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Cat urinary tract infection prevention is a 4 word phrase that could save you a bundle of cash down the road. As one television commercial puts it you can pay a little now or pay a lot later. Not only can these types of infections be expensive to treat but they also have a high probability of becoming chronic which means a lifetime regime of antibiotics and testing.
Most cats will contract a urinary tract infection at least once in their lives. Common symptoms are urinating in inappropriate places, avoiding the litter box area, straining to pass urine, howling while trying to pass urine, exhibiting mean and/or antisocial behavior, excessive water consumption, fatigue, blood in the urine, and of course everyone's favorite a foul smelling urine smell that is nearly impossible to get rid of.
What am I preventing against?
The simple answer is bacteria overpowering your cats immune system and setting up shop somewhere it the urinary tract with the most likely new residence being the bladder.
Are there any extenuating circumstances which can make an infection more likely?
Yes, the list of possible contributing factors is long and includes bladder stones, urinary tract cancer/tumor, dilute urine, thickening of the bladder, weakened immune system due to other diseases such as diabetes, weakened immune system due to old age, regular exposure to bacteria laden places (dirty litter boxes), birth defects, age inappropriate diet, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, nutritional imbalances, disease such as arthritis which may make a cat postpone litter box visits, and stress. The list doesn't include what is referred to as idiopathic bacterial UTI where the cause is undetermined. Believe it or not idiopathic and stress are number 2 and 3 on the list of causes right behind age related immune system weakness.
Is cat urinary tract prevention even possible with all these contributing factors?
To be honest the answer likely no. Nevertheless, if you could drop your chances of having your veterinarian empty out your wallet from 100 percent to 5 percent wouldn't it be worth it?
Cat urinary tract prevention plan
*Make a few dietary changes. Add water or chicken broth to your pets food. A diet of mostly wet food is preferable. Foods that maintain a neutral pH and low magnesium levels are preferred.
*Fat cats finish last. An obese cat is twice as likely to develop a bacterial infection of the urinary tract as well as more likely to have some of the contributing factors. Aging female fat cats over the age of 8 are the highest risk group.
*Drinking plenty of filtered water is essential. Filtered water is preferred because it contains fewer minerals and impurities. Dehydration is rolling out the red carpet for bacteria to enter through the urethra and start to cause problems. The basic rule of thumb is the more your cat urinates, the faster bacteria will be flushed out of the body and the better chance of achieving your goal of cat urinary tract infection prevention.
*Dirty litter boxes won't do. Bacteria loves and dirty litter box and most cats will go ahead and use these bacterial laden boxes begrudgingly. Not necessarily a match made in heaven. A good rule of thumb here is to have as many litter boxes as you do cats plus one, and always keep them clean.
Other ideas for cat urinary tract infection prevention: Add cranberry or raspberry juice to your pets water, trim excess hair that might be harboring bacteria, daily exercise, 5 minutes of play time each day to reduce stress, and if you are really serious about prevention include one of the highly regarded homeopathic urinary tract conditioning tonics into your pets daily routine.
Robert D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic consumer advocate for natural pet health and wellness with over 10 years experience in the field.
To discover more about FLUTD in pets along with information about a safe and effective herbal and homeopathic pet urinary tract conditioning supplement Click Here.
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