Is your Pet Experiencing Changes in Urination?

Symptom Definition

Urination is the process of removing urine from the body. Urine is a fluid that is excreted by the kidneys through the ureters, bladder, and eventually the urethra. Urination removes excess waste products from the body. On average, healthy adult dogs urinate 3-5 times a day and healthy adult cats urinate 2-4 times a day. Normal urine can vary in color from pale yellow to dark yellow.

Causes of Changes in Urination in Pets May Include:

Dehydration
Urinary tract infections
Urinary stones (can be found in the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra)
Health conditions including diabetes (and other hormonal diseases), kidney disease, and some cancers
For cats only: Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (see additional information below)

When to Act

Contact Emergency Care if:

If your pet has not produced any urine in 12 hours they need to be evaluated by a veterinarian immediately.

Straining to urinate, with or without production of urine
Vocalizing or seeming painful while urinating
Pus coming from vulva or noted in the urine

What to Do

Call your family veterinarian or Urgent Care within 24 hours if:

Blood in the urine
Discoloration to the urine (red, highlighter orange, brown)
Frequent urination (multiple trips to the litterbox or asking to go outside more often than usual)
Drinking excessive amounts of water causing increased urination
Urinary accidents in the house or outside of the litterbox

For Cat Pet Parents:

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) is inflammation of the bladder with an unknown underlying cause. We suspect that the majority of FIC cats develop inflammation secondary to stress or crystals in their urine. Male cats are affected more often than female cats, and male cats are at risk of developing urethral obstructions where they cannot pass any urine at all. Clinical signs can include inappropriate urination outside of the litterbox, straining to urinate, blood in the urine, frequent trips to the litterbox, vocalizing while urinating, licking at the penis or vulva, and being unable to pass any urine at all. FIC is typically a sterile process, meaning these cats do not have urinary tract infections. If your cat is unable to urinate they may have an urethral obstruction. This can be life-threatening and is an immediate medical emergency. Please have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian immediately if they are unable to pass any urine.

For additional information regarding FIC please schedule an appointment with your family veterinarian. You can also reference Ohio State University’s Indoor Pet Initiative at this website: https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats

Home Care & Advice

The vast majority of urinary emergencies carry a good prognosis but they do require treatment in a timely fashion. If you have concerns regarding your pet’s urination follow-up with your family veterinarian or with us at VRCCO right away.

We recommend all pets have access to clean, fresh water at all times. If dogs are kept both indoors and outdoors, please make sure they have access to water bowls in both locations. Offering cats wet food can help increase their hydration levels. Some cats prefer to drink from running water sources, and there are great pet water fountains available online and at our local pet stores.

Dogs should be let outside to use the bathroom between 2-5 times a day. Indoor cats should have access to at least one litterbox at all times. We recommend having one litter box per cat, plus one additional litterbox. For example, if you have 2 cats we recommend that you have 3 litterboxes. If you have 3 cats, we recommend that you have 4 litterboxes, etc. All litterboxes should be cleaned at least once daily and ideally kept in separate locations within a room or home. This will allow your cats to have clean litter, and will allow you to closely monitor their urination.