#Ad Understanding and Managing Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) #PurinaPartner

#Ad:  This post is sponsored by Nestle Purina PetCare Company and the Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary St/Ox Feline Formulas and we are being compensated for sharing this information. #PurinaPartner

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, commonly known as FLUTD, is something that is fairly complicated, often misunderstand by cat owners, and can be challenging to treat and manage.  As many of you know, Brian was diagnosed with FLUTD earlier this year. Sometimes getting to that diagnosis isn’t easy.

Often, to get to a FLUTD diagnosis, several other issues must be evaluated first such as a urinary tract infection, crystals or stones, cancer, blockages and other conditions. Some of the typical symptoms are making frequent trips to the litter box, crying when attempting to urinate, straining to urinate with little success, excessive licking of the genital area, urinating outside of the litter box, and even showing signs of anxiety and stress, even hiding.  Brian actually exhibited all of these symptoms. As you can see, individually these could quickly be mistaken for a UTI.

Brian had all of the diagnostics over a period of time.  He had bloodwork, urinalysis, urine cultures, x-rays, ultrasounds and still was experiencing major difficulty.  Brian was going to the litter box as often as every five minutes.  His stress level was through the roof.  Brian was specifically diagnosed with Idiopathic Cystitis, which basically means that he has an inflammation of the bladder without any specific or identifiable cause.  We also learned that this is not uncommon at all and that a high percentage of cats have no underlying disease that the Vets can point to when making a diagnsis

So, is your cat at risk for FLUTD? Age, gender, physical activity and diet can help indicate whether or not your cat is at a higher risk for developing FLUTD and some breeds are more susceptible  than others.

Age: Typically young adult cats between the ages of 2 and 6 years are more likely to have lower urinary tract disorders, but cats of any age are susceptible.  Brian happened to be 7 years old when he was diagnosed.

Gender: Both male and female cats can experience urinary tract disorders, but since male cats have longer and narrower urethras, their urinary tracts are more likely to be obstructed by crystals and mucous.

Physical activity: Indoor cats seem to be more susceptible to lower urinary tract disorders. This may be because confinement reduces physical activities, which in turn may reduce the amount of water consumed and frequency of urination, allowing crystals to form in the urine.

Diet: High levels of ash and magnesium in the diet were once thought to cause crystals. However, more recent research indicates that urine pH and concentration are more important factors in the development of FLUTD. Increasing water intake is highly recommended to help reduce the risk of FLUTD.

Breed: Urinary problems are more common in certain breeds, such as Persians, where there is a lower incidence in Siamese.

Fortunately, when the FLUTD diagnosis was made we were able to establish a protocol of medications coupled with a proper diet and the right food.  Brian’s medication list includes prazosin, prednisolone and amitriptyline, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties. Brian’s diet consists of dry food and wet food, and recently we’ve began transitioning to a primary wet food diet.

Then we needed to tackle Brian’s dietary needs. Our wonderful Vet, Dr. Carolyn Anderson, from The Cat Clinic of Greenville, recommended we try Purina Pro Plan UR Urinary® St/Ox® Feline Formula and it seems to have not only the yum factor, but it also promotes a urinary environment unfavorable to the development of both struvite and calcium oxalate crystals, which is just what Brian needs.

Since we are making the conscience decision to transition to a mostly-to-exclusively wet food diet, we’re excited to tell you about some of the new wet food formulas in the Purina Pro Plan UR Urinary® St/Ox® Feline Formula Family.

Turkey and Giblet Recipe and Salmon Recipe will aid in Brian’s transition to a wet food diet.

If you would like to try the Purina Pro Plan UR Urinary® St/Ox® Feline Canned Formulas, we’re please to offer you a $15 Mail in Rebate.

Purina Pro Plan UR Urinary® St/Ox® Feline Canned Formula $15 Rebate

FLUTD is more common than you might think. In fact, FLUTD plagues three percent of all cats seen by veterinarians. The symptoms are sometimes dismissed by owners as common litter box problems.  Don’t let this be the case for you.

We sure recommend that you check out the Purina Pro Plan UR Urinary® St/Ox® Feline Formulas which are commonly prescribed for the nutritional management of cats with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD).  You can also check out the Purina Veterinary Exchange on Facebook and follow @PurinaVet on Twitter.

Did you know that Purina was named the Most Trusted Pet Food by Reader’s Digest – Reader’s Digest asked more than 4,500 Americans to vote for products they trust across 40 categories and Purina was named Most Trusted Pet Food.  To read more about Purina and the other trusted brands, click here.

#Ad:  This post is sponsored by Nestle Purina PetCare Company and the Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR Urinary St/Ox Feline Formulas and we are being compensated for sharing this information. #PurinaPartner

Non-Affiliate Disclosure: We do not use affiliate advertising nor do we do product reviews for any form of compensation. If you see a product or service mentioned in any post, we purchased such good or service at our own expense and opted to tell you about it. No compensation was exchanged and the FTC can kiss my furry butt.