0:01

Think your cat is just being a rebel by not

0:03

using the litter box? Think again. Welcome

0:05

to Vetsplanation, where we're all about decoding

0:07

your pet's health, one episode at a time. I'm

0:10

Dr. Sugerman, and in today's session, we're

0:12

going to uncover the truth behind your feline's

0:15

puzzling behavior. It's not

0:17

just mischief, it's actually a message. So

0:19

join me as we delve into the hidden world

0:21

of urinary issues in cats. Let's

0:24

dive deep and find out what's really

0:26

going on. Every night at work,

0:28

at least one cat comes in with a urinary

0:30

problem. Urinary problems in cats

0:32

are known by many names. You may

0:34

have heard the terms Pandora Syndrome, FLUTD,

0:37

which means feline lower urinary tract disease,

0:40

LUTS, which is Lower Urinary Tract

0:42

Signs, FUS, Feline

0:45

Urologic Syndrome, or FIC,

0:48

which is Feline Idiopathic Cystitis or

0:50

Feline Interstitial Cystitis. That's

0:52

a lot of names, right? There's a lot of terms for this,

0:55

but for simplicity's sake, I'm just going to refer

0:57

to it as FLUTD or feline lower

0:59

urinary tract disease. All

1:01

of these are used to describe a disease in cats

1:03

where the urinary bladder is really angry

1:05

for some reason. I'm just going to do

1:08

a quick anatomy so that people understand

1:10

what I'm talking about when I'm talking about lower urinary

1:12

tract disease. So lower urinary

1:14

refers to the bladder, then you

1:16

have the urethra, which goes from the

1:18

bladder that goes out

1:20

to where they're going to urinate. So

1:22

these problems can lead to a life threatening

1:24

condition that's called a urethral obstruction.

1:27

This obstruction or blockage of urine

1:30

typically occurs in male cats more often than

1:32

female cats because the urethra in the penis

1:34

is much smaller than the urethra in

1:36

the females. Therefore, female

1:39

cats can actually pass a lot bigger things

1:41

that would cause an obstruction, things like

1:43

stones and blood clots a lot of times. So

1:46

let's talk about what the symptoms are of FLUTD.

1:49

Some of the most common beginning signs that your

1:52

cat is going to be that your cat is urinating

1:54

outside of the litter box. We used

1:56

to call it inappropriate urinary behavior,

1:58

but now we describe it more as an undesirable

2:01

urinary behavior. To

2:03

give you an example of this, my wife's cat, Vashti,

2:06

had peed in her luggage when she was packing

2:08

for a trip one time. Literally

2:10

right before we were leaving for the trip. Most

2:13

people would think that Vashti was just angry

2:15

with my wife because she was leaving. She's going on vacation,

2:17

she's leaving me, she's super angry. But

2:20

that was actually Vashti's way of telling us that there

2:22

was something actually really wrong. Sometimes

2:24

they'll urinate just outside of the litter box

2:27

or maybe even on a pile of clothes. It

2:29

tends to be brushed off

2:31

as like just something that they're doing because they're upset

2:34

or they're angry about something. They

2:36

also may excessively lick at their genital

2:38

area. They may not urinate

2:40

on anything again for a little while until

2:42

one day you notice them going in and out of the

2:44

litter box multiple times. You

2:47

might even see that the males are standing in a way

2:49

that makes it look like they're trying to poop instead.

2:52

And people think that they're actually constipated. That's one

2:54

of the most common things that I hear people bring their

2:56

male cats in for is they think that they're constipated.

2:59

Next, it progresses to bloody urine or

3:02

it just becomes really life threatening. These

3:04

cats are usually found with piles of vomit

3:06

next to them, meowing really loudly

3:08

in pain, and sometimes lying on their

3:10

side, unable to stand. The

3:13

signs can progress really quickly as well.

