Page 22 - Boca Club News - May '24

Page 22, Boca Club News

Pet Matters

You and Your Pet:

Blocked Cats Are an Emergency

By Dr. Margaret Johnson DVM, Calusa Veterinary Center, of investigation. Adding to the confusion, the name of the repeated occurrences days, weeks or years later. This is
6900 Congress Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33487. (561) 999- disorder has changed no less than four times in the past 20 an inhumane disease.
3000. www.CVCBoca.com years from feline lower urinary tract disorder (FLUTD) to Managing these cases medically can go way beyond
When something happens to stem the flow of a cat’s feline urologic disorder (FUS) to feline interstitial cystitis relieving the obstruction in some cases. First priority is
urine, trouble ensues–and fast. (FIC) to the most recent iteration of Pandora Syndrome, fixing the plumbing problem: getting urine to flow. This is
Urine has lots of good things in it. In many cases, they which hasn’t really caught on yet. usually done with anesthesia and a catheter to remove the
are substances that cats or people can’t live without, such The causes go beyond a mucousy plug, as well. A host obstruction. Managing the havoc wreaked by the toxins
as potassium, sodium and water. The kidneys sense and of other factors, such as stress, lack of access to water, diet, is next. This can necessitate some medical dancing as
adjust the composition of bodily fluids and drop the excess infectious agents, indoor lifestyle and many other causes veterinarians try to put things back in place.
into the urine. If a person eats a large order of fries covered have been implicated as being responsible for the lead-up to Disorders of deadly potassium, elevated renal values and
with salt, the kidneys dump the unwanted excess of sodium getting blocked. Those little plugs don’t form in a vacuum: severe dehydration can mean days in the hospital, even long
into the urine. something causes them to form, and we don’t know with after the urine is flowing again. It can get complex, expensive,
The same is true with many other substances, like water, any certainty what factors contribute to it. and can wear down even the most committed of owners for
that need to be regulated. Urine is (usually) sterile, so unless Cats that are blocked often show the following signs: the really medically complex (and expensive) ones.
there is a urinary tract infection, urine is pure. It’s not the ● Straining repeatedly in the litter box (often mistaken However, getting the urine to flow and taking the cat
terrible stuff that many third graders make it out to be. True, for constipation); home is the easy part. After this episode, lifestyle changes
it does have the waste products of metabolism in it, which ● Crying or howling; are necessary: medication tweaks, medical rechecks, and
a body needs to remove. ● Licking at the genitals/below the base of the tail; diet changes that try to extend the initial complexity of this
And that’s where some of the problems begin. If the flow ● Hiding. disease across months or years.
of urine stops, those waste products build up and negatively If you notice your cat showing any of the above signs, get Compared to 20 years ago, cats with this disease do go
impact the way the body works. One of the most common right in to see your veterinarian or go to your nearest ER as home and get better, even some of the tough cases. Someday,
ways that happens is when a cat’s urethra (the tube that soon as possible. Don’t delay as a few hours can make a big science will provide an answer and veterinarians will have
carries urine from the bladder to the litter box) gets blocked. difference. The longer those toxins circulate unchecked the some means to prevent this disease in the first place, or
Known in veterinary parlance as a “blocked cat” or “blocked more pain the cat experiences, the more work the veterinarian some surefire way to treat it. Until then, rush your cat in to
tom,” this poorly understood disorder is seen with alarming has to do, and the bigger the final bill will be. be seen if you see the signs.
frequency in veterinary hospitals and ERs. In advanced cases, where the urine flow has been stopped
Many ERs see about two to three cats per week that for more than 24 hours, cats can become systemically ill
cannot urinate. Cats can be in all stages of the disease, from from retained toxins and start vomiting, or become very
the early onset ones who just seem a little painful and have weak and lethargic. Death usually happens within 48 hours,
a big, hard bladder to the nearly dead ones who are in many and it’s not a pleasant way to go. The pain with this disease
cases beyond saving. is immense, and some cat owners understandably choose
The actual plug that stops the flow can be made of euthanasia over trying to reestablish the flow of urine.
bladder stones (often erroneously called kidney stones), The course after unblocking these cats is just as
tumors or a gooey mix of mucus and protein known as unpredictable and mysterious as the factors leading up to
“matrix” that has the consistency of toothpaste. How and the obstruction; some cats are released from the hospital
why matrix forms no one knows, despite a few decades never to suffer another episode, while others will have

IMPACT WINDOW WALLS IMPACT GARAGE DOORS COUNTRY CLUB SPECIALISTS

• Family-owned business for over 25 years CUSTOM FRONT DOORS IMPACT WINDOWS & DOORS

• Free Estimates

• No sales tax on all impact products

• Impact windows & doors qualify for

homeowner insurance discounts

• Reduce energy expenses

• Polo Club Specialists

$0 DOWN $0 PAYMENTS UNTIL 2025 FINANCING

Florida Storm Protection Unlimited, LLC
525 S Flagler Ave,
Pompano Beach, FL 33060

954-785-0741

www.floridastormprotection.com