Causes of feline urine crystals feline urine crystals may develop due to a number of factors.
Feline urinary crystals.
An individual feline s unique physiology and disease history will most likely predict the development of crystals in their urine above anything else.
Many believe that this is due to cats eating commercial foods that acidify the urine.
The development of crystals in the urine or crystalluria occurs when normal minerals that float in the urine bind to each other.
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.
Crystals in the urine irritate the cat s bladder and can lead to bladder stones or to a condition known as feline lower urinary tract disease or flutd.
What is crystals in the urine.
Urinary crystals are microscopic structures that can be found in the urine of many animals including cats.
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 calcium oxalate crystals result from the opposite factor too much acidity.
Struvite crystals contain magnesium phosphate and ammonium and result from too much alkalinity.
Cats who present with crystalluria need to be seen by a veterinarian in order to properly identify the crystals and diagnose any underlying conditions that may be causing them to form.
Some stones can be found on routine physical exam during palpation of the urinary bladder.
Feline urine crystals consist of either struvite or calcium oxalate crystals.
The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes.
The cornell feline health center notes that crystals in cat urine are sometimes associated with a range of urinary diseases collectively called feline lower urinary track disease flutd.
In cats the small size of the urethra means that crystals can clump and block the flow of urine.
Urinary crystals are routinely diagnosed on examination of a urine sediment.
Struvite crystals are microscopic crystals that are found in the urine of some cats.
If the crystals form in to stones diets are not effective at dissolving them and they require more drastic intervention.
If the stones cannot be diagnosed through palpation the diagnosis of bladder stones in cats is made or confirmed with abdominal x rays or ultrasound.
Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.
In some cases urine crystals can lead to a life threatening blockage of the urinary tract.
Interestingly these crystals used to be extremely rare but now account for roughly half of feline urinary crystals.
The signs of flutd may include.
Not all pets diagnosed with crystals have bladder stones.
