Cat Q&A

Posts Tagged ‘herbal pet remedies’

If you’ve ever had any experience with a cat bladder stone, you want to know why this happened to your cat and how to prevent it from happening in the future.  Read on to learn what causes bladder stones in cats, and how to prevent them. 

How Do Cat Bladder Stones Form?

Researchers have several theories on this.  The most commonly accepted one is that they form due to high mineral levels in your cat’s urine.  This can be due to a bladder infection or from his diet.  When the mineral levels get too high, crystals form.  These crystals grow and form stones in your cat’s bladder.  These stones can be very small, about the size of a grain of sand, or they can grow to the size of a small pebble.

Passing urine can be very difficult for your cat if one of his ureters (the tube that runs between his kidney and his bladder) or his urethra is blocked by a stone.

Tips For Preventing Bladder Stones In Cats

The most important thing you can do is to start feeding your cat a high quality canned food.  Cats who eat dry food exclusively are more prone to developing bladder stones because they are usually chronically dehydrated.  Cats have evolved to get most of their water from their prey.  A mouse is over 90% water, so a cat in its natural environment doesn’t need to drink as much water.

Most canned foods have a moisture level of about 78%.  You can see that feeding your cat canned food will help prevent him from becoming dehydrated.  Dehydration puts your kitty as risk for cat bladder stones, as his urine is more concentrated.

You need to provide plenty of fresh, clean water for your kitty.  It’s best to give him filtered water to be sure it’s pure.  A cat that drinks plenty of water will have dilute urine, which is helpful in preventing bladder stones.

Some cat owners give their cats a supplement containing cranberry.  Cranberry is an old remedy known to prevent the formation of bladder stones by making the urine more acidic.  It also helps to prevent cat bladder infections, too.

Herbal Pet Remedies Can Help Prevent Cat Urinary Problems

People have been using herbal remedies like uva ursi and barberry to treat and prevent urinary problems for centuries.  Homeopathic remedies are  in great demand as well.

Now pet owners are questioning whether herbal pet remedies are effective for pets.  The answer is yes.  The advantages of these remedies is that not only are they safe and effective, but they’re inexpensive, and don’t have any side effects.

However, it’s extremely important to buy products that are formulated especially for animals.  You’ll want to purchase herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that stand behind their products.

Natural remedies for cat urinary problems can help treat and prevent the problem of cat bladder stones.  This is an easy way to keep your kitty healthy.

Do you have a cat with feline diabetes?  If you do, you need to know about feline hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.It may seem like a good thing for a feline diabetic to have low blood glucose levels.  However, if the cat’s blood sugar levels get too low, your feline companion could go into a coma and die.   

Why Does Hypoglycemia Become A Problem For Diabetic Cats?

There can be several reasons for low blood sugar levels in cats with feline diabetes:

• Sometimes a cat owner makes a mistake, and gives the cat too much insulin.
• Two people in the family each gave the cat insulin, so he received a double dose.By choosing one person to be responsible for giving insulin shots, this problem can be avoided.
• The kitty has had an unusually high activity level, which lowers blood sugar.
• The pet owner may have given the insulin injection before a meal, and the kitty either didn’t eat, or didn’t keep the meal down.
• The feline diabetic no longer needs insulin because of dietary changes, or a spontaneous remission.

Symptoms Of Feline Hypoglycemia

Strange behavior may be noticed, because the brain is the first organ to be affected by low blood sugar.  This is because the brain doesn’t store glucose to use later, like other organs in the body. 

If a cat with diabetes shows these symptoms, he may have dangerously low blood sugar levels:

• Shaking or shivering
• Becoming uncoordinated, and staggering around
• Acting like he’s blind
• Weakness and lethargy
• Restlessness
• Either very hungry, or not interested in eating
• Tilts his head
• Acts disoriented; he may walk in circles, yowl, or hide
• Glassy eyes
• Drooling
• Seizures
• Coma

What To Do For A Feline Diabetic With Hypoglycemia

Keep honey or corn syrup on hand, along with empty syringes (without needles), if you have a feline diabetic.If the kitty starts showing signs of hypoglycemia, use the syringe to squirt a little corn syrup or honey into his mouth.  If the cat is unconscious, rub a little honey or syrup on his gums.  If doing this, take care to avoid being bitten, especially if the kitty is having seizures.

Wrap the kitty in a blanket, and take him to the vet right away, as this is an emergency.

Regulate Glucose Levels Naturally With Natural Remedies For Cats

Research has shown that natural remedies for cats are safe and effective for cats with diabetes.  Herbal pet remedies that contain goat’s rue, fenugreek, and astragalus, along with the mineral chromium, can help to normalize glucose levels in diabetic cats.Find an established company with a good track record for formulating high-quality natural pet remedies.

Many vets are quite open to using natural remedies for cats.Before changing your diabetic cat’s medications or diet, check with your kitty’s vet.  By using these natural remedies, you may be able to reduce or eliminate insulin injections for cats with diabetes.

Has this ever happened to you?  You find your cat in his litter box, straining to urinate, crying out in pain.  He can’t seem to pass any urine.  According to your vet, your cat’s urinary problem is a result of cat bladder stones.

Bladder Stones In Cats

A bladder stone, or urolith, is made up from minerals present in your cat’s urine.  These minerals sometimes form crystals that stick together to form a stone in your cat’s bladder.  Bladder stones can vary in size, from grains of sand to small pebbles.

