Urinary Diseases in Cats
Diseases of the urinary tract are extremely common health problems in cats of all ages. They range drastically in their severity, location and specific symptoms.
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Feline Urinary-Tract Disease
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Also called cystitis, FUS (feline urologic syndrome), or FLUTD (feline lower-urinary-tract disease), this common condition is caused by an infection in the urethra and/or bladder of a cat. In male cats, it can cause a life-threatening blockage.
Kidney Failure
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Kidney, or renal, failure is a common and life-threatening condition that primarily affects older cats. Acute and chronic renal failure both can be treated to prolong the cat's life and ease discomfort, but they are ultimately terminal conditions.
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Polycystic Kidney Disease
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An inherited condition affecting primarily cats of Persian ancestry, PKD is a slowly progressive, inherited disease that usually shows no symptoms in kittens and young cats. PKD usually results in terminal kidney failure around the cat's seventh year of life.
Bladder Stones
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Like humans, cats can develop mineral deposits, or "stones," in their urinary tracts. These most often affect the kidneys or urethra, and they can cause fatal blockages.
Symptoms
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Cats with urinary diseases may urinate frequently or outside the litter box, and they may have visible blood in the urine. Urinary diseases also cause bloating, thirst, lethargy, and discomfort.
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