Blood in the urine or hematuria (Haematuria) in cats is accompanied by the release of some blood when urinating.
Hematuria in cats is one of the symptoms of a number of infectious diseases, as well as diseases of the genitourinary system of cats and injuries.
Normally, a cat's urine is clear; the color of the urine can vary from light yellow to orange. A healthy cat should have no impurities or blood in its urine. Urine should not have a strong odor.
Causes of blood in urine
The cause of blood in a cat's urine may be:
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 cat owner notes the appearance of severe blood loss. 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.
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 testing. 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.
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.
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.
If a cat has urine with blood or clots, this is not just an alarming symptom, it is an SOS signal, because this is a sign of bleeding or necrosis of tissue of internal organs (usually the kidneys or bladder). Sometimes the process is so advanced that nothing can be done.
Hematuria in a cat
Clots or inclusions are visible to the naked eye, as are the symptoms accompanying the disease, which appear much earlier than changes in the composition of urine.
Pathology can be noticed earlier. In cats, urine is normally transparent, light and without impurities; urine with blood has a darker color (brown or reddish), which allows one to suspect hematuria and do a simple clinical analysis.
In rare cases, the color of reddish urine may be normal - if the animal eats red vegetables (beets or carrots). An unusual treat for cats, but it does happen. However, at the slightest suspicion you should get tested - and everything will fall into place.
Causes of hematuria
Most often, this symptom is characteristic of pathology of the genitourinary organs of any pathogenesis and etiology: infections, systemic diseases, tumors, helminthic infestations, injuries, chemical and food poisoning, accompanied by kidney dysfunction. Hematuria is the main symptom of both primary and secondary damage to these organs. Hematuria can also be a sign of the disintegration of malignant tumors of any location.
Associated symptoms
Hematuria does not occur suddenly - it is a long and gradual process. As a rule, other symptoms characteristic of the pathology that caused the change in urine composition first appear.
Most often, long before the manifestation of this dangerous symptom, you can notice that:
- the cat has become restless or lethargic;
- loss of appetite or increased thirst;
- pronounced local pain in the pelvis and abdominal cavity;
- the process of urination is painful;
- urinary incontinence may develop.
Each of these symptoms in itself is a reason to visit the clinic for examination. This is the only way to diagnose a serious illness before dangerous symptoms appear.
Collection of material for analysis
If your cat has blood in his urine or it just seems like the color has changed, you need to get tested. The material for this is easy to assemble yourself at home. You will need to remove the filler from the tray, wash the tray itself thoroughly and cover it with a wire rack. Then collect the urine in a clean, sterile container and take it to the doctor.
Sometimes the process of urination is too painful, or the cat is very shy, and the material cannot be collected. In this case, catheterization is needed, but it will be done by a doctor in a clinic or on a home call.
First aid
Methods of self-medication and traditional medicine in this case are not only useless, but also dangerous. You should also not expect that the doctor will be able to advise you over the phone or Skype. Contact medical examination and visual examination are required. Therefore, first aid is a trip to the clinic, and as quickly as possible.
If a cat has blood in its urine, but for some reason it is not possible to take the sick animal to a doctor immediately, there is something you can do yourself:
- You can temporarily relieve painful spasms with drotaverine or baralgin intramuscularly;
- Furadonin can be used as an antiseptic;
- before examination by a doctor, decoctions of parsley and juniper roots, which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects, will not harm;
- Provide the sick cat with peace and warmth. It is especially important to protect the animal from drafts;
- provide a gentle diet: pureed and easily digestible food. Sometimes you can even keep your cat hungry for a day or two if he has no appetite. But the water must be fresh and in sufficient quantity.
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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Hematuria from diseases of the genital tract - darkening of urine with vaginal discharge in cats or inflammation of the prostate in cats.
- 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.
Causes of blood in urine
Most often, blood in a cat’s urine indicates the development of urolithiasis. Scientists are still arguing about what causes the formation of stones. One of the main reasons is poor nutrition:
- the diet contains a large amount of phosphates;
- lack of vitamins;
- monotonous diet;
- a large number of sea fish.
In neutered cats, urolithiasis often develops due to stagnation of urine. The reason for this is the narrowing of the urinary canal after castration.
Why does my pet have some blood in his urine? This question worries many owners whose cats suffer from the appearance of blood in the urine, and therefore the topic will always be relevant. This disease can develop for various reasons. Sometimes the appearance of hematuria is caused by infections (especially during exacerbation). Also, blood in the urine may appear due to a strong blow. The most common causes of reddish urine are:
If your pet pees blood, contact your veterinarian immediately, as your cat's life and health may depend on it. It often happens that a cat urinates blood after a fall, so keep her safe.
