I work in animal care and very often see cats come in with FLUTD or feline cystitis. They are the only known animal that has cystitis symptoms like us IC patients do. I thought it was interesting that there are so many theories that cause IC in us but yet those theories can’t hold up with cats. Wonder if they’re missing something here...


Article from www.thepetreport.com

If your furball has been diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis in cats, you probably have a lot of questions. Read on to learn more about this condition, and how you can help your cat with natural remedies for pets.

What Is Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

“Idiopathic” is a fancy word that means “we don’t know what’s causing it.” When your cat has feline lower urinary tract disease, this can be hard to deal with. Cystitis in cats is a very common condition, unfortunately. And an even more unfortunate fact is that in nearly half of the cats diagnosed with FLUTD, there doesn’t seem to be a cause.

Some vets refer to this condition as “feline interstitial cystitis” because it’s very similar to interstitial cystitis in humans.

How Feline Idiopathic Cystitis Resembles Interstitial Cystitis In People

Comparing these conditions in both cats and humans show some interesting results.

People with interstitial cystitis have more sensory nerves in their bladders. Many cats who have FLUTD do, too.
Often a person with interstitial cystitis doesn’t have the mucus lining in their bladders that protects the bladder from becoming irritated by urine. This is true of cats with idiopathic cystitis in cats, also.
Recurring bladder infections are a problem in both humans and cats.
Stress seems to be a precipitating factor for cystitis both in cats and in humans.
Research studies are investigating whether both humans and cats are victims of the same condition. If so, human treatments may be helpful for kitties, as well.
Drug Treatments For Idiopathic Cystitis In Cats

If your cat is having a lot of severe episodes, your vet may prescribe amitriptyline. It relieves the pain and inflammation associated with cystitis in cats. Side effects can include sleepiness, weight gain, bladder stones, and urine retention.Your cat may not be too concerned about grooming himself, either.

To reduce the inflammation in his bladder, your vet may give him steroids. Glucosamine has been found to repair the mucus lining of the bladder, so your vet may want to try that.

What Can You Do At Home To Help A Cat With FLUTD?

Diet is very important for these cats. There has always been an emphasis on reducing the acidity of the urine, along with decreasing the amount of magnesium and calcium in the urine. But the latest research shows that the rate of water turnover is the most important.

What you need to do find a way to get more water into your cat. This will keep his urine dilute to keep the acidity lower, and prevent high mineral levels.

If you feed your cat dry food, it’s very important to switch him over to canned food. Dry food has moisture levels below ten percent. Why is this a problem? Because cats are made to get most of their water from their food. In a natural setting, cats eat mice and other animals, which are 98% water. They don’t need to drink much water.

Canned food is has a 75% moisture level, which is certainly better than the moisture level in dry food. It can be difficult to switch a cat who has always eaten dry food over to canned food, but patience and persistence over several months often pays off in better health for your kitty.

Reducing your cat’s stress levels is important, too. Many cats will have episodes of feline lower urinary tract disease after a stressful event like moving. Some cats are even affected by weather changes.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Help

Many cat owners have had great success with treating their cats with a natural remedy made especially for pets. This cat uti remedy contains uva ursi and barberry, two herbs with a long history of use in treating human bladder problems. It also contains the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagria.This remedy is very effective for preventing cat urinary problems, and it’s also safe for long-term use in cats.

Put this to the test right away, and see how well this remedy works on your cat with feline idiopathic cystitis.

I treat my cat with marshmellow root and holistic food. He does very well on that combo.

wow that’s great...i’ve never actually gotten to speak with anyone who does holistic treatments for it. I’m happy that it works for your kitty!