Crystals in the urine are dangerous to cats causing infection and inability to urinate.
Male crystals in cat urine images.
Different types of crystals may develop if your cat isn t eating a proper complete and balanced diet.
The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes.
Crystals in cats also known as feline crystalluria is a medical condition which involves the formation of crystals in the cat s urine.
Flutd includes crystal formation in the bladder which might obstruct the cat s urethra.
Some normal animals can have crystals in their urine although sometimes they are indicative of an underlying issue especially if present in large numbers or accompanied by urinary symptoms.
The detection of urinary crystals is not synonymous with kidney stones or the clinical signs associated with them nor is detection of urine crystals irrefutable evidence of a stone forming tendency but there is some association with an increased risk for kidney stones in animals that are.
Though the main symptom of crystalluria is the appearance of fine crystals in freshly expelled urine other symptoms from accompanying conditions may also occur.
Male cats are far more likely to form urine crystals than females but that doesn t mean females can t be affected.
It was formerly referred to as feline urological syndrome or fus.
Urinary crystals are microscopic structures that can be found in the urine of many animals including cats.
A diet designed to make your cat s urine more alkaline can help to prevent the crystals from forming.
They require veterinary care and diagnosis to properly treat.
These crystals which are microscopic in size tend to appear like fine sand and often occur as part of or because of other conditions.
Struvite crystals are microscopic crystals that are found in the urine of some cats.
Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.
A diet lower in.
Male kitties neutered or not can suffer from crystals in their urine though crystals occur more frequently in fixed ones.
Urate crystals are more common in dogs but have been found in cats as well.
Interestingly these crystals used to be extremely rare but now account for roughly half of feline urinary crystals.
Many believe that this is due to cats eating commercial foods that acidify the urine.
Like with struvite crystals increasing your cat s water intake is essential to treat and prevent crystals and stones from forming.
Also any condition that changes your cat s urine ph such as kidney disease or long term medication use can cause crystals.
Struvite specifically is a material that is composed of magnesium ammonium and phosphate.