My cat's urine is red, what should I do? Cat peeing blood: causes, symptoms and treatment

If a cat has urine with blood or clots, this is not just an alarming symptom, it is an SOS signal, because this is a sign of bleeding or necrosis of tissue of internal organs (usually the kidneys or bladder). Sometimes the process is so advanced that nothing can be done.

Hematuria in a cat

Clots or inclusions are noticeable to the naked eye, as are the symptoms accompanying the disease, which appear much earlier than changes in the composition of urine.

Pathology can be noticed earlier. In cats, urine is normally transparent, light and without impurities; urine with blood has a darker color (brown or reddish), which allows one to suspect hematuria and do a simple clinical analysis.

In rare cases, the color of reddish urine may be normal - if the animal eats red vegetables (beets or carrots). An unusual treat for cats, but it does happen. However, at the slightest suspicion you should get tested - and everything will fall into place.

Causes of hematuria

Most often, this symptom is characteristic of pathology of the genitourinary organs of any pathogenesis and etiology: infections, systemic diseases, tumors, helminthic infestations, injuries, chemical and food poisoning, accompanied by kidney dysfunction. Hematuria is the main symptom of both primary and secondary damage to these organs. Hematuria can also be a sign of the disintegration of malignant tumors of any location.

Associated symptoms

Hematuria does not occur suddenly - it is a long and gradual process. As a rule, other symptoms characteristic of the pathology that caused the change in urine composition first appear.

Most often, long before the manifestation of this dangerous symptom, you can notice that:

the cat has become restless or lethargic;
loss of appetite or increased thirst;
pronounced local pain in the pelvis and abdominal cavity;
the process of urination is painful;
urinary incontinence may develop.

Each of these symptoms in itself is a reason to visit the clinic for examination. This is the only way to diagnose a serious illness before dangerous symptoms appear.

Collection of material for analysis

If your cat has blood in his urine or it just seems like the color has changed, you need to do a test. The material for this is easy to assemble yourself at home. You will need to remove the filler from the tray, wash the tray itself thoroughly and cover it with a wire rack. Then collect the urine in a clean, sterile container and take it to the doctor.

Sometimes the process of urination is too painful, or the cat is very shy, and the material cannot be collected. In this case, catheterization is needed, but it will be done by a doctor in a clinic or on a home call.

First aid

Methods of self-medication and traditional medicine in this case are not only useless, but also dangerous. You should also not expect that the doctor will be able to advise you over the phone or Skype. Contact medical examination and visual examination are required. Therefore, first aid is a trip to the clinic, and as quickly as possible.

If a cat has blood in its urine, but for some reason it is not possible to take the sick animal to a doctor immediately, there is something you can do yourself:

You can temporarily relieve painful spasms with drotaverine or baralgin intramuscularly;
Furadonin can be used as an antiseptic;
before examination by a doctor, decoctions of parsley and juniper roots, which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects, will not harm;
Provide the sick cat with peace and warmth. It is especially important to protect the animal from drafts;
provide a gentle diet: pureed and easily digestible food. Sometimes you can even keep your cat hungry for a day or two if he has no appetite. But the water must be fresh and in sufficient quantity.

If a cat is peeing blood, this means that you need to urgently seek help from a veterinarian. Such a deviation directly indicates serious illness or injury. It is almost impossible to independently determine the cause of hematuria, so you should not ignore visiting a specialized clinic.

It is necessary to understand that hematuria is only a symptom, not a disease. Therefore, without finding out why the cat is peeing blood, it is useless to start any treatment. Conventionally, there are two types of hematuria: microscopic (when blood cells in urine are visible only under a microscope) and macroscopic (urine has a characteristic scarlet color).

The main reasons that provoke deviation:

stones in the kidneys;
tumors of the genitourinary system;
glomerulonephritis;
injury, fall from a great height;
bleeding disorders;
thrombocytopenia;
poisoning by rat poison;
infectious diseases;
the presence of malignant or benign tumors;
taking certain medications.

If a cat falls and pees blood, then it is likely that the bladder is damaged. A particularly dangerous situation is when thick, bloody mucus leaks from the urethra. This condition can result in the death of your pet, so you should seek veterinary help immediately. You may also notice that the cat pees blood “a little bit at a time” after removing the urethral catheter. The problem usually disappears after the animal urinates for the first time on its own. Otherwise, a bacterial infection should be suspected.

About 20% of cases of hematuria in cats have an unknown cause. If the veterinarian was unable to identify the real trigger, then a diagnosis of “idiopathic cystitis” is made.

