Pet Care Corner

Dr. Becky Marks
 

Have you ever owned a cat that urinated in a shoe? It would be funny unless it was your shoe. Often the change in location to urinate is a cry for help.
 

Mrs. Jones called. "Tigger urinated in my husband's shoe! My husband is not happy. He thinks Tigger is mad at him for something. You know how cats can be..." Mrs Jones also knew that this could be a sign that something was wrong with Tigger and that is why she called. So it was recommend she bring Tigger in for an exam.
 

In this case 10 year old Tigger was examined. The usual exam does not always reveal a problem. Tigger was tender in the abdomen. So a urinalysis was performed. To obtain a urine sample from a cat is not always easy. Some are very cooperative and let us place a needle through the belly into the bladder to pull out a sample. This is ideal because the sample is sterile. However, not all will permit this method. So often we take what we can get which is usually a sample from the bottom of the cage.
 

The chemical tests on the urinalysis check for the pH, specific gravity, protein, sugar, ketones , blood, white blood cells and bile components. Then the sample is examined under the microscope for bacteria, crystals and tissue cells. In some cases a culture is necessary to determine which bacteria are present and how to treat them.
 

In Tigger's case he did have quite a few white blood cells , bacteria and oxalate crystals. After questioning Mrs. Jones said she had been feeding the store pet food for lower urinary tract disease. She thought she was preventing disease. In this case the diet caused the bladder problems. The store brand products are only appropriate for young cats to prevent a different type of crystal formation. As cats age , their body chemistry changes and these diets will alter the urine. More oxalate crystals have been seen in the last decade than ever before because of the store pet diets being used across the board. The good news is that the oxalate crystals rarely lead to blockage. The "young cat" crystals often do lead to blockage and which is a life threatening problem.
 

So, Tigger was sent home with antibiotics and a diet appropriate for the older cat which will prevent "old cat" crystals. Thank you Mrs. Jones for bringing him in. And now no more wet shoes!