When danger looms over your pet: internal bleeding in cats

Bloody and discolored urine is a common reason why cat owners seek veterinary care.

It is incredibly unpleasant to see drops of blood in the cat's litter box, on the bedding or on the floor. Sometimes you cannot see blood until the urine is examined with a microscope or detected in a urinalysis. Fortunately, many cats that exhibit blood in their urine have signs that resolve quickly with relatively simple treatments. The two main causes of blood in a cat's urine are cystitis and feline lower urinary tract disorder, or FLUTD.

What is hematuria?

Blood in the urine is called hematuria. Hematuria can be determined by the presence of pink, red, brown or black urine or the presence of blood cells when the urine is analyzed under a microscope. A urine test is used to help determine whether the blood is due to a urinary tract disorder or the result of a body condition that affects clotting or bleeding. Blood tests are usually needed to rule out possible bleeding or bleeding disorders. The most common diagnosis for hematuria in cats is cystitis.

How to help a cat with bleeding

When the bandage is applied, the animal should be given sweetened tea or slightly salted water.

The limb on which the wound is located can be raised up. The blood flow to the injured vessel will be weakened.

If there is bleeding on the torso or in the neck area, apply several layers of gauze to the wound. Place a layer of cotton wool on it, then bandage everything tightly.

Also suitable for stopping bleeding are decoctions of oak bark, chamomile, sage, alum solution or iodoform. A gauze swab is soaked in one of these solutions and then applied to the wound before applying a bandage.

What is cystitis?

Cystitis is a general term referring to inflammation in the bladder. The term cystitis does not imply a specific cause for this disease. In cats, diseases of the lower urinary tract, bladder and urethra are often classified under the term feline lower urinary tract disease or FLUTD. We use these commonly recognized medical terms because it can be difficult to distinguish between different bladder and urethral conditions, and many conditions affect the entire lower urinary tract. If your veterinarian eliminates all specific associated diagnoses for hematuria, the condition is called feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease (iFLUTD). Some veterinarians may use feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) to describe this condition. Idiopathic is a term that means the exact cause is unknown.

Obesity in castrated cats

The probability of accumulation of excess weight and obesity in neutered cats is very high. This can even be called a common phenomenon that brings discomfort to the animal. Excess weight accumulates due to a sedentary lifestyle, since castration makes cats sedentary and lethargic, but they continue to eat a lot and with pleasure.

A cat's excess weight is easily visible and noticeable. This is a layer of fat on the abdomen, poor palpation of the spine and ribs. Obesity in an animal can cause various diseases of internal organs, the cardiovascular system, and hormonal imbalance. Obesity also has a bad effect on bones and joints.

It is impossible to start this disease and not reverse its influence. It is better to start treating obesity in the early stages. An important role in the treatment of the disease lies in the physical activity of the cat. Pay more attention to the animal, play with it, give it more opportunity to run and jump, because cats love this very much.

Organize proper and balanced nutrition, take more care of your pet. Add lean meat, vegetables, and dairy products. Use food specially formulated for neutered cats.

What are the symptoms of cystitis?

Typical symptoms of cystitis or FLUTD in cats involve inflammation and irritation of the lower urinary tract. General clinical signs:

• Increased frequency of urination, which is called pollakiuria.
• Difficulty urinating or dysuria. (Sick cats often spend a lot of time straining in the litter box, passing only small volumes of urine. Many cat owners confuse this with constipation.)
• Having bloody, strong-smelling, or discolored urine.
• Urinating in unusual places such as furniture, floors, and corners is called periuria.
• Excessive grooming or licking of the genital area.
• Inability to urinate. These cats strain to urinate, producing a few drops or no urine at all. If you suspect that your cat is in distress and unable to urinate adequately, this is a medical emergency. Urethral blockage, which is more common in male cats due to their narrow urethra, can be a life-threatening complication if the condition is left untreated for even a few hours.

What is the danger of nosebleeds?

In some cases, the presence of bloody discharge from a cat's nostrils requires emergency veterinary attention. As a rule, this is indicated by additional symptoms. Therefore, it is worth examining the animal as soon as bloody discharge from the nose appears.

