What to do when your cat experiences feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)?
发布时间：2023-12-13
With autumn and winter approaching, it's time for high incidence of feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). If your cat is young, stressed, or obese, and you have more than one cat at home, it is probably suffering from FIC when it urinates frequently, messily, painfully, or licks its abdomen frantically!
Among the top 10 most common diseases in cats, as counted by the US website DVM360, urologic diseases top the list. According to incomplete statistics, up to 10% of cats attending veterinary hospitals show symptoms of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD).
More than half of the cats with FLUTD have an unknown cause of the disease and are diagnosed as feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), also known as feline interstitial cystitis.
Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) has a number of triggers, and it is the result of a complex interaction between multiple factors including the bladder, the nervous system, and other external factors.
Numerous surveys have shown that about 50% of cystitis cases in cats aged 1-10 years are FIC. However, only about 5% of cystitis cases in cats aged over 10 years are FIC. Additionally, compared to cats under 1 year of age, cats aged 2 - 7 years are at higher risk of developing FIC. Therefore, FIC is more common in middle-aged cats. The male purebred cats and long-haired cats are more prone to FIC.
Almost all studies show that cats with FIC are more likely to feel fear, anxiety and stress from environmental changes. Factors such as obesity, low exercise, dry food, low water intake, living with other cats or animals, conflict with other cats, and seasonal changes are all significantly associated with the development of FIC.
Understanding the risk factors for FIC can help veterinarians and pet owners better prevent and treat it.
Clinical symptoms of FIC usually manifest as frequent urination, painful urination, dribbling of urine, difficulty in urination, haematuria, and indiscriminate urination. Most cats with this disease still have normal spirits and appetite. However, FIC in male cats is dangerous. Because of the special structure of the male cat's urethra, the shedding of a large number of bladder epithelial cells will form a urethral plug, which may cause obstruction in urethra. Once the obstruction lasts more than two days, the male cat may die from acute uremia.
Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) does not have characteristic clinical symptoms. Generally when cats show lower urinary tract symptoms such as frequent urination, dribbling, difficulty urinating, urinary closure, and haematuria, the veterinarian will need to perform a series of tests using the elimination method to screen for possible causes.
When the sick cat arrives at the hospital, the veterinarian first needs to communicate with the owner and try to understand its condition in as much detail as possible.
The veterinarian's questioning will include whether the cat has any abnormal behaviour such as frequent urination, painful urination, haematuria or indiscriminate urination, or any history of urinary tract disease.
At the same time, the veterinarian should also require whether there has been a recent move or other situations that can cause anxiety and stress in cats, how much water the cat drinks, whether the type of food is dry or wet, whether the cat is living in a multi-cat household, and whether there is enough space for the cat to move around, and other influencing factors.
Abdominal palpation, measurement of temperature, heart rate and other basic examinations.
Urinalysis: to assess the chemical composition, physical properties, urine sediment composition, occult blood reaction and the content of bacteria, etc., to screen for kidney function, urinary tract infection and inflammation, and urinary stones. Blood tests: to assess whether the cat is suffering from systemic abnormalities such as hyperazotemia, hyperphosphatemia, hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis. Most of the FIC cases without urethral obstruction show normal test results, but if obstruction occurs, post-renal azotemia, metabolic acidosis and hyperkalemia will be seen.
The two main examination methods include ultrasound and X-ray: assessing the smoothness of the bladder lining, the presence or absence of masses, the degree of bladder filling, and the presence or absence of crystals or stones, etc., and screening for stones, polyps, tumours and prostate diseases. It can also be combined with cystoscopy to observe the urethra and bladder lining in cases where the veterinarian suspects polyps or tumours in the urinary tract and other conditions that are difficult to determine by imaging examination. For cats with recurrent or persistent clinical signs, endoscopy is helpful in assessing the condition of the mucosal surfaces of their urethra and bladder.
FIC is treated with symptomatic therapy + stress reduction + increased water intake.
The bladder of a cat with FIC will reduce glucosaminoglycan, the glucosaminoglycan layer thins and the permeability of the urine increases. Substances in the urine will then irritate the bladder, causing inflammation and pain. Therefore, in the treatment, attention should be paid to protecting the bladder mucosa while anti-inflammatory and pain relief.
As mentioned above, emotional problems are a big trigger for FIC. Therefore, in addition to conventional symptomatic treatment, stress reduction is needed in the treatment of FIC. Improvement of the cat's living environment, pheromone therapy, and pharmacological interventions are all commonly used to improve mood.
Prolonged periods of urinary concentration and difficulty in urination will increase the burden on the cat's kidneys.Therefore, it is necessary to increase the cat's water intake to dilute the urine and increase urine output to improve the condition. This can be done by changing the diet to one with higher water content, changing the water bowl, adding cat grass tea bags to the water, and adjusting the water temperature to increase the amount of water the cat drinks.
In the treatment of FIC, soothing the emotions, repairing the bladder wall, and fighting inflammation are the top priorities.
WeCysto contains L-Tryptophan and L-Theanine. As a precursor to 5-hydroxytryptophan, L-Tryptophan helps to control stress-related behaviours and reduces anxiety levels. It has been shown to improve anxious behaviour in cats and is a natural mood stabiliser. At the same time L-Theanine is able to increase levels of the neurotransmitter GABA and levels of serotonin, helping to lower norepinephrine levels and reduce stress and strain. The two work together to effectively improve cat stress.
N-Acetyl Glucosamine in WeCysto is the main component of GAG (Glycosaminoglycan) to repair the bladder mucosa. After oral administration of N-Acetyl Glucosamine to cats with FIC, the concentration of urinary GAG increased significantly, the degree of haematuria was reduced, and the clinical symptoms were improved. Hyaluronic acid is also capable of repairing the bladder wall and has some anti-inflammatory effects.
Vitamins B1, B3 and B6 in WeCysto increase the production and utilisation of key neurotransmitters, assisting L-tryptophan and L-theanine in soothing moods, and Omega-3 fatty acids act as anti-inflammatory agents. The combined action of these active ingredients effectively improves the condition of FIC, relieves stress and improves environmental resilience in cats.
WeCysto, with its high content of ingredients, is more effective and is indicated for the improvement of FIC, as well as for the co-administration of bladder stones, bladder tumours and other problems.
Thanks to Ailing Animal Hospital, Qingyang District, Chengdu for sharing the case.
Pet's information: Male gold gradient English short kitten - 10 months old
Symptoms: Urinary incontinence
Treatment: Combined use of WeCysto, Urostone and antibiotics. Take 2 capsules of WeCysto a day for 5 days.
Effectiveness evaluation:
01
At the time of consultation, the urine was derived with an extremely high blood content. The combination of medications gradually improves the condition.
02
On the 3rd day of treatment, the blood content of the urine was low.
03
03. On the 4th day of treatment, the cat can start to urinate on its own.
After treatment, the cat's mental condition is restored and it can urinate on its own, with no blood in the urine mass.