Urinary Crystals
Cystitis is the common name derived from it, meaning inflammation and cysto meaning bladder.
Bladder problems have come to be known by a number of names – In cats it is referred to as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease or FLUTD for short or Feline Urological Syndrome or FUS for short. The problem is more often seen in cats than dogs.
Basically the bladder and/or urethra becomes inflamed or urinary mineral deposits form creating a blockage. The animal wishes and strains to urinate but only manages to pass a few drops. Extreme discomfort prevails with this problem and it is not difficult to recognize.
Many conventional vets will attempt to treat the problem with antibiotics but holistic vets maintain the problem is not caused by bacteria. It is argued by holistic vets that poor diet leading to toxicity to be the main cause of the problem. Essentially the minerals bind together to form the crystals. Specialist vet diets are contradictory in their approach - some add extra acid to their products to make the urine more acidic, while others make their products more alkaline. In short, both approaches tend to cover the problems rather than address the underlying cause.
When dealing with this problem in the acute stage it is recommended that the animal be put on a liquid fast of broth and that pure water be given rather than chlorinated or fluorinated water to limit mineral intake.
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