Diagnosis and symptoms of hematuria

To find out why a cat is peeing blood, the veterinarian will conduct a full examination of the animal and also ask you to describe the symptoms that arose when the abnormality appeared. Very often hematuria is accompanied by:

pollakiuria (frequent passage of small amounts of urine);
manifestation of obvious discomfort during urination (meowing, trembling in the limbs, tail);
constant licking of the genital area;
lethargy;
restless behavior;
loss of appetite.

It is almost impossible to independently determine the cause of the deviation. We can only assume the localization of the trigger. For example, if blood clots come out, then the problem lies in diseases of the lower urinary tract or minor injuries. If the urine is uniformly colored scarlet, then most likely the cat has problems with the kidneys, ureters or bladder.

The veterinarian will definitely prescribe several diagnostic tests that will help make a final diagnosis.

Analysis of urine. The presence of white blood cells in urine may indicate an infectious disease. But protein is a sign of kidney disease.
Blood test (biochemical and complete). Additionally, blood clotting rate tests may be performed.
Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity. It is carried out to assess the size of the kidneys, as well as to identify sand, stones, and tumors.
Intravenous pyelography and urethrography. This is a contrast X-ray examination of the kidneys, ureters and bladder. At the beginning of the procedure, the animal is injected with contrast material, which collects in the kidneys and urinary tract. This allows the veterinarian to take a photo with darkened areas in place of possible abnormal areas.

Conservative methods of treating hematuria

As mentioned above, veterinarians usually select treatment based on the diagnosis. And hematuria, as a symptom, disappears on its own. If an infectious disease is detected, antibiotics are prescribed. If the infection is accompanied by inflammatory processes, then additional steroids may be prescribed.

Since there are many reasons for the appearance of blood in the urine, it is necessary to know at least the most basic methods of treatment. So, if during the analysis a violation of the pH level of urine was detected, then it is necessary to transfer the cat to a special diet food, and also to increase the amount of water consumed. In rare cases, the animal is prescribed supplements to increase the acidity of urine. However, such therapy is a short-term measure, because in the long term, supplements will do more harm than good.

A fairly common cause of hematuria can be a cat accidentally ingesting poison. Most often, pets eat rat or mouse poison. Intoxication can be recognized by the presence of the following symptoms:

vomit;
diarrhea;
general lethargy;
increased salivation;
foaming at the mouth.

Even if you are absolutely sure that there are no rodenticides in the house, you need to give your cat plenty of water with absorbents. After the veterinarian confirms the poisoning, the animal is given IVs of saline and high doses of vitamin K are prescribed.

If your cat is peeing blood after a fall, the first emergency aid is to immobilize the cat and apply a cool heating pad to the lower part of the body. Since, in addition to damage to the organs of the urinary system, the consequences of a fall can be fractures, dislocations, and concussions, it is necessary to entrust the main course of treatment to a specialist.

Surgical methods of treatment

Veterinary surgery may be required to remove stones or tumors from the bladder. You should also contact a surgeon if blood appears in the urine of a cat that has recently undergone a difficult birth complicated by ruptures. But cats may need the help of a surgeon after an unsuccessful ureostomy. However, we must not forget that dilation of the urethra does not guarantee that the problem will not recur.

Those animals that have been diagnosed with a cancerous or benign tumor will also have to undergo hospital treatment. Unfortunately, cancer in veterinary medicine is diagnosed at fairly late stages, after the animal has been treated with antibiotics but continues to suffer from hematuria.

How to help an animal with home remedies

The presence of blood in a cat's urine requires the attention of a veterinarian in any case. Even the most effective folk recipes will eliminate an unpleasant symptom, but will not affect the root of the problem. Therefore, the following remedies should be considered only as temporary help for the animal.

Apple vinegar. If you are sure that hematuria is the result of inflammation of the bladder (for example, there is another relapse of the disease), then you can give the cat a weak solution of apple cider vinegar. This is a natural anti-inflammatory that eliminates almost all unpleasant symptoms. The easiest way to give your pet vinegar is to pour half a teaspoon into 200 milliliters of water. If the animal does not want to drink the strong-smelling homemade medicine on its own, then you will have to pour in the vinegar solution using a syringe.
Cranberry extract. Numerous scientific studies have proven that cranberry juice contains special compounds that prevent the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in the bladder. That is why sour berry extract can be found in many “super-premium” foods. To help your cat overcome an infectious disease, it is recommended to add 3-4 cranberries to the daily diet. If the animal spits out the berries, then you can add a few grams of natural juice to the water in the drinking bowl.

Note! Cranberries acidify animal urine. Before starting home treatment with this remedy, it is necessary to conduct a simple test for the acidity level of urine.

