Crystals In Cat Urine

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.

Crystals in cat urine.

Male cats are far more likely to form urine crystals than females but that doesn t mean females can t be affected. Many believe that this is due to cats eating commercial foods that acidify the urine. Water is the most important solution for a cat s urinary health. Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.

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 specifically is a material that is composed of magnesium ammonium and phosphate. Different types of crystals may develop if your cat isn t eating a proper complete and balanced diet. 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.

I just changed her entire diet to wet cat food beginning today and going to see if i notice any changes in her urine within the next month. Also any condition that changes your cat s urine ph such as kidney disease or long term medication use can cause crystals. 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. Cats may develop urine crystals when the have a urinary tract infection or they may develop these crystals independently of any infection.

Younger cats can develop crystals in their urine just as easily as older cats so age isn t really a factor. My cat spooki has urinary crystals we realized this after months of her urinating on our bed everyday out of nowhere and at some point i saw glitter in each pile of urine. If the crystals form in to stones diets are not effective at dissolving them and they require more drastic intervention. Interestingly these crystals used to be extremely rare but now account for roughly half of feline urinary crystals.

Urinary crystals are microscopic structures that can be found in the urine of many animals including cats. Struvite crystals are microscopic crystals that are found in the urine of some cats. It was formerly referred to as feline urological syndrome or fus. The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes.

If you cat is adequately hydrated there are minimal chances of your cat suffering from urinary crystals.