change of litter brand - cud it lead to UTI?

"val189" wrote in message
...
Friend's cat seems to have UTI - she wonders if a change to a cheaper
litter a month ago might be a cause?

Unlikely.


Vet hasn't given her any results
yet of urine sample. He said the bladder was empty, but the cat's
been straining and not peeing very much.


If the cat is a male, he could have a partial urethral obstruction- which
can quickly become a complete, life-threatening obstruction that can result
in acute renal failure if not treated promptly, or he could have Feline
Interstitial Cystitis (FIC). If the cat is a female, she probably has FIC.
Tell your friend to make sure her vet rules out urethral obstruction.

UTIs are grossly overdiagnosed in cats and are actually uncommon in all but
older and geriatric cats. Cats have many defense mechanisms that help
prevent bacterial invasion and colonization of the urinary tract.

Phil

"dejablues" wrote in message
...

"Cat Protector" wrote in message
...
No. UTI's usually happen because of diet.

The precise etiology of feline UTI's is unknown. Some can be dealt with by
dietary management, but to state that diet is the usual cause of FLUTD
(feline lower urinary tract disease, the preferred terminology) is
inaccurate.

UTI and FLUTD are not the same- the terms are not interchangeable. UTI is a
urinary tract infection caused by bacteria. FLUTD is an exclusion diagnosis
that can only be reached after all known causes have been eliminated. IOW,
urinary tract obstruction, urolithiasis (struvite or calcium oxalate or any
other type of crystal or urolith or plug), urinary tract infection,
crystalluria-- are not FLUTD since they are all specific disease entities
with known etiologies.

FLUTD was previously called "FUS" (Feline Urological Syndrome) until the
late 80s and early 90s. Most cases of FLUTD are now called Feline
Interstitial Cystitis (FIC) since the clinical signs are very similar to
interstitial cystitis in women. The only real species difference is that
male and female cats are affected about the same, in the human form of IC
the incidence is much higher in women than in men.

Phil

"Cat Protector" wrote in message
...
No. UTI's usually happen because of diet.

No. UTIs aren't caused by diet, idiot. UTIs are cause by bacteria.

On Sep 4, 2:39 pm, val189 wrote:
Friend's cat seems to have UTI - she wonders if a change to a cheaper
litter a month ago might be a cause? Vet hasn't given her any results
yet of urine sample. He said the bladder was empty, but the cat's
been straining and not peeing very much.

Thanks
(Arm and Hammer Loyalist,me)

Update - the cat is back to normal and it seems nature has healed
her. The vet said no trouble found in the urine sample. Just one of
those things? This cat is about 8 or 9. She does live with another
male and a female cat but they show no signs of trouble.

Is this cat urinating outside the litterbox?

"val189" wrote in message
...
On Sep 4, 2:39 pm, val189 wrote:
Friend's cat seems to have UTI - she wonders if a change to a cheaper
litter a month ago might be a cause? Vet hasn't given her any results
yet of urine sample. He said the bladder was empty, but the cat's
been straining and not peeing very much.

Thanks
(Arm and Hammer Loyalist,me)

Update - the cat is back to normal and it seems nature has healed
her. The vet said no trouble found in the urine sample. Just one of
those things? This cat is about 8 or 9. She does live with another
male and a female cat but they show no signs of trouble.

"val189" wrote in message
...
On Sep 4, 2:39 pm, val189 wrote:
Friend's cat seems to have UTI - she wonders if a change to a cheaper
litter a month ago might be a cause? Vet hasn't given her any results
yet of urine sample. He said the bladder was empty, but the cat's
been straining and not peeing very much.

Thanks
(Arm and Hammer Loyalist,me)

Update - the cat is back to normal and it seems nature has healed
her. The vet said no trouble found in the urine sample. Just one of
those things? This cat is about 8 or 9. She does live with another
male and a female cat but they show no signs of trouble.

FIC flare-ups are usually self limiting in ~5-10 days. Judging by the dates
of your posts, I think your friend's cat might have had an FIC episode. If
she's feeding her cat dry food, advise her to switch over to canned food.
Dry food doesn't actually cause FIC but clinical studies have shown dry food
can exacerbate or aggravate FIC in cats that are predisposed to it.

Phil