Despite the fact that blood in the urine is a rather dangerous symptom of diseases of the genitourinary system, with timely diagnosis and properly selected treatment, coping with the problem will not be difficult.

You can also ask questions to our site's in-house veterinarian, who will answer them as quickly as possible in the comment box below.

Hello. Our cat (11 months old) fell from the 5th floor. They immediately took him to the veterinarian, examined him, did an x-ray and massage. They said she had a bruise (they didn’t specify what) and that she wouldn’t eat for three days, but overall she was lucky and everything was fine. They prescribed an antibiotic as a last resort if he doesn’t start eating at all. But she started eating a little bit on the 4th day, and by the 6th day she already had an appetite. At the same time, she walks under herself with blood, tries to go to the toilet, but fails. The first few days it’s clear that I’m bruised, but it’s already day 7! And she keeps peeing with a small amount of blood. Can this go on for so long? Antibiotic We never started injecting because... The veterinarian indicated that this is an extreme measure; if she does not eat, I don’t know how this can be connected with the bruise.

Hello! The cat was 9 years old, she was urinating blood, she was taken to the veterinarian, she had systems and injections. On ultrasound, the stone was 4, we were treated for 5 days in the clinic. Let's buy it, the doctor just said purina pro plan urinary. We give medicine to healthy kidneys. And after 3 days there is blood in the urine again. They also just prescribed injections 2 times a day with popavirin and some kind of hemostatic agent, treated me for 2 days and today I went to the toilet 7 times with blood. What to do? Is this how the stone can come out? What measures to take? How to help an animal?
- Hello! Yes, blood is evidence that the mucous membrane is injured by the sharp edges of struvites (stones). T.K. it is large, then the process will be lengthy. It may be better to operate to prevent the stone from blocking the ureter. I don’t see the prescribed antibiotics included in the treatment plan. No-shpu can be taken in tablets (1/4) 3 times a day to relieve spasms and make it easier to urinate. Dicynone can be used as an antiseptic. But with such a disease, treatment will not take 5 days. Follow the prescribed treatment regimen completely, without skipping medications.
  
  Svetlana 22:50 | 01 Feb. 2019
  
  Continuation of the story: an operation was performed, it turned out there were no stones, but there was growth almost along the entire perimeter of the bladder, the doctor said that this was the first time he had encountered such a thing, he said that it looked like polyps, but they were definitely not them. Tell me, please, what can it be? So what should we do?
  
  Daria - veterinarian 23:36 | 02 Feb. 2019
  
  Hello! We would like to conduct a histology of the tissue and a biopsy. Exclude neoplasia and neoplasms. Didn't you do a general blood test? there is no suspicion of neoplasms in the body (lymphocytes and platelets are normal?). I haven’t encountered this myself, so I would send her to an oncologist to rule out pathology in her narrow specialty. If they don’t find a job for “themselves,” then they should think together with more experienced specialists.
  To be honest, if you know a human urologist or surgeon, then you can ask him (essentially the tissue structure is the same). Human doctors have more patients (people feel sorry for themselves and go to doctors, but they bring pets less often, so many clinical cases remain unstudied or veterinary specialists do not encounter them). Maybe the human doctor will suggest something else besides my options.
  By the way, was your pet not examined for a viral infection?
- Olga 06:14 | 25 Mar. 2018
  
  Good afternoon! Please help me with some advice!
  Our cat is already 11 years old, not sterilized, domestic, there were no cats, she eats mostly Gourmet wet food. In general, there were no health problems. But recently she began to meow periodically at night.
  And over the past week he often sits on the tray and urinates little by little.
  Today we were taken to the clinic: an external examination did not show anything serious, the doctor did not offer an ultrasound; presumably he said cystitis, gave an intramuscular injection of an antibiotic and ordered urine to be brought the day after tomorrow (no blood was taken).
  But the cat doesn’t feel well, and in the morning she starts meowing again, and today we noticed blood in her urine (we didn’t notice it before).
  Tell me if the bleeding could be from antibiotics, and how to alleviate the condition.

In veterinary terminology, the appearance of blood in a cat’s urine is called hematuria, which is translated from Latin as “bloody urine” (hema - blood, urine - urine). The discovery of this symptom is a serious signal for the owner to immediately pay close attention to the pet’s health.

Reasons why urine turns red

There is no smoke without fire, and in this case, the etiological factors for bloody urine staining are the following pathological conditions in the animal’s body:

What does urine look like normally?

