Why does blood appear in a cat's urine and how to treat it

Victoria Rashidovna Khazimulina

veterinarian Petstory

If a cat pees with blood, then you should show him to a doctor as soon as possible. This symptom is called hematuria and can be a sign of serious diseases of the urinary system (UUS) and genitourinary systems (GUS). Blood in a cat's urine may be visible to the naked eye (gross hematuria). Or it may be unnoticeable (microhematuria), then the urine becomes a little darker, but not red.

Blood in urine in cats: the main thing

• Hematuria is a good reason to take your cat to the veterinarian.
• The main reason for the appearance of blood in the urine of a cat is diseases of the urinary and reproductive systems, as well as injuries.
• Frequent accompanying symptoms: frequent and painful urination, discharge, pain in the bladder area.
• Castration has little effect on the frequency of symptoms. Blood in the urine can occur in both a regular cat and a sterilized one.
• Diagnosis depends on the medical history, most often requiring a urine test and ultrasound.
• Treatment is complex and should be aimed at the cause of the disease.
• If a cat is peeing blood, first aid can be provided at home, but you should first consult a veterinarian.
• Prevention includes a balanced diet, drinking regime, a high level of activity and timely castration/sterilization if the pet is not used for breeding.

Preventing peeing blood

Dehydration itself can cause peeing blood, and many other conditions that lead to hematuria are often triggered or aggravated by lack of fluids, so one effective way to protect your cat from these disorders is to ensure proper hydration.

Cats in general do not have a strong thirst drive as they usually get most of their hydration from the food they eat in the wild, so sometimes they need to be convinced to drink water.

Switching to a wet diet can often help relieve dehydration in cats that don't want to drink water, as can adding an ice cube to their food. Having several bowls of clean, fresh water around the house can encourage your cat to drink more on its own, and sometimes adding a very small amount of tuna juice or chicken broth can make the water more appealing to your cat.

Causes of blood in cats urine

If a cat goes to the toilet with blood, this may indicate the following diseases:

• Urocystitis (inflammation of the bladder);
• Urolithiasis disease;
• Inflammatory kidney diseases;
• Injuries (fall, blow, surgery);
• Diseases of the prostate gland in males (prostatitis, hyperplasia);
• Balanoposthitis – inflammation of the penis;
• Orchitis – inflammation of the testes;
• Diseases of the reproductive system in females (endometritis, vaginitis, ovarian cysts, etc.).

Associated symptoms

With different pathologies, various accompanying symptoms will appear.

Thus, urocystitis and urolithiasis are characterized by:

• Pollakiuria (frequent urination);
• Periuria (uncleanliness);
• Excessive licking of the groin area;
• Staying in the tray for a long time.

With urolithiasis, in addition to the fact that the cat pees with blood, there is a periodic inability to urinate (urethral blockage).

For kidney inflammation:

• General malaise, lethargy;
• Fever;
• Decreased appetite;
• Acute pain in the entire abdominal wall;
• Prolonged, painful urination;
• Cloudy or pink urine.

In case of injury:

• Acute tissue pain at the site of impact;
• Hematomas, abrasions.

Prostate diseases are characterized by:

• Painful, prolonged urination;
• Changing posture when urinating;
• Uncleanliness;
• Discharge from the prepuce;
• Inability to urinate;
• Much more common in uncastrated animals.

If a cat has diseases of the reproductive system, blood may appear in the urine for two reasons. First, inflammation of the uterus or vagina can trigger inflammation of the bladder (urocystitis). After all, the urethral canal is in close contact with the vagina. Secondly, vaginal discharge (with blood) can get into the urine from the outside when the cat pees.

Symptoms:

• Violation of the reproductive cycle, frequent estrus;
• Vaginal discharge;
• Excessive licking of the groin area;
• Increased thirst;
• Fever;
• Increased abdominal volume;
• Lethargy, drowsiness;
• Decreased appetite;
• Mastitis (inflammation of the mammary glands).

Balanoposthitis in a cat, in addition to hematuria, manifests itself:

• Hyperemia (redness) of the penis;
• Excessive licking of the groin area;
• Discharge from the prepuce;
• Prolonged, painful urination.

