Cat’s Urinary Tract Infections – Diagnosis And Treatment
Has your cat seemed to lack control over balder activities? If yes, then the kitty may be suffering from a medical disorder. Though this disorder can be treated, one needs to be extremely careful with the little companion. Before anything, you must take the cat to the vet to stop the problem from growing. Here is the guide of everything you must know about this disorder to help out your kitty.
With the increasing percentage of cats getting bladder infections, more cat owners are becoming aware of this disease. Though your cat may be showing some obvious signs, it becomes necessary to go to the vet to diagnose it. Not only diagnosing, but the vet will also guide you regarding the required treatment of the infection.
So here is what you can expect if you go to the vet for diagnosing and treating your cat’s urinary tract infection.
Diagnosing The Bladder Infection
The primary cause of bladder infection is the presence of bacteria in the urinary tract. So for diagnosing the infection, the first aim of the vet is to determine the presence of bacteria through urine. You may think that it is a straightforward process as all that is needed is the urine sample. However, it is not the case.
The sample of urine needs to be taken in a sterile environment. So if the sample is from any other place like the littler box that may have some bacteria present, the data will not be accurate. Besides, if the bacteria are present in a minimal amount, the vet cannot detect them under a microscope. Thus, the real cause of the infection may remain hidden.
So any inconvenience may lead to false results, and the cat may not be given the needed treatment for it. For instance, Feline Idiopathic Cystitis is responsible for the inflammation of the bladder and the surrounding area. So if not appropriately diagnosed, it can be said a bladder infection.
So for the treatment, the vet recommends doing a urine culture. In this, the urine sample is directly taken from the bladder, and then some tests are run. It is necessary as it eliminates the chances of external bacteria and gives almost perfect results. Some vets can perform this urine culture by themselves, and some prefer to send it to the laboratory.
Treating The Bladder Infection
The best part about bladder infection treatment is that the medication starts showing its effect within one or two days. So if you do not see any improvement during this period while giving antibiotics, then it is time to visit the vet. If the cat did not go through the urine culture before, the vet must perform it now. It will help determine the actual cause of the ineffectiveness of the medicines.
Sometimes the infection is accompanied by some specific crystals in the urine, like struvite. The vet will need to take the X-rays or Ultrasound to determine the severity in such a case. After that, the vet will recommend particular food to help the cat recover fast.
If the infection is with the presence of stone inside the bladder, then the cat will have to take medication and food to treat both. In addition, as with the presence of stone, the urinary pH may become higher.