Cats are a lot like people — they aren’t big water drinkers. And, just as we are seeing a rise in urinary health issues (i.e. bladder and kidney stones) in people, veterinarians across North America are seeing a rise in urinary health issues in cats.

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is an umbrella term for diseases of the lower urinary tract in cats. Cats with FLUTD often strain to urinate, can have bloody urine and may urinate outside the litter box. Specific causes of FLUTD symptoms include urinary crystals, bladder inflammation or stones. Male cats with FLUTD are especially at risk because their narrow urethras can easily plug with mucous, blood clots, or crystal debris. If the urethra gets plugged and your cat cannot urinate, this constitutes a medial emergency that can result in permanent kidney damage and even death. There are many risk factors in developing FLUTD including genetics, obesity, anxiety, and nutrition. As nutrition is something that we, as cat guardians, have the most control over, it is a good starting point in FLUTD prevention.

The universal factor in FLUTD is lack of water intake. Cat kidney function has evolved, producing highly concentrated urine as a way of conserving water. Cat guardians have experienced first hand just how efficient cat kidneys are when we’ve had to tackle litter box maintenance and cat urine, in all its concentrated glory! This strategy makes sense for survival on the African savannah but not for our house cats. High urine concentration can result in crystal formation (if the mineral content is right), stones or inflammation of the bladder wall. Armed with this knowledge, the question now is, how do we get more water into our cats?

Water intake in cats is challenging. Just like us, cats prefer fresh water so making sure we change water bowls daily is important. Some cats prefer to see movement in their water (and may display this by tapping at their water dishes with their paws or preferring to drink from dripping taps) so consider getting your cat a water fountain or even placing ice cubes in his dish. We can even use dilute low-sodium chicken broth or tuna juice as a way to make the water more enticing (just like us with our flavoured water beverages). Another excellent source of water is in canned food.

Canned food contains about 85 per cent water and should be a regular part of every cat’s diet. In practice I often hear guardians say they will cut back on canned food as a way to regulate weight. Actually, if weight management is a concern, canned food should be the cornerstone to a diet plan because it’s mostly water and increases satiety without increasing calorie intake.

Dental health is another concern for pet guardians. This is an important issue, but cats fed dry food only, or a combination of wet and dry food, do not have significantly different amounts of dental disease than cats fed exclusively canned food. As a big advocate for home dental care, there are lots of newer products available that can be used to fight feline dental disease but limiting canned food should not be one of them as the risks of FLUTD are far too great.

We all know cats are choosy when it comes to food so one of the biggest challenges when introducing canned food is getting them to eat it. We are more likely to be successful in getting a cat to eat canned food if it is introduced when they are still kittens. Because flavour and texture seem to make a difference to most cats, experiment with chunks-in-gravy style canned foods and pate styles in chicken vs seafood formulas to find the perfect one for your cat.

Apart from helping to prevent FLUTD, canned food has other benefits. Cats are carnivores and canned food provides more protein than dry food. Canned food can also offset dehydration in older cats (especially those with kidney disease) and is a great way to sneak in supplements such as probiotics or glucosamine to their diet.

Cats with a history of FLUTD were likely prescribed specific diets by your veterinarian. These prescription diets have been formulated to be ultra low in the mineral building blocks of feline crystals and stones, contain additives to boost water intake, and are geared to maintain appropriate urine pH. If your cat has had a history of FLUTD be very cautious with diet change as it can lead to a relapse. Please discuss any diet concerns with your veterinarian as he may be able to offer alternatives.
A healthy, happy bladder is essential for a healthy, happy cat. Although some risk factors such as individual genetics are beyond our control, other risk factors are not. Making appropriate choices, such as making canned food a regular part of your cat’s diet and encouraging water intake, we can decrease the risk of FLUTD in our cats. If you have any questions about FLUTD or promoting good urinary health in your cat do not hesitate to speak with your veterinarian.
—Dr. Elizabeth Ruelle practices at Willow Park Feline Clinic in south Calgary.