Your feline friend may have only one stone, or he could have several dozen.

Why do the minerals form crystals?  There are several theories.  Your cat’s urine may be high in minerals due to his diet, or it may be because he has an infection in his bladder.

Cat bladder stones usually take several months to form, but they can grow in just a couple of weeks.

Symptoms Of Cat Urinary Problems

If your cat suddenly starts urinating in places other than his litter box, this can indicate that he’s having a urinary problem.Another sign of trouble is when your cat is licking his bottom more than he usually does.

Blood in the urine is another symptom to watch for.  It can sometimes be hard to see this in cats as they usually go in the litter box.  But if he’s urinating outside his box, you may see it.

If your cat is straining to urinate, or can’t pass any urine, this indicates a blockage.  A urinary blockage is a veterinary emergency, and you need to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible.

Treatment For Cat Bladder Stones

Tests required to make a diagnosis of bladder stones include an ultrasound or x-rays.  Once they are diagnosed, you vet will probably outline two treatment options.

An operation to remove the stones is one treatment option.  The fastest way to get rid of a blockage is to do an operation.

The second is to try to dissolve the stones with a special diet.  This treatment is a good one for many cats.  However, it may not work well for all felines.  The major reason is that it’s a slower treatment.  It can take several weeks or months for the stones to dissolve.  During this time your cat will still be passing bloody urine, and may still be straining to urinate.

Diet therapy doesn’t work with all stones.  It’s helpful if the cat passes a stone so that you vet can analyze it to see what it’s made of.  Some types of stones can’t be dissolved.

Some cats won’t eat the special diet food.  Unfortunately, if your kitty won’t eat it, it won’t do him any good.

Are Herbal Pet Remedies The Answer To Cat Bladder Stones?

Many cat owners are turning to herbal pet remedies to help solve cat urinary problems.  These herbal and homeopathic remedies have been used by people across the world for centuries.Natural remedies help to correct the underlying problem instead of just treating the symptoms.

It’s very important to buy these herbal pet remedies only from reputable companies that specialize in producing them.  Do your homework and be sure that the company stands behind its products.  You want to be sure that you find remedies especially formulated for pets.

These natural remedies are inexpensive and readily available.  You don’t have to worry about side effects when using these time-honored remedies.

Now that you have this information, you can take action to prevent cat urinary problems.

Ever wondered if there’s something you can do at home to prevent or treat cat urinary problems?  Here’s a list of five natural remedies for cat bladder infection, along with how to choose the best natural remedies for pets.

Feed Your Cat A High-Quality Canned Food

But, you say, this isn’t a natural remedy.  Actually it is.  Feeding your cat the best diet possible is the easiest natural way to keep him healthy and prevent future problems due to poor nutrition. 

Did you know that cats that eat only dry food are chronically dehydrated?  Dry food has an extremely low moisture level, compared to canned food.  Cats are meant to get most of their water from their food, so many of them don’t drink enough water, which can lead to cat urinary problems.

Fresh, Clean, Water Is A Must

Lots of clean, fresh water is another natural remedy that promotes bladder health in your cat.  Your tap water may taste funny to your cat, so give him filtered water to make it more appealing to him.  If your cat still won’t drink enough, you can add a little extra water to his canned food to increase his moisture intake.

Recommended Supplements

A daily dose of between 250 and 500 milligrams of vitamin C can help to get rid of a feline bladder infection.  Vitamin C is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to relieve the pain of a cat bladder infection.Not only does it soothe an inflamed, irritated bladder, but it encourages healing, too.

Vitamin C can cause diarrhea if the dosage is too high, so start on the low side and work up to determine the best size dose for your kitty.

Cranberry is an old natural remedy that prevents bacteria from sticking to the bladder walls.  Avoid the super-sweet cranberry juice at the grocery store, and give your cat cranberry capsules instead.

Herbal Pet Remedies

Many of these same herbs that people have been using for centuries can be used on pets, too.  The best-known herbal pet remedies for feline urinary tract infections are uva ursi and Oregon grape holly.

Uva ursi has been used for centuries to support bladder health. It’s also a diuretic that kills bacteria in the bladder. 

Oregon grape holly contains berberine, a natural antibiotic that’s effective against strep and staph bacteria.  It also relieves inflammation in the bladder.

Homeopathic Remedies For Cat Bladder Infection

Cantharis is a homeopathic remedy that is very effective for relieving pain.  It’s also useful when your cat is straining to empty his bladder, since it gets rid of the feeling that the bladder is still full, even after it’s just been emptied.

Staphysagria also relieves pain and promotes healing of inflamed tissues.

How To Choose The Best Natural Remedies For Pets

You may be wondering how it’s possible to give your kitty four different herbs and homeopathic remedies.  Wonder no more.  There is a product available now that combines all four of these traditional remedies.  It’s safe and effective, as well as being easy to use. 

You’ll be relieved to know that you can give this remedy right along with any antibiotic treatment your cat is on.  This herbal remedy for pets doesn’t interfere with the antibiotics in any way.  And you can continue giving your cat this remedy to support bladder health long after the antibiotic is finished.

Now that you’re armed with this information, you can prevent cat urinary problems from sneaking up on your feline friend.