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Feline Urological Syndrome or FUS is a very common condition in cats. It can also be a very expensive condition to treat as well as a deadly condition if it goes untreated.
Simply put FUS is a lower urinary tract disorder it includes kidney and bladder stones, urinary blockage, and cystitis (infection or inflammation of the bladder)
Symptoms of FUS include straining to urinate, urinating frequently, unable to urinate, blood in the urine, choosing abnormal or uncommon places to urinate, painful abdomen, crying in pain.
The condition can cause bladder stones or crystals to form in the bladder. It can also cause the urethra to swell and become irritated. When these stones or crystals move from the bladder into the urethra is VERY painful to pass through the urethra. If the stones or crystals are too large to pass then they can cause a urinary blockage. This blockage whether it be a partial blockage or a full blockage will cause the bladder to begin swelling larger and larger like a balloon as if fills with urine. With the bladder filling with urine and the cat having no way of emptying the bladder two life threatening concerns begin to develop. The first is that the bladder will get so full that it will rupture; the second is that the inability to empty the bladder will cause toxins to build up inside the cat's body which will poison the cat.
Feline Urological Syndrome is more common in male cats than female cats because the size of the male cats urethra is smaller than the females.
This is a life threatening condition. If you believe your cat may have this condition take him to a veterinarian or animal emergency hospital.
If the condition is not that bad and the cat is still able to urinate on his own the veterinarian may treat the cat with antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids. It is also an intelligent idea for the veterinarian to send both blood and urine to the laboratory. A urinalysis and blood chemistry panel can give valuable information on the cats condition.
If the cat's condition is bad enough that he is having trouble urinating the veterinarian will probably want to hospitalize the cat. By hospitalizing the cat, the veterinarian can place a urinary catheter to empty the bladder. He can also place an Intravenous catheter and give the patient IV fluids and in effect attempt to flush the stones out of the bladder. Radiographs of the abdomen are a good idea to attempt to see the stones in the bladder. If the stones are big enough to see on radiographs, they probably will not pass via the urinary catheter and will have to be removed surgically.
The veterinarian will probably want to send both blood and urine to the laboratory. Urinalysis can verify the presence of stones or crystals as well as name the type. By knowing the type of stones the veterinarian can recommend the owner on types of cat food the owner should feed in the future to avoid these stones re-occurring. Sending blood to the laboratory also helps the veterinarian discover important values in the blood [blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatininelevels]. These values will let him know if the build up of urine has caused toxicity in the cat that would be a concern.
In most cases, the cat will stay in the hospital for three to five days to flush the bladder. At the end of that time the veterinarian will remove the urinary catheter and see if the patient develops another blockage. If the patient presents a new blockage, the owner is typically given a choice of removing the stones surgically, or trying the urinary catheter for another three to five days. Of course again with no guarantees the stones will pass in that time.
In some cases, acute Feline Urological Syndrome may recur. Male felines with recurring FUS may be helped by a special operation known as Perineal Uresthrostomy or PU. Many people crudely call it a sex change surgery. The surgery involves removal of the end of the penis and widening the urethral opening, effectively allowing for free passage out of any and all crystals. This procedure is not intended to cure the condition; it merely lessens the risk of life threatening urinary blockage.
I have worked in veterinary medicine for over 20 years. I started working at my first animal hospital in 1988 as an animal health technician. Since then I have worked for a Veterinary pharmaceutical company and for veterinary laboratories. In 1996 I opened my own animal emergency hospital. In 2001 I expanded the hospital to include non emergency services. I find all animals and the outdoors to be therapeutic to my life. I enjoy them every day of my life.
William O'Leary
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