Why does blood appear in a cat's urine and how to treat it

Cat owners may not always understand that their pet needs urgent treatment due to hidden symptoms of the disease. These conditions include hematuria – the appearance of blood in a cat’s urine for various reasons. As a rule, this problem often goes unnoticed in time, since the animal urinates in a tray with filler, where it is almost impossible to distinguish the color of the urine. And even having noticed a brownish tint to the urine, not every owner understands the seriousness of this phenomenon. However, it is important to pay close attention to, as hematuria indicates that your cat is in need of emergency medical attention.

Symptoms of hematuria

The cat's discharge should be transparent and have a yellow-orange tint. If the owner finds blood in the cat’s urine, this indicates an inflammatory process or other problems in the animal’s body that need to be eliminated. First of all, it is necessary to find out why there was blood in his urine, and then begin treatment.

In order to be able to control the color of the cat’s excrement, it is worth teaching him to pee on an empty tray or choose a light-colored litter. Pink, brown or red urine with possible blood clots indicates problems with the animal's health. Deep-colored urine results from an excess of red blood cells, which indicates inflammation in the body.

In addition to the fact that there is blood in the cat’s urine, hematuria may have the following symptoms:

• lack of appetite;
• lethargy and apathy;
• increased body temperature;
• the animal urinates past the tray onto furniture and carpeting;
• When a cat pees, nervousness is observed in its behavior as a result of painful urination.

Red urine may be the result of your cat eating carrots or beets. In this case, you don't need to do anything. The most reliable method for determining the presence of blood in urine is a laboratory test for red blood cells.

Collecting urine for analysis

Red discharge in cats indicates serious illnesses that may require long-term treatment. The first thing the animal owner needs to do in this situation is to collect urine for analysis. After this, you need to show the cat to the veterinarian, and send the finished material for research. For laboratory tests, urine collected no earlier than 3-4 hours ago is suitable.

Rules for collecting analysis:

• The tray must first be rinsed with hot water;
• The filler is either removed altogether, or small sea pebbles are placed at the bottom of the pot;
• The finished urine is poured into a clean container and submitted for analysis no later than 4 hours after collection;
• The animal must be fed no later than 6 hours before the test is taken.

How to collect urine for analysis

Before visiting the clinic, if possible, you should collect urine in a sterile jar for analysis. Of course, this procedure can also be done by a veterinarian using a catheter or a sterile syringe (cystocentesis), but such methods are quite traumatic, have a number of side effects and are used in emergency cases when the cat does not pass urine at all. In all other situations, urine can be collected at home.

Urine collection through a catheter is done in the clinic, but this method is traumatic and fraught with infection

Methods and rules for collecting material

To speed up the identification of the causes of illness, you need to independently prepare biomaterial for analysis. It is unlikely that you will be able to persuade your cat to pee directly into a clean jar - although some owners can even do this. Owners, taking into account the habits and character of their pets, use various methods of collecting urine:

• from the toilet, sink or bathtub - if the cat is used to peeing there;
• using a children's urine collector - this device is freely sold in pharmacies;
• from the cat litter box - the most common and reliable method.

To collect urine from the toilet or sink, they are covered with plastic bags or covered with film.

We can recommend that most owners use a regular cat litter box - a plastic tray - as an improvised urinal. This is convenient, reliable and not at all difficult to do if you follow the recommendations of the step-by-step instructions:

1. If possible, buy a new tray for collecting biomaterial - even a well-washed old cat litter box can retain residual salts and microorganisms on the walls, which will affect the accuracy of the analysis results.
2. Thoroughly wash and dry the tray and the inner grid, assemble the structure and place it in a place familiar to the animal.
3. Try to calm your pet and gently massage his bladder area if this does not cause severe pain.
4. Such preliminary actions will be enough if your cat is accustomed to pee on an empty tray - all you have to do is collect the urine.
5. If the animal refuses to go potty without litter, use one of the options for urine collection kits - they can be purchased at veterinary pharmacies, pet stores or online.
6. Sprinkle the filler from the kit in the tray as usual, and when the cat pees, carefully collect the urine - for this, the kit has a special pipette, but you can also use a regular syringe.
7. It is important to maintain maximum cleanliness when collecting urine so that unnecessary chemical and biological “additives” do not get into it - thoroughly wash your hands and all the equipment that you will use.
8. It is advisable to put the collected urine (in a test tube, syringe or special container) in the refrigerator and deliver it to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible - no more than five hours should pass between the time of collection of the biomaterial and the analysis.

