What do these five letters stand for? This abbreviation comes from English and literally means "feline lower urinary tract disease." It describes all diseases of the urinary tract in cats that cause difficulty and pain when urinating. As a rule, almost exclusively indoor cats are affected; outdoor cats almost never develop this condition. Male cats are also more susceptible than female cats.
The exact causes of FLUTD are still unknown. The following conditions can trigger FLUTD as secondary causes:
However, it is known that the disease can be promoted by a variety of risk factors. These include obesity (especially in neutered cats), stress, lack of exercise, insufficient water intake, and multiple cats in the household.
Affected animals are usually taken to the vet due to frequent and painful urination. Despite repeated attempts, they often only pass urine in small amounts, which may also contain blood. Some animals appear tense and cry out in pain when trying to urinate. If the ureters are completely blocked, this can lead to dangerous urine retention in the bladder. Toxins can no longer be excreted as usual, leading to electrolyte imbalances in the blood, which severely impair heart function in particular. The animals become increasingly lethargic and suffer from vomiting and diarrhea.
This condition is always a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate treatment. If the cat is not helped immediately, the urine can back up into the kidneys, leading to kidney failure and ultimately cardiac arrest and death.
At the vet's office or clinic, the veterinarian will perform a thorough clinical examination of your cat to obtain initial indications of FLUTD. The most important follow-up test is a laboratory analysis of the urine. The urine can reveal clues about the cause of the urinary obstruction. The type and size of any urine crystals, bacteria, blood, and inflammatory cells can be detected microscopically and through laboratory diagnostics. The pH value (acidity) of the urine also provides valuable information about the condition.
Ultrasound or X-ray examinations can be used to further confirm and differentiate the diagnosis. A thickened bladder wall, urinary stones, or other changes can be detected in this way. In unclear cases, an endoscopic examination of the urethra and bladder may also be necessary. The veterinarian will decide which examinations are necessary in each individual case based on the preliminary report and laboratory results.
Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the condition. In milder cases without urinary retention, fluid therapy and the administration of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs may be sufficient to normalize blood values. Animals with partial or complete obstruction of the urethra are placed under anesthesia and the veterinarian will attempt to remove crystals, stones, or cell plugs using a catheter. If this is unsuccessful, surgery is the only option to relieve the urinary retention.
If the causes of FLUTD cannot be determined, the veterinarian will work with you, the owner, to find out to what extent your cat is exposed to particular stress that could have triggered the condition. This can range from the home environment, feeding and watering areas, and litter box to certain family changes or the group composition of several cats. To reduce stress in general, various nebulizers or sprays are available on the market that contain active ingredients modeled on the body's own calming messenger substances.
The prospects for a cure are rather cautious. Although the therapy is effective in most cases, relapses are very common in patients who have had the disease once. FLUTD should always be considered a chronic disease that requires ongoing treatment. If left untreated, the disease may not necessarily lead to death after the first episode, but it can do so in the long term.
Since the recurrence rate in cats that have had FLUTD once is very high, management by the owner is extremely important. To protect your cat from further blockages of the urethra, the most important preventive measure is to increase the amount of drinking water. By providing several drinking options, moistening the food or broth, and cat milk, you can encourage your cat to drink more. Only give your cat the special food prescribed by your vet, which can prevent further urinary stones from forming thanks to its specially balanced mineral content. The composition of the food may vary depending on the type of urinary stones found. Due to its higher moisture content, wet food is generally recommended.
Furthermore, it is important to ensure that indoor cats get sufficient exercise and have clean litter trays. Overweight must be avoided at all costs. You can use the petsXL health passport to clearly store and monitor your cat's weight data.
If your pet has already suffered from FLUTD, take it to the vet at regular intervals and have its blood and urine values checked.
Vaccinations for horses serve as preventive healthcare and protect against possible diseases and their spread. Depending on what you want to do with your horse, different vaccinations are recommended and even mandatory for competition horses. All vaccinations are correctly documented by your veterinarian in the equine passport.
As a general rule, every dog needs a certain amount of grooming, some more than others. For some dogs, it is even worth taking them to a professional groomer. As a dog owner, you can also do some grooming yourself at home.
Taking in a foal and choosing the long road to happiness on horseback is a real adventure! It is an opportunity to form a bond that can mature over many years and to watch a foal grow into a horse. But it also requires commitment on your part.
Doesn't every rider dream of an unforgettable ride on their four-legged favorite? Whether over hill and dale, along the coast, or simply from place to place. The feeling of sitting relaxed on your horse with the wind in your hair is amazing. Exploring nature together, perhaps racing neck and neck in a riding group or bravely riding into a lake to swim – you probably have all these images and stories of wonderful riding trips with happy horse-rider pairs in your head right now. We all know that it's not always sunshine and roses on four hooves and that some riders work up quite a sweat when riding through unfamiliar terrain. But with a little preparation and a few precautions, you can create the right conditions for returning from your ride full of enthusiasm and wonderful memories.
Almost all of us are familiar with asthma in humans. But chronic respiratory diseases are also becoming increasingly common among our horses. Over the past few years, various terms have been established to describe a similar complex of diseases. In English-speaking countries, the umbrella term "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" (COPD) was used for a long time, as it was assumed that the changes affected not only the bronchi but the entire lungs. In German, the term "chronische obstruktive Bronchitis" (COB) was mostly used. Although these terms are still often used today, in veterinary medicine for horses, a distinction is now only made between "RAO: Recurrent Airway Obstruction" and "IAO: Inflammatory Airway Disease." The central component of all terms is always the obstruction or narrowing of the small bronchi, which leads to breathing difficulties and coughing. The precursor to these chronic diseases is usually acute bronchitis.
This rapidly progressing muscle disease, also known as grass disease, has only been known since the beginning of the last century and is feared by horse owners because most of the horses affected die from it and the causes were unclear for a long time. It primarily affects young, well-fed horses that graze on rather unkempt, nutrient-poor pastures.
The dog, which is descended from the wolf, has teeth that are designed for hunting, killing, and tearing food apart. However, the search for food has changed for our four-legged friends: today, we open a can or even cook for our beloved furry friends. Breeding different breeds has also changed the length of dogs' noses and the spacing between their teeth. Unfortunately, all of this can lead to dental problems.
A dull coat, hairless, inflamed areas of skin and often very severe itching are characteristic of this parasitic skin disease, which occurs worldwide and can affect dogs of all ages. It is triggered by a mite, Demodex, which is also found on healthy dogs. Why it multiplies at an above-average rate in certain cases and leads to the skin changes mentioned above is still not fully understood. The disease is not considered contagious.
The decision to neuter is difficult for many dog owners. On the one hand, you want to see a change in behavior, but on the other hand, you are concerned about irreversible consequences. With a Suprelorin implant, you can test how neutering affects your dog's behavior and health without taking the final step right away. The implant can also be used for ferrets.
The cuddly soft chinchillas are nimble climbers and jumpers. They are great fun to watch. And with a little patience, they will even become tame!
It's really special when your own dog has puppies – and for us as dog owners, it's probably just as exciting as it is for the animal itself. It's important that you, as the companion of the expectant dog mom, always remain calm – and have the emergency number of your vet handy.
There are many reasons why a mare that has previously been a riding horse might be turned into a broodmare. There are a few factors to consider on the way to your first foal.
