How to treat cat urinary incontinence

If your cat has urine leakage – show him to the vet. With a timely diagnosis, you can protect your pet from developing complications. For the duration of treatment, have patience and avoid punishment for puddles you find.

Urinary incontinence in cats

An aging cat can suffer from incontinence, which can be troublesome for its owner. Learn more about common causes of incontinence and how it can be treated.

As your cat ages, you may notice some changes in her behavior, whether she still goes to her litter box to urinate or goes outside. Incontinence is a common condition among older cats and has various causes as well as options for effective treatment.

What are the symptoms of incontinence in older cats?

If a cat is incontinent, its urination process may be impaired and the animal may experience painful straining when urinating. In addition, the cat may not be aware that it is urinating and may leave traces of urine in the house. She may have diarrhea that is difficult to control, or she may stop using the litter box as she used to.

There are many causes of incontinence in cats, each requiring special treatment and preventive measures. Muscles, in older cats become weaker, so the animal has less control. Weakened muscle strength in the sphincter of the urinary tract or bowel can cause incontinence because the cat cannot use them effectively to restrain or stimulate urination or defecation.

In some cases, arthritis can also cause abnormalities in aging cats. If an older cat suffers from osteoarthritis, it may be painful for her to get in and out of the litter box, so the cat may choose another place to urinate that is more accessible to her. In these cases, an aging cat may not be incontinent, so it is important to have an accurate diagnosis by a veterinarian.

Diabetes mellitus affects one cat in 200, and it is more common in cats over the age of seven. Two symptoms of diabetes are an increase in the amount of urine produced and increased frequency of urination, which can give the appearance of incontinence. If your cat is overweight, she is more at risk of developing diabetes. Consequently, if you notice your cat having increased urination and producing large volumes of urine, as well as increased thirst and hunger, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Older cats may develop cognitive impairment as they age. This problem affects more than 80% of cats between the ages of 16 and 20. This condition manifests itself as insomnia, increased anxiety, disorientation and forgetfulness. For example, animals may forget where familiar items or routines are located. The cat may have symptoms of incontinence due to cognitive impairment, as it simply cannot remember where its litter box is placed.

Causes of the disorder

Uncontrolled urination in the cat is not an independent disease, but a symptom of various pathologies: neurogenic nature, anomalies in the structure of the urinary system, functional disorders or psychological and emotional stress.

The main reasons for the cat began to urinate not in the litter box, but in the wrong places, include the following:

1. Infections in any part of the urinary system.
2. Congenital abnormalities of the urogenital system.
3. IBC (urolithiasis).
4. Metabolic disorders associated with diabetes mellitus, obesity. Urine is usually excreted in a drip.
5. Damage to the brain or spinal cord due to trauma, hypertension, inflammatory processes.
6. Older age of the pet. In old age, all systems of the body can no longer cope with their functions, the muscles weaken, which leads to urine leakage.
7. Frequent births. A cat that gives birth more than once a year has no time to regenerate its urogenital system, which disturbs the normal function of the bladder. This leads to persistent incontinence.
8. Spasm of the bladder muscles. Urine is excreted once.
9. Paralysis of the lower body, limbs. The cat urinates constantly.
10. Trauma and damage to the bladder. Urination of varying degrees.
11. Oncology and benign tumors in the bladder and urethra.
12. Surgical intervention (including castration), during which the nerve endings were touched.

Sometimes the problem of uncontrolled urine excretion can be encountered after a catheter has been placed in the catheter. This phenomenon goes away after a few days on its own without treatment.

Symptoms

It is impossible not to notice urinary incontinence in a pet. Wet spots remain in places where the cat has just stood or sat, and it always has wet hair on the inside of the thighs, under the tail.

In addition, the behavior of the animal changes. Cats by nature are very clean animals, from an early age accustomed to the litter box. With an involuntary secretion of urine embarrassment can happen at any time – during sleep or wakefulness, when the cat just does not have time to run to the litter box.

Realizing that she made a puddle in the wrong place, the poor cat looks scared and worried. And if the owners start swearing, expressing indignation at the misdemeanor and even more so, resorting to punitive measures, it becomes a strong stress for the animal.

