Home Remedy for a Cat's Urinary Infection

Signs of a Urinary Tract Infection

• A urinary infection may be the problem if your cat is consuming more water than usual, urinating frequently, producing a larger or smaller than usual amount of urine and urinating in unusual places. Your cat may have difficulty urinating, an inability to urinate, urinary incontinence, bloody urine or puslike liquid dripping from its penis or vulva. Other signs are abdominal pain or an abnormally arched back, straining to urinate, genital licking and urine spraying. Consult your veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms.

Diagnosis

• Obtaining a urine sample from a cat is difficult. You can try to do it yourself at home by getting your cat to urinate in a clean empty litter box or by putting plastic over the litter box and trying to collect the urine that way. Blood-tinged urine is a sign that something is wrong and this should be confirmed by a veterinarian who will probably prefer to get an uncontaminated sample. If the cat is able to urinate on its own, urine is collected in a special box that doesn't contain litter. If the cat has a blockage, the sample may be collected by cystocentesis, during which a fine needle is inserted into the bladder through the abdomen to remove a sample of urine. Holly Nash, DVM, of Dr's. Foster & Smith, says that this process does not hurt the cat, in fact, the cat often feels better because the veterinarian is relieving the urine pressure.

Causes

• Bacteria, diet, water intake, urination patterns, stress, heredity and some viruses are known causes of urinary infections.
  Bladder stones can irritate the bladder and cause cystitis.

Home Treatment

• Home treatment is about management. This is necessary to prevent urinary problems in the first place or to avoid the recurrence of a urinary infection. Food, water, litter box maintenance, conflicts with other cats, household stress are factors that may contribute to feline urinary problems.

  Home care may be sufficient when people follow the guidelines for preventing urinary tract diseases, but a veterinarian is the best person to manage the more severe blockages. If urinary stones or mucous block the urethra, this is an emergency, as urinary obstruction can cause bladder rupture or toxemia and may lead to death.

Diet and Water

• According to veterinarian Dr. Terri McGinnis, diets least likely to contribute to bladder stones, cystitis and urinary tract obstructions are high in fat and energy, easy to digest, low in magnesium, and produce an acid urine. She says that high quality canned foods meet these criteria, whereas ingredients in most dry foods contain high magnesium levels and are less energy dense.

  Encourage your cat to consume liquids by providing fresh water in a safe, comfortable place.

Litter Box

• Provide a litter box that is clean and dry at all times. Some cats will hold their urine rather than use a dirty litter box and always use a litter that the cat likes. Put the litterpan in a convenient, but private or at least semi-private place.

  Disorders that might affect a cat's ability to use its litter box, like cystitis, other urinary diseases, low potassium levels in the bloodstream or arthritis, may explain why a cat is suddenly urinating in odd places. If litter box maintenance is consistent, and there are no medical problems, then the problem may be behavioral.

Exercise

• Inactive, unenergetic cats empty their bladders less often and this may lead to urinary disease and infection. Home treatment includes encouraging activity in and playing with sedentary cats.