Orchitis can only occur in uncastrated males. The urethra connects to the vas deferens, so if there is blood in the semen, it will appear in the cat’s urine from time to time.

Characteristics of orchitis:

• Swelling and tenderness of the testis/testes;
• Cats that are sexually active are susceptible;
• The frequency of urination may not change.

Features of castrated cats

If the cat is neutered, then with a high degree of probability we can exclude such diagnoses as prostatitis and orchitis. Previously, it was believed that neutered cats are more likely to suffer from MBC diseases. However, statistics refutes this fact. But why are neutered cats considered more at risk?

The main reason is mobility. Testosterone, which is mostly produced by the testes, is no longer supplied in the same quantities, which leads to changes in metabolism. No, the cat will not become a “vegetable” after castration, because the hunting instinct will not go away, but it will move a little less, and its appetite will most likely increase. Reduced activity and overeating leads to weight gain, and subsequently to the formation of sand and stones.

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Diagnostics

To diagnose urocystitis and urolithiasis you will need:

• General urine analysis;
• Ultrasound of the bladder;
• BAC urine culture (not always);
• X-ray of the abdominal cavity (if urolithiasis is suspected).

For kidney inflammation:

• General urine analysis and protein/creatinine ratio in urine;
• Blood biochemistry;
• Ultrasound of the urinary system;
• BAK urine culture (not always).

For injuries:

• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
• X-ray of the abdominal cavity;
• Clinical blood test.

For prostate diseases and orchitis:

• General urine analysis;
• Ultrasound of the genitourinary system;
• BAK urine culture (not always).

For diseases of the reproductive system in females:

• Ultrasound of the genitourinary system;
• General urine analysis.

For balanoposthitis:

• General urine analysis;
• Deep smear cytology;
• Ultrasound of the genitourinary system;
• TANK culture (not always).

Medical assistance

Be prepared for the fact that you may need not only conservative treatment, but also surgery - otherwise you will lose your pet. Urgent surgery is necessary if there are large kidney stones or serious injuries with organ damage and internal bleeding. Surgery followed by chemotherapy may also be recommended for cancer problems.

In a critical situation, only surgery can save the cat's life

In other cases, complex drug therapy is prescribed:

• hemostatic agents;
• antibiotics;
• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• antispasmodics.

Dosages of medications, regimens and duration of treatment can only be determined by a doctor depending on the diagnosis, condition and individual characteristics of the animal. Self-medication for hematuria is strictly unacceptable. It can lead to dangerous complications and negative side effects from poorly chosen drugs.

Treatment of hematuria

For the treatment of urocystitis, urolithiasis, nephritis, the following measures and groups of drugs are used:

• Antispasmodics;
• Painkillers;
• Drink plenty of fluids;
• Antibiotics (not always).

In case of urolithiasis, specialized diets and drugs that affect the pH of urine are additionally used.

For nephritis, intravenous infusions and several groups of antimicrobial drugs can be used simultaneously.

If your cat pees blood after an injury, you will need:

• Limited mobility;
• Painkillers;
• Hemostatic;
• Surgery may be required (for example, if the wall is torn).

For diseases of the reproductive system in cats, the following are used:

• Painkillers;
• Antispasmodics;
• In males, antihypertensive drugs that relax the urethra;
• Antibiotics;
• Operation (castration).

If a prompt visit to the veterinarian is not possible

If a cat is peeing with blood, the first thing you need to do is to provide the pet with peace. Set up a bed for him in a quiet, warm place, surround him with care. Place several bowls of fresh water near your pet.

Under no circumstances should you give medications from a human first aid kit without a doctor’s recommendation. First, many drugs cannot be used in animals. Secondly, dosages are completely different for cats and humans. Thirdly, many drugs have contraindications for use.

To properly provide first aid to your pet while you are unable to take it to the clinic, you can consult with a veterinarian online in the Petstory mobile application. The doctor will collect a detailed history, recommend how to help your pet at the moment, tell you what diagnostics should be carried out and what could be the reason for the appearance of red urine in your cat. You can download the application from the link.

