Debbie’s Blog

Can Bladder Stones Kill Cats? What Caring Pet Owners Need to Know

If you donâ??t know the answer to the question, can bladder stones kill cats?, and you have a cat with recurring UTIs (urinary tract infections), then you need to know now:  the answer is yes.  While there are many ways to deal with the problem, with expensive bladder stone surgery, cats heal slowly, and the procedure can damage your catâ??s ability to control the bladder without getting to the cause of the problem, but sometimes, itâ??s the only chance you have if you have failed to take preventative measures.

With bladder stone surgery, cats are subjected to the trauma of a surgical procedure, which may include attempts to reformat the urethra.  Post-surgical observation is needed, along with post-operative care in your home.  If this sounds like quite an ordeal for you and your cat, so you may wonder again, Can bladder stones kill cats?  Yes, unless you can prevent them before they become a hidden killer.

How can you prevent bladder stones and avoid bladder stone surgery cats shouldnâ??t have to have?  There are a wide range of ways of reducing and preventing the crystal formation that can lead to bladder stones.  Your vet can recommend some methods.  If you are lucky and have a vet familiar with alternative healing techniques and the subtle use of natural ingredients to shift body chemistry, he or she can teach you even more.  These techniques are simple, affordable and minimize stress on your pet.

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Giving Your Cat a Bath

Some cat owners shy away from giving their cats a bath because they know that they “hate water”, and are afraid that it would be too traumatic for their pet. Also, they know that cats “bathe themselves”, and are under the misconception that they do not need baths. However, they do need baths to help them stay clean and looking their best, and it does not hurt them at all.

Make sure that the water temperature is closely matched to the temperature of the cat, and keep the temperature constant. It should feel neither warm nor cool to them.

Be sure to avoid getting water on their face or in their ears.

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Dealing With Cat Hairballs

Hairballs are a familiar problem to any cat owner, especially if they have a pet with long hair. Short hair cats also suffer from this problem, but itâ??s more common to those that have longer hair, like Persian cats.

What happens is that the cat licks the fur, and swallows hair as a result. Since the digestive system can process it easily, sometimes it gathers in hairballs in the stomach. This doesnâ??t happen all the time, as it usually just gets evacuated like anything that reaches the stomach. When the hairball does appear, sometimes it can become quite big, and the health of the cat can be in danger.

When a cat has problems because of hairballs, it will be evident by the fact that it doesnâ??t eat anymore. In most cases, cats are able to just cough up the hairball, so donâ??t be alarmed when you hear harsh noises coming from the cat. It sounds a bit like itâ??s choking, but it all goes away once the hairball is spat out.

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