Gallstones or more correctly "uroliths" are concretions of minerals that form in the bladder. They can present themselves in various ways: one big one or many small ones, no bigger than a pea or a grain of sand.
Steps
Step 1. Look for symptoms
It is important to ascertain whether your cat has uroliths. To do this, it is better to resort to the veterinarian: while he visits the cat, he will do an X-ray or other examination such as compression of the abdomen, urine test or ultrasound. If the cat has one or more stones in the bladder, they will be visible in the urinary tract or other urinary organs such as kidneys, ureter and urethra. Alternatively, the cat may have no symptoms and the stone may be discovered when a biliary infection does not heal even after antibiotic treatment. Here are some classic symptoms of cystitis caused by gallstones in 20% of cases:
- Frequent urination
- Straining or distress when urinating
- Blood in the urine
- Urination in unusual places
- Licking your genitals
Step 2. Act fast
The growth of the uroliths will depend on the amount of crystalline material that has deposited and the degree of infection present. While it can take months for a stone to grow, there is evidence of some noticeable growth even within two weeks. While small ones tend not to interfere, large ones can complicate urination by causing a lot of pain, vomiting, and depression.
If the ureter block is not diagnosed quickly, the kidney will be irreparably damaged
Step 3. Consider your options
After discussing the severity of the stones and treatments with your vet, you will end up with the following options:
- Surgery. Removing uroliths surgically requires a complex operation in which the abdomen, bladder and other areas of the urinary tract are opened. After two to four days of hospitalization, the cat will no longer feel pain or suffer from dysuria (painful urination). The hematuria (blood cells in the urine) will continue for a few more days then stop. Surgery is not the best choice for every cat, but for those with a urethral obstruction and a bacterial infection associated with the stones, yes, unless other physical conditions make the operation dangerous.
- Diet. This option tries to dissolve the stones by putting the cat on a strict diet. Avoid surgery and can be a great choice for some cats. It has three disadvantages: First, it doesn't work for all types of calculations. Unless they can be collected in the urine for analysis, it is not possible to know the composition and therefore whether they can be dissolved. For example, calcium oxalate stones are not removed from the diet but only by surgery. Second, it is a slow method. It can take weeks if not months for a large stone to dissolve and in the meantime the cat will continue to have hematuria and dysuria. Third, not all cats eat at full capacity. The diet is not as tasty as they are usually used to. If it is not strictly observed, it will not work.
Step 4. Provide post-illness care
Your vet will explain how to care for the cat after the operation if there is one. You will therefore need to give him his medication regularly and take him to checkups frequently.
Once it is clear that your cat is prone to suffering from gallstones, it is important to monitor her progress more closely and to see your vet regularly
Step 5. Try to prevent future trainings
There are various reasons why gallstones form. While veterinary researchers are still not entirely sure why uroliths form, an increase in some types of stones (calcium oxalate) has been noted over useful years. According to some veterinarians, it is the cat's diet. What you feed yours is very important. If you give it foods that are high in salt, the chances of the mineral crystallizing into a concretion are very high. But diet isn't the only reason. Infection caused by some bacteria can trigger stones in the same way. An abnormality in the cat's immune system can also lead to an over-production of minerals, which solidify in the bladder creating stones. Prevention is as hard to practice as it is to understand the reasons, but giving your cat a balanced diet won't hurt anyway.
- If you haven't already, ask your vet to analyze the stones. Knowing the exact mineral content, he can provide you with appropriate preventive methods, including prescribing suitable medications to prevent them from reforming in the future.
- Give your cat a vet-approved diet that is high in cat-friendly nutrients and low in salt and carbohydrates, and avoid giving him unsuitable treatments.
Advice
- Check the litter box regularly to make sure everything is normal.
- Tap water may be hard. This means that it may have minerals that do not dissolve and build up in the cat's gallbladder. In this case, you will need filtered water for you and the cat. It is usually bought in the supermarket.
- Don't give the cat too salty stuff.
- There are cats predisposed to gallstones, for example the Burmese and the Himalayan seem more capable than other breeds.
- The calculations develop in the scratches between 5 and 14 years.
Warnings
- As a matter of fact, if your cat can't urinate, its abdomen will hurt. The cat may whine and grimace in pain when peeing. Light pressure applied to the abdomen could induce a violent reaction if the cat is very sick. Be careful and don't try to lift it, especially by taking it under the belly.
- If you suspect that he is sick, take care of your cat right away by taking him to the vet.
