Cat Urinary Tract infection – Home Treatment

Urinary tract infections respond very well to antibiotics. However, antibiotics tend to kill friendly bacteria along with the disease causing bacteria. Diminished friendly flora in the body can be a cause of other diseases that may be far more difficult to treat than urinary tract infection.

If you see the following signs in your cat, you should suspect the prevalence of feline urinary infection.

  • The urine has a bad smell.
  • The cat is straining to urinate or cries while urinating.
  • There is blood in urine.
  • The cat is urinating at odd places, often in small amounts.

The common conventional treatment modality is to get urine and blood tests done to identify bacteria and give antibiotics to eliminate the infection. Alternative and holistic medicines, however, look beyond the immediate cause and look towards treatment along with boosting immunity. This spares the cat from the harmful side effects of antibiotics and also ensures that the probability of a recurrence is reduced.

The most recommended treatment is a combination of herbal tinctures of pipsissewa, buchu, uva ursi and Echinacea in equal parts. This can be mixed in the cat’s food. While this is useful for urinary tract infection in to a large extent, alcohol tinctures are recommended for cats only for short term use. Herbal teas prepared from a combination of goldenrod, horsetail, parsley, marshmallow root and elderberry are a better alternative for extended treatment in cats. A tablespoon of cooled tea can be given thrice daily while the symptoms last.

Cranberry juice does not allow bacteria to cling to the cells that line the walls of the urinary tract. It also acidifies the urine and since the bacteria cannot thrive in an acidic environment, it helps keep urinary infections at bay. Cranberry extract is a better choice as pets usually dislike the taste and therefore a concentrate can be forced in easily. Cantharis, a homeopathic remedy, is also an effective treatment of urinary tract infection. It is highly recommended if there is blood in the urine. It also eases the discomfort caused by straining while urinating.

Cantharis provides quick relief if two to three pellets of 30C potency are given at hourly intervals. Simply put the pellets in the cat’s mouth and they will be absorbed by the mucous membrane automatically.

If your cat happens to be on antibiotics for infection, you can counter the effect of the drug on friendly bacteria by giving supplements of lactobacillus. One eighth of a tablespoon for two times a day is enough for pets weighing less than 20 pounds. Wait for a couple of hours after the antibiotic has been administered. Fresh yogurt works equally well to restore the balance of the flora in the body.

Coupled with a natural diet, alternative remedies go a long way in home treatment of urinary tract infection in cats. Give home cooked food to your cat and add Vitamin C supplements periodically to prevent future occurrences of infection.

Courtesy of Tess Thompson, PetAlive.com

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August 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment 

Cat Urinary Tract Infection – Symptoms To Watch For

Urinary tract infections are a common problem with domesticated pets, especially cats and dogs. Cats, however, are less prone to UTI than dogs. Problems affecting the lower urinary tract in cats, termed by veterinarians as Feline Urologic Syndrome, are not a common disease in cats with less than 1% of the overall cat population being affected by them. However, veterinarians have to deal with urinary tract infection in cats and dogs on regular basis as nearly 10% of the cases they have to deal with relate to urologic disorders.

The most common cause of feline urinary tract disorders is urolithiasis, a condition where stones are formed from accumulation of crystals in the urinary tract. This condition can be severe and result in complete blockage of the urinary tract and prevent urination totally.

Most cats urinate the most at night when they are most active. The first sign of your cat having urinary tract infection is when it starts having litter box problems. The “litter” in the word “litter box” actually denotes fecal matter and not the substrate that pet owners line the box with.

Cats are very tolerant to pain and will eat, purr, and snuggle to attract your attention even while in pain. This behavioral pattern makes it all the more difficult as these could be demonstrations of out-of-cat-litter-box experiences signaling feline UTI. It is up to you to determine whether your cat has UTI or not. For this a fair understanding of the UTI symptoms in cats is necessary. To determine whether your pet cat has urinary tract infection or not, check out the following symptoms:

Pain while urinating, frequent urination, small or no urine at all, are among the first signs to look for.
Excessive grooming of genitals, crying while doing it and blood in urine are almost certainly symptoms of urinary infection in cats and dogs.
If your cat has stopped using its litter box and urinates outside of it, you can suspect the presence of UTI.
As urination becomes a painful exercise your cat will start associating it with the litter box and try to avoid it and urinate outside of it. If it does so, on a light colored surface, you can look for traces of blood and seek help for treating the disorder.

Medication for feline UTI is not very difficult to access. There is more than one option open to you. You may try homeopathic bladder infection treatment for canines and cats, or go in for herbal and natural remedies in case you do not want your pet cat to go through the agony of strong antibiotics, which more often than not, have dangerous side effects.