3:16

Therefore, if you see these signs, it is really

3:18

important to bring them in right away before

3:20

it's actually too late. To

3:22

sum this portion up really quickly, urinary

3:24

problems like peeing outside the litter box should

3:27

be addressed immediately. There

3:29

are urinary problems, but it isn't a urinary

3:31

obstruction until they cannot pee. So

3:34

then you see signs of them going in and out of the litter box,

3:36

posturing as if they're trying to defecate,

3:39

vocalizing, vomiting, maybe

3:41

even lying on their side. These

3:43

are signs that they have an obstruction, otherwise

3:46

known as a urethral obstruction, because they cannot

3:48

pee. And they need to be brought in immediately.

3:52

Next we're going to talk about the causes of FLUTD

3:54

and urethral obstruction. There are many

3:57

elements that can cause a cat to become FLUTD.

3:59

We're going to talk about them from the most common

4:01

to the least common, identifying four main

4:03

areas. The most common

4:05

cause in cats are urinary crystals

4:08

called struvite crystals. Struvite

4:10

crystals are composed of the minerals ammonium,

4:13

phosphate, and magnesium. These minerals

4:15

are actually commonly found in the bladder together in

4:17

all species, all the time. If

4:19

they're found in high enough concentrations, though, they start

4:22

to bind together to make crystals.

4:25

If you're on YouTube, we're actually going to put a picture of these crystals

4:27

up so you can see what these look like. These

4:30

crystals are often harmless on their own,

4:32

and can be found in many pets without having

4:34

any urinary issues at all. It's

4:37

when they team up together with mucus

4:39

in the bladder they form a plug

4:41

in the urethra and can cause a blockage.

4:44

Imagine a snowball as the mucus that's

4:46

like rolling down a hillside. It's

4:49

going to pick up all these branches and leaves, plus

4:51

more snow, and eventually become

4:53

larger and pokier. Then

4:55

that snowball has to try to pass through this tiny

4:57

little tube. It's likely to become

4:59

stuck and cause your cat pain with

5:01

spiky crystals that are poking out of

5:03

it. The urethra becomes

5:05

inflamed and swollen, causing your

5:08

cat to become completely obstructed. And

5:10

they cannot urinate, which becomes a

5:12

life threatening problem at that point. The

5:15

next most common cause you're gonna have to bear with me a bit.

5:18

So it is called FIC, which

5:20

is feline idiopathic cystitis,

5:22

or feline interstitial cystitis.

5:25

Cystitis means inflammation of the bladder,

5:27

and idiopathic really just means that we

5:29

don't know the cause. So

5:32

this is really complex and can be due to really

5:34

anything. It can be due to stress,

5:36

not having enough water, anxiety,

5:39

a combination of all of those things. Or

5:41

as I like to say, some star aligned with some

5:43

moon just right and it just happened. We don't know

5:45

why. We talked with Dr.

5:47

Megan a while back about acupuncture

5:49

and she actually mentioned that there's a phenomenon

5:51

in eastern medicine that talks about

5:53

why this may happen to cats during a certain

5:55

season. It is true that we

5:57

see it more in winter and fall but you can see

6:00

it any time. Weirdly

6:02

we attribute it to around

6:04

the time when it's rainier. There's no

6:06

studies that have been done on this to my knowledge

6:08

to show that it happens more in the rainier months, but

6:10

I do think it is because we stay inside more

6:13

when it rains. And that stresses our cats out

6:15

a bit because there's more noise, they're

6:17

not used to just being there all the time during the day, and

6:20

they're really not comfortable with that. All

6:22

right, our third most common cause is urinary

6:24

stones or also known as cystoliths

6:27

or uroliths. These can be

6:29

struvite stones like what we talked about with

6:31

those struvite crystals. So what

6:33

they do is they can ball up together and form a stone

6:36

that becomes lodged in the urethra. Actually

6:39

only 50 percent of the stones are struvite stones

6:42

though. The other 50 percent are

6:44

usually calcium oxalate stones. Quick

6:47

interesting fact about bladder stones

6:49

in cats is about 25 years ago,

6:51

all cats had struvite bladder stones

6:54

because of their diet. They were

6:56

fed a diet that was more basic, and

6:58

by basic I mean like acid versus

7:01

neutral versus base of a pH.

