Behavioral Urinary Tract Flashcards
What are some causes of house soiling?
Stress, marking, medical illness, feline idiopathic cystitis
What is the #1 behavior reason for relinquishment of cats to shelters?
Feline inappropriate elimination
What two things lead to your initial diagnosis of house soiling?
PE and history
What are diagnostic options for urinary house soiling and what is most important?
Urinalysis (most important), radiographs, AUS, +/- T4, Fecal float, digital rectal exam, CBC/chem
(T/F): If diagnostics are all WNL, medical causes of urine house soiling are unlikely
True
How do you diagnose marking behavior?
It is a diagnosis of exclusion from medical, FIC, environmental, and social factors
How do you treat house soiling if it’s a behavioral issue?
- Determine what is causing the marking
- Improve territorial security
- Clean urine marked areas
- Positive reinforcement
- Improve litter box mgmt
How many litter boxes should be in a household?
1 for every cat + 1 more
What drugs are used for pharmaceutical intervention?
Fluoxetine, Buspirone, or Alprazolam
Name some medical causes of house soiling
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, Neoplasia, Osteoarthritis, Incontinence, Kidney/Bladder disease, Hyperthyroidism, Diabetes, Cognitive Dysfunction
This is a non-specific term for several urinary tract conditions
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
This is a multifactorial condition with one or more FLUTD signs where a single underlying cause can not be determined
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis
What is the main cause of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?
Stress
How do you treat Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?
- Rule out/treat underlying disease
- Meet cat’s environmental needs
- Reduce stress!!
- Pharmaceutical therapy
- Improve litter box mgmt
Name some pharmaceutical options for FIC
Prazosin, Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine, etc