Why is this happening

Blood in a cat’s urine is an indicator of a serious condition of the body or a disease, the development of which could be provoked by certain reasons. The veterinarian will identify them during laboratory and computer examinations. As a rule, hematuria develops as a result of various infections, diseases and injuries.

The main causes of hematuria leading to serious consequences:

• the presence of bacterial infections and diseases of the genitourinary system, such as urolithiasis, cystitis, pyelitis or urethritis;
• intrauterine anomalies in the development of internal organs, especially the kidneys;
• severe damage to the kidneys and bladder by worms and other parasites;
• damaged internal organs as a result of impacts, injuries or falls from a height;
• poisoning by poor-quality food, poisons, medications;
• hypothermia or overheating of the body;
• the presence of a malignant tumor;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Determining the cause of blood in the urine is of great importance, since further treatment and the speed of recovery of the animal depend on this.

Depending on the causes, the following types of hematuria are distinguished:

1. Renal parenchymal hematuria is a consequence of kidney problems. These can be diseases of varying degrees of complexity, injuries, inflammations, infections, tumors and other anomalies.
2. Hematuria is a pathology of the urinary tract - its causes are the presence of bacteria in the urine, infections of the bladder, urethra, ureter, as well as tumors, injuries, inflammation and other problems in the functioning of these organs.
3. Hematuria from diseases of the genital tract - darkening of urine with vaginal discharge in cats or inflammation of the prostate in cats.
4. Hematuria as a result of a systemic disease - pink or red urine in this case appears after diseases of the liver, cardiovascular system, or other pathologies such as overheating, hypothermia, excessive physical exertion.

Regardless of the type of hematuria, treatment should be carried out in a hospital or at home exclusively under the supervision of a doctor.

Diagnostics

To identify the cause of the presence of blood in urine and make an accurate diagnosis on the basis of which treatment will be prescribed, the veterinarian must conduct a thorough examination. First, a visual inspection of the cat is carried out. If the owner was unable to first collect urine for analysis, this can be done in a clinic using a catheter.

Examination methods and tests for hematuria:

• General urine analysis - indicates an excess of red blood cells and other dangerous impurities in the cat’s excretions and the presence of an inflammatory process;
• Biochemical blood test - indicates problems in the kidneys;
• Coagulogram – determines the level of blood clotting;
• Sensitivity and urine culture - helps to determine the presence of infection in the urine and select the right antibiotic;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity - determines the presence of tumors, stones and infections;
• X-ray with contrast - allows you to detect anomalies, tumors and stones of the genitourinary system;
• X-ray of the abdominal cavity - indicates the presence of stones in the organs of the urinary system;
• Cystoscopy – allows you to examine the condition of the urethra and bladder from the inside;
• Analysis of stones or histology of a removed tumor (if detected) - based on the data from these tests, the doctor prescribes a specific treatment.

First aid for detecting blood in a cat's secretions

What to do in a situation where it is not possible to immediately show the animal to a veterinarian? The answer is simple: do not self-medicate. It is advisable to try to contact the doctor by telephone to receive detailed recommendations and, if necessary, prescribe a pain reliever. You also need to take actions that will help alleviate your pet’s condition.

First aid for hematuria:

• Provide the cat with peace by placing it in a dry, clean room;
• Provide access to clean water for drinking;
• Feed the animal liquid food;
• Give your cat a decoction of bearberry or parsley, which has disinfectant properties;
• Decoctions of juniper and horsetail will help reduce inflammation of the urinary tract.

It is unacceptable to treat an animal with antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. It is important to collect tests as early as possible and show the cat to a specialist.

How to help your cat yourself

The difficulty of emergency home care is that it is highly undesirable to give your pet any medications before taking tests. Under their influence, the clinical picture may become blurred, and making a correct diagnosis will be difficult. But if it is not possible to urgently take your pet to the clinic, you should still try to alleviate his condition.

