Animal Emergency Service - Feline Conditions

Urinary obstruction

Urinary obstruction is probably the single most frequent condition that we treat in cats on the emergency service.

This most commonly occurs in male cats. Cats with urinary obstructions commonly present with a history of lethargy over the last 1-3 days, vomiting and not eating. The classic signs of urinary obstructions include: frequent trips to the litter box without producing any urine, and often a loud vocalization or “yowling” when attempting to urinate. Some cats will try to urinate on cold, hard surfaces such as a bathtub and may produce small drops of bloody urine. This is a life-threatening condition and pet owners who notice these symptoms in their cats should contact their regular veterinarian immediately, or call Animal Emergency Service if the regular veterinarian is unavailable.

Cats brought into Animal Emergency Service with these symptoms are first evaluated by a triage nurse to determine if they are stable or unstable. If your cat is determined to be unstable, we may ask to take him to the treatment area for immediate treatment. We will usually place an intravenous (IV) catheter, give pain medication and IV fluids. Blood samples will be taken for analysis. After the patient is stabilized, we will sedate or anesthetize him to relieve the obstruction and place a urinary catheter. After the procedure we will often take a radiograph (x-ray) to look for calculi (stones) in the bladder. Your cat will remain in the hospital on IV fluids and pain medication until he is feeling better. We will usually remove the urinary catheter about 12 to 24 hours before we send him home, to make sure he is urinating normally.

There are many suspected causes for urinary obstruction in male cats and prevention is often difficult. Some veterinary experts recommend a canned food diet to increase water intake. If the cause is determined to be bladder calculi, your veterinarian may recommend a dietary change to help prevent formation and possibly dissolve these calculi. Cats that have had urinary obstruction are at greater risk for re-obstructing and should be observed closely for the listed symptoms. 

Vomiting/Anorexia

Vomiting/Anorexia (not eating) is another common set of problems in cats that present to Animal Emergency Service. These are non-specific signs that can be caused by many conditions, but we will often use the same diagnostic tools to help determine the cause. Causes for vomiting and anorexia can include foreign body obstruction, diseases of the liver, pancreas, stomach and small intestine. Causes outside the digestive system, such as urinary obstruction and heart disease, can also cause vomiting and anorexia, but will often have additional signs associated with those systems.

The emergency veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam and may recommend lab work, radiographs or other diagnostic imaging such as ultrasound to help determine the cause of the problem. Depending on the cause, we may need to hospitalize your cat to administer IV fluids, antibiotics or other medications. If your cat has a foreign body obstruction, we may have to perform emergency surgery on your pet to remove it.

Prevention of vomiting and anorexia is difficult as it can be caused by many problems. Feeding a high quality diet, avoidance of table scraps and keeping foreign objects such as string, thread or small toys out of reach are probably the simplest things to do at home. Frequent (twice a year) well visits to your regular veterinarian may help diagnose underlying conditions in their early stages before they become a problem.

Heart and Respiratory Disease

Heart and respiratory disease often present with similar clinical signs, most common of which is difficulty breathing. Cats with severe, life-threatening conditions may have respiratory distress and open-mouth breathing or panting.

The most common respiratory conditions include upper respiratory infections in kittens and asthma in young adult cats. Cats with upper respiratory infections frequently are young cats that have been purchased or adopted recently from a pet store or shelter. Many of these cats have runny eyes and noses and sneezing and sometimes coughing. They may have a fever and a decreased or absent appetite. The most likely cause for these symptoms is viral, so antibiotics will be of little value, but some patients have secondary bacterial infections and may require antibiotics. The emergency veterinarian may recommend medications to help with fever and congestion and may give subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids to help with dehydration. In rare instances cats with upper respiratory infections may require hospitalization, but most can be treated as outpatients.

Cats with asthma are usually young adults that have suddenly experienced difficulty breathing. Asthma is more common in Siamese and Persian cats than in other breeds. The condition is similar to asthma in people and is considered to be an allergic reaction. These pets could be allergic to cigarette smoke, house dust, mite allergens, molds, plants or food, among other things. Cats with this condition will often make a wheezing sound when they breath and have difficulty breathing out due to the lower airway obstruction present.

After a physical exam, the emergency veterinarian may recommend radiographs to look at the lungs and may give bronchodilators and steroids to help relieve the airway constriction. We will often keep asthmatic cats in oxygen cages until their breathing is more normal. Once your pet is more stable we may recommend blood work or other diagnostics to help determine the cause. Long term management usually involves either oral or inhaled steroids and bronchodilators (agents that dilate/enlarge the airway to allow better airflow). Pleural effusion is the buildup of fluid in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. Cats with this condition will often have a gradual onset of symptoms including increased effort and rate of breathing, decreased appetite and lethargy. As the fluid builds up, their breathing will become more labored and they will become more depressed.