Urine is a fluid produced in the kidneys and excreted through the urinary system. The following are removed from the body with excretion:

harmful metabolic products;
salt;
foreign substances;
enzymes;
hormones;
vitamins.

This entire process helps maintain the normal internal environment of the body, the so-called homeostasis.

A healthy cat's urine is clear, yellow or orange. Color largely depends on the type of nutrition and the nature of metabolism.

What does urine look like with hematuria?

Blood in cats' urine can be seen with the naked eye, and the color changes from straw to red or brown.

The intensity of the staining largely depends on the number of red blood cells and can vary from bright to barely noticeable.
In rare cases, clots in the form of blood strands or inclusions may be observed.

With a mild course of one of the diseases listed at the beginning of the article, blood is not always visible visually. It can only be detected through laboratory testing, namely microscopic analysis. Red blood cells are found in the urinary sediment:

some red blood cells retain their shape well;
others, on the contrary, are severely deformed: wrinkled, swollen, flattened, etc.

Urine may also become dark-colored in cases that are in no way related to any disease. For example, if your pet likes to eat beets or carrots. There are few such fans, but they do exist. Excluding these foods from the diet quickly brings the color of urine back to physiological normal.

How not to start the disease, or what to pay attention to?

It is unlikely that the owners of furry cats examine urine every day, trying to see whether there is blood in it or not. And it doesn’t make sense to do this every day. The only cause for concern can be the unusual behavior of a cat associated with the process of urination.

In most cases, such an unpleasant symptom as hematuria is accompanied by:

oppression of the pet;
refusal of food;
increase in body temperature.

An animal may experience pain while fulfilling natural physiological needs, which manifests itself:

anxiety;
throwing around the apartment;
heart-rending meow;
attempts to go to the toilet in places not intended for this;
other signs of discomfort during urination.

If such signs appear, it’s time to conduct a mini-home examination.

How to collect cat urine for analysis?

Collecting cat urine is not difficult. This should be done with gloves to protect yourself from possible infection in case of infection. Also, do not forget about disinfecting the cat litter before and after sampling.

The filler is removed from the tray and the grid is left. After the cat’s next trip to the toilet, the liquid is carefully poured into a transparent vessel (a glass for collecting samples).

Not all cats have an easy-going character. In particularly shy or wayward cats, urine can only be taken for analysis using a catheter. Naturally, the procedure must be carried out by a specialist.

How to detect blood in cats urine?

The collected sample is examined in transmitted light: the glassware is raised to eye level, placing it opposite a window or other light source.

Red or dark brown urine and the presence of bloody clots indicate hematuria. In this case, it is not advisable to put off going to the doctor.
If the liquid does not have obvious signs of coloring, and the pet’s condition is difficult to diagnose as normal, then to calm one’s own conscience, the urine is sent for examination to a veterinary laboratory. Using special methods, veterinarians-laborators will accurately determine whether there are red blood cells in it or not, and at the same time check the delivered sample for other items: the presence of protein, leukocytes, acetone, pus, microbes, epithelium, etc.

Based on the data obtained, the veterinarian, coupled with the clinical examination data, will be able to not only find the cause of the pathology, but also prescribe the correct treatment.

How to help your pet?

The owner of a cat with hematuria can hardly help it on his own; on the contrary, inept actions will lead to irreparable consequences.

The only thing that is required from the owner is to deliver the cat to a veterinary clinic as quickly as possible or show it to a familiar specialist.
If it is not possible to quickly bring the animal to the hospital, then you can try to get a consultation by phone, describing in detail all the signs that were observed.

A conversation in absentia rarely has a positive effect, since only during a personal examination does the veterinarian make appropriate conclusions about the cat’s condition and the severity of the disease process.

As first aid, the cat owner should:

provide the sick animal with rest by placing it in a warm, draft-free room on a bedding;
intramuscularly administer painkillers (no-spa, baralgin), which will relieve pain;
exclude all solid foods from the diet, instead offering liquid food and easily digestible food; plenty of water;
to disinfect the urinary tract before going to the doctor, give the cat decoctions of bearberry, parsley root, furadonin;
Inflammatory products from the urinary tract are removed using a decoction of juniper and horsetail.

You should not experiment with antibiotics, since their uncontrolled use will only complicate the situation, worsen the cat’s condition and require longer treatment in the future.

It should be repeated once again that all these manipulations will alleviate the animal’s painful condition, but will not lead to a cure. Therapeutic measures for hematuria should only be carried out by a veterinarian after a comprehensive clinical and laboratory examination.

