His pain was excruciating. No matter how hard he strained, Phil could not empty his bladder. The little cat’s waste was quickly backing up into his bladder, causing him to suffer. When a pet can’t urinate, serious and even life-threatening complications develop very quickly. Would intervention be in time?

Urine is the liquid waste the body discharges as part of its natural cleansing process.  The kidneys filter blood to separate waste from what the body needs to keep.  The waste, called urine, makes its way to the bladder, where it accumulates until urination.

Urine is largely composed of excess water, and the rest is from harmful or excessive substances the body needs to eliminate.  If a body can’t dispose of urine, mucus, sediment or crystals can build up.  They can clump together and plug the urethra – the channel urine follows to exit the body.  “A urinary blockage is a pet emergency,” said Dr. Michelle McDonough.  “A buildup can devastate a cat’s health and even lead to death.”

Urinary blockages are far more common in male cats than females; in fact, the condition is rarely found in females. “Because a male’s urethra is longer and narrower than a female’s, it is easier for the mucus and crystals to build up until they create an obstacle in the urinary tract,” explained McDonough. “When that occurs, the cat will struggle to urinate, may cry or howl, lick his genitals or the area below the base of the tail, or hide.”

Phil’s owner quickly ushered him to the clinic, knowing something was terribly wrong and the beloved cat needed quick response. When McDonough examined him, one of the first things she did was palpate Phil’s abdomen. “In a healthy animal, I should feel a softness in the bladder like a partly filled water balloon. Phil’s belly told me a different story. I could feel his bladder was distended, and it had the consistency of a firm peach.”Phil’s owner quickly ushered him to the clinic, knowing something was terribly wrong and the beloved cat needed quick response. When McDonough examined him, one of the first things she did was palpate Phil’s abdomen. “In a healthy animal, I should feel a softness in the bladder like a partly filled water balloon. Phil’s belly told me a different story. I could feel his bladder was distended, and it had the consistency of a firm peach.”

That led to the next steps of assessing his blood and urine, which revealed elevated kidney values and high potassium.  “We sedated Phil so I could pass a catheter to open the blocked area, but that was for immediate intervention and was just the start of his treatment.  We had to hospitalize him, so he could have an indwelling urinary catheter and receive intravenous fluids.”

Once Phil was home, though, he still couldn’t urinate on his own, so he returned to the clinic.  “Some blockages clear more easily than others,” said McDonough.  “Phil’s case was one of the difficult ones, so he needed surgery.  I performed a perineal urethrostomy to create a new, wider opening for the urethra.  The procedure was successful, but his family will always need to keep an eye on him for any urinary-related symptoms.”

Ultimately, McDonough said, the most important thing for pet parents of male cats to remember is they need to pay attention to how their cats eliminate.  At the very first sign of trouble in the litter box, the cats need immediate intervention.  “Hours matter,” she cautioned.

Quick action from his owners saved the cat’s life.  Phil, not particularly thrilled about his medical ordeal but now fully recovered, is back to being his royal self and has resumed leadership duties over his household staff.

For more information or to make an appointment at Greendale Village Vet, call 414-421-1800 or visit greendalevillagevet.com.