Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clinicopathological characteristics of cats with signs of feline lower urinary tract disease in the Czech Republic
- Journal:
- Veterinární Medicína
- Year:
- 2020
- Authors:
- Simona Kovarikova et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Animal Protection, Welfare and Behaviour, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic · CZ
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 214 cats in the Czech Republic showing signs of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), which can cause problems like difficulty urinating. Most of the cats were male, and their ages ranged from 9 months to 17 years, with an average age of about 5 years. The most common issue found was feline idiopathic cystitis, which means inflammation of the bladder without a known cause, affecting over half of the cats. Other problems included urinary tract infections and urethral obstructions, with many cats showing symptoms like straining to urinate, very little or no urine production, and vomiting. Overall, the findings confirm that idiopathic cystitis is the leading cause of FLUTD in cats, consistent with previous studies.
Abstract
A total of 214 cats with signs of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) were assessed in this study. There were 81.30% males (82.20% of them neutered) and 18.70% females (80.00% of them spayed) with an age range from 9 months to 17 years (mean 5.1 ± 3.7). Most of the cats (111; 51.90%) were diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis; in 57 (26.60%) cats, uroliths were detected. A urinary tract infection (UTI) as well as urethral plugs were diagnosed in 23 cats (10.75%). In 100 cats, a non-obstructive form of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) was present; in 114 cats (exclusively males) a urethral obstruction was diagnosed. Most of the cats (141; 65.90%) were indoor-housed. The cats with the UTI were significantly older when compared to the other cases of FLUTD. The most common clinical signs reported by the owners were dysuria (39.70%), oliguria/anuria (31.30%), and vomiting (24.80%). In the cats with the urethral obstruction, oliguria/anuria and non-specific systemic signs were dominant whereas in the non-obstructive form, signs of a lower urinary tract disease were more frequent. The urine specific gravity ranged from 1.008 to 1.080, while in the cats diagnosed with UTI, it was significantly lower than the other cats. Haematuria was the most common finding within the urinalysis which was diagnosed in 181 cats (84.60%): macroscopic haematuria was present in 94 patients (43.90%), microscopic haematuria was present in 87 cats (40.70%). Pyuria was found in 36 cats (16.80%). In the UTI cats, the most common bacterial isolate was E. coli. Results of our study are in agreement with previous reports of FLUTD in various countries, with idiopathic cystitis as the most common cause.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.17221/146/2019-VETMED