Though the main symptom of crystalluria is the appearance of fine crystals in freshly expelled urine other symptoms from accompanying conditions may also occur.
Male cat urine crystals.
A mixture of cells that are used to line the bladder mucus and crystals formed from minerals in the urine.
Additional causes of urinary blockage are from feeding foods high in magnesium or the presence of an underlying condition called feline idiopathic.
This is more of an issue in male cats as their plumbing is a lot narrower.
Younger cats can develop crystals in their urine just as easily as older cats so age isn t really a factor.
Interestingly these crystals used to be extremely rare but now account for roughly half of feline urinary crystals.
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.
Flutd includes crystal formation in the bladder which might obstruct the cat s urethra.
Worryingly crystals can actually cause a blockage in some cats.
Crystals in cats also known as feline crystalluria is a medical condition which involves the formation of crystals in the cat s urine.
Crystals in the urine are dangerous to cats causing infection and inability to urinate.
The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes.
If the crystals form in to stones diets are not effective at dissolving them and they require more drastic intervention.
They require veterinary care and diagnosis to properly treat.
Male cats are far more likely to form urine crystals than females but that doesn t mean females can t be affected.
Different types of crystals may develop if your cat isn t eating a proper complete and balanced diet.
Because crystals in the urine that are passed in the litter box may be missed by pet owners other symptoms may help pet owners discover something is wrong with their cat.
A male cat s urethra can also become blocked by small urinary stones or by urethral plugs.
Also any condition that changes your cat s urine ph such as kidney disease or long term medication use can cause crystals.
Many believe that this is due to cats eating commercial foods that acidify the urine.
High strung kitties are more prone to flutd than their calmer brethren.
When a cat is unable to pass urine due to a blockage they can become very sick in a short amount of time.
Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.
Male kitties neutered or not can suffer from crystals in their urine though crystals occur more frequently in fixed ones.