Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Options For Feline Urinary Tract Infection

Feline urinary tract infection is accountable for as many as one in 10 visits to the vet. Since the cat may not show any obvious symptoms, you may not even realize it is ill until the situation becomes severe.

If, for one reason or another, the infection has progressed, the best bet is to take your cat to the vet for a course of conventional antibiotic and pain relief treatment. If you can catch it in its early stages, however, you might want to consider more a holistic approach to treatment. Natural, herbal, and homeopathic remedies can often be exceptionally efficacious in both treatment and long term control.

Feline urinary tract infection is caused by causes similar to those in humans. Inadequate intake of water, not enough pee breaks, lack of hygiene, can all lead to bacterial or fungal infections that cause lower urinary tract disease. The cat's age is also relevant, since young kittens of up to one year of age or older cats of eight or nine are more susceptible unless looked after carefully.

Cats of a year or older, up to four or five, are not as likely to be affected by this disease, while male cats are at a higher risk than females. Proper hydration, clean, fresh drinking water, and ample litter breaks can go a long way towards preventing or reducing the risks of infection in your cat.

How would you know whether your beloved pet is suffering from feline urinary tract infection? After all, cats are notoriously good at hiding discomfort and pain. There are some signs that you can identify if you observe carefully. For example, the cat would leave small driblets of urine in odd places like the bathtub, in the kitchen sink and so on.

Frequency of use of the litter box would increase, but the cat would show discomfort during and after an attempt to urinate. Straining to urinate or yowling can be warning signs. Normal activity levels might fall, and the cat may become lazy, seemingly without any energy. Any of these signs could indicate an infection, and attention must be paid, to ensure that you catch the infection early.

For the treatment of severe feline urinary tract infection, a quick course of antibiotics is usually the best option, as a firefighting measure. However, there are problems with choosing antibiotics all the time. They usually provide quick, but temporary, relief and are not very effective in preventing later relapses.

On the other hand, proper care and holistic treatment, in addition to or as a replacement for conventional treatment can be cure infections, prevent recurrences, all with no risk of side effects. Homeopathic and natural treatment can be very effective in mild infections and the prevention of future recurrences.

Herbal teas, homeopathic medicines, and other natural remedies are effective and safe, and milder on the system. They can also be used regardless of whether or not you have opted for conventional antibiotics. Holistic methods do not interfere with any other medication regime, and can be used as a support alongside other modes of treatment.