Courtesy of Tess Thompson,
PetAlive.com

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August 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment 

Amoxicillin for Cat Urinary Tract Infection

Practically the same drugs and antibiotics that are used for treating UTI in humans are used for treating urinary tract infections in cats. Amoxicillin is semi synthetic oral penicillin that is used for treating bacterial infections and is one of the primary antibiotics indicated for treating feline urinary tract infection.

As is widely known, antibiotics should be used only when they cannot be avoided as they are liable to become ineffective over time and with overuse. It is necessary that proper information be gathered about the drug before it is used to treat urinary infection in cats. For veterinarian use, amoxicillin is available in the 100mg dose as amoxicillin trihydrate. It works by inhibiting the biosynthesis of large structural molecules in the cell walls of bacteria. It is indicated in the treatment of cystitis, urethritis and genitourinary tract infections along with infections of the upper and lower respiratory tracts.

The hypersensitivity reaction to the injection of penicillin is well known and amoxicillin infections can also result in similar reactions. Such hypersensitivity can even be fatal at times. Since there are no skin or patch tests that can be done before taking the medicine orally or otherwise, extreme care is required when it is being administered for the first time.

Even though patients with a history of sensitivity to multiple allergens are more vulnerable, the reaction can happen to anyone. An allergic reaction may present itself in the shape of salivation, shivering, vomiting and itchy skin eruptions. In the event of an allergic reaction, the antibiotic should be discontinued immediately and a new appropriate therapy should be adopted. Serious allergic reactions require immediate treatment with epinephrine to stimulate the autonomic nerve reaction.

On the positive side, amoxicillin remains stable in the presence of gastric acids and can be safely given with feed. The drug diffuses quickly into the body tissues and fluids even on oral digestion. The dosage of amoxicillin depends on the weight of the cat.

The recommended dosage is quarter of a tablet (25mg) for a cat weighing less than 2.25 kg and half a tablet (50 mg) for those weighing between 2.25 to 4.5 kg. A full tablet is prescribed for heavier cats. After daily administration for 5 to 7 days, the drug should be continued for another couple of days till the symptoms of the urinary tract infection subside completely.

For instances of severe urinary tract infection in dogs and cats, a higher concentration of the drug is required. In such cases, the dosage is invariably doubled. However, care needs to be taken to avoid an overdose.

Even though there are no absolute side effects that have been observed in unborn kittens, the benefits of the drug need to be weighed against the possible threat to the fetus when administering the antibiotic to a pregnant cat.

Courtesy of Tess Thompson, PetAlive.com

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August 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment 

Cat Urinary Tract infection – Home Remedy

Conventional veterinarians have no choice but to prescribe an antibiotic for bacterial infections like feline urinary infection. A holistic veterinarian, however, will look beyond an antibiotic and suggest numerous remedies that can help in promoting the self healing capacities so that the cat’s body can resist future infection.

Urinary tract infection in cats is as common as it is in humans. It also causes the same amount of trouble in cats as it does in humans. If your cat is passing blood in the urine, or shows symptoms like straining on urination or feline urinary incontinence, there is every reason to suspect that your pet is suffering from urinary infection.

The first and foremost step of course is to treat your pet for the symptoms of UTI. You have a choice between conventional antibiotics and alternative remedies available in the market. Whichever treatment modality you may choose, you must take into consideration certain allied factors. UTI is known for its high recurrence rate and it can cause a lot of trouble to the cat due to accompanying pain and irritation.

There are herbal and homeopathic combination remedies prepared from natural substances that have antibiotic properties. These remedies can be used to treat UTI without really having to resort to antibiotics. Cantharis, a homeopathic remedy will effectively ease the pain experienced by the cat during urination. Homeopathic tinctures prepared from a combination of proven remedies can help reduce the irritation in the urinary tract.

For long term and preventive measures, it is better to give herbal tea made of goldenrod, horsetail, parsley, marshmallow root and elderberry to cats that have a history of UTI. Other steps that can go a long way in minimizing the risk of repeated urinary tract infection are:

  • Change over to a chemical free diet. Chemical additives and preservatives can weaken your pet’s immunity and increase the risk of recurrence of urinary infection to a great extent.
  • Make sure that your cat is drinking enough water. If not, then try changing over to filtered water or spring water. Maybe it is not drinking due to the chemicals in the water.
  • Increase fluid intake by adding liquids like chicken broth to diet. Cats that do not drink enough water do not urinate as much as is necessary.

Courtesy of Tess Thompson, PetAlive.com

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August 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment 

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