Based on the degree of urine excretion, there are several forms of incontinence:

1. Underpooping. The urine is excreted involuntarily in a small volume, dripping, after physical exertion. The general condition of the cat is unsatisfactory.
2. Constant excretion. Urine leaks every time after any movement and change of the cat's body position. Rear part, abdomen constantly wet. The bedding where he rests is soaked through with urine. The animal smells foul and, experiencing great discomfort, is constantly licking.
3. Urge incontinence. The cat has no urge to urinate. Because of this, the bladder overflows and the urine flows out arbitrarily. This bothers the pet, who does not understand what is happening to him. He needs to be reassured, but by no means scolded.
4. Stressful. The urine flows in varying amounts, from a few drops to a copious secretion.

Regardless of how often and how much urine the cat emits, you should immediately take the cat to the veterinary clinic, where he will be examined by a veterinarian.

Symptoms accompanying cat urinary incontinence

Although incontinence itself is a symptom of a disorder in the animal's body, it Is also accompanied by a change in the cat's behavior. Knowing these signs, the owner can be sure that the incontinence was not due to bad behavior, but is a problem and requires veterinary intervention.

Diagnosis that determines urinary incontinence in a cat

Diagnosis of the disease is a very important point. When diagnosing the body, the veterinarian must Identify the true cause of the cat's urinary system malfunction. A very popular examination for incontinence is ultrasound. It can most accurately indicate the cause of the disease. In our veterinary center "Ya-VET" all examinations are carried out only with high-quality equipment, which is made according to European quality standards!

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Only after a number of investigations and confirmation of this or that diagnosis, can treatment begin. The professionalism of the veterinarian is very important in this case. After all, if misdiagnosed, the cat will only suffer harm by prescribing the wrong treatment. Also, in no case can you do self-treatment and self-diagnosis. Many cat owners, deciding to take drastic measures, may reduce the cat's fluid intake, which is extremely unacceptable. This can lead to dehydration. Any "homemade" methods of treatment, will only make it worse and make the situation worse. A specialist consultation is always necessary!

Symptoms and Forms

With incontinence, wet spots remain literally everywhere the pet has been sitting, standing or lying. Especially strongly soaked in urine is a cot or other, especially favorite place of the sick cat. The soiled coat does not have time to dry, becomes repulsive in appearance and begins to smell bad.

Behavioral symptoms include increased restlessness and constant licking. If you scold a sick pet even once, he is sure to hide and feel guilty, which will make his condition even worse.

Depending on the nature of the leakage, the disorder is subdivided into the following forms:

1. Underflow. The volume of discharge is small. Mostly droplets of urine appear after physical activity.
2. Constant discharge. Urination occurs with any movement, including a trivial change of posture.
3. Urinary incontinence. The urge occurs suddenly when the bladder is already full. The cat tries to run to the litter box, but pees on the spot or on the run.
4. Stressful. The volume of urination varies from profuse to scanty in a few drops. Usually observed once as a result of a strong fright or other vivid emotion.

In all of the above cases, the animal should definitely be seen by a veterinarian. If you start treatment too late, the existing disorder can provoke the development of dangerous complications.

What to do if a cat has urinary incontinence

The main task of treatment is to eliminate the causes of the disorder and its consequences. To do this, medications, physical therapy or surgery are used.

Medication and physical therapy

Depending on the diagnosis and accompanying symptoms, the sick pet is prescribed the following medications:

• Antibiotics that fight the infectious agent;
• drugs that improve sphincter function and strengthen the muscle tone of the bladder wall;
• analgesics and antispasmodics;
• drugs that normalize the metabolism;
• vitamins and immunomodulators.

Additionally, massages are used to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles. It is also recommended to undergo a course of magnetotherapy and electrophoresis.

When surgery is needed

Surgery is resorted to in case of spinal injuries, hernias, tumors, obstructions and various congenital anomalies. Once the triggering factor is eliminated, the animal's condition stabilizes by the end of the rehabilitation period.

Care and hygiene maintenance

If overweight is to blame for urinary incontinence, the cat is put on a diet and provided with sufficient exercise. Until recovery, the number of litter trays and diapers in the house is increased.

Special cat diapers are used if there is constant leakage. Particular attention is paid to hygiene. Frequent bathing aggravates stress and dries the skin, so it is better to replace washing with wiping with wet pet grooming wipes. They remove dirt well and do not contain alcohol.

Veterinarian Examination

The vet should be told all the symptoms that the owner has noticed. During the examination, the veterinarian will palpate, and this can be used to detect large tumors, abnormal development of organs.