If you want to help a sick pet, take him to the clinic

What every owner can do in order not to harm, but at least somehow help the animal:

• provide peace to the sick pet by placing it in a warm, draft-free room on a bedding surface;
• intramuscularly administer pain-relieving antispasmodic drugs (No-shpa, Baralgin), which will relieve pain;
• exclude all solid foods from the diet, instead offer liquid food, easily digestible food, water - without restrictions;
• to disinfect the urinary tract before going to the doctor, give the cat decoctions of bearberry, parsley root, furadonin;
• Inflammatory products are removed from the urinary tract using a decoction of juniper and horsetail.

But even herbal decoctions can become unsafe until an accurate diagnosis is established. The main thing that an owner can do for a sick pet is to take it to the clinic as soon as possible. A personal examination by a doctor cannot be replaced in such a situation by consultations with him by phone, and even more so by advice from friends like “my cat had this too.” Don't waste time - it's pointless and dangerous.

Treatment

After receiving the diagnostic results and visual examination, the veterinarian makes a diagnosis and prescribes the necessary treatment.

Methods to combat hematuria:

• The use of anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and analgesic drugs;
• For advanced diseases, antibiotics are indicated, administered orally or intramuscularly;
• The use of vitamins, herbal tinctures and drugs to improve immunity;
• The use of drugs to stop bleeding;
• If there are stones in the urinary organs, the animal is prescribed a special diet;
• If the body is dehydrated, intravenous infusions of glucose and physiological solutions are indicated;
• For certain types of poisoning, a veterinarian may prescribe the use of vitamin K1.
• Stones, tumors and other neoplasms are removed surgically;
• If you have problems urinating, you may need to use a urinary catheter.

During pregnancy and after childbirth, the organs of the urinary system can often become inflamed and chronic diseases will worsen, but most medications in this case are contraindicated for use. Therefore, the prescription of treatment should be taken as seriously as possible, because not only the health of the cat, but also its unborn kittens depends on it.

Diagnostics

The effectiveness of treatment for hematuria in cats depends not only on timely access to the clinic, but also, of course, on how correctly the diagnosis was made. Therefore, it is very important to quickly apply all the necessary diagnostic methods, without refusing the tests offered to you - even the most experienced specialist will not be able to accurately determine the problem “by eye”.

Immediately upon arrival at the clinic, you must undergo a clinical examination by a veterinarian and do three mandatory tests:

A blood test is the most important test for suspected hematuria

This is a quick and informative diagnosis, the results of which may require additional clarification:

• general blood analysis;
• blood biochemistry;
• urine reaction (pH);
• MRI;
• oncological tests.

Analyzing the research results, the veterinarian first of all tries to exclude or confirm the presence of urolithiasis, since in the vast majority of cases, manifestations of hematuria indicate precisely this disease. Diagnosis must be as prompt as possible; loss of time in many such situations can result in death for the animal.

Prevention

Although pink urine can occur for a variety of reasons, there are not many methods to prevent this phenomenon. Almost all of them involve careful care of the animal.

Measures to prevent the appearance of blood in the urine of cats:

• The animal must receive the required amount of nutrients from food, so it is very important to monitor its diet and variety in the menu;
• It is necessary to take timely preventive measures against the appearance of worms and fleas, as well as get the necessary vaccinations on time;
• The risk of falling from a height, hitting or fighting should be minimized;
• Walking outside must be supervised. You should walk in a safe area;
• It is necessary to systematically check what type of urine the cat urinates and whether there is any blood in it;
• At the first signs of any disease, you should immediately take your pet to the veterinarian and begin treating it;

It is important to remember that treating a serious disease is much more difficult than preventing it in the early stages.

Change in the color of your pet's urine - should I worry or not?

If red urine is found in the cat's litter box, then there is no need to worry right away. First, you should remember what the mustache has been eating for the last 24 hours - beets and carrots may well change the color of the urine. Also, perhaps the cat overheated the day before and this provoked the appearance of an unpleasant symptom. Some medications have a side effect - blood may appear in the tray.

If all of the above is excluded, then you should not delay a visit to a specialist, since the specified symptom may hide various ailments, including those dangerous to the health of the mustachioed creature. In addition, hematuria usually causes discomfort to the patient, so the pet needs help as soon as possible.