Why Does My Cat Urinate Blood? 10 Reasons

Before explaining the possible reasons that there is blood in the pee of your cat or cat, we detail what is hematuria and what is hemoglobinuria exactly.

When urine is red, brown, pink, or orange, it indicates that there is blood or some components of it in this fluid, and the hue will depend on the amount of blood and whether there are other substances or certain microorganisms, such as bacteria. Hematuria is the presence of blood in the cat’s urine.to a greater or lesser amount, that is, mainly red blood cells, while hemoglobinuria is the presence of hemoglobin or blood pigment in the urineso in this case the only blood component is the reddish pigment.

These two problems can occur for various reasons, but in the case of hematuria it is whole blood that can come from any part of the urinary tract, while in the case of hemoglobinuria the red blood cells must have been massively disposed of or broken so that this pigment has been filtered by the kidneys and comes out in the urine.

In fact, this symptom is one of the most urgent ones in veterinary centers, it is quite common and it is a sign that something is not right, mainly in the cat’s urinary system, one of the most delicate systems of felines, or in another part of the body.

The most common cause of hematuria is urine infection in cats, however there are other reasons. The main causes of blood in cat urine are the following:

• Urine infection: It is common in cats and can occur for various reasons. It is usually a bacterial infection and it must be treated well from the beginning to avoid complications that appear shortly after. The cat has difficulty urinating, pain, meows, urinates more frequently but in less quantity and of a color between red and brown.
• Urolithiasis or stones in the urinary tract: They can occur from grit to calculations or stones of different sizes in any part of the urinary tract, such as in the kidneys and bladder, and it is a frequent problem in cats. The symptoms of stones in the bladder or kidneys are very similar to those of a urinary tract infection.
• Trauma: very strong blows from accidents, fights and abuse are a reason for blood in the urine. This happens when an internal organ related to the urinary tract has been damaged due to the blow. The animal presents pain, constant meowing, intolerance to touch in the area of ​​the abdomen and lower back, hematuria and other symptoms depending on the parts of the body affected by the blow.
• Renal disease: Kidney failure is caused by acute or chronic kidney damage. One of the reasons can be intoxication or poisoning, but also infections, polycystic kidneys and kidney tumors.
• Benign and malignant neoplasms or tumors: masses are the growth of abnormal tissue in some part of the body, in this case it would be in the urinary system, and these can be of benign origin, which is not always necessary to operate, or malignant, tumors such as lymphomas, which always have to treat or operate.
• Cystitis or inflammation of the bladder: is the inflammation of the bladder that can be caused by a variety of conditions, both infectious, such as viruses or bacteria, and non-infectious, in the case of trauma. The inner tissue walls of the bladder swell so much that blood leaks out.
• Genital diseases: There are conditions and diseases that occur in the genital area that can produce blood in the pee of a feline, either due to inflammations and infections passed to the urinary system from the genitals, such as when urinating the urine itself drags the bleeding out of the genitals.
• Parasites: Hematic parasites, which are those that affect blood cells, can cause hemorrhages that produce hematuria and, by destroying red blood cells, produce hemoglobinuria. The main ones are protozoa infected by ticks and fleas.
• Medicines: There are drug treatments that can cause hematuria and hemoglobinuria in cats, mainly strong medications, such as chemotherapy.
• Systemic diseases: such as coagulopathy, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation or DIC, thrombocytopenia, heat stroke, or ehrlichiosis or tick disease.

What’s more, according to the sex of your cat there may be more problems apart from the general ones mentioned. In case that your cat that urinates blood is male, make sure that he does not have a problem with his penis that has caused him an injury, for example, long-haired male cats can have knots in the area of ​​​​the penis and testicles, which can lead to an injury in these by getting entangled in the genitals and make a wound that causes a drip of blood when urinating. Another possibility in males is that there is a prostate disease that affects the urinary tract causing slight bleeding.

