Cat Urinary Problems Caused By Feline Urinary Stones And Crystals - 2

Friends are traveling with a cat that recently had an episode of blood in the urine (hematuria) and we’re covering one cause of this problem: feline urinary stones and crystals.

First, what’s normal for a cat?--never mind that there are no normal cats.

A 12-lb cat should be:
· ingesting about 12 ounces of water,
· using the litter box 2/day, and
· urinating up to 1 cup a day, but
· never passing blood-tinged urine.

Because our friends’ cat has blood in the urine, it could have several health problems. We’ve chosen to cover one of these problems: feline stones and crystals.

Stones & urethral plugs are fairly common in cats, especially Persian and Himalayan cats. We might automatically assume that any cat with stones, crystals, or cells that aggregate around these materials and form plugs in the urethra would have bacterial infections, but this is not always the case. In fact, cats with urine or bladder stones or crystals that are less than 10 years old rarely have bacterial infections. In cats that are older than ten, about half will have bacterial infections when they have stones, crystals, or urethral plugs.

Whether cats have bacterial infections or not, penicillin based antibiotics are given because these antibiotics decreasing inflammation. If we can decrease inflammation, we make the cats more comfortable.

In tomorrow’s blog we’ll cover why it’s important to know which type of stone a cat has.

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Cat Urinary Problems

Friends are traveling across country with a cat that is developing bloody urine. Hematuria or blood in the urine is never normal. Hematuria is rare in cats, but bladder problems are not.
The most common cause of bladder problems in cats is stress, and we suspect stress is a big factor with this cat because the family is in the midst of moving. Stress increases cortisol levels, and cortisol alters bladder cell function so that the bladder becomes hyperirritable. Cortisol also blocks the immune system and bladder infections are more likely.

But because this cat had blood in the urine, it has more than simple stress-induced bladder disease. This cat may have problems with bladder stones or crystals, cancer, rat poisons, etc. Over the next few days, we’ll cover a common cause of hematuria—bladder stones and crystals.

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Giving Dogs Commands--Say It Once

Today while driving with Debbie I learned why we give dogs commands more than once. I leaned this because Debbie repeats repeats driving instructions--sometimes twice, sometimes more than twice. I now realize that the person giving the instruction has already physically performed it in their head. They don't understand why when the words leave their mouth the behavior doesn't materialize--and they repeat the command quickly to get the image in front of them to match the image in their head.

From now on, when I ask dogs to do something, I'll picture the act slowly taking place in my mind after the words leave my mouth. I'll be less inclined to repeat instructions.

Everyone with a dog should drive with Debbie. I can't wait to see what I learn from her next.

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Poisoned pet food – three ingredients contaminated with melamine

How did Melamine, an ingredient used to make plastics, come to be in pet foods in such high concentrations that it kills or sickens pets?

Melamine was added to at least three different protein sources to artificially increase the protein concentration. Melamine isn’t a usable protein but the instruments that measure protein levels cannot distinguish between usable and unusable proteins. Thus, someone driven to make a profit put the inexpensive plastic into foods. Melamine has been found in wheat gluten, rice protein, and corn gluten. These altered ingredients were detected only because they killed the pets. Melamine-contaminated ingredients have also been found in food for livestock, including food for hogs.

What can be done?
1. Feed pets more table food and less store-bought food. Start by supplementing your pet with small amounts of meat, fish, and vegetables. Gradually increase the amount fed as the amount of store-bought food is decreased. Making the change slowly prevents diarrhea. Previous blog entries have covered which “table” foods are best for pets.

2. If feeding store-bought pet food, read the ingredient list and choose only those pet foods with whole ingredients. Whole foods are less likely to be contaminated with artificial materials than are portions of foods. For example, rice, wheat, or corn did not contain melamine. Instead, rice protein, corn gluten, and wheat gluten were contaminated in order to make them appear to contain a higher concentration of protein.

