Cat Hematuria

The presence of blood in the urine is called hematuria. The causes of hematuria range from a simple bladder infection to Cat Cancer.

Causes

Causes are numerous and include :

• Bacterial infections of the genital tract, vaginitis, prostatitis and infection in the urinary tract

• Cancer of the genital or urinary tracts

• Abnormalities that have been present from birth

• Parasitic invasion of the urinary tract

• Rat poison or other clotting disorders

• Normal heat cycles

• Trauma

• Kidney stones

• Medication induced

• That which originates from the kidney with no known cause and other forms of Cat Kidney Disease

Signs and Symptoms

If your cat shows any of these symptoms, you must consult with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian is the only one that can definitively identify the cause of the hematuria.

• Your cat has to strain to urinate

• Your cat exhibits evidence of pain on urination

• Cat Increased Urination

• Any sign of abdominal pain

Diagnosis

• Urinalysis will be done along with a culture and sensitivity. This will tell your veterinarian what, if any, bacteria is causing the bleeding and will also indicate the best medication to use to fight the infection.

• Female cats may have a microscopic smear performed

• Blood tests including a blood count and biochemistry tests

• Clotting tests will indicate the presence of any anti-clotting issues, such as rat poison

• X-rays with or without contrast and an abdominal ultrasound will show any masses that are present in the affected area

Treatment Options

Treatment for hematuria will depend on the diagnosis. Your veterinarian will advise you as to the best course of treatment for your cat.

• Bacterial infections will require the use of antibiotics

• For kidney stones you vet will undoubtedly prescribe a profound dietary change

• In the event of Cat Dehydration, intravenous fluids will be administered

• If your cat has consumed rat poison, your veterinarian will administer vitamin K. Vitamin K will increase your cat’s ability to clot blood.

Treatment at home

If you see blood in the urine, consult your vet. Bloody urine is never normal and should be reported and treated as quickly as possible.

Be aware of behavioral changes in your cat. If there is any straining when urinating or pain, consult your vet. Frequent urination of small amounts will indicate that your cat cannot completely empty its bladder. If you can obtain a urine specimen at home, do so and take it to your veterinarian for examination.

The medications that are prescribed for your vet will usually bring on improvement quickly if there are any unexpected negative changes in your cats behavior, they should be brought to your veterinarians attention.

Remove any toxins that may be in your cat’s environment. Rat poison is especially dangerous for clotting problem. Consider what you would do to “child-proof” your home and do the same for your cat. Many talented cats can open cabinets or drawers that may contain potentially hazardous materials.

Your garage is another area that needs to be cat-proofed if your cat has access to the area. Antifreeze is lethal if consumed. While there is not much that can be done for bacterial infections, protecting against the consumption of poison is the responsibility of the cat owner.

Additional Cat Cancer Pages

Cat Cancer | Cat Skin Cancer | Cat Lung Cancer | Cat Pancreatic Cancer | Cat Cancer Prevention | Cat Cancer Diagnosis | Cat Gastric Cancer | Cat Lymphoma Cancer | Cat Squamous Cell Carcinoma | Cat Mouth Cancer | Cat Brain Tumor | Cat Palliative Cancer Care