Cat Urine & Cardiac Health

As regular check-ups are wise for human health, they are equally wise to keep pets in good health. Veterinarians recommend regular visits so an array of tests can be run, including a urinalysis, which can detect health problems. One condition that is determined by urinalysis is the amount of potassium in the feline blood stream. If the levels are abnormally high, it could signal a serious health problem known as hyperkalemia, which can seriously impair heart function and, if untreated, could be fatal.

  1. Hyperkalemia

    • Potassium is normally eliminated in the cat's kidneys. Potassium, because of its acidity in the animal's blood, can directly affect the heart's normal function. And anything affecting the normal function of the heart, whether in humans, squirrels or your cat, puts the organism at greater immediate health risk for heart problems.

    What's Happening

    • The hormone aldosterone causes the thin elongated channels, called tubules, in the kidney to retain sodium and water. In the right balance, this is desirable. But when the tubules constrict or otherwise interfere with the renal (kidney) elimination of potassium, it can cause the heart to react poorly and may be life-threatening due to the repeated heart arrhythmia that results.

    Symptoms

    • Things to look for in your pet cat would be overall weakness, fatigue and lethargy (although lethargy can often be hard to detect with cats since they sleep half their lives anyway), actual collapse or limp paralysis. Even more difficult to detect are the arrhythmias themselves. A normal feline heartbeat is between 110 to 130 beats per minute. Most owners wouldn't normally think to look for the irregular heartbeats without noticing the more obvious symptoms first. If you have noticed longer term abnormalities like gastrointestinal complaints, urination strain and low urine output, they could signal many less severe illnesses like a urinary obstruction or infection but should be treated nonetheless.

    Additional Tip-offs

    • If your cat has an abnormally high intake of potassium, possibly from the treatment of another ailment that prescribes the use of potassium supplements or fluid therapy with potassium supplements, symptoms described above would point to the possibility of hyperkalemia. Also, any conditions associated with acidosis (urine is high in acid content) or unusual abdominal bloating from fluid are other potential warning signs.

    Treatment and After-care

    • Get your cat to the vet immediately. Hyperkalemia can affect normal blood flow so other complications could arise involving other organs, further damaging the heart itself. Expect the veterinarian to perform an electrocardiogram to determine the electrical currents in the heart muscles, which shows abnormalities in the heart's ability to contract/beat. Lowering potassium levels by administering saline is also very important. Once stabilized, the veterinarian will instruct you on proper after-care treatment and insist on another check-up in the near future.