Signs that accompany a nosebleed and indicate the need to take your cat to a veterinarian:

• When you sneeze, a lot of blood is released;
• There is deformation of the muzzle, swelling on the animal’s body;
• The mucous membrane of the oral cavity acquires a marble color;
• Presence of symptoms of periodontal disease or gumboil;
• The animal's feces become black, acquiring a viscous consistency. This indicates that some of the blood is going inward rather than flowing outward. In such a situation, urgent diagnosis is necessary;
• The presence of an unpleasant odor from the mouth and nose;
• Difficulty breathing;
• The animal sleeps a lot;
• Loss of appetite.

If you have such symptoms, you should contact a specialist for examination and further diagnosis.

What are the causes of cystitis?

Blood in a cat's urine can have many possible causes. Cystitis and FLUTD can cause severe inflammation of the bladder and/or urethra, leading to hematuria. While many young cats, under 10 years of age, will have bladder inflammation that can be difficult to explain, below are some of the obvious causes of blood in a cat's urine:

• Trauma or bodily harm;
• Blood clotting disorder;
• Kidney stones or bladder stones (approximately 20% of all cases in cats under 10 years of age);
• Bacterial infections (primary bacterial infections are rare in cats, although secondary infections can occur as complicating factors) - more common in cats over 10 years of age, many older cats will have bladder stones and a bacterial infection;
• Neoplasia (tumor of the bladder or lower urinary tract) - more common in older cats;
• Anatomical abnormalities—especially in young cats with chronic or persistent urinary tract problems;
• Urethral plugs are a blockage of the urethra with a mixture of crystals or small stones and inflammatory material.

Methods for diagnosing diseases if a cat pees blood

There are several ways to diagnose feline diseases with pronounced hematuria. All of them are carried out in a veterinary clinic after a complete examination of the animal and collection of an anamnesis (history of the disease).

Diagnostic methods:

It is impossible to determine at home the reason why a cat is urinating blood. The owner of the animal should urgently collect urine and deliver it to a veterinary laboratory for analysis (after examining the cat by a doctor).

How to properly collect urine for analysis

There are three proven methods:

1. Using a urine collection kit. It can be purchased at most pet stores. The set consists of transparent plastic balls that do not absorb liquid and a pipette. Pour the balls into an empty, clean tray (washed with boiling water) and wait until the cat pees in it. Then tilt the tray and use a pipette to collect the urine into a sterile jar. This method is convenient for cats peeing in the litter.
2. Using a tray with a grid, which can be pre-sprayed with a product to attract the cat to the toilet. Wait until the kitten goes into the tray in a small way, remove the grate and pour the urine into a jar.
3. Using a urethral catheter. The method is used for urgent diagnosis in a clinical setting. This procedure should not be carried out at home, as it will require sedation (drug-induced relaxation and removal of sensitivity), as well as restraining the cat.

Important point! It is better to collect urine in the morning, before feeding the cat. It is necessary to deliver the collected material to the laboratory within 4 hours. Otherwise, the results may be unreliable and a new analysis will be required. It is advisable to indicate the time of collection of biomaterial.

If a cat cannot urinate on its own for several days, then the clinic must be told about this. Then the veterinarian will insert a catheter into the animal and forcefully empty the bladder.

How will blood in your cat's urine be diagnosed?

The initial diagnosis for a cat suffering from hematuria is based on the presence of symptoms consistent with lower urinary tract inflammation. A complete urinalysis with sediment examination is the most common diagnostic test used to confirm the presence of urinary tract inflammation or infection and is often performed in real time in practice. Other diagnostic tests for blood in urine include:

• Laboratory urine analysis;
• Bacterial culture and urine susceptibility;
• Blood tests to look for other signs of urinary tract disease, such as kidney disease or bleeding disorders;
• X-rays and/or ultrasound examination of the bladder and urethra.

Home care

Hemoperitoneum can be an emergency and veterinary attention should be sought as soon as possible. Minimize stress until you can get to the veterinary clinic, keep the animal warm, and ensure peace. If traumatic injury is suspected, be careful when moving your pet as spinal injuries or fractures may be present.

