Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC)

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC)

By: PetPlace Veterinarians

Section: Information In-depth

Other medical problems can lead to symptoms similar to those encountered in FIC. These conditions should be excluded before establishing a diagnosis of FIC.

  • Bacterial urinary tract infection Acute (bacterial cystitis). Bacterial urinary tract infection is a very uncommon cause of lower urinary tract symptoms in young to middle-aged cats.

  • Bladder stones (bladder calculi or uroliths).

  • Congenital anatomic abnormality (urinary system defects present at birth) such as an outpouching of the bladder ("urachal diverticulum").

  • Constipation. It is very easy to confuse difficult urination and difficult defecation. Cats assume a more upright posture when defecating than they do when urinating and observing the cat's posture can help you decide whether the cat is attempting to defecate or urinate.

  • Urinary Bladder Cancer.
    Tumors of the bladder are very rare in cats.

  • Nervous system abnormalities that interfere with the normal control mechanisms of urination.

  • Inappropriate urinations due to a behavioral disorder. Cats are territorial animals. When they sense their "space" has been invaded, cats often will mark their territory by urinating outside of the litterPerfect Litter Alert
    Pet Ecology Perfect Litter™ outperforms all other litters in every way. Our Patented formula is ultra lightweight - up to 70% lighter than regul...     box. Sometimes it can be very difficult to differentiate inappropriate (behavior-mediated) urinations from urinating outside of the litter box as a manifestation of FIC.

     
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