FLUTD Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease is a term used to describe conditions that affect the urinary tract of cats.
Some symptoms that may occur with FLUTD include
- Blood in urine due to a UTI (urinary tract infection) or inflammation of the bladder.
- Painful urination may be seen where your cat strains to pass urine or is in pain during urination. They may cry out while using the litter tray or show frequent licking of genetalia due to discomfort.
- Frequent urination can occur with a UTI or inflammation of the bladder where you notice your cat using the litter tray more frequently than usual.
- Peeing inside the house or not using their litter tray, which may occur due to an urgency to pee where they can’t make it to the litter tray or outside in time.
- Unable to urinate due to a blockage which is more common in male cats due to their longer urethra, and this is an emergency situation. If your cat is unable to urinate, urgent vet treatment is required.
Some cats may show one or more of the above symptoms when suffering from FLUTD.
This condition is more frequently seen in cats that are neutered, overweight, lead a very sedentary lifestyle, live completely indoors or fed on dry food.
FLUTD causes may include
- Infection (cystitis), bladder stones, urinary crystals, bladder cancer or an injury to the bladder.
- Emotional or environmental stress can be a trigger for sensitive cats.
- Dietary imbalance is a very common cause, especially when feeding highly processed dry food diets.
- Despite the above physical causes many cats suffer from what is referred to as Idiopathic cystitis where no specific disease can be identified, and they have inflammation of the bladder without a definitive cause. In many cases of idiopathic cystitis, I have found this is often be triggered by stress and imbalances in their diet. This is especially true for cats that are kept indoors 24/7 and that have dry food left out all day to nibble on.
How to help prevent FLUTD
- Feed a well-balanced fresh raw food diet.
- Avoid dry or dehydrated food diets.
- Feed once or twice daily and remove any uneaten food.
- Allow access to fresh air, sunshine and walking on grass.
- Encourage regular exercise daily.
- Reduce stress and anxiety.
Natural supplements that may support cats with FLUTD
- Cranberry powder, apple cider vinegar and ascorbic acid can help to lower the pH (acidify) your cat’s urine and cranberry may also help prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.
- Homeopathic remedies such as cantharis and others depending on symptoms.
- Herbal Tonic such as cleavers, marshmallow, echinacea, dandelion, horsetail, golden rod, barberry, couch grass and many others depending on symptoms.
- Specialised herbal supplements can help with urinary tract infections and other kidney and bladder conditions in cats. They can also help prevent and remove stones in the kidney and bladder and treat cystitis and inflammation of the urethra. Some herbs have diuretic and antiseptic properties that counteract repetitive urinary tract infections.
- Increase fluid intake by offering moist food and offer salt-free bone or meat broth to encourage drinking.
- Keep fresh cool, clean water available as cats can be quite fussy with water. Many cats love drinking running water.
- Ensure litter trays are kept clean and place a few trays in different locations around the house with different types of litter in case your cat doesn’t like the litter you are using.
- Make any necessary changes to their diet to ensure urine pH is within ideal range of 6.0 to 6.5. It is recommended to maintain a urine pH between 6.0 – 6.5 to prevent crystal formation. Cats diagnosed with Struvite crystals often have a high or alkaline urine pH (6.6 or higher). Calcium Oxalate Crystals are mostly found in males with an acid urine pH (below 6.0).
- Carnivores that eat a fresh red meat-based diet naturally produce acidic urine which prevents this crystal formation. The food itself has a natural water content of 60-70% which assists in preventing dehydration and excessive concentration of urine.
- Cats living on fresh foods in a natural environment have been shown to produce urine with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
- The cat evolved as a desert animal and is capable of concentrating urine in order to conserve water and this is why they don’t often drink a lot. The waste products in the cat’s urine are very concentrated and include magnesium, ammonium and phosphate ions that may crystallize in neutral and alkaline urine to form struvite. At a urine pH below 6.6, struvite remains largely soluble, whereas in a urinary pH above 7.0, crystallization may occur.
Take measures to help reduce stress
- Provide a safe quiet place for your cat to go when they need peace and rest. This is especially important in homes with noisy children or a lot of activity.
- Allow access to high places such as window sills or an elevated perch so they can safely watch birds and other insects outside.
- Take necessary action to help reduce stress in multiple cat households if they don’t get along. Flower essence blends can often be helpful for this.
- Provide access to outdoors where possible, by installing a cat enclosure or catio if they are not allowed out during the day.
- Stimulate activity and playtime as cats have a natural instinct to hunt so try to incorporate toys or food puzzles to allow this.
What to feed cats to maintain a healthy urinary tract
The diet should be fresh and raw and include high-quality protein, including muscle meat, organ meat and bone along with a small amount of fresh vegetables.
Cats are strict carnivores and have a high protein requirement and can tolerate moderate levels of unheated fat.
90% Daily Ration: Meat, bones & offal
Chicken, rabbit, turkey, duck, kangaroo, mutton, lamb or beef chopped into large pieces to encourage chewing. If using minced meat ensure it is free from preservatives.
Fresh or lightly steamed fish with bones removed. Small fish like sardines and pilchards may be served whole.
Free-range eggs occasionally.
Raw Bones – Soft bones such as free-range chicken, rabbit, duck or turkey.
Try chopping bones into small pieces or crush with a wooden mallet for cats. Otherwise feed a calcium supplement if you are unable to feed any bones. We recommend organic calcium from sea vegetables. Avoid cooked bones which can be dangerous.
Organ Meats – Free-range organic chicken livers, heart, kidney, tripe or other offal once per week.
10% Daily Ration: Vegetables
Vegetables – Ideal choices include broccoli sprouts, minced leafy greens or mashed pumpkin.