7:03

Or a high pH is basic and a low

7:05

pH is acidic. Cat

7:08

food companies had tried to rectify

7:10

this by making diets that were more acidic.

7:13

Now if the cat's urine is more acidic, it is

7:15

likely to be calcium oxalate crystals,

7:17

not struvite crystals. There's

7:20

also two breeds that seem to be genetically

7:22

predisposed to these stones. Those are the

7:24

Burmese and the Himalayan cats. You

7:27

might wonder why it matters what kind of stone the

7:29

cat has. It matters actually for two

7:31

reasons. It matters because

7:33

it guides us on how to treat them now

7:35

and in the future. We'll talk more

7:37

about that when we talk about our treatments though. Lastly,

7:40

we can see cats with urinary

7:42

infections or what we call UTIs.

7:45

This is definitely more common in female cats

7:47

than male cats though. Also

7:49

more common in our older cats like over

7:51

10 years old. This is typically

7:54

due to bacteria but it can really

7:56

be from like fungus, parasites,

7:58

or even a virus that can cause that UTI.

8:01

I can't imagine having a parasite that caused it but

8:03

gross. This commonly

8:05

happens with cats who have a weakened immune system,

8:07

like when they have kidney disease or diabetes.

8:10

It rarely occurs in younger cats, because

8:12

the acidity of the urine is too high,

8:15

and usually kills off all those other organisms.

8:19

To sum that part up, so FLUTD and an obstruction

8:21

are usually caused by one of four things

8:23

in ranking order. Crystals,

8:26

idiopathic, meaning we don't know, stones,

8:29

and rarely a UTI. Alright,

8:32

so now we're going to talk about treatment. First

8:35

we're going to talk about the early detection and management,

8:38

and then we'll talk later about when we have emergencies.

8:41

So for struvite crystals and idiopathic,

8:43

we essentially treat them the same way. We

8:46

need to manage their pain, manage their stress,

8:48

and decrease their inflammation. If

8:51

they have an early diagnosis and they have not

8:53

become obstructed, then your vet will

8:55

likely suggest pain medications, multimodal

8:58

environmental modification, which is

9:00

what we call a MEMO, and

9:03

a diet change. At our

9:05

clinic, we try to handle pain with a few different medications.

9:08

Typically, we give them a pain medication that lasts

9:10

for about three to four days. So we know

9:13

that we can get this pain under control immediately

9:15

without having to try to give them a liquid or

9:18

a pill and stress them out more. Next

9:21

we try to decrease their stress and anxiety

9:23

as well as help with the pain by using

9:25

a medication called gabapentin. Some

9:27

of us also use this medication called Cerenia.

9:30

It's to help with the nausea associated

9:32

with the pain, but it's also an anti

9:35

inflammatory for the bladder.

9:37

In some other clinics you might also see them using

9:40

medications to try to help open up the

9:42

urethra or basically make it relax. At

9:45

home, we usually recommend feeding a

9:47

prescription diet that is made to help

9:49

prevent crystals from forming. These

9:51

diets make it so that your cat's urine is exactly

9:54

neutral, therefore it cannot make struvites

9:56

in a basic environment, or calcium

9:58

oxalate stones in an acidic environment.

10:01

It's like making a teeter totter exactly

10:04

balanced. So when it's empty, nobody

10:06

can get on that teeter totter. But when we tip

10:08

over to one side, now we start getting one

10:10

of those different types of crystals or stones.

