, a urine sample is placed in a special environment that promotes the growth of bacteria for subsequent identification of the microorganism.A sensitivity test is carried out to find the most effective antibiotic that can fight the identified bacterium.
- X-ray and ultrasound : tests are designed to detect changes in organs and detect urinary stones.
Symptoms of hematuria in cats
The main symptom of hematuria in a cat is the presence of blood in the urine, causing the urine to appear red or brown in color. Additionally, the owner of a cat with severe blood loss notes the appearance of anemia in the cat. The cat experiences painful urination and meows during urination. The act of urination is difficult, the cat hunches its back, the cat urinates in small portions, sometimes past its potty, until urination is delayed.
With hematuria, the cat’s general condition is depressed, the cat’s behavior changes (meows loudly, rushes around the room), appetite is reduced, and sometimes vomiting is recorded.
If your cat has the above symptoms, you should contact a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
What to do
Abnormal bleeding like the ones described can be very alarming, but remember to remain calm. Just be aware that if this happens, contact your veterinarian immediately because different treatments will be needed depending on the cause. Additionally, some diseases that cause bleeding can be fatal if not treated promptly.
Also remember that you should never self-medicate your cat or ignore his symptoms of illness or discomfort.
This article is for informational purposes only; we cannot prescribe veterinary treatment or make any diagnosis on the site. We recommend that you take your pet to the vet if he has any problems or discomfort.
Diagnosis of hematuria in a veterinary clinic
At the veterinary clinic, specialists will conduct a clinical examination of your cat, during which they may detect anemia in the cat. During bladder catheterization, urine will be collected for laboratory tests. Laboratory analysis includes:
- Urinalysis - determination of the presence of blood and other impurities in the urine.
- Culture of urine on nutrient media will help determine the type of infection and titrate the isolated pathogen for sensitivity to antibiotics.
- For vaginitis, a vaginal smear is taken.
- A general blood test will help determine whether the cat has inflammatory processes.
- Biochemical blood test - determine the functional capacity of the kidneys.
- Coagulogram is a blood test for clotting.
- X-ray of the abdominal organs - to detect stones in the kidneys and ureters.
- X-ray contrast examination - can detect stones, bladder tumors or congenital anomalies (bladder diverticula).
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - will detect the presence of tumors and stones in the kidneys and bladder.
- Histological examination to determine the type of tumor and subsequently prescribe appropriate chemotherapy.
- Cytoscopy is an examination of the bladder and urethra using an endoscope, allowing a veterinarian to examine the inner surface of the urinary and genital organs.
Cystitis in cats
Cystitis is the most common disease in cats after the castration procedure. Absolutely different reasons can provoke cystitis in your pet. This includes poor nutrition, quality of water consumed, stress, hypothermia, weakened immunity, chronic diseases, and various infections.
The basis of treatment for cystitis is proper nutrition - the quality and quantity of food, the regimen of intake. It is necessary to strengthen the animal’s immunity and increase the body’s protective properties.
There are specially designed diets for this; you can learn about them from your veterinarian. The doctor will also prescribe the necessary medication and create a diet.
Prevention of cystitis
Every caring owner of a neutered cat who wants to provide their pet with a long and happy life should know and adhere to the basic rules of feeding their pet:
- do not overfeed the cat, the required feeding schedule is 3 times a day;
- do not treat the animal with food from your table, especially smoked, fried, fatty, soups, pasta...
- dry food should not be given constantly; there are specially designed medicinal foods;
- Only use meat that is not fatty; it is better to steam it. It could be chicken, turkey, beef;
- It’s good to add carbohydrates to your diet – buckwheat, oatmeal;
- Make sure your pet always has access to clean water.
Treatment of cystitis
A specialist should treat cystitis in a cat and prescribe medications. Trying to choose medications on your own can harm your pet and even worsen its condition. The veterinarian will prescribe various medications as necessary.
To eliminate the symptoms of the disease and alleviate the condition, use the drug Stop Cystitis. If the disease is mild, you can take Urotropin. If bacterial microflora is detected, antibiotics may be required. If there is an exacerbation of cystitis, Furacilin will be required.
Only a veterinarian can determine the degree of the disease, the required medications, dosages, and dosage schedule. The task of the owner of a sick animal is to comply with all the necessary instructions of the veterinarian.
Practice disease prevention based on the recommendations in our article. This will help protect your pet from obesity, cystitis and urolithiasis after castration. The health of the animal is always in your hands!
