A Danger For Cats

A good friend forwarded an email from his brother describing a harrowing week in receiving a diagnosis of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) for his cat, Clyde. Here are the key points in his mail:

• The initial symptoms came across as a cold (dry nose, not moving around much, and "bitchy" behavior (which is not typical for male cats, who are generally total sweethearts).
  
• Stopped eating, drinking, and using the litter box.
• A trip to the vet got the quick diagnosis (and this is good, because if untreated, the cat will die within 48-36 hours).

When researching this on the web, I found a nice write up at AniMed and one with much more detail at ThePetCenter that covers what expect when your cat is diagnosed with this disease. Some high level points:

• Male cats are more prone to FLUTD than female cats, as the female has a wider urethra, which allows the minute crystals that form to pass through.
• Once diagnosed, continual monitoring is necessary.
• Stress is a common cause of this disease, and stress can be any number of things for a cat - introducing a new pet into the household (especially a dog), remodeling, or moving (note that the Clyde's vet suspected a change in diet could cause stress too - cats are picky about their routines).
  
• A change of diet is often recommended to ensure a higher ph level in urine (urine with lower ph levels can cause the crystals to form).
  

The email closes with a plea that any pet lover can identify with:

I'm telling you all this so you can inform someone who has a cat or dog. It can mean the difference between life or death for them. Fortunately, thus far Clyde is through with surgery and is recovering nicely. I hope to be able to bring him home on Saturday. Please tell anyone you know who has an animal.

Done.