Cat Lovers - Deadly FUS - Info all Cat Owners should read!

The Home Vet Website ^ | 1/5/1998 | Dr. Jeff

[Tunehead54]

Cat lovers please go over this - my cat (4 years old)went from healthy to near death in less than 24 hours! We noticed (he's an outside cat) he didn't show for dinner - unusual. When I found him under a shed I thought he was dead and even got my wife to hold the light as all I could see is his tail and hips. When I dragged him out he was "out of it" but breathing! Bang out the door ... off to the vet.

Apparently neutered males are more susceptible to this. Please bump this because I'm not going to put it in Breaking News even though it was news to us. Ping any cat friends please.

Only $500 for an overnight stay at an emergency vet place plus over the weekend at our regular vet - I'm expecting another $400 minimum.

Sure wish our vet had mentioned a diet when we had our guy neutered. Whatever the "correct" cat food costs its go to be cheaper than this weekend's festivities.

Probably most important is feeding your cat properly. Shouldn't be all dry food and most brands have a special variety for urinary tract health. I'll know more when I get back from the pet store.

Thanks for listening,

Charlie

BTW the article is just one of many but my wife thought it was a good summary of the problem.

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Feline Cystitis [or Feline Urologic Syndrome, Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease]

Contents

What Is Feline Cystitis?

What Causes Feline Cystitis?

Are Bloody Urine and Straining to Urinate the Main Problems?

How Is Cystitis Treated?

How Long Is Treatment Continued?

Can Cystitis Occur Again?

Are There Ways to Prevent Recurrence?

What Complications May Occur Due to an Obstructed Urethra?

My Male Cat Has Had Several Urethral Obstructions. Can This Be Prevented?

Copyright ©1996 HomeVet

What Is Feline Cystitis?

The term "cystitis" literally means irritation of the urinary bladder. Although this term is rather general, there is a common form of cystitis that occurs in male and female cats. This disease is also known as Feline Urologic Syndrome (FUS) or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). It affects the bladder (not the kidneys), resulting in the production of tiny crystals and bloody urine. The cat often urinates much more frequently than normal, usually with the passage of only a few drops of urine. This can be confused with constipation. Many cats will urinate in places other than the litter box due to the irritation of the bladder wall, Hard cool surfaces such as tile floors, counter tops, sinks, and bathtubs are often used. They should not be punished for doing so.

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What Causes Feline Cystitis?

We are not completely sure of the cause of this problem. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of cystitis in dogs and humans, but most cats with cystitis do not have bacteria in their urine. Neutering of male cats has been proposed as a potential cause, but this has been disproved as an initiating factor. Dry foods may not initiate, but will aggravate the problem after it begins. This is because of the higher mineral content (ash) and lower water content of dry foods. A herpes virus has also been incriminated. Despite extensive research, the cause remains elusive.

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Are Bloody Urine and Straining to Urinate the Main Problems?

Most cats with cystitis exhibit blood in the urine and discomfort in urinating. The discomfort is usually mild but can become much worse if it is not treated. Some cats may develop stones in the bladder which can be surgically removed, or dissolved with a special diet. Male cats may develop enough crystals in the urethra (the narrow tube carrying urine out of the body) to cause an obstruction. This obstruction prevents elimination of urine from the bladder. If the obstruction is not relieved within 48 hours, most cats will die from kidney failure and the retention of toxins that were not removed by the kidneys. Because the urethra is relatively larger in the female cat, the emergency posed by complete obstruction is almost always found in male cats.

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How Is Cystitis Treated?