10:13

So these diets are usually Royal

10:16

Canin SO, Hill's C/D,

10:18

and Purina UR. You

10:20

might be wondering why we have all these letters

10:22

in them. We discussed why

10:25

that is when we talk to Dr. Delaney in

10:27

next week's episode on diets. And

10:29

the amazing website that you can use for homemade diets

10:31

as well. So you should definitely check that one out. With

10:34

these diets though they only work if that

10:36

is the only thing your cat is eating. If

10:39

you sneak a little tuna or they

10:41

eat a little cat grass or treats. They

10:43

change the pH of the urine and

10:46

then they return to making more crystals again.

10:49

Therefore, it is extremely important

10:51

that they are on the urinary diet and the urinary

10:53

diet only for the rest of their life.

10:57

Some questions I get are usually about

10:59

how your cat may be very picky and may not

11:01

like the diet. There are three different

11:03

types to try, and so far I've not had anyone

11:05

who has said that their cat wouldn't eat at least

11:07

one of them. You can also use wet

11:10

and/or dry. Preferably both. Water

11:12

really helps dissolve those crystals as well

11:15

and there's lots of water in canned food.

11:18

The second most common question I get is what

11:20

should I do if I have multiple

11:22

cats? If everyone in

11:24

the house is healthy, the easiest way

11:26

is to just feed them all the same urinary food.

11:29

It will be more expensive, but you know that

11:31

your cat with the urinary problem is not

11:33

going to be eating the crumbs from the other cat's food.

11:36

The other thing that you can do is get those feeders

11:38

that recognize your cat's microchip, or

11:41

they'll have a specific tag that you can put on a collar,

11:44

so that you can put it for only that cat

11:46

to eat that food. That

11:48

way your cat who can only have this very

11:50

specific urinary food cannot

11:52

eat anybody else's food. The

11:55

other question that I commonly get is, I've gone

11:57

to this pet store and I saw that it had

11:59

urinary food there on the shelf.

12:02

It said urinary health. Can I use that one

12:04

instead? Unfortunately,

12:06

no. That is used more for things like urinary

12:08

tract infections. It's not as good

12:10

for when we have crystals, stones, or

12:13

even these idiopathic

12:15

cystitis. Because it doesn't change the

12:17

pH of the urine. It only provides

12:20

more nutrients inside that diet

12:22

to try to help just with the bladder health in general,

12:25

but it's not going to help fix those crystals.

12:28

We also discussed MEMO. Remember the

12:30

multimodal environmental modification.

12:33

Dr. Cern치 and I talked more about this in the

12:35

cat behavior podcast that you're gonna hear in two weeks.

12:37

But it means to provide the main things that

12:40

your cat needs, a safe place, resources,

12:43

play and predatory behavior, consistent

12:45

social interactions with us, and

12:47

to be aware of their heightened sense of smell. So

12:50

listen to that episode with Dr. Cern치 to hear more about

12:52

how we can provide these things for our

12:55

cats. Now, if your cat has

12:57

stones, then it depends on what type of stone

12:59

they have as to what we will do. So

13:01

struvite stones can potentially be dissolved

13:04

in the bladder with certain diets.

13:06

We call this dietary dissolution. These

13:09

diets make the urine pH neutral,

13:12

just like we did with the crystals and

13:14

can cause those little crystal snowman

13:17

to dissolve or melt away and basically

13:19

just fall apart. The

13:21

most common protocol for this is to feed the diets

13:23

solely, just like we did with the crystals. And

13:26

then radiographs, or the other term for that is x

13:28

rays, are taken every three

13:30

to four weeks to see if those stones are

13:32

actually dissolving. It

13:34

can sometimes be as little as seven days

13:37

that they dissolve in or up to six weeks.

13:40

We check them at three to four weeks though because they

13:42

may not actually be struvite stones. Remember

13:45

that 50 percent of stones are struvites, which

13:47

means that we only have a 50/50 chance of

13:49

this working. We don't know which

13:51

stones they are because we can't tell based off

13:53

of our x rays, or of

13:56

our radiographs, or aka x rays,

13:58

or an ultrasound. Sometimes

14:01

we can even have a mixture of stones as well,

14:03

meaning like maybe the outside is

14:05

struvite and the inside is calcium

14:07

oxalate stone. And so only part

14:09

of it dissolves and the rest does not. The

14:12

only way we can know what kind of stones there are

14:14

would be to remove the stones. This

14:17

is a surgery called a cystotomy. Otomy

14:19

means to make an incision into and

14:21

then cyst refers to a bladder or

14:23

something that holds something. The surgery

14:26

involves going in through the abdomen, cutting

14:28

into the bladder and then removing those stones.