How to collect urine for analysis

Before visiting the clinic, if possible, you should collect urine in a sterile jar for analysis. Of course, this procedure can also be done by a veterinarian using a catheter or a sterile syringe (cystocentesis), but such methods are quite traumatic, have a number of side effects and are used in emergency cases when the cat does not pass urine at all. In all other situations, urine can be collected at home.

Urine collection through a catheter is done in the clinic, but this method is traumatic and fraught with infection

Methods and rules for collecting material

To speed up the identification of the causes of illness, you need to independently prepare biomaterial for analysis. It is unlikely that you will be able to persuade your cat to pee directly into a clean jar - although some owners can even do this. Owners, taking into account the habits and character of their pets, use various methods of collecting urine:

• from the toilet, sink or bathtub - if the cat is used to peeing there;
• using a children's urine collector - this device is freely sold in pharmacies;
• from the cat litter box - the most common and reliable method.

To collect urine from the toilet or sink, they are covered with plastic bags or covered with film.

We can recommend that most owners use a regular cat litter box - a plastic tray - as an improvised urinal. This is convenient, reliable and not at all difficult to do if you follow the recommendations of the step-by-step instructions:

1. If possible, buy a new tray for collecting biomaterial - even a well-washed old cat litter box can retain residual salts and microorganisms on the walls, which will affect the accuracy of the analysis results.
2. Thoroughly wash and dry the tray and the inner grid, assemble the structure and place it in a place familiar to the animal.
3. Try to calm your pet and gently massage his bladder area if this does not cause severe pain.
4. Such preliminary actions will be enough if your cat is accustomed to pee on an empty tray - all you have to do is collect the urine.
5. If the animal refuses to go potty without litter, use one of the options for urine collection kits - they can be purchased at veterinary pharmacies, pet stores or online.
6. Sprinkle the filler from the kit in the tray as usual, and when the cat pees, carefully collect the urine - for this, the kit has a special pipette, but you can also use a regular syringe.
7. It is important to maintain maximum cleanliness when collecting urine so that unnecessary chemical and biological “additives” do not get into it - thoroughly wash your hands and all the equipment that you will use.
8. It is advisable to put the collected urine (in a test tube, syringe or special container) in the refrigerator and deliver it to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible - no more than five hours should pass between the time of collection of the biomaterial and the analysis.

The cat litter box is convenient to use for collecting biomaterial

“Craftsmen” sometimes replace plastic granules with finely chopped cocktail straws or oven-roasted corn kernels - according to reviews, this also works well.

Video: collecting cat urine for analysis

New products from the pet industry for monitoring urine parameters

In veterinary pharmacies, pet stores and via the Internet, you can now purchase many devices and consumables that help you easily collect cat urine for analysis, as well as independently monitor the condition of a cat that has already been diagnosed - for example, urolithiasis. Owners of sick animals are well aware of how important this is, but many of them are not even aware of the existence of such useful and convenient new products.

Table: products for the convenience of collecting urine and monitoring its composition

Urine collection kits, which have already become popular with many owners, make it possible to easily provide biomaterial for analysis to the clinic. They use non-absorbent fillers: hydrophobic sand or plastic granules. One set is enough for several studies.

Do not try to wash plastic granules in order to reuse them, as some overly zealous owners do - this will inevitably distort the analysis results. Pipettes and test tubes are also disposable, but they can be replaced with a sterile syringe, through the needle of which urine is easily collected and then brought directly to the clinic in the syringe.

Important: plastic granules are used only once and then discarded

Diagnostic fillers and express strips are very convenient for independent testing. But they are more often used not in emergency cases, but to monitor the condition of an animal with an already identified chronic disease. It is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own, relying only on their testimony - this must be done by a doctor, especially in case of hematuria.

Photo gallery: devices for collecting urine and monitoring its composition

Aromaticat diagnostic tray filler changes color from orange (normal) to blue (critical)

A urine collection kit with plastic granules is a convenient and relatively inexpensive device

A urine collection kit with hydrophobic sand is not cheap, but is well accepted by cats. Uripolian test strips are produced to study the most important indicators of the composition of urine. PrettyCat diagnostic litter for the tray is used together with any regular litter

Video: making it easy for yourself