Each cat with cystitis is treated according to the changes in the urine (pH, crystals, bacteria, blood, etc.), the type of crystals present, the presenting clinical signs (straining, increased frequency, etc.), and the presence or absence of a bladder stone or urethral obstruction. The first line of treatment is always to increase water consumption, decrease minerals in the diet and decrease stress. This is accomplished by eliminating dry food, and mixing water in with the canned food (which is preferably a food which promotes an acidic urine pH) If neither a bladder stone nor urethral obstruction is present, proper medication will generally relieve the discomfort. A urinalysis is necessary to determine the proper medication. A special diet will help to dissolve crystals in the urine and hasten recovery. If the cat has an obstruction of the urethra, a catheter is passed into the bladder while he is under a short-acting anesthetic. The catheter is frequently left in place for about 24 hours. The cat is discharged from the hospital when it appears unlikely that obstruction will reoccur, usually 1-2 days later. If he is experiencing kidney failure and toxemia, intravenous fluids and additional hospitalization are needed.

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How Long Is Treatment Continued?

Following initial treatment, you will be asked to return the cat in 7-10 days for a recheck of the urine. This is very important because some cats will appear to feel much better, but the urine is still bloody or contains crystals. If medication is stopped based on how the cat appears to feel, treatment may terminated prematurely and a relapse will probably occur.

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Can Cystitis Occur Again?

After one episode of cystitis, a cat is predisposed to recurrence. This is due to both systemic and environmental factors. This is the primary reason that an appropriate diet should be fed in the future.

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Are There Ways to Prevent Recurrence?

Two things should be done to help prevent recurrence.

1. The most common type of crystals present in the urine are called struvite. These are dissolvable in acidic urine. Therefore, acidification of your cat's urine can be a significant means of prevention. It has been shown that environmental stress can produce the opposite of acidic (alkaline) urine. This is why cases of feline cystitis are associated with stress, e.g. travel, new pets, new people etc. Several special foods are available which acidify the urine. However, if your cat's crystals are not struvite, acidification may actually make recurrence more likely. Therefore, if at all possible, the crystals in the urine should be analyzed for their composition. This is the most important step in preventing future problems..

2. Restrict the cat's intake of dry cat food. Though dry foods do not cause cystitis, several studies have shown that the cat's total fluid intake is decreased when dry diets are fed. When the fluid intake is decreased, the urine is more concentrated with minerals and other materials that can cause future episodes of cystitis. Canned foods can result in increased fluid intake and more dilute urine. However, we know that many cats do not like canned food and that there are several distinct advantages to feeding dry food. Therefore, if there have been only a few infrequent episodes of cystitis, these other factors may be more important..

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What Complications May Occur Due to an Obstructed Urethra?

The most common complication of a urethral obstruction is bladder atony. Atony means that the muscles of the bladder wall are unable to contract to push out urine. This occurs when they are stretched to an extreme degree. Not all cats with obstructions develop atony. If this occurs, longer hospitalization is necessary. The muscles will nearly always rebound and become functional again, but this may take several days to over a week. Another complication that occurs occasionally is kidney damage. Although feline cystitis does not directly affect the kidneys, if the bladder becomes extremely enlarged, urine may backup into the kidneys and create enough pressure to temporarily or permanently damage them. If this occurs, prolonged hospitalization will be necessary to treat the kidney damage. However, with aggressive treatment, most cats will recover their normal kidney function. It should be noted that both complications, bladder atony and kidney damage, are the direct result of the bladder becoming extremely enlarged. Both problems may be prevented by prompt recognition of the problem and prompt medical care.

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My Male Cat Has Had Several Urethral Obstructions. Can This Be Prevented?

Male cats that have more than one urethral obstruction can benefit from a surgical procedure called a perineal urethrostomy. The purpose of this is to remove the narrow part of the urethra that is the typical site of the obstruction. Although this prevents future obstructions, some of these cats will still have an occasional recurrence of cystitis, though usually not as severe. This surgical procedure is also performed if the urethral obstruction is so severe that normal urine flow cannot be reestablished or if there are permanent strictures that develop in the urethra. Surgically changing the cat's urethra makes him more prone to bacterial infections in the bladder and bladder stones. Therefore, this surgery is only recommended if other means of prevention or treatment are not successful. However, the complications associated with the surgery are not life-threatening like urethral obstructions, so the surgery generally offers a significant benefit for the cat that really needs it.

