If your cat starts to whine and cry when he goes to the restroom and notice that his urine seems much darker than usual, there is a chance that he may have a urinary tract infection. A urinary tract infection is often caused by stress or the formation of stones. Use the guide below to learn what to do if you think your favorite feline has developed a urinary tract infection.
Give Your Cat Plenty of Water
When your cat has a urinary tract infection, you will want to help him flush out the infection as much as possible. Drinking water will help him have to use the litter box more often, which will help start the flushing out process. When your cat goes to use the litter box, he will more than likely stay in the box longer than normal because he will be straining to urinate. The infection can make it very painful to urinate.
Keep Your Cat Calm and Cool
When your cat has an infection, just like in humans, it can cause his body temperature to rise slightly. This could make your cat even more uncomfortable. If your cat is a cat that travels indoors and outdoors, it is best to keep in inside of the house until the infection clears to ensure that you can regulate how much water he drinks, as well as how cool he stays. You could point a fan on him or let him sleep near an air conditioning vent to keep him as cool as possible during the hot summer months.
Visit Your Cat's Veterinarian
You need to take your cat to a veterinarian right away to be evaluated. The vet will be able to run tests to make sure that your cat does in fact have a urinary tract infection. If your cat has the infection, the doctor may want to run additional tests to make sure that there is nothing more serious causing the infection to occur. The vet will prescribe antibiotics for your cat to take to help clear up the infection as quickly as possible.
Be sure to administer the medication according to the directions on the packaging. An improperly treated urinary tract infection could cause more serious issues for your cat later on down the road, including kidney failure. If the infection has not cleared up once the medication is gone, take the cat back to the vet to have more intensive treatment done to get rid of the infection. Contact a veterinary services clinic to learn more.
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