On the other hand, if your cat urinates blood, another possible cause is pyometra, in which there is pus in the uterus and the cat has flow and urine with blood and pus, that is, a hemorrhagic and purulent secretion. Another possible cause in the case of cats is vaginitis or inflammation of the vagina, which can occur for various reasons, infectious or not, since this inflammation can end up causing the walls of the vagina to dilate so much that some blood leaks and bloody discharge mixes with urine.

Other possibilities of the appearance of blood in the cat’s urinewhich are added in the event that she is pregnant, are the onset of labor, a miscarriage, or an infection in the uterus or pyometrain the latter case pus will also be observed.

In any case, when a pregnant cat bleeds into the urine or directly from the vagina, it is necessary to go to the vet urgently. It may be any of the conditions and diseases mentioned in the previous sections. However, in the event that they are situations related to pregnancy, it is advisable to go to the veterinarian quickly because both abortion and pyometra are problems that must be treated quickly and well, as they can cause a large number of complications, but also in the case of before labor begins, it is always better that there be a veterinarian present to ensure that everything goes well, and if there is any complication that the professional can act quickly and save the cat and kittens, which if it happens at home without a veterinarian will be very complicated to solve, both the kittens and the mother can die cat in no time.

You can consult this other OneHOWTO article about why my pregnant cat bleeds, either from the vagina or from the urethra when urinating.

It should always be a veterinarian in person who checks the animal, performs the necessary tests for diagnosis, diagnoses the origin of the blood in the urine and gives the appropriate treatment. For example, if the vet diagnoses your cat with a urine infection, then he or she will explain how to cure a urine infection in cats, and so on with any of the possible causes. The important is that follow all the instructions of the veterinarian and that, in addition, you ask him all your doubts and concerns so that he can solve them and you can do the treatment well.

Due to the great variety of possible causes, it is vital that the specialist detects the underlying condition or disease well, since treatment may vary completely.

In the case of infections, antibiotics are usually prescribed for several days, in the case of kidney stones there may be treatment or surgery may be necessary and the same thing happens with neoplasms. In addition, in the case of parasitic diseases, antiparasitic drugs and perhaps antibiotics will be given and if the cause is a trauma, the treatment can vary from simple rest for a few days and painkillers, to surgery depending on the severity.

It will be important to return to follow-up visit so that the specialist can see the evolution and adjust the treatment if necessary or discharge the patient. Likewise, it is necessary to return urgently in the event of any worsening or appearance of a new symptom during treatment.

Many people wonder about home remedies for my cat that urinates blood, but the truth is that, as we have said, without knowing what exactly it has, neither medication nor correct remedy can be given. The best thing is that when the veterinarian explains the treatment to follow, we ask him about care and remedies that support the treatment, such as feeding guidelines.

It is necessary to remark that you should always take the cat to the vet when it urinates blood, whether it is very little or a lot. It is important to do it urgently because, depending on the cause, the problem can worsen quickly and the sooner it is detected, the better it is treated, since many of the diseases and conditions mentioned, if not caught in time, can leave serious consequences in the feline or even lead to death. death if not treated.

It is also especially important that you take him to the vet if at any time you see that there are more symptoms, so if you see the situation and think “my cat urinates blood and vomits” or “my cat urinates blood and does not want to eat“, it is vital that you take him to the specialist as soon as possible. In addition, it is always key to look at all the possible signs and symptoms that your cat presents at the moment in which you notice the presence of blood in his urine. The reason is not only that will help you assess the situation yourself, but then you should tell the vet about them so that they have all the possible clues for their diagnosis.

Others General Symptoms Accompanying Bloody Urine in Cats They are:

• Frequency or urinary incontinence
• Dysuria or pain when urinating
• dehydration
• Abdominal pain
• lethargy and depression
• pale mucous membranes
• Petechiae or red spots and bruises
• vomiting
• loss of appetite
• Weightloss

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