Cat bladder stones, as the name suggests, means that one or more stones have grown in the cat’s bladder. However, the stones block the urethral opening and affect the cat’s normal life. So what are the causes of bladder stones in cats?

Incidence and causes

This disease mainly occurs in adult cats aged 2 to 5 years old, and most cats have gravel. The cause of bladder stones is not yet completely clear, but it is generally believed to be related to urinary tract infections, lesions, mineral metabolism disorders, and changes in urine pH. The center of the stone may be related to the inflammatory reaction. The accumulation of bacteria and inflammatory products in the urine can become the core of salt crystal precipitation. Later, if the calcium content in the urine is too high, or there is insufficient drinking water in summer, the salt concentration in the urine will be too high. Higher, leading to enlargement of stones. At the same time, if the pH value of the urine is alkaline, it will promote the formation of stones. If the urea in the urine is retained for too long, the urea will decompose into ammonia, making the urine alkaline, making some urea difficult to dissolve under alkaline conditions. The salts precipitate and the salt crystals precipitate, promoting the formation of stones.

Clinical symptoms

The main clinical manifestations of bladder stones combined with urethral obstruction are: the sick cat is depressed, anorexic or stops eating. Generally, the cat opens its mouth to pant and is unwilling to exercise; the body temperature is generally normal in the early stage, and then the body temperature rises when symptoms appear, and later occurs. After uremia, the body temperature drops to death; when the urethra is not completely blocked, sometimes vomiting, unwillingness to drink but with desire to drink, difficulty in urination, pain and prolonged urination, frequent urination, but small amount, urine in the shape of drops or lines, sometimes with Hematuria, involuntarily urinating at night, and the urine is found to be wet during the day, and the urine contains a strong ammonia smell; when the urethra is blocked, vomiting, and loss of appetite; the abdominal circumference generally does not increase significantly, and the touch is tense and painful. Check carefully for a full bladder. Without timely treatment, death can occur due to uremia.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis can be made based on clinical symptoms, urinary catheterization examination and X-ray examination. During catheterization, if the urethra is blocked by stones, the urine will not drain out but the bladder is still full when touched. If there are small stones in the drained urine, it also proves that there are stones in the bladder. If there are objects in the bladder after catheterization, it may be that there is something in the bladder. Large stones or stones blocking the urinary catheter; if the bladder ruptures, the abdominal wall is tense and the bladder cannot be touched. The abdominal cavity can be touched after anesthesia. If the bladder cannot be found (generally after an intravenous injection or without urination for several days), then based on clinical Symptoms make the diagnosis. X-ray examination can observe the location, size and shape of stones, laying a good foundation for surgery.

Treatment

1. Dogs and cats that do not have urethral obstruction can be given food rich in vitamin A, Chinese medicine for removing stones, and plenty of clean drinking water and diuretics. At the same time, pay attention to the urination and clinical symptoms.

2. Dogs and cats with urethra obstruction or large bladder stones in the bladder should undergo surgery to remove the stones as soon as possible. The operation is as follows: subcutaneous injection of 846 anesthetic 0.1ml/kg body weight, lying on your back, shaving the surgical site, routine disinfection, opening the abdominal cavity along the abdominal white line, peeling off the omentum, exposing the bladder, using a syringe to draw urine to empty the bladder, and then Pull the bladder outside the body, open an opening at a sparse blood vessel, and remove the stones. If the urethra is blocked, use a urethra catheter to open the urethra. If it is close to the bladder, it can be opened from the outside to the inside. If it is close to the urethral opening, it can be opened from the inside to the outside. Rinse the bladder repeatedly until no stones come out. Put anti-inflammatory powder in the bladder and suture it in two layers. The inner layer is continuous and the outer layer is sutured inward. Observe whether there is bleeding. After flushing with warm saline, the bladder returns to the abdominal cavity. , abdominal wall continuous suture, skin nodule suture. Postoperative disinfection with iodine tincture, fasting (no food or water) for 48 hours, subcutaneous injection of anti-inflammatory drugs for 3 days, and stitches removed after 7 days. ​​​​​​

Precautions for cats suffering from bladder stones

Once many parents discover that their cats have bladder stones, their first reaction is to give them a lot of water. But the problem is that cats don’t like to drink water when they are sick. In fact, the best solution is to remove the stones as soon as possible and give the cat a healthy body. So what should cats pay attention to when suffering from bladder stones?

1. Cat stones are relatively common in clinical practice. The editor’s opinion is that in order to reduce the occurrence of urinary stones, pets should be raised without a picky diet, try to allow pets to have a place to urinate and defecate in the house, not hold back urine, and have enough clean and hygienic water sources.

2. Clinical diagnosis should be made as early as possible. For suspected stone cases, appropriate medicine should be prescribed. Anti-inflammatory drugs should not be infused intravenously in large quantities, otherwise it will cause bladder rupture and lead to the death of the cat.

3. During surgery, attention should be paid to emptying the bladder of urine first and then incising the bladder. Otherwise, a sudden drop in bladder pressure will cause a drop in blood pressure, insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, and acute death.

4. Pay attention to the dosage of intravenous infusion after surgery. Excessive infusion will cause greater pressure on the damaged bladder, which can easily cause bladder leakage and make the incision difficult to heal.

5. Sometimes urine annuria caused by urethritis is encountered clinically, and it should be distinguished from stones based on clinical symptoms.