Cat's blocked bladder survival rate: An emergency blocked bladder situation can quickly turn fatal in 24 hours, so any cat displaying symptoms of being blocked, such as straining to urinate or producing no or little urine should be seen by their veterinarian immediately.
Blockages in cats' bladders can be unblocked with medical intervention; the first step should be placing a catheter while under sedation or anesthesia to relieve obstructions and relieve pressure from inside.
Symptoms
Urethral obstruction is an urgent medical situation, which if left untreated can quickly progress into kidney failure, severe acidosis and electrolyte imbalance, with cats suffering complete urinary tract obstruction even succumbing to death within just days if untreated.
Also read: "Why is My Dog Vomiting White Foam and Died? The Root Causes and Remedies."
Cats suffering from blocked bladders will not be able to pee normally and may try to relieve themselves outside their litter pan or bedding, often by licking and scratching at themselves and their abdomen. As their bladder fills up quickly, these cats become lethargic and may deteriorate quickly.
The urethra connects the bladder to the outside world and can become blocked for various reasons, including an inflammatory plug, stones or tumor in its path. Male cats tend to experience more urinary tract blockages due to having longer and narrower urethras than female cats do; overweight or solely dry food eating cats may be at greater risk for this obstruction as well.
A veterinarian will perform a physical exam on a cat, including palpating its abdomen to detect the bladder. A normal bladder should feel soft like water balloon, while an obstructed one will feel firm and hard. Furthermore, urine tests and blood work are also administered to rule out other possible causes for the blocked bladder.
Diagnosis
An animal with a blocked bladder is in urgent condition, as failing to urinate results in a build-up of toxins in its blood and electrolyte imbalances that could be life threatening within 12-24 hours. When symptoms appear, please seek medical assistance immediately in order to prevent a rapid decline of health and avoid unnecessary suffering for both you and your cat.
Your vet will first conduct an in-depth physical exam and collect an extensive medical history on your cat, including symptoms, frequency and any steps taken so far to try and prevent urethral obstruction from developing. They may perform blood tests as well as abdominal radiograph (x-ray) imaging to understand why the blockage exists.
Initial treatments usually consist of fluids, antibiotics and medication to alleviate blockage. Hospitalisation may also be required in order to manage associated cardiovascular complications like hypovolemia and hyperkalaemia (Lee and Drobatz 2003).
Long term management will focus on mitigating risk factors that contribute to urethral obstruction, such as prescription diets that reduce urinary crystal formation or stones, increased water consumption through canned food or circulating water bowls, stress and anxiety relief measures such as scratching posts or litter boxes competition, living in multiple-cat households, living with other cats as well as any underlying medical conditions such as Idiopathic Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). All these will be discussed with you upon release of your cat from our care facility.
Treatment
Once a cat has been stabilized in terms of fluid, electrolyte and acid base balance, their urethral obstruction will be alleviated using a urinary catheter inserted under anesthesia into their urethra and flushing their bladder with saline solution multiple times until all areas have been flushed successfully and risk of re-obstruction is diminished.
Once the obstruction has been cleared away, the veterinarian will focus on treating its source. This could involve diet adjustments, medications to dissolve stones or surgery to remove uroliths. Perineal urethrostomy has proven successful at long-term outcomes for cats with recurrent urethral obstructions; however a similar percentage re-occurred (Bovee et al 1979).
Owners should recognize that cats may become blocked again, and be vigilant in taking them to a veterinarian should they begin urinating less or stop altogether. In extreme cases, such as when owners cannot afford a veterinarian visit immediately or cannot make home care arrangements as quickly, temporary catheters will be placed and they'll be discharged back home with medications and diet recommendations from veterinarians until blockage has cleared away.
Follow-up
Cats suffering from complete urinary tract obstruction will quickly perish without immediate treatment. While its cause remains elusive, early neutering may play a part. A complete urinary tract obstruction occurs when plugs of inflamed material, mucus, crystals or calculi form in one kidney and pass down to form calculi in another; these obstructions may also be due to viral infection or poor diet as they block off fluid flow into the bladder.
Therapy goals in an obstructed cat are to stabilize cardiovascular function, relieve obstruction and reverse concurrent metabolic abnormalities. Unfortunately, this can be difficult given their progressive weakness and recumbent position - both caused by depressant effects of tissue perfusion impairment due to blockage - making them particularly susceptible to hypovolemia and hyperkalemia complications.
Post-surgery, cats may experience catheter-associated urinary tract infection which can result in further complications and reduced survival rates. Antibiotics will likely be prescribed in order to treat this infection and the cat should remain under hospital care until all signs have subsided.
Preventative measures must be implemented at home in order to safeguard cats with blocked bladders from experiencing further episodes, so prescription urinary food and water intake may help minimize future blockages by preventing formation of inflammatory plugs that lead to future blockages.
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