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An estimated one percent of today’s cats suffer from the potentially fatal feline urological syndrome (FUS).
Kent Roberts, Virginia Tech Extension companion animal specialist, said the signs of the disorder include frequent urinations, blood in the urine, straining to urinate and other signs of discomfort.
“The disease is most serious in male cats where blockage of the uretha may cause a backup of urine, a distended bladder and life-threatening uremic poisoning,” Mr. Roberts said. “Cats can tolerate a blocked uretha for between 24 and 48 hours and then they go rapidly down hill and die in a short time.”
The most recent research indicates that the combination of urine pH and the amount of magnesium in the diet are the most critical factors in the occurrence of FUS. The lower the pH of the urine, the less chance there is that the problem will develop.
The amount of water intake and the amount and type of magnesium in the cat’s diet are very important factors in whether it develops FUS.
Treating FUS involves the urinary antibiotics, increased water consumption, special diets, urinary acidifiers and surgery in selected cases.
Mr. Roberts said cats showing the signs of urinary problems need to be taken to a local veterinarian before they become seriously ill.
Those cats with frequent and/or bloody urinations can be quite uncomfortable as a result of an inflammed, irritated bladder. Cystitis, as this is called, can affect cats of any age and either sex, he said.
“It tends to become a chronic disorder and relapses following treatment are common,” Mr. Roberts said.
“The best long-range approach
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