3. Don’t develop a false sense of security because the food your pet gets is expensive or because it was purchased from the veterinary clinic. Many “veterinary” foods and expensive pet foods have been recalled, including foods from Hills, Eukanuba, Blue Buffalo, Drs. Foster & Smith, SmartPak, and Royal Canin.

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Antibiotics - 25 million pounds

70% of all antibiotics used in the U.S. are given to chickens, hogs, and cattle in their feed. That's 25 million pounds of antibiotics in the food chain every year.

Is it any wonder we have antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

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The Walk that Cures, The Faske Family Walk for PKD, Polycystic Kidney Disease

Thousands of steps were taken in the Faske Family Walk to find a Cure for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) at TY Park this Sunday, each step bringing us closer to making genetic kidney disease an affliction of the past.

At the same time as we walk to support medical research, shaded by live oaks and old moss, surrounded by hundreds of healthy, striding people, we are aware that no medical advancement eliminates death. In fact, each step we take brings us closer to our own inevitable deaths. And death is what brought us here—this began as a memorial walk, a walk to honor a human who galvanized us into doing more than just lamenting death, more than bemoaning that parents bless some with life and curse others with death at the moment of conception.

The unavoidable nature of death affects all of us who are drawn to TY Park. Some of us have become more active, more inclined to participate and contribute money. Others watch but do not join, too overwhelmed with sadness to appreciate the trees, the lake, and the hot, lush incubator of southern Florida. They are damp with bitterness, sure that those alive do not love them as much as those who passed away have loved them. Sure that there could have been a miracle to prevent death if only we had chosen to use it.

Thousands of dollars are raised, but for those engulfed in sadness, the marvel of a community inspired to work together is lost. The miracle of the organization of a sound system, public officials, cash boxes, goodie bags, bottled water, fresh apples, gifts, garbage cans, fire tucks, boy scouts and police support goes unnoticed. Those engulfed in sadness are not inspired by the long tan legs, white shorts, smiling dogs, and scrubbed kids. But those of us who are not sad do notice; we appreciate; we see the marvel of it all. We see that the love that laces the park as clearly as moss laces the trees will embrace all those who join on this walk. This love heals wounds and open sores. It is more important than genes, more important than research. It surpasses the goal of saving lives because it is what makes life worth living. And that is the true beauty of a walk through a park in the South on a Sunday.

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Treating Constipation in Pets with Prebiotics and Probiotics

We’ve been covering the causes and treatment of constipation in pets. Now, it’s time to move beyond making your pet’s movements regular to actually improving the health of the intestines with prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics and probiotics do not cure constipation, but they help prevent toxic effects of constipation and they support the immune system.

The gut is normally populated with a good and bad bacteria and yeast organisms, with the good being in the majority. When pets are constipated, the number of bad organisms increases. To repopulate a constipated pet’s intestines with good, healthy organisms that make vitamins and block toxin absorption, feed probiotics. Probiotics are not aggressive, but more like a healthy serenade, they soothe the intestines into the proper state. Examples of beneficial probiotic bacteria and yeasts are:
· Lactobacillus acidophilus,
· Lactobacillus. bulgaricus,
· Lactobacillus. thermophilus,
· Streptococcus bulgaricus,
· Enterococcus faecium, and
· Bifidobacterium bifidus.

Probiotics in low concentrations are found in yogurt or kefir. Some supplements have probiotics in high concentrations, and pets with gut problems, such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, or diarrhea need high concentrations. For healthy pets, supplementing with yogurt or kefir is sufficient.

To support the probiotic organisms, provide prebiotics, the nutrients that support probiotic organisms. Prebiotics are found in artichoke, asparagus, bananas, black beans, carrots, and barley. Prebiotics are also included in some supplements.

If your pet is ill enough to need high concentrations of prebiotics and probiotics, request a supplement from your veterinarian. Studies that evaluated "truth in packaging" claims found that supplements available at most retail and internet outlets did not contain either the number or type of organisms claimed on the label. Thus, they’d be a waste of money, but what’s worse is that your pet won’t be getting what it needs.

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