Feline Urinary Crystal Types

Crystals in cat and dog urine are often one of several common types.

Feline urinary crystal types.

They can remain small in size or grow to be several millimeters in diameter and may rub against the bladder walls causing inflammation. Working with your veterinarian you can provide your cat with a high quality of life. Cats should naturally have a very low acidic urinary ph and a ph over seven an alkaline ph can encourage certain types of crystals to form. On the other hand urinary blockages need emergency attention and surgery.

Types of urinary crystals in the bladder may also need surgery. You can expect to pay 800 to 2 200. By analyzing the different types of crystals present your vet may be able to determine a treatment plan that s appropriate for your pet. Certain breeds like english bulldogs and dalmatians are predisposed to these crystals.

Well the treatment will depend on which type of crystal is involved as the options are really quite different for each crystal type. Certain diets can cause urinary ph to rise and can be the cause of crystals forming. The most common urinary crystal struvites look like rectangular glass prisms under the microscope. Most commonly found in dog urine an abundance of these crystals may signal liver disease according to vet times.

Struvite crystals are microscopic crystals that are found in the urine of some cats. Bladder crystals form from minerals in your cat s diet and can grow big enough to develop stones. Diagnosis and treatment are straight forward. However some crystals can be pathologically relevant in certain circumstances see example of ammonium biurate below.

A number of in vivo and in vitro factors influence the types and numbers of urinary crystals in a given sample as indicated in the table below. Note that crystals may not form in all urine supersaturated with these compounds. If your cat has been displaying symptoms of urinary tract disease and has been diagnosed with crystals you are likely very keen to know what treatment options are available. Crystalluria is a medical condition where crystals are expelled into the urine.

It s important to understand the signs that your cat may have urinary crystals to prevent unnecessary suffering. The detection of urinary crystals is not synonymous with kidney stones or the clinical signs associated with them nor is detection of urine crystals irrefutable evidence of a stone forming tendency but there is some association with an increased risk for kidney stones in animals that are. Bladder stones are rock like deposits of minerals crystals and organic material that are found in a cat s bladder. Bacterial infections in the urinary tract can accumulate enough to cause struvite crystals.

The crystals themselves can be perfectly normal but become problematic when they combine to form grit or stones of varying shapes and sizes.