What You Need To Know About Bladder Stones In Cats

Has this ever happened to you?  You find your cat in his litter box, straining to urinate, crying out in pain.  He can’t seem to pass any urine.  When your vet examines him, she informs you that cat bladder stones are the cause of your cat’s urinary problem.

Bladder Stones In Cats

A bladder stone, or urolith, is made up from minerals present in your cat’s urine.  These minerals sometimes form crystals that stick together to form a stone in your cat’s bladder.  The stones can vary in size from the size of a grain of sand, or they can be pebble sized.

Your feline friend may have only one stone, or he could have several dozen.

Why do the minerals form crystals?  There are several theories.  Your cat’s urine may be high in minerals due to his diet, or it may be because he has an infection in his bladder.
Cat bladder stones usually take several months to form, but they can grow in just a couple of weeks.

Symptoms Of Cat Urinary Problems

If your cat suddenly starts urinating in places other than his litter box, this can indicate that he’s having a urinary problem.You may observe him licking his bottom more often than he normally does.

Blood in the urine is another symptom to watch for.  It can sometimes be hard to see this in cats as they usually go in the litter box.  But if he’s urinating outside his box, you may see it.

If your cat is straining to urinate, or can’t pass any urine, this indicates a blockage.  A urinary blockage is a veterinary emergency, and you need to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.

Treatment For Cat Bladder Stones

X-rays or an ultrasound will be necessary to diagnose bladder stones.  Once they are diagnosed, you vet will probably outline two treatment options.

Your vet may suggest surgery to remove the bladder stones.  An operation is the quickest way to solve the problem of a blockage.

The second is to try to dissolve the stones with a special diet.  Unless the stones are causing blockages, this can be a good treatment option for most cats.  However, it may not work well for all felines.  The major reason is that it’s a slower treatment.  It can take several weeks or months for the stones to dissolve.  During this time your cat will still be passing bloody urine, and may still be straining to urinate.

Diet therapy doesn’t work with all stones.  It’s helpful if the cat passes a stone so that you vet can analyze it to see what it’s made of.  Some types of stones can’t be dissolved.

Some cats won’t eat the special diet food.  The downside is that unless this special diet is the only thing your kitty is eating, it won’t do any good.

Are Herbal Pet Remedies The Answer To Cat Bladder Stones?

Many cat owners are turning to herbal pet remedies to help solve cat urinary problems.  These herbal and homeopathic remedies have been used by people across the world for centuries.  These remedies work to solve the underlying problem, instead of just treating the symptoms.

It’s very important to buy these herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that specialize in producing them.  Do your homework and be sure that the company stands behind its products.  You want to be sure that you find remedies especially formulated for pets.

These natural remedies are inexpensive and readily available.  They have stood the test of time, and there are no side effects to worry about.

Now that you have this information, you can take action to prevent cat urinary problems.