If animals could speak, it would be much easier for us to find a common language with them and care for them. However, cats and dogs cannot speak. Therefore, you and I can only guess about how our pets feel, relying on the behavior of the animal (knowledge will help to better understand the cat).
Today we want to consider a situation in which our observations alone will clearly not be enough. Quite often, many owners of domestic cats, both neutered and non-neutered, complain that they notice blood or blood clots in their pet’s urine. What could this mean? What disease can it be a symptom of? How to behave in this situation and how to help the cat? We suggest you find answers to all these questions on the pages of our publication...
Why is there blood in a cat's urine?
In veterinary practice, the appearance of blood and blood clots in the urine of animals, and in particular cats, is called hematuria. Translated from Latin, this term sounds like bloody urine. If your animal has urine like this, this is a serious symptom that should not be ignored. And, it indicates that your four-legged furry friend has serious health problems. But before we look at these problems, let's find out what the urine of a healthy pet should look like.
So, urine is the liquid that is formed in the kidneys and excreted through the urethra system. At the same time, along with such excrement, harmful metabolic products, foreign substances, salts, enzymes, vitamins and even hormones are removed from the animal’s body... In principle, this is a completely natural and normal process that helps maintain the normal internal environment of the body, which we we call it homeostasis.
A healthy animal's urine should be clear and may be yellow or even orange.
By the way, the latter depends on the cat’s diet (find out) and the nature of metabolism in his body. If a malfunction occurs in the body (which we will find out a little later), the color of the urine changes, it becomes cloudy, and bloody strands or clots may be observed in it.
Depending on the condition of the cat, the appearance and smell of its urine changes.
Causes of blood in urine
Diseases of the genital tract, as well as systemic diseases and various pathologies (including heart failure, blood diseases, liver diseases, overheating) can also lead to hematuria...
As a rule, a symptom such as blood in the urine is often accompanied by the pet’s refusal to eat, a general depressed state, and an increase. Often, a cat experiences pain while urinating, so it meows loudly, rushes around the apartment and tries to go to the toilet in places where it should not be done.
If you notice such symptoms and similar changes in your pet’s behavior, do not ignore them. It's time to consult a veterinarian. And, it’s better to go to a doctor’s appointment right away not empty-handed, but with collected urine.
How to collect cat urine for analysis
In fact, collecting the urine of an animal, especially your domestic cat, for analysis - it will help determine the cause of this condition of your pet - is not so difficult. The main thing is to follow our recommendations and take some precautions. Regarding the latter, it is better to carry out all manipulations with gloves to protect yourself from possible infection, if that is the case.
Before collecting urine and after it, the cat's litter box must be disinfected, removed from the tray, and the grid must be left. When your pet goes to the toilet again, you must carefully collect the urine using a syringe and pour it into a special container (this can be purchased at a pharmacy).
Urine should be collected 3-4 hours before testing. If you collect it in the evening and go to the veterinary clinic only in the morning, the results of the analysis may be biased.
If an animal has problems urinating, then in order to collect a urine test, it will need to have a catheter inserted, however, this procedure must be carried out in a veterinary clinic.
How to treat hematuria in a cat
Sometimes, a visual examination of urine may not show the presence of clots and blood impurities in it, therefore, the animal’s urine must be taken to a veterinary clinic for analysis. There, using special methods, specialists will be able to determine whether red blood cells, protein, leukocytes, acetone, pus, microbes, epithelium are present in the blood of a mustachioed-striped pet... Based on test results, as well as, in combination with data obtained as a result of a clinical examination , it will be possible to establish a diagnosis and identify the cause that led to the appearance of blood in the animal’s urine. Depending on the diagnosis, the appropriate course of treatment will be prescribed. As you can see, The participation of a veterinarian in this process is mandatory, therefore, you should not self-medicate the animal.
As a rule, in case of hematuria, the animal is prescribed a course of anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic drugs. If the animal’s condition is advanced, you have waited too long to contact the veterinarian; the cat may be prescribed a course of antibiotic therapy. , immune drugs, herbal infusions are prescribed depending on the condition of the pet and their administration should be done by a veterinarian, and not by you. This should not be done even by people who are interested in medicine or have a medical education.
Veterinary medicine is a completely different field, and although it has some similarities with “human” medicine, there are a number of drugs that can kill an animal rather than help it.