14:31

The bladder and the abdomen are closed up and

14:33

then the stones are sent to the lab to tell us what

14:35

kind of stones they are. So this

14:37

is really important for prevention though because

14:40

we want to feed the appropriate diet to

14:42

avoid making those stones in the future. So

14:45

if we have struvite stones then we know we have

14:47

to feed a diet that's going to make their urine

14:49

more neutral or

14:51

acidic. And if we have calcium

14:53

oxalate stones, then we know that we need to feed them a diet

14:56

that's going to be more basic because they typically

14:58

live in a more acidic environment. All

15:00

right, lastly, we treat urinary tract infections

15:03

usually by using antibiotics as long

15:05

as it's an infection due to bacteria,

15:07

which most of the time it is. I have

15:09

not found anybody that has had a parasite

15:13

that's caused it so far, but it's definitely possible.

15:16

So the most common questions I get with this is why

15:18

don't we just give antibiotics to all the FLUTD cats?

15:21

So people assume that they have a UTI. Even

15:23

after I've discussed this, they will always say

15:25

it's a UTI. It's an infection. But most

15:27

of the time it is not an infection. Like

15:30

the majority of the time, most cats do

15:32

not get a urinary tract infection. It's

15:34

those older ones that we talked about and

15:36

usually females that typically get the

15:39

urinary tract infections. So we

15:41

don't want to give antibiotics to all cats

15:43

if they don't need them. We can cause that bacteria

15:45

to become really resistant to antibiotics,

15:47

which means that they become super bugs and

15:50

limit the antibiotics that we can use. Because

15:53

antibiotics don't just kill off bad bacteria,

15:55

they also kill off good bacteria as

15:57

well. Which your cat needs. So

16:00

therefore we don't give antibiotics in most

16:02

cases. Alright, now

16:04

let's talk about when they get to me, unfortunately. Usually,

16:07

I see cats when they have become blocked or have

16:09

a urethral obstruction. Like I said, this

16:11

is a life threatening emergency. If

16:13

you have noticed that your cat is not able to urinate,

16:16

or they are showing other signs we talked about, like

16:18

vomiting, vocalizing,

16:21

laying on their side. That is a dire

16:23

emergency and they need to come in immediately. So

16:26

we make urine by our kidneys filtering

16:28

out the urine and waste from the bloodstream.

16:31

The urine goes through the kidneys, and then through the ureters,

16:33

into the bladder, where it is held. Your

16:36

cat cannot pee due to

16:38

the blockage in the urethra. Which

16:40

means that all of the urine is backing up

16:43

from the bladder through the

16:45

ureters into the kidneys.

16:48

And that waste cannot be filtered through

16:50

the kidneys, and so it's just staying in the

16:52

bloodstream. And that is not good. The

16:55

kidney values rise. But most importantly,

16:57

an electrolyte called potassium rises

16:59

as well. This can cause

17:01

the heart to beat incorrectly, which is what

17:04

we call an arrhythmia, and eventually

17:06

could even cause the heart to stop.

17:09

So we have to bring down that potassium immediately

17:12

and try to catch this before those arrhythmias

17:15

and their heart stops. We

17:17

do this by getting the urine out of the bladder. That

17:20

may mean initially performing what's called a

17:22

therapeutic cystocentesis, meaning

17:24

that we stick a needle into the bladder and remove as

17:26

much urine as possible to try to give

17:28

your cat temporary relief while

17:30

we talk about what those next steps are. The

17:34

ideal treatment is going to be to hospitalize

17:36

your cat for 48 hours. We

17:38

sedate your cat to place a urinary catheter

17:40

and flush out as many crystals and as

17:43

much mucus as possible. Then

17:45

we suture the urinary catheter in place

17:47

for it to stay in for the next 48 hours.