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Normally, the color of a cat's urine is yellow and has a very specific smell. Even a slight change in color indicates a disease of the excretory system. If the urine becomes too dark, this indicates that the amount of coloring substances in the body has greatly increased. This is caused by dehydration, nausea and vomiting. The dark brown color indicates that the destruction of red blood cells in the body has begun due to hemolytic anemia and urolithiasis.

A healthy pet's urine is clear, and when blood appears in it, we can say with confidence that a pathological process has begun in the body. Therefore, the cat owner must inspect the tray more carefully in order to notice the deviation in time and contact a specialist.

The main reasons for the appearance of blood in the urine

There are several reasons why a cat pees with blood. And it’s not always a matter of pathology. It often happens that hematuria occurs due to poisoning, tumors in the body, or general diseases such as a cold. The most common reasons are:

1. Injuries. Very often, blood in the urine appears after a fall from a height, a collision with a car, or a blow to the abdomen with a blunt object. A pet may fall out of a window in the spring, so you should carefully monitor it. You may get injured or hit while walking. Therefore, if a cat has blood in its urine after a blow, it should be urgently taken to the veterinarian, because the likelihood of kidney damage is very high.
2. Urolithiasis or urolithiasis. It is often believed that the disease occurs when a cat is fed low-quality dry food. But in reality, veterinarians call this statement a myth. Urolithiasis and blood in the urine can be caused by excess weight, poor diet and genetics.
3. Infections. They can be triggered by the action of microorganisms such as E. coli, staphylococcus and streptococcus. Blood in the urine begins to appear due to the fact that microorganisms destroy the mucous membrane of the bladder.
4. Tumors. Cancer processes most often occur in cats after 11 years of age. This condition is the most difficult to treat.
5. Cystitis.

Hematuria is a very alarming symptom of many pet diseases. Therefore, the sooner the owner detects it, the sooner treatment will begin. In the end, the animal can be saved.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you notice symptoms of hematuria, you should immediately consult a doctor, because self-medication at home can only complicate the course of the disease and lead to the death of your pet. But before going to the clinic, the cat should be placed in a warm place, away from drafts. It is necessary to remove dry food from your pet’s diet, give it as much water as possible and disturb the animal as little as possible.

At the clinic, a specialist will conduct a full examination of the cat. Urine brought for analysis will be carefully examined to determine the presence of blood in its composition.

In addition to a general urine test, the doctor prescribes blood tests to determine the inflammatory process in the body and how affected the animal’s kidneys are. If there is a suspicion of infection, a bacteriological study will be carried out to identify pathogenic microflora and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics.

If it is suspected that hematuria has occurred due to a sexually transmitted infection, the doctor will take a smear from the cat. To diagnose urolithiasis, you will need to perform an ultrasound examination of the kidneys and bladder. The same study will help determine the presence of a tumor in the genitourinary system. If kidney stones are detected, they will be examined to select the correct diet and medications.

To determine hematuria, the doctor often prescribes cystoscopy - an examination of the urethra and bladder through endoscopy. And if poisoning is suspected, a blood clotting test is taken.

First aid for a pet

But it often happens that, having discovered red urine in a neutered cat, the owner is not able to take him to the clinic immediately. Then you need to provide first aid to the cat. But first, you should contact your doctor so that he can prescribe the necessary medications and painkillers over the phone. And after the cat is given the medicine, you can try to alleviate its condition:

provide your pet with access to clean water;
feed the animal only liquid food;
give your pet a decoction of parsley or bearberry, which have disinfecting properties;
A decoction of horsetail will help cope with inflammation of the urinary tract.

You should not give antibiotics to your cat without a doctor's prescription. This will only lead to complications.

These animals are either transparent or have a yellowish tint. It’s all the more unpleasant to see “tomato juice” in your pet’s tray or to find out that when Urine analysis revealed occult blood. This is hematuria in cats. There are not so many reasons for this phenomenon, and therefore an experienced veterinarian in most cases is able to quickly identify them.

What is cystitis? This is an inflammation of the bladder. It should be noted that specifically in cats, “cystitis” often also refers to inflammation of the upper urinary tract (which is associated with some of their anatomical features). In addition, with the same success, inflammation of the lower sections also falls under this definition, so in many cases the entire genitourinary system has to be treated.

In approximately 10% of cases, this is observed in absolutely healthy young cats.(but they have blood in their urine only occasionally, and not constantly). Other reasons may include:

Severe injuries. Typical for cats, or those caught under the wheels of a cyclist.

Bleeding disorder, because of which the blood vessels begin to “poison” the blood into the urine.

Presence of stones in or(this occurs in approximately 10% of cats over eight years of age).

Bacterial infections. Note that cats are very rarely found to have primary