Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease- blood in urine

Bloody urine in cats is a fairly frequent problem that may be caused by several possible diseases, such as urinary tract infections, urinary stones, tumors, bleeding disorders and more. One of the most common diseases is feline lower urinary tract disease. Often the underlying cause remains unknown and the disease is defined as idiopathic.

Affected cats make frequent trips to the litter box, attempt to urinate in or out of the box with production of little or no urine, and often will have blood in their urine. They also lick their genital area and may complain about their discomfort.

It is speculated that the inflammation of the lower urinary tract is stress related. Factors such as a recent move, family life events, addition of new pets, environmental changes or weather changes may play a roll in the development of the problem.

Males as well as females are at risk, however male cats are more prone to urethral obstruction and therefore to a life threatening complication of the disease.

Treatment depends on the disease entity and stage. Removal of known stressful factors is important. Medical management is aimed to reduce the inflammation and to avoid bacterial infection. Dietary management to manipulate the urine composition and acidity is also a common practice. Obstructed cats are treated promptly to remove the obstructing material and allow urine outflow.

It is difficult to distinguish between urinary tract diseases based on the clinical signs, as they are very similar. It is recommended to seek veterinary care for any cat showing the above signs as soon as the problem occurs.