17:50

We then put your cat on IV fluids

17:53

and flush all that waste product out of

17:55

their bloodstream so their kidneys can filter it

17:57

as well. And this also helps

17:59

bring down those kidney values. These

18:01

two things allow the urethra, or

18:03

that tube that goes from the bladder and that allows them

18:05

to pee. It helps that urethra

18:07

to relax and bring down a lot of

18:09

inflammation. Then they're

18:12

put on medication, the same medication we talked

18:14

about before that helped with pain and

18:16

anxiety. Medication for

18:18

pain. Medication like gabapentin to help with

18:20

anxiety. Medication like Cerenia

18:22

to help with the inflammation. After

18:24

48 hours, if their kidney values are normal,

18:27

and we've removed the urinary catheter,

18:29

and we've seen that they're able to urinate, then

18:31

they're able to return home after that. So

18:35

the most common question I get about this is this the

18:37

only option is to hospitalize? So

18:39

no, it is not. We can try

18:41

to sedate your cat, place a urinary catheter,

18:44

flush as much of that bladder out as possible,

18:47

still give all the medications, and then

18:49

remove the urinary catheter immediately

18:51

and send your cat home with you. That's

18:54

called outpatient treatment. This

18:56

is not ideal because it does not give

18:58

the urethra time to relax. And if the

19:00

kidney levels are high, we cannot bring

19:02

them down with fluids at home. Your

19:04

cat just cannot drink enough water to do that,

19:07

and we cannot give as much fluids

19:09

under the skin as we can through the IV.

19:12

So the next most common question is, if you hospitalize

19:14

your cat, is this curative? It's never going to happen

19:16

again? It's not curative, in fact.

19:19

The first 10 days are usually when they

19:21

reblock. The diet hasn't had time

19:23

to work yet and so there's still lots of

19:26

crystals and mucus in those

19:28

folds. There's no way we can get all

19:30

of those out just by flushing out their bladder. Even

19:33

later, they can reblock if they produce

19:35

more crystals and if they aren't fed the

19:37

urinary diet exclusively for the rest

19:39

of their lives. So if they're

19:41

one of those cats that have FIC, or

19:44

the idiopathic cystitis, where we don't know

19:46

why they blocked. Even a stressful

19:48

event can lead to them reblocking as well.

19:51

So our goal is to stabilize them enough

19:54

to be able to return home, and then after

19:56

that, it's up to you to help manage them

19:58

the best that you can at home. We

20:00

provide all the tools, but this is why it is

20:02

so important for you guys to be a part of your

20:04

cat's health care team. You are a

20:06

huge part of this equation. Lastly,

20:09

we're going to talk about a special surgery that

20:11

can be performed. It's called a PU surgery,

20:14

or a perennial urethrostomy. This

20:17

means that the tip of the penis is actually removed

20:19

in order to make the urethra, or

20:21

remember that tube that goes from the bladder to the penis,

20:24

a wider opening. Sometimes

20:26

this has to be done the first time they come in.

20:29

If there are stones that are stuck, we can't

20:31

get them out. Or sometimes

20:33

this is performed when your cat has recurrent urinary

20:35

obstructions. Our matching number

20:37

that we usually use was when they've had three

20:40

urinary obstructions. You

20:42

might wonder why we don't just do this the first time

20:44

and, why wait to the third time to be able to do

20:46

the surgery? Every surgery

20:48

and treatment, has complications. It

20:51

could happen that your cat forms a ring

20:53

of scar tissue where the opening is

20:56

and can reobstruct again, even

20:58

with this surgery.It is

21:00

a small chance, but it's still a chance. Typically,

21:04

this surgery is performed once the kidney values

21:06

are normal and that potassium is normal

21:08

as well. Then, as soon

21:10

as they've had the surgery, they're released

21:12

as soon as they're able to pee on their own. So

21:15

that may mean that they don't actually have to stay for

21:17

the 48 hours, just depending on what their blood

21:19

work looks like. I do

21:21

let pet parents know that you can

21:23

expect some bloody urine sometimes after the surgery

21:26

for a few days afterwards. Now,

21:29

I always talk about how prevention is the key, right?