Treatment of hematuria in cats
Treatment of hematuria depends on the cause of the hematuria. At home, as first aid, the owner can do the following:
- We provide the cat with complete rest in a warm room and plenty of clean, fresh water.
- For pain relief, give an intramuscular injection of an anesthetic (no-spa, baralgin).
- Solid food is replaced with liquid food.
- Give the cat a decoction of parsley or bearberry root (they have a disinfectant effect).
In the future, you will need to contact a veterinary clinic. The clinic's veterinarian will prescribe treatment for your cat in accordance with the diagnosis that caused the cat to have blood in its urine.
Once the type of bladder stones is determined, an appropriate diet will be recommended.
If the cat is bleeding, hemostatic drugs are administered.
To relieve pain and spasms during urination - antispasmodic drugs (no-spa, drotavertin).
If urination is delayed, a urinary catheter will be placed.
If the body is dehydrated, infusion therapy will be performed.
In case of poisoning with anticoagulants, vitamin K 1 will be prescribed.
In case of infection of the genitourinary system, a course of treatment with titrated antibiotics will be prescribed.
How to help a cat with bleeding
When the bandage is applied, the animal should be given sweetened tea or slightly salted water.
The limb on which the wound is located can be raised up. The blood flow to the injured vessel will be weakened.
If there is bleeding on the torso or in the neck area, apply several layers of gauze to the wound. Place a layer of cotton wool on it, then bandage everything tightly.
Also suitable for stopping bleeding are decoctions of oak bark, chamomile, sage, alum solution or iodoform. A gauze swab is soaked in one of these solutions and then applied to the wound before applying a bandage.
Prevention
Prevention of hematuria in cats is based on proper, balanced feeding, because One-sided feeding leads to metabolic disorders with all the ensuing problems. Cats benefit from the inclusion of fermented milk products in their diet as a source of calcium. Provide your cat with an active lifestyle to improve its metabolism. Never overfeed your pet because... obesity leads to a large number of metabolic diseases. Treat against helminthic diseases twice a year.
How to stop bleeding
You can stop the bleeding by applying a tourniquet or a pressure bandage. You can also simply pinch the vessel with your fingers.
Applying a bandage
A pressure bandage can help the animal with minor venous and capillary bleeding. For the bandage, use sterile gauze/bandage, folded in several layers. Moisten the material with hydrogen peroxide and apply to the wound. Then cover the tampon with a layer of cotton wool and bandage it (instead of a bandage, you can take a strip of clean cloth) quite tightly.
You need to bandage moving from bottom to top. Each turn of the bandage should overlap the previous one by about 1/3. You can put an ice pack on top - this will slow down the blood flow in the injured area.
A cat can wear this bandage for 1-2 days. Then it will need to be changed.
Application of a tourniquet
A tourniquet is applied if the cat has severe venous or arterial bleeding on the limbs or tail.
A gauze or rubber bandage is wrapped around the cat's limb over the wound and tied in a knot. You can also use a thin rubber hose or a handkerchief. Then a pencil (or pen) is inserted under the tied material and a tourniquet is wound around it. As a result, the material should stretch and compress the limb. The tourniquet should compress the limb for at least 15 minutes: during this time, the blood coagulates and forms a blood clot, which clogs the vessel. If you loosen the tourniquet too early, bleeding will start again.
Watch the force with which the tourniquet presses on the cat's limb. It should be enough to stop the bleeding, but the tourniquet should not excessively compress the paw or tail, causing pain in the animal. In summer, the tourniquet can be left on for 1.5 hours, and in winter - for an hour. It is not recommended to hold it longer, as this may cause tissue necrosis. After the tourniquet is secured, a pressure bandage is applied to it.
If you need to extend the duration of the tourniquet, it is important to loosen it for 3-4 minutes every 40 minutes. At the same time, squeeze the damaged vessel with your fingers.
If a cat has a damaged large vessel, then before applying a tourniquet/bandage it is necessary to press the vessel firmly enough to the bone.
The tourniquet must be applied carefully: if the manipulation is performed incorrectly, the tourniquet can compress the nerve endings, which will lead to limb paralysis or tissue necrosis.
If capillary or venous bleeding is not too severe, it is possible to do without a tourniquet by stopping the blood by pressing on the damaged vessel. In case of arterial bleeding, a tourniquet is required, otherwise the animal may die from blood loss.