Please note: The information provided here is meant to supplement that provided by your veterinarian. Nothing can replace a complete history and physical examination performed by your veterinarian. - Dr. Jeff

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I greatly value your feedback. Please let me know what you think of this site and what you would like to see on it. drjeff@homevet.com

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Last modified at 7:42 PM on 1/5/98.

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[Tunehead54]

Four grand! Yeow! It sounds like once they've had FUS they're more susceptible - also if neutered males get the correct diet the're unlikely to get it.

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Vets should tell the owners at the neutering!

[Nea Wood]

Bump from a fellow cat lover! Hope the little feller will be okay.

[George W. Bush]

Yeah - I know but you didn't have the little lady and three kids all teary-eyed at the vets - Doc save our kitty!

Okay. I surrender. But sometimes these can be an opportunity to teach young people about life and death and love and being committed to the renewal of life and love as well.

Not that I'm telling you how you manage your household. Just relating another perspective on the love of pets.

[Nephi]

Thanks for your post. We are a three cat home. My wife had two, plus my boy, Taz.

We feed them the best food, but occasionally, I've noticed that Taz develops the symptoms you mention. I merely mixed in a little silver water with their water and administered silver water through an eye dropper. Cleared right up.

Silver water is a great thing to have around the house. I have my own generator, too. You just have to be sure your silver water isn't composed of particles unless you want to look like a smurf.

[Hodar]

Oh, I certainly see your point. Growing up on a farm (S.Dak) we had tons of cats and a couple dogs. They were pets, in the sense that they would come when called, and we fed them and played with them. But they were 'tools' in that they had jobs to do. The dogs helped herd cattle, and watched the farm while we weren't home. The cats kept the mouse/rat population under control

Sure, you end up liking the animals, but they are animals. It's a much more 'realistic' point of view.

However, in the city, the pet is what enthusiastically welcomes you home everyday. It's your companion, and you come to love the animal as a family member. You live with it, sleep next to it, exercise, and eat with it. And the animal becomes more than merely an animal in your eyes. It becomes a person, at least my dog is to me.

That's why when you read about a scumbag killing a pet, to hurt the owner; my first response would be to empty a clip into the person. Throw my dog into traffic, my response would be the same as if you had done the same to my child, or grandchild. Is it right? No, probably not. But it is, what it is.

[apackof2]

buying expensive operations and health care plans for their pets

Well I guess in America we can spend our money any way we want
Some people spend theirs on booze, cigaretts, gambling, porn, some spend their trying to help a loved one

[Johnny Gage]

Ping the Canteen's biggest cat lover!

;)

[Roughneck]

Good article and good notice to cat lovers (there are more of us out here than anyone suspects I guess)

I happen to be one to believe that you cant spend too much on anyone you love - animal or human. If you have the means to spend hundreds on your cat go for it!

I happen to have a 17 year old Russian Blue, nuetered, who goes in and out at will. Just last year he came down with a urinary tract infection - cost me about $400.00 to get him fixed up, I dont miss the money as much as I would have missed that cat!

[George W. Bush]

I have my own generator, too.

Where can you order a home generator?

[Nephi]

There's a certain balance there whether you like my views or not.

Sometimes you need to ask yourself if you're adding to the dialogue, or merely being a _______.

[MotleyGirl70]

We bought the better cat food for our male cat and he lived to be 19 years old.

I use to buy Friskies when my cats were kittens but now buy Iams at the pet store (yes more expensive, but better food).

I couldn't imagine not having Motley cat or little Kumar around. It would hurt me for a long, long time. I hate to think of my cats gone. They bring me so much joy.

I know there are so many cat haters on FR, but everyone loves their own pet(s) in their own way, whether it be a cat, dog, rabbit or whatever. Pets are only as good as their owners.

[Bernard Marx]

If you must use dry food, go for the more expensive brands such as Iams which are formulated to prevent this affliction.

