FIC - A Very Serious and Common Disease in Cats

FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis) or FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease)

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It's an inflammation of bladder. Normally the lining of the bladder protects the underlying bladder tissues from the urine. In idiopathic cystitis in cats, it is thought that the inside of the bladder changes and becomes more porous and a protective lining of the bladder is lost or decreased. The bladder becomes thicker, cells associated with inflammation accumulate and pinpoint hemorrhages can occur. The bladder becomes painful.


Symptoms:

• Cats will strain to urinate and often only produce a few drops, sometimes with blood present

                            

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• Might spend a great deal of time licking his genitals

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• Suddenly stops using the litter box because he associates it with the painful urination or he won't make it to the litter box

Causes:

• Bladder Stones - This take the form of crystals of struvite or calcium oxalate.
• Infection - Bacterial, fungal or viral infection may be present along with uroliths, or may present as a singular cause.
• Urethral Obstruction - More common in male cats because their urethra is longer and narrower than that of females.

Root Cause:

Still unknown that is why it is called "Idiopathic". Many studies have concluded magnesium in the diet as primary caused of this.

PKD - Persians and Exotics' Killer Disease

Polycystic Kidney Disease

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The first case of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) was reported in 1967 but thorough investigation and studies regarding this disease started in 1990's. This disease is most common in Persians and Exotics. Almost 40% of these breeds are infected by this disease. Signs of cats infected by this usually shows between the age of 4 to 7 years old. Until now, no clear explanation yet as to what is the root cause of this. One of the major suspects is diet. Interestingly, dry food became popular in the market in 1960's. Exactly 7 years before the first case was reported.

Interesting Trivia: Cats Keep Their Problems to Themselves

Did you know that cats keep their health problems to themselves?

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An estimated 50% of today's cat owners never take their cats to a veterinarian for health care. Too bad, because cats tend to keep their problems to themselves, many owners think their cat is perfectly healthy when actually they may be suffering from a life-threatening disease. Therefore, cats, on an average, are much sicker than dogs by the time they are brought to your veterinarian for treatment.

Interesting Fact on How to Prevent Bacterial Infection

Did you know that raw food makes your cat's digestive system highly acidic?

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Naturally cat's digestive system is highly acidic. That's the way it is supposed to be. This is use not only to digest protein in the meat but also to assimilate calcium from their prey. Another benefit of this acid is that it kills bacteria. This is why cats on a raw diet is less likely to get poisoned and infected by viruses. Cooked meat and commercial pet food can actually shut down a carnivore's highly acidic digestive system and possibly making them prone to bacterial infection and poisoning.

Interesting Trivia On Cat's Drinking Habit

Did you know that cats don't have strong thirst drive?

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In their natural habitat, cats rarely drink water. They get most of their water from the food they eat. Raw meat is consist of 70% water. Dry food is only 7% to 10%. For those who are on dry food diet, this is the reason why you often see your cats drink. But at the end of the day, because of their low thirst drive, the total amount of water they drink is only half of the amount of those who are on a raw diet.

What's Really In Your Pet Food

Possible ingredients of our cat food

It's possible that some of the pet foods that we're feeding our pets contain these ingredients.

Click the link below to watch the video

What's really in your pet food

Aside from raw feeding, I will also give some trivia (e.g. eating and drinking behavior, possible root cause of common diseases...etc). These are all base on my research and it makes sense as to why most of our cats are suffering from the common diseases that I discussed on my previous blog.

Shocking Truth On Commercial Cat Food Part 2

How sure are you with your cat's diet?

Dead dogs and cats are use as ingredients in some of commercial cat foods. Most of these were euthanized. Would you feed them food that contains chemical that killed them?

Click the link below to watch the video

Shocking Truth On Commercial Pet foods Part 2

I will show you another video tomorrow another shocking truth on how commercial pet foods are made. It's for you to judge.