Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)

Lower urinary tract disease in the cat

source: Danielle A. Gunn-Moore
Feline Advisory Bureau Volume 39 (1) 2001
starts page 23, 3 pages long

FLUTD is a collection of conditions affecting the bladder and causes include bladder stones, cancer, bacterial infection and behavioural problems, but often there is no known cause (feline idiopathic cystitis, FIC). There is also a suggestion that cats prone to FIC may have reduced levels of the protective glycosaminoglycan (GAG) lining of the bladder. It is commonly seen in overweight, sedentary, middle aged cats with restricted outdoor access and eating a predominantly dry diet. A complication of FLUTD is a urethral blockage, which is more common in male cats and can be fatal. Where a blockage isn’t a complication, FLUTD usually resolves in 5-10 days but it can recur, so treatment is aimed at reducing stress, changing the diet to increase water turnover by feeding a wet food, and repairing the GAG layer via supplementation with tablets, or injection with Cartrophen. Amitriptyline and painkillers may be used in severe cases.