Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lower urinary tract disease signs and causes in European cats
By Gerber, B et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2005·Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluation of clinical signs and causes of lower urinary tract disease in European cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 77 cats with lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) was examined, and many showed signs like difficulty urinating or blood in their urine. The most common issues found were bladder stones in 17 cats, urethral plugs in 8, and urinary tract infections in 6. However, over half of the cats had no specific cause identified, which is known as idiopathic LUTD. Notably, 45 of the cats had urethral obstruction, which can be very serious. Treatment varied, but addressing the obstruction was crucial for recovery in those affected.
People also search for: cat urinary problems · why is my cat straining to urinate · treatment for cat bladder stones
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical signs and causes of lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) in 77 cats. METHODS: Cats diagnosed with LUTD over a two-year period were included in the study. RESULTS: The study population comprised 67 male and 10 female cats. Uroliths occurred in 17 of the 77 cats (22 per cent), urethral plugs in eight cats (10 per cent) and urinary tract infection in six cats (8 per cent). In 44 cats (57 per cent), no specific cause for the disease was found and they were classified as having idiopathic LUTD. In two of the 77 cats (3 per cent) no definitive diagnosis was established. Pain was less common in cats with uroliths and haematuria was more often seen in cats with urinary tract infection. At presentation, urethral obstruction was diagnosed in 45 of the 77 cats (58 per cent). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The causes of LUTD found in cats in this study are similar to those that have been previously documented, and idiopathic LUTD is the most frequent diagnosis. However, the rate of urethral obstruction, particularly in cats with idiopathic LUTD, was higher than in other reports. The cause of this difference is unknown.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16355731/