21:31

And in this situation, that's actually really

21:33

tough. Really the best thing to

21:35

do is to get your cat in right away if you

21:37

see these signs. The best prevention

21:39

here is really just to make sure that your cat

21:42

has all their needs satisfied. Which

21:44

is what we're going to talk about with Dr. Cern치 in

21:46

the behavior episode in a

21:48

couple weeks here, so please make sure to check that out.

21:51

So I usually do a animal fact

21:54

and I'm very sorry today I have a sinus

21:56

infection and I'm not feeling great, but I still have to go to work.

21:59

So I'm not going to be doing my animal fact today.

22:01

But I will try to make sure I do one for you next

22:04

time. So really understanding

22:06

and addressing all these underlying issues

22:08

causing FLUTD cannot only

22:10

improve your cat's quality of life, but also

22:12

prevent potentially fatal complications.

22:16

It's reading the signs and seeking professional

22:18

help and providing necessary care.

22:21

Remember that your pet relies on you

22:23

in order to interpret their signals and

22:25

act accordingly. I also

22:27

like to mention, that I talked about all of

22:30

our experiences here at my hospital. Experiences

22:33

at other hospitals will be different as well. Every

22:35

doctor is going to be different in the way that they treat

22:37

your pet. It's just the way that medicine

22:40

is, there is no one exact

22:42

way. So remember that these are all suggestions.

22:45

This is not a diagnosis from us.

22:47

If you have problems and you have questions,

22:50

make sure you ask your veterinarian about them.

22:53

We're talking about urinary obstructions right now. Sometimes

22:56

cats can pee outside of the litter box for other

22:58

reasons. Like I said, definitely check out

23:00

Dr. Cern치's episode here in a couple of weeks

23:03

because it could be because a behavioral issue

23:05

as well. And it may be because they're

23:07

not getting the five things that they need in

23:09

their life in order to be able to stay comfortable and

23:11

safe. So definitely check out that episode,

23:14

especially if you've taken your cat to

23:17

the vet and they found out that there was

23:19

no medical reason for it, then

23:21

it could be a behavioral thing and her episode

23:24

could really help you with that. So

23:26

I hope today's episode sheds some light

23:28

on the importance of recognizing and addressing

23:31

feline urinary issues. You're

23:33

not alone in this journey. There are resources,

23:35

professionals, and communities ready to help

23:37

support you. So never hesitate

23:40

to reach out to your veterinarian if you suspect

23:42

that your cat might be suffering from FLUTD or

23:45

any other health conditions. So

23:47

thank you for tuning into Vetsplanation. We are

23:49

committed to helping you understand your

23:51

pet's health better with each episode at a time.

23:54

I'm Dr. Sugerman, reminding you to

23:56

listen closely to your pets. They're communicating

23:58

more to you than you might realize. Stay

24:01

curious. Stay informed. And join us next

24:03

time as we continue to explore the

24:05

fascinating world of pet health as we

24:07

talk to Dr. Delaney about how you

24:09

can safely make human grade pet food

24:11

at home. I get lots

24:14

of people who feed just chicken and rice, but that's not

24:16

a balanced diet. So we want to make sure that we balance

24:18

these foods as best as possible for our

24:20

pets. So thank you to Shawn Hyberg

24:23

for your exceptional editing skills

24:25

and Kelly Dwyer for your amazing website

24:27

skills. Remember to keep your pets happy,

24:30

healthy, and safe. Take care and

24:32

we'll see you in the next episode.