Preventing Urinary Calculi in Ragdoll Cats

To prevent urinary calculi in Ragdoll cats, it is important to avoid excessive intake of foods containing minerals such as magnesium and calcium, and especially not to blindly supplement with calcium. This is because calculi are mainly formed by the accumulation of crystals in the urine. Common urine crystals include magnesium ammonium phosphate and calcium oxalate. It is also essential to encourage your Ragdoll cat to drink more water, and you can feed them canned food or wet food, which usually contains around 70% water.

Symptoms of Urinary Calculi

If a cat has urinary calculi in the bladder or ureter, they may exhibit frequent urination, blood in the urine, and even urinary tract obstruction and a palpably distended bladder. Due to difficulty in urination, the cat may spend more time in the litter box, produce small or no urine, and show signs of pain, such as loud screams.

Diagnosis of Urinary Calculi

Urinary calculi in cats can usually be detected through three methods. The first is routine urine testing to check for the presence of crystals. The second is ultrasound examination to detect calcium stones with strong echoes in the bladder or kidneys. The third is X-ray or urine contrast radiography to identify stones in the kidneys or bladder.

Treatment of Urinary Calculi

For non-complete obstruction, it is crucial to encourage the cat to drink more water. When feeding canned food, you can add purified water to make a soup, which helps increase water intake and alleviate urinary calculi symptoms. In terms of medication, you can choose traditional Chinese medicines such as Urinary Comfort powder, Sanjin tablets, Centipeda scabra, Shilintong, and Kidney Stone Tea, adjusting the dosage based on pediatric guidelines. For complete obstruction, do not flush the water before unblocking, as it may burst the bladder. If the cat frequently squats in the litter box without urinating, immediately take them to the vet for urinary catheterization. Do not delay.