How to cure FLUTD

FLUTD stands for Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. It affects the cat's bladder and urinary system. Flutd is more serious in male cats than females due to a narrower urethra in males that is more susceptible to getting blocked. Barring a few cases, the symptoms of all occurrences of flutd are the same.

Symptoms of flutd

• Strained urination
• Increased frequency of urination
• Hematuria or blood in urine
• Excessive genital licking
• Halt in usage or crying in the litter box
• Urinating at other places than the litter box

As we see problems in urinating are the primary symptoms and must be considered as a medical emergency. Before proceeding to the treatment portion let us briefly discuss the Causes of flutd.

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Unknown causes - in more than 50% of the cases the cause of flutd is not known even after conducting extensive tests.

Obstruction in the urethra - mucous and crystals clump together and form a plug obstructing the penis.

Stones - stones in the urinary tract are the most common cause of flutd.

Diet - fish flavored or dry food can cause flutd.

Stress - in some cases stress is also seen as a cause of flutd.

Bacterial infection - an uncommon cause seen in only 1-3% of cases

Once the FLUTD is diagnosed, it is time for treatment. The cause and severity of flutd decides the course of treatment.

Treatment at home

• Increased fluid consumption - Firstly it is essential to pump in more fluids so as to lessen the urine concentration. For this a drinking fountain can be provided.
• pH level - the pH level which is usually from 5.5 to 8.0, should be aimed at below 6.5. For this foods that increase the acidity of the urine should be fed.
• Diet - water content in the food should be increased. Fish flavored food should be avoided. Special diets that increase thirst should be introduced.
• Antibiotics - only mild cases of flutd can be treated with antibiotics.
• Medications - antidepressants and pain killers can be given to a feline suffering from flutd.

Treatment at the vet

• Urine extraction - a quick and effective way of dealing with an emergency is by urine extraction by a syringe directly through the bladder. Alternatively catheterization can also be done.
• Catheterization - the cephalic veins located in either of the front legs of a cat are pierced with a catheterization needle. To flush out the flutd crystals and re-hydrate the cat, a catheter is placed in the urethra. The whole procedure is done under anesthesia.
• Fluid therapy - generally attempted before catheterization, this involves feeding fluids to the cat so as to flush the bladder.
• Surgery - repeated cases of flutd in a particular male cat can be treated by surgery. Also if the urinary system was not flushed out completely by way of catheterization, surgery is the way out. In this procedure the penis is amputated partially i.e. up to the point where there is a larger urethral opening. Blocking is reduced to some extent.

Hence we have studied the symptoms, causes and treatment of flutd. Thus any of the given treatment procedures can be adopted to cure flutd.