What Every Cat-Owner Should Know About Cat Urine Crystals
Cat urine crystals can be totally harmless or indicative of potential issues in your furry friend. Learn the in’s and out’s of these cat pee crystals and potential urinary problems with PrettyLitter.
Keep Your Kitty In Good Health
What Are Cat Urine Crystals?
Cat urine (struvite) crystals are microscopic minerals made of ammonium,
phosphate, and magnesium. On their own, these three substances are
harmless and completely normal to find in your pet’s urine.
In high concentrations, however, they’ll bind together to form struvite crystals in cats. Still, in small amounts, these cat pee crystals are nothing to worry about.
The real issues arise when they fuse with mucus from the cat’s urinary bladder to create a urinary obstruction, or merge as larger and larger crystals that become struvite bladder stones-this is where your careful care and attention becomes vital to your cat’s health and safety.
In high concentrations, however, they’ll bind together to form struvite crystals in cats. Still, in small amounts, these cat pee crystals are nothing to worry about.
The real issues arise when they fuse with mucus from the cat’s urinary bladder to create a urinary obstruction, or merge as larger and larger crystals that become struvite bladder stones-this is where your careful care and attention becomes vital to your cat’s health and safety.
How To Identify Crystals In Cat Urine?
You know the meaning of your cat’s every gesture and every look. But
when it comes to telling you that something’s wrong, cats may struggle
to get the message across.
That’s why keeping an eye out for the signs and symptoms of cat crystals in your pet’s urine can help you listen to your cat’s needs.
Clinical signs of cat urinary problems include:
The symptoms of urinary crystals overlap significantly with signs of lower urinary tract disease.
Without more in-depth veterinary testing, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate between struvite crystals and other urinary problems—bring your kitty to a doctor as soon as they exhibit these signs to help your pet get the proper veterinary medicine.
That’s why keeping an eye out for the signs and symptoms of cat crystals in your pet’s urine can help you listen to your cat’s needs.
Clinical signs of cat urinary problems include:
- Difficulty or Pain When Urinating
- Urinating Outside the Litter Box or Inappropriate Urination
- Bloody Urine
- Frequent but Small Amounts of Urination
- Lethargy or Depression
The symptoms of urinary crystals overlap significantly with signs of lower urinary tract disease.
Without more in-depth veterinary testing, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate between struvite crystals and other urinary problems—bring your kitty to a doctor as soon as they exhibit these signs to help your pet get the proper veterinary medicine.
What Causes Crystals In A Cat’s Urine?
Senior cats and kittens alike can develop struvite
crystals—unfortunately, cat health has no age limit.
Any pH-altering medical condition can cause crystals, such as cat kidney disease or a urinary tract infection and even urethral obstruction.
The infectious bacteria of a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) produces urease and Urethral Obstruction which prevents your cat from urinating. This alters the pH balance of the cat’s urine and can contribute to the urinary stone formation of crystals or "Struvite".
Additionally, dietary and metabolic factors can cause these tiny crystalline structures, including:
Any pH-altering medical condition can cause crystals, such as cat kidney disease or a urinary tract infection and even urethral obstruction.
The infectious bacteria of a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) produces urease and Urethral Obstruction which prevents your cat from urinating. This alters the pH balance of the cat’s urine and can contribute to the urinary stone formation of crystals or "Struvite".
Additionally, dietary and metabolic factors can cause these tiny crystalline structures, including:
- High Levels of Dietary Magnesium, Phosphorous, Calcium, Sodium, and Fiber
- Highly Concentrated Urine that is Supersaturated with Struvites and an Increased pH Level
- Dehydration, Which Contributes to Urine Supersaturation
How To Prevent Struvite Stones In Cats?
Proper hydration is key to preventing struvite uroliths (cat pee
crystals). Diluted urine is less likely to accumulate the dangerous
minerals that eventually form into urinary crystals—regardless of the
urine’s pH balance.
Although you can’t force your cat to drink, there are a few ways you can lead them to the water (so to speak):
Check your cat’s litter regularly for signs of alkaline urine. Need an even clearer sign of alkaline urine? PrettyLitter turns blue when your cat’s urine pH is alkaline.
Although you can’t force your cat to drink, there are a few ways you can lead them to the water (so to speak):
- Maintain a Full, Clean Water Bowl
- Purchase a Pet Water Fountain
- Feed Your Feline a Balanced Diet of Wet Canned
- Cat food that Creates Properly pH-Balanced Urine
Check your cat’s litter regularly for signs of alkaline urine. Need an even clearer sign of alkaline urine? PrettyLitter turns blue when your cat’s urine pH is alkaline.
FAQs
Diet plays a big role in struvite crystal treatment. Feed your cat a balanced, healthy diet of canned or homemade food—wet canned food is preferable to dry because of its high water content. You can find specific dissolution diets—both wet and dry—on the market, or you can formulate your own wet, low-mineral meals.
Struvite dissolution diets only work when they’re your cat’s only source of pet nutrition—no supplementary food, no foraging for critters, and no bonus treats (sorry, kitty!).
- Encourage ample hydration with a pet fountain or by placing several water bowls throughout the house.
- Feed them a struvite dissolution diet of wet canned meals that encourage diluted, urine pH-balanced.
- Provide a quiet, stress-free area for your cat to urinate comfortably in.
If it takes much longer than that, you should check back in with your vet. It could be that the crystals are made of calcium oxalate rather than struvite stone, or that your feline is sneaking meals without your knowledge, which can ruin the efforts of their strict prescription diet.
- Cats around one or two years old, or middle-aged
- Female cats, because their wider urethra leaves them more prone to infections
- Exclusively indoor cats because of their inactivity and increased weight
- Cats with inadequate water intake, or a dry cat food only diet
- Cats who eat a plant-based diet, which leads to higher alkalinity
PrettyLitter Helps Make Cat
Urine Issues Crystal Clear
Without PrettyLitter, it can take way too long to discover your cat’s
urinary issues. Struvite stones are no exception. The litter’s
color-changing technology can alert you to your cat’s serious health
conditions.
Even the best parents need a leg up – PrettyLitter can be yours.
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