Bladder Stones And Cats

A kind reader of my blog brought to my attention last week that her dear kitty (Roxy)  recently had to have bladder stone surgery. Bladder stones? I have heard of cats having kidney stones (my Angel Bobo had to have surgery to have 6 kidney stones removed) and by the way bladder stones and kidney stones are NOT one and the same. Bladder stones are also not related to gall stones.

Since I am going through the “after shock” from my Lithotripsy this past Friday for my own stone issues (kidney stones for me) I figured it was only appropriate whether the two are related or not to  post some information about cats and bladder stones.

WHAT ARE BLADDER STONES?

I found out through “Pet-Yard.Com” that bladder stones “resemble a rock-like formation in the urinary tract, more particularly in the bladder. The stones are usually made of mineral residue in the blood” Like kidney stones and gall stones they “obstruct the normal flow of blood, urine and other fluids inside the body, causing extreme pain.”

SYMPTOMS

blood in your pets’ urine
pain or straining during urination

CAUSES

There are varying opinions on this but one theory is diet (high salt content)
“They may also be caused by a certain type of bacteria or infection which makes the cats’ system become irregular leading to an overproduction of certain minerals that would only solidify in the bladder, leading to bladder stones.”

DIAGNOSIS

Usually done by Xrays but Ultrasound seems to be the preferred method for diagonosing the stones.

TREATMENT

A vet prescribed special diet and medication
Surgery (which according to “Pet-Yard.com” is the fastest way to get rid of the stones”

The woman who brought the bladder stones to my attention is going to start her cat on a “raw food” diet….has anyone out there tried this type of diet with their cat? I am interested in hearing any and all feedback.

I recently researched some info myself about the “raw food” diet and will be doing a blog about that soon.

Until then,  regardless of not being the same, kidney stones, gall stones and bladder stones do cause a ton of pain in both cats and we humans who suffer from them and if left untreated can cause a myriad of other serious health issues. If your cat exhibits any of the symptoms listed above consult your veterinarian.