by Erin Kinter

Created on: July 15, 2008

Diamonds may indeed be a girls best friend but crystals have it out for the boys. At least the urea crystals do. Yes, your little furry boy may be at risk for these potentially deadly crystals. If you find him in the litterbox more often then usual and he's spending a great deal of time in there possibly even crying he may have a urinary blockage.
Depending on the severity of the blockage your veterinarian may treat him either with drugs or he may even directly drain the bladder with super fine syringe. Only your doctor can decide the best course of action. He most likely will have you change you cats diet to a prescription diet as well, at least for a time.

What causes these blockages? How can they be prevented? Good questions. As for what causes these blockages many factors may come into play. Sometimes it is genetic, if their father had a blockage issue they may have the same issues. The blockages also seem to be associated with changes in seasons, why this is no one can pin point. Diet is also a large factor. Many of the cheaper store brand cat foods are loaded with fillers that can promote the growth of these crytals in cats that are already prone. Choosing a diet recommened by you vet when you first purchase or adopt you cat may help. If money is tight and a more expensive food is out of the question you may want to try making you own! Your vet would be happy to supply you with some home made diet recipes. These homemade cat meals can be made fairly cheaply and can be frozen and thawed as needed so its not additional work for you every day.
Because your little boys ureter is narrow he is simply more likely to suffer this condition at some point in his life then a girl would be. Girls have a better set of equipment to flush out some of the smaller bits of crystal that could potentially grow to life threatening proportions in a boy. Prolonged blockage can cause kidney failure and death, literally poisoning your cats system with toxic waste.
Its a scary thought but a preventable death. Consult with you vet often about diet and any urinary issues you may see. An early intervention can spare you beloved kitty many overnight hospital stays and painful procedures. If you purchase your cat from a breeder don't be afraid to ask about history of urinary blockage in the bloodline, if you adpot from a shelter then early prevention and intervention may be the key to your cat long and happy life with you.

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