What to Do If Your Cat Is Peeing Blood & How Fast to Act

September 24th, 2019 by Cherished Companions

What to Do If Your Cat Is Peeing Blood

It can make your heart race a little faster when you discover your cat is peeing blood. (We totally get it!)

In our last article, we shared four possible reasons for blood in your cat’s urine:

• Stress
• A bladder infection / urinary tract infection
• Crystals or bladder stones
• A mass in your cat’s bladder

All of these issues have similar symptoms (in addition to blood)

You may begin to notice your cat is:

• Peeing more often, but in small amounts
• Peeing around the house
• Trying to pee, but struggling to do so

Always do what’s best for your cat

If your cat is straining to pee but is unable to produce any urine, seek immediate veterinary help.

For the other scenarios, take action quickly. Reach out to your veterinarian as soon as you can.

These issues can become serious and costly before you know it.

Unfortunately, these issues won’t go away on their own

In most cases, they’ll get worse if they’re left untreated.

Bladder infections, for example, can progress into kidney infections. This means your cat’s kidney function will decrease.

Sometimes, this is reversible. Other times, it can be permanent.

It all depends on the length of time you’ve waited to seek help.

When cats are peeing blood, they tend to start peeing outside the litter box

You may start discovering blood spots on your rugs, furniture or a pile of clothes.

We know of a cat that had a bladder infection for a few days. It jumped up and peed in the sink while the family was doing dishes!

If you cat is peeing blood and you’re finding spots around the house, it’s time to get your cat checked.

Treatment depends on the diagnosis

Cat veterinarians, like ours, will help you figure out how to help your cat and prevent more serious issues.

Treatment depends on what’s going on and whether this is a first-time or ongoing issue.

Depending on the issue, your cat may need some combination of:

• Antibiotics (usually available as an injection, tablet or liquid, so you can choose what works best for your cat)
• Lots of fresh water
• Pain relievers
• A special calming diet and/or
• Dietary supplements

In our veterinary clinic, we usually start with a smaller-scale treatment.

We’ll add to it if your cat is having recurring issues.

Your cat should get back to normal in a couple of days

Your cat should go back to using the litter box pretty consistently within a couple of days.

The blood should go away in that time frame too.

Occasionally, your cat will get gastrointestinal upset from the oral medications.

If you see anything like that, be sure to reach out to your veterinarian.

Related articles:

• Blood in your cat’s urine: Four possible causes
• “Help! My cat keeps peeing outside the litter box!”
• Cat renal disease: Symptoms and how to slow the disease

Cherished Companions Animal Clinic is a veterinary clinic in Castle Rock, Colorado. Specializing in the care of cats and dogs, our goal is to help you and your pet feel more comfortable, keeping your stress to a minimum.

This article is intended to provide general guidance on what to do if your cat is peeing blood. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact your local veterinarian. (If you live in or around Castle Rock, we welcome your call.)

© 2019, Cherished Companions Animal Clinic, All Rights Reserved