Inflamed Bladder – Cats With Stones In the Bladder

I received this email from Judy the other day regarding an infected bladder cats with stones in the bladder and thought I would share it with you all.  This is a common and tough cat illness to get your cat through.  There is much you can do to prevent the problem too.

Judy’s Question:

My cat has a bladder infection for the first time and was just diagnosed with stones in her bladder.  My vet said we have to wait to see what type they are because they may be able to be helped with diet.  He also said they look large and was pushing me to have surgery.  She is not experiencing a blockage.  The  infections seems to be clearing up with anti-biotics clavamox.

I think surgery should be the last option if they are not able to be helped with diet do i have any options other than surgery?

Kate’s response:

Judy, I don’t want to overrule anything your vet said, but hopefully add some clarification to the situation: Inflamed bladder cats suffering from stone is the bladder.

Your cat is suffering from a bladder condition that is affecting more and more cats in the US each year.  The consensus amongst both traditional and holistic veterinarians is that there is more than a single cause and no one cure.

Before I go on too much, if your cat is experiencing a blockage your cat has only hours to live. It is imperative you make a decision to have your vet surgically remove the stones lest your cat perish – a terribly painful death.

Ok now for the happier news: Treating and Preventing Cat’s Bladder Stones

It sounds like crystals have formed in your cat’s bladder.  These crystals have sharp edges that are poking and tearing the lining of your cat’s bladder. Sometimes this leads to a bladder infection, but not always-in fact not even usually. Do you know if your vet confirmed that infection is present?

Typically, a vet will prescribe a antibiotic assuming that there is an infection when in fact there isn’t.  The cat owner may in fact insist on such a treatment because we tend to think the same treatment for humans is appropriate for an inflamed bladder cats have. It is not.

The other common treatment is by giving your cat a shot of steroids.  These act as an anti-inflammatory.  This is also a temporary solution.

The bottom line for your kitty is to evaluate the pH level in her complete bladder.   Then depending on the pH level and the type of crystal you then treat to either acidify the urine (with struvite) or make the urine more alkaline (oxalate crystals).

An easy way to acidify the urine is to raise the meat protein level. Making the urine more alkaline involves decreasing the protein level and adding a supplement, potassium citrate.

You can give you cat small amounts of cranberry juice which is well known for its high content of Vitamin C.  This works for inflamed bladder cats with stones or crystals because it acidifies the urine.  This makes it more difficult for bacteria to grow.  It also dissolves the more common type of crystal, struvite.

Preventing Cats Bladder Problems

As far as preventing future problems, the absolute most important thing is to feed a diet higher in moisture. This is accomplished with canned food. You can also help get your cat’s pH back to normal using this product that I’ve had great success with. My Lucy went through a terrible session where she had an inflamed bladder too. This helped her recover and we haven’t had a repeat session of it in years.