Rocky can’t go

By now you know Rocky the cat. Rocky is a very clean cat and always uses his litter tray perfectly. Recently Rocky was leaving little patches of bloody urine in strange places. One evening, Rocky’s owner came home from work to find Rocky scratching at his litter tray without passing any urine. An urgent veterinary examination was required.

On examination, it was discovered that Rocky had a large hard and painful bladder. He was diagnosed with a urinary obstruction, a condition where the urethra that takes urine from the bladder to the outside world is blocked. This is a potentially life-threatening condition and Rocky needed urgent stabilisation and catheterisation to unblock his bladder.

There are many causes of urethral obstruction in cats and stress, viruses, bacteria, diet, decreased water consumption, physical inactivity, urine retention, and urine pH may all contribute. Male cats are at greater risk for obstruction than females because their urethra is longer and narrower.

After a few days in the hospital, Rocky was able to comfortably pass urine on his own.

To prevent recurrence of Rocky’s problems he was started on a special urinary diet. This commercially prepared food is available in both dry and wet forms and is formulated to help keep the urinary tract healthy and reduce the risk of repeat obstructions.

We are pleased to say that Rocky has adapted well to his new diet and is happily using his litter tray again.

If you ever notice your pet is having trouble passing urine, you should call us for advice as soon as possible.