In case of incontinence and other urological disorders, urinalysis will necessarily be prescribed, most often a microscopy of the sediment will be required. Previously, we have already given a detailed transcript of the urinalysis in a cat. If necessary, ultrasound and X-rays are also done.

Additional tests may be needed, such as blood tests, culture for microflora, analysis of the renal epithelium in cat urine.

Important: obvious neurogenic disorders such as injuries, tumors, herniated spine, urinary disorders are treated by eliminating these factors.

In cases of functional disorders, a complete and comprehensive examination is indispensable. Only a complete collection of all indicators will make it possible to correctly diagnose and prescribe the right treatment.

The veterinarian will advise the use of special diapers for animals during the examination. A clean, absorbent diaper should always be placed on the bed. These items of care are sold at any pet store.

Important: do not scold the pet for its inability to tolerate, in any case do not punish it. A stressful situation will only harm the pet, while affection and care, on the contrary, will help to cope with the disease.

Get tested

It is better to take any tests in the morning on an empty stomach. The only exceptions are emergency cases, if the pet suddenly feels ill and needs emergency hospitalization.

It is easy to give blood: a veterinary nurse will find a vein and take a blood sample without any problems.

Many owners are concerned about how to collect urine from a cat for analysis. To do this, prepare the litter box: remove the filler, wash it, and wash it with boiling water. You do not need to use aggressive detergents, such as bleach. Even if the pet doesn't like the empty litter tray, he will use it sooner or later. Drain the liquid into a jar, take it to the clinic.

If the pet doesn't make it to the litter box in time, put a diaper on it. Later squeeze the diaper into the jar for analysis. But this is not a good option because the composition of the diaper can change the composition of the urine.

Another option: go to the clinic. The doctor will place a catheter to take the test. Catheterization is of little comfort to the furry patient, but it is completely painless. The most accurate and cleanest material is considered to be obtained by a-puncturing the bladder. A needle is inserted through the abdomen into the bladder, then the necessary amount of fluid is sucked out. The procedure is easily tolerated by animals and no anesthesia or freezing is required.

Causes of urinary incontinence in cats

There are several causes of this pathological condition. Usually, incontinence in cats is provoked by pathological factors, so without treating the underlying disease, it will not go away. In a number of situations, such as when we are talking about urinary incontinence in an elderly pet, its appearance is caused by natural causes, so it is impossible to get rid of the animal.

Nervous system disorder

If the cat is constantly dripping or leaking urine, it may be caused by some disease of the nervous system: damage to the intervertebral discs, lesions of the shells and substance of the spinal cord, abnormalities of the blood vessels. Disturbances in the functioning of the spinal cord and brain structures deprive animals of the ability to control the process of urination. You can tell if a pet has a problem with its nervous system by a change in its behavior, a decrease or, on the contrary, an increase in appetite, muscle cramps, limb paralysis.

Irregular structure of the genitourinary organs

Incontinence may be due to abnormalities in the structure of the organs that are involved in the excretion of urine. If this is indeed the case, the four-legged pet will have incontinence problems immediately after weaning from his mother. No effort to accustom the kitten to the litter box will not give the expected result, and he will still leave wet paths all over the house.

Many owners of such pets write it off on ignorance and desire to annoy the owners. Meanwhile, the baby needs help. Punishment and yelling will only exacerbate the problem. To detect abnormalities in the structure of the genitourinary organs will allow ultrasound examination.

Weakened muscle tone in older cats and cats that have given birth frequently

What to do if the cat does not retain urine, how to help the animal?

You should not try to solve this problem yourself at home. The only thing to do in this situation is to show the pet to a vet as soon as possible. The veterinarian will find out why the tailed patient cannot control urination, and prescribe a treatment.

There are no standard approaches to eliminating this problem. Some animals require observation to normalize the process of urination, others require sedation, and others may require surgery.

Treatment of incontinence can be conservative or surgical. It is not uncommon for both of these methods to be powerless. We are talking about age-related changes in the musculo-ligamentous apparatus.

The owner of an elderly, constantly peeing pet will simply have to accept this feature of the pet. Disposable diapers can help prevent puddles on the floor and furniture. Postpartum incontinence, incontinence caused by stress or trauma, can go away on its own without medication if you create favorable conditions for the pet.