Cystitis in Cats

Cystitis, a painful inflammation of the bladder, is a common problem in cats. Understanding the symptoms, causes and treatments of cystitis is helpful in ensuring your cat receives prompt veterinary care if they ever suffer.

Symptoms

The symptoms of cystitis are generally easy to spot. Basically the cat feels as if its bladder is full all the time and so will make frequent attempts to urinate. They may also strain to pass urine and can spend far more time on the tray than normal. The passage of any wee is very painful, so the cat may cry out or lick at themselves excessively. Another feature of cystitis is that cats will often urinate in unusual places, often softer surfaces. This is because the cat doesn´t think ´when I wee it hurts´, they think ´when I wee the floor jumps up and bites me!´. The urine produced is generally small amounts only and can be blood stained.

Causes of cystitis;

There are three main causes of cystitis; bacterial infections, crystalline cystitis and ´Idiopathic´.

Bacterial Infections
These are the most common cause of cystitis in humans, so it is the one we all tend to think of first. However, it is actually the least common cause of cystitis in young cats and accounts for only 5% of cases. It is more likely in older cats whose kidneys might not be functioning well.

Crystals

Some cats start to produce crystals in their urine which act like shards of glass; scratching the bladder lining and causing the bladder to become inflamed and sore. We don´t know why this happens but it is more common in male, neutered cats, especially those who are over-weight. These crystals are formed from excess minerals which are excreted by the body in the urine. Sometimes they clump together and produce bladder stones, in other cases they stay separate and form a ´sand´ in the bladder. Not only is this form of cystitis very painful but it can also cause a serious, and potentially fatal, problem in male cats where the narrow tube which runs from the bladder to the penis tip (the urethra) becomes blocked and they are unable to urinate. This is why any cat, but especially a male, should be taken to the vet as soon as these kind of symptom appears.

Idiopathic

This is the most common cause of cystitis. Idiopathic means that the underlying cause of the problem is unknown, but it is often stress related.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of cystitis in cats is usually done just by the clinical signs alone. However, in cats who suffer from repeated bouts of the problem you vet is likely to want to investigate to find the underlying cause. Obtaining a urine sample from a cat is much easier than it sounds; your vet will provide you with a special litter which goes in the litter tray which doesn´t soak up the urine. This means your cat can use the tray as normal and you can collect what they produce. The urine will be tested for bacteria and crystals, amongst other things, to try to find an underlying cause for the problem. Your vet may also want to perform other tests such as blood tests, x-rays or ultrasound scans, particularly if they are concerned about kidney problems or bladder stones.

Treatment

The treatment for cystitis will vary depending on the underlying cause of the problem but all affected animals should be given pain relief.

Bacterial cystitis responds well to antibiotics, however because it is an unusual problem in cats it is sensible to look for other abnormalities, such as kidney problems or bladder stones, especially if the infections keeps coming back

Cystalline cystitis is treated by a dietary change. The formation of crystals is related to excess minerals being excreted in the urine and also the urinary pH. Veterinary prescription diets stop the excretion of minerals, alter the pH of the urine and encourage greater urine flow. This dissolves some forms of crystals and prevents the formation of more. It is important these diets are fed exclusively and nothing else but water is offered. Increasing water intake is important in all forms of cystitis and feeding a wet diet is one of the easiest ways of doing this. Other techniques include flavouring the water, providing lots of water bowls or water fountains. In cats who have also developed bladder stones, often the only treatment for these is surgery to remove them followed by a prescription diets.

Idiopathic cystitis is more difficult to treat. It is often stress related so a detailed history of the cats home environment and personality are usually required. Sometimes the symptoms can be controlled with medications and dietary changes but usually some form of behavioural therapy is needed as well. It is particularly important to try to resolve this kind of cystitis quickly as repeated bouts can cause strictures (tightening) of the urethra and cause permanent problems.