(c) Veterinary center for the treatment and rehabilitation of animals “Zoostatus”. Varshavskoe highway, 125 building 1. tel. 8 (499) 372-27-37

Treating Blood in Your Cat's Urine

Treatment of feline hematuria is based on treatment of the primary problem. Some common therapeutic methods for blood in urine, cystitis and FLUTD:

• Bacterial lower urinary tract infections usually respond well to antibiotic therapy within two to four weeks.
• For cystitis or idiopathic cystitis, other treatments may be recommended, such as dietary changes, development of a special diet, anti-inflammatory drugs, environmental changes, encouragement to drink more water, and others.
• If a cat develops a urethral blockage, emergency treatment is required to remove the blockage immediately. In most cases, the cat is given a short-acting general anesthetic and the urethra is irrigated or catheterized. Urethral obstruction occurs almost exclusively in male cats. Other treatment options may be recommended based on your cat's specific urethral blockage.
• If bladder stones (urolithiasis) are present, they must be removed. Depending on the type of bladder stone, they may be dissolved with a special diet or supplements, or they may require surgical removal. In some cases, initial treatment can be determined by the results of a urine test.

There is no universal treatment for hematuria, cystitis, or FLUTD. Each case must be diagnosed and treatment prescribed taking into account the individual characteristics of the cat. Often, despite appropriate testing and treatment, clinical signs and hematuria may recur, requiring further therapy and additional clinical tests. Successful treatment of lower urinary tract disease in cats often requires patience and persistence.

Treatment and prevention

The course of therapy is prescribed by the doctor after a complete examination of the animal. Treatment may include:

• drip and intravenous injections;
• taking antibiotics in the form of intramuscular injections or tablets;
• diet and specialized nutrition;
• substances to normalize coagulation;
• painkillers and antispasmodics;
• installing a catheter if the animal cannot go to the toilet on its own;
• surgical intervention.

To prevent the development of stones in the genitourinary organs, diseases of the kidneys and urinary system, you need to monitor your pet’s diet, perform prescribed vaccinations, prevent worms and fleas, give fermented milk products, provide open access to water, and play with your pet.

Castrated cats should exclude saltwater fish from their diet, as such animals should avoid eating salt.
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Preventing Blood in Your Cat's Urine

We are always looking for ways to prevent conditions such as hematuria in advance. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely prevent lower urinary tract disease in cats. We know that FLUTD/FIC appears to be more common in cats that have low water intake and are inactive or obese. These factors may partly influence how often your cat urinates. Controlling your weight and exercise and water consumption may provide some benefits in preventing cystitis and FLUTD. Having an enriched environment with clean and accessible litter boxes can also help with this issue. If bladder stones are the cause of blood in the urine, special therapeutic diets may help prevent recurrence. If you suspect that your cat may have blood in its urine, please contact your veterinarian immediately. The sooner you receive a diagnosis and proper treatment, the sooner your cat can return to a healthy, pain-free life.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can always visit or call our veterinarian - this is the best option for ensuring the health and well-being of your pets.

What is bleeding and why is it dangerous for a cat?

A cat's heart pumps a certain amount of blood through its circulatory system. Passing through the vessels, blood supplies the tissues and organs of the animal with the necessary amount of oxygen, participates in local metabolic processes and performs a protective function, fighting local inflammation.

If for any reason the integrity of the walls of blood vessels is compromised, some of the blood will be able to leave its usual route. The process of blood loss from the bloodstream due to damage to the walls of blood vessels is called bleeding.

When bleeding, part of the blood leaves the bloodstream through damage in the walls of blood vessels

If the bleeding is minor and does not recur regularly, the body of a healthy animal is able to cope with it without outside help. In this case, a protective mechanism is triggered: the vessels reflexively contract, and clots of coagulated blood form at the sites of their damage, stopping blood loss. The consequences of such bleeding are usually not dangerous for the cat.

But significant blood loss, which the body lacks its own strength to combat, poses a threat to the life of the animal. As a result of serious bleeding:

• the mechanics of blood circulation are disrupted;
• The blood vessels and heart are not filled enough;
• blood pressure drops;
• acute anemia develops (the number of red blood cells and the level of hemoglobin in the blood sharply decreases);
• the process of oxygen delivery to organs and tissues is disrupted;
• hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of tissues occurs;
• local metabolic processes are disrupted;
• cell death occurs and, as a consequence, the death of the entire organism.

Typically, a cat's death results from the loss of 2/3 to 3/4 of its total blood volume.