Iams practically killed our cat within hours of feeding it to him. It brought on an instant urinary tract crisis. There's simply no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. See your vet for advice, and make sure the vet is well experienced in felines. We now buy a special urinary tract-formulated canned food from our vet. It's expensive but what a difference it's made in our cat's life! He's an older guy but he plays like a kitten and really seems to enjoy life. We realize now we'd been slowly poisoning him with dry supermarket cat "food."

[Question_Assumptions]

One of our male cats was straining while we lived in Japan so we spend a few hundred dollars getting him checked out. He and the oldest female cat we have now both get the Hill's Science Diet cat food for cats with urinary problems. The other three cats we have (all siblings) don't seem to have this problem, though sometimes the cats eat each other's food. It was easy enough to notice something was wrong for an indoor cat (he was acting strange). You were lucky that you found your kitty in time.

[George W. Bush]

However, in the city, the pet is what enthusiastically welcomes you home everyday.

I understand entirely. But we do destroy many wonderful animals in favor of keeping old and sick animals alive. And sometimes the quality of life for the older animals is poor. It's hard for them to communicate their real pain and it's easy for us to fool ourselves into thinking they have quality of life when they are past the point where they do enjoy their lives. And, at the same time all the money is spent on them, wonderful young animals are destroyed and will have no chance at life and the love of a caring person.

But you're right. A rural perspective is very different. City life is very unnatural so it's hard to expect anything else.

[T Minus Four]

This happened to our kitty-guy, a totally indoor cat. He almost died and ended up with what I can ony describe as a "penis-ectomy", but lived a long life after that. We had never been told not to feed our fixed male cheap dry food (meow-mix).
Our current boy cat gets Science Diet. I guess canned food is best, but we refuse to deal with the mess and smell.

[spodefly]

Thanks for the info. I have 2 cats, both males, and brothers from the same litter. They are both solid black and weigh 17 pounds each. Several months ago, as I was about to go out of town for a business trip, one of them ('Baby') was found squatting in the hall and making a very uncharacteristic meow/wailing sound. I immediately took him to the vets, and thus began a tough 24 hour period for me and the cat. He had a blockage, but because I am so sensitive to these cats and their routines, I caught it very early and ultimately he was OK after a few days of care (and various poking and prodding from vets.)

When they mentioned to me that this could have killed him in as little as 24 hours, it was a shock. These aren't so much cats as they are my children / companions. I cancelled the business trip to stay and care for him. Seeing him tranq'ed up on Valuim and straining to pee was not fun. Finally, in the middle of the night, after about 14 hours of straining, the blockage broke free and he was fine. Follow-up visits to the vets confirmed that he was OK.

Feed them a good brand of food (Iams, or eq.), make sure they have plenty of water, keep the litter box clean, and respond immediately when they start acting like they are having problems of this sort.

[Question_Assumptions]

Out cats eat dry cat food (every now and then, we'll give them a soft snack or very small table scraps -- cheese, chicken, turkey) and don't seem to have any gum problems. Our vet always comments on how good their teeth and gums look.

[Nephi]

Where can you order a home generator?

I got mine here:Silver water

[George W. Bush]

...or merely being a _______.

Well, I'm not afraid of criticism or I wouldn't be at FR, would I?

The message of the poster is a valuable one for cat lovers. But my points are valid and, I believe, more people should look at these matters from a broader perspective and realize that certain choices made for individuals have consequences for the species. Maybe you should talk about the issue with an animal control officer (who has to execute those unwanted kitties) or a vet (who may be honest with you despite his own financial interest in pricey animal care).

[depenzz]

I just had a kitty buddy of mine put down and she was 18 years old and never had any food but super market food (other than an occasional people food meal) The year before I had a Himalayan male put down that was 19 years old and he too had nothing but super market food and an occassional people food meal. The 18 year old was mostly blind and hard of hearing, the Himalayan developed a kidney problem.

I have two other cats that live outside and they are 14 (neutered male) and female that is 16, they both are healthy. The male was diagnosed with "feline aids" about 10 years ago and there doesn't seem to be any signs of it now.They too, get 2 meals a day of super market food and are doing just fine. The female is losing her hearing. Oh yea, they get the occasional people food meal also.