Pleural effusion can have many causes including heart failure, cancer, infection, chylous (pertaining to effusion that has a high concentration of fatty acids and triglycerides), or it may be idiopathic (unknown origin). Immediate, life saving treatment involves removing the fluid with a needle and syringe (thoracocentesis). Oxygen may be administered until the cat is able to breath more normally. Analysis of the fluid and other diagnostics such as blood work, radiographs and echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart) may help determine the cause and the treatment of the underlying condition.

Cats with heart disease will often have similar signs as cats with respiratory disease, including labored, rapid breathing, lethargy and loss of appetite. The most common heart condition we see at Animal Emergency Service is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is a thickening of the heart muscle that leads to eventual heart failure and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs). It is this buildup of fluid in the lungs that causes the clinical signs. Cats with this condition will often have a heart murmur (abnormal heart sounds) and an abnormal rhythm called a “gallop”. If the emergency veterinarian suspects that your cat has pulmonary edema he/she will often administer a diuretic to help your pet urinate out the excess fluid and place him/her in an oxygen cage. When the cat becomes more stable, we may recommend diagnostic procedures such as radiographs or echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart) to help determine the underlying cause. Long term management will usually include diuretics (drugs that increase urine output) and vasodilators (drugs that open vessels by relaxing their muscular walls) to help prevent fluid buildup in the lungs from recurring.

Cats with HCM can often present with another condition called arterial thromboembolism, which is a blood clot that usually occurs at end of the aorta where it splits to go to the hind legs. Cats with this condition often have sudden onset paralysis of their hind limbs, severe pain, as well as respiratory distress. This condition can be very difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis as the blood supply to the hind legs is blocked, and can take a long time to resolve. Treatment involves pain control, prevention or treatment of heart failure that often accompanies it and medications to help prevent further clot formation. Treatments given to dissolve the clot are generally not successful and can have a high complication rate.

Unfortunately it is difficult to prevent many of these diseases. Upper respiratory infections (URIs) can be avoided by not adopting pets that are clinically ill or have been housed with other animals showing evidence of illness. Additionally, keeping vaccinations up to date will help avoid respiratory disease. Most URI’s are not life threatening and will usually resolve on their own. For asthmatic cats, reduction in household allergens such as cigarette smoke and dust mites may help, in addition to administering medication.

Abscesses

Abscesses occur most frequently in outdoor cats, but can occur in multi-cat households as well. The most common locations for abscesses to occur are the face and rump area, near the base of the tail. They are almost always the result of a bite from another cat, but can be caused by foreign material embedded in the skin such as a thorn or an infected tooth root. Owners will often notice a swelling on the face or rump that is usually painful and may be warm to the touch. Sometimes evidence of the abscess may not be apparent until it has already ruptured (burst) and the owner notices a bloody discharge. This is often perceived as a laceration, as there may be visible subcutaneous (under the skin) tissue. Cats with abscesses will often be lethargic or may have a fever and a decreased appetite.

Treatment for abscess can vary depending upon: the size and location of the infection; your cat’s age and health status; and whether or not the abscess is already open and draining. In simple cases, the wound can be clipped and cleaned after administration of an injectable analgesic (pain reliever) and the cat can be sent home on antibiotics and pain medication. In more complicated cases, the emergency veterinarian may recommend hospitalization, blood-work, IV fluids and anesthesia in order to surgically drain the abscess and possibly remove any dead tissue that may be present around the wound. Some cats with abscesses may have feline leukemia or immunodeficiency virus, so the emergency veterinarian may recommend testing for those diseases. Aftercare may involve the care of a drain or follow up visits to your regular veterinarian.

Prevention is usually simple: keep you cats indoors and separate cats that do not get along.

Trauma

Trauma is another common reason for pet owners to bring their animals to Animal Emergency Services. The most common trauma we see in cats is the pet being hit by a motor vehicle, but attacks by dogs, falls, being stepped on, and burns also occur. Most animals that suffer trauma are brought immediately to the treatment area, and with your permission, emergency treatments begin. This usually involves the placement of an IV catheter to administer pain medication and fluids. Sometimes oxygen will be administered as well. The emergency veterinarian may want to run some “quick assessment tests” or “QATS” and take some radiographs, depending upon the injury. Other emergency procedures may be necessary depending on your pet’s injury and condition. Once your pet is more stable, any wounds or broken bones will be evaluated and additional treatment will start. If there are any fractured bones in need of repair or other major surgery, your pet may need to be evaluated by one of our board certified surgeons for additional recommendations and treatment.

Prevention of the traumas mentioned above involves keeping cats indoors and “cat proofing” your home to prevent falls. Take care when introducing your cat to a new dog and keep watch of young kittens as they tend to get underfoot.

Animal Emergency Service, 825 White Spruce Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14623
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