A kidney stone forms in a cat's urinary system as minerals deposit on a some type of small particle that naturally is found in urine. The stone grows larger over time and sometimes become big enough to get stuck in a cat's kidney. Usually, a kidney stone not small enough to pass through a cat's body will end up stuck at the junction between the kidney and the ureter. Three treatments are used to treat feline kidney stones, with surgery being the most commonly used and most effective.
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Flush
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Flushing kidney stones from a cat's system is an option in some limited cases. Using water consumed by a cat, together with a diet modification, can effectively remove smaller stones from a cat's kidney.
Along with relying on fluids ingested by a cat to attempt to cause the flushing of kidney stones, a diet lower in magnesium, protein and phosphorus is also a step to take to prevent any existing stones from getting larger during the process of attempting a kidney flush.
Unlike humans, however, there is no way to effectively get a cat to drink more water. Therefore, ultimately attempting to flush stones from a feline's kidney is likely to fail.
Surgery
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Surgery is the most common treatment for feline kidney stones. The procedure involves physically entering into a cat's kidney through surgery to remove any stones. This type of surgery is very stressful to a cat's physical well-being because felines have more sensitive kidneys than do many other mammals.
During a surgery to remove kidney stones in a cat, it often becomes necessary to remove the kidney. Because felines do have relatively delicate kidneys, the organ can be significantly damaged because of kidney stones.
Lithotripsy
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Lithotripsy is another option for removing kidney stones from a feline. Lithotripsy is a non-invasive procedure that involves the use of radio waves to fracture kidney stones into smaller pieces that theoretically are capable of passing from the animal's body.
Although lithotripsy is available as a feline kidney stone treatment, the use of this procedure is limited at this time. According to the Michigan State University Veterinary Medicine College, a cat must weigh at least 7 pounds to undergo this procedure. Additionally, a cat with a larger stone or multiple stones cannot use this procedure as the process of breaking up the stone or stones takes too long in such a situation.
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