My cat has blood in urine, tumor suspected. What's the next step?

An ultrasound of the whole urinary tract can be helpful for patients with unexplained blood in the urine. This would be of the kidneys and bladder as blood can come from anywhere along the urinary system. X-rays of the abdomen, after a pet has been fasted for at least 12 hours, can also be helpful. This can be important in some cases as not all problems can be identified with an ultrasound, such as stones in the tubes that lead from the kidney to the urinary bladder (ureter). Additionally a urine culture may be helpful to make sure that there is no underlying infection that is causing the blood. And, it is important to know how the sample was obtained. If it was freely collected from the patient or in the litter box then it is more concerning. If the sample is obtained as a sterile sample directly from the urinary bladder with a needle, then sometimes the blood in the urine is from the sampling (best sample for culture though). I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for visiting Petcoach. Poor kitty. I have to agree here, that if there is still gross blood in the urine, then additional testing is needed. I would highly recommend starting with a radiograph to check for urinary stones. However, a more inclusive test that is more cost effective, would be to do an ultrasound. Yes an ultrasound is more expensive than a radiograph, but if you still dont find an answer with the radiograph, an ultrasound would be needed. The ultrasound can not only tell us if there are urinary bladder stones, but it can look at the urinary bladder in 2D to determine if there are any structural abnormalities or growths inside the bladder. It is the best way to go here, especially after trying to treat this medically twice now. To help with finances though, I would suggest trying out for CareCredit. This is a line of credit for your pet that you can pay off slowly and oftentimes with no interest for up to 18 months. Best of luck with your pet Hobo moving forward. Take care Link to CareCredit--> https://www.carecredit.com/

Poor guy. I too would be concerned about possible cancer. The next step would be to get an abdominal ultrasound to look for other possible causes such as cancer. Cats can also just get cystitis, which caused inflammation of the bladder due to stress. This is typically treated with a prescription urinary food and often-times anti-anxiety medication. We suspect this when we see microscopic blood on the urinalysis, along with straining and frequent trips to the litterbox. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951488 I hope that your fur baby feels better soon! Best wishes and take care!

Have her seen by your veterinarian. You can request conservative treatment and your veterinarian may prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic for a presumed urinary tract infection without performing recommended diagnostics (urine culture, urinalysis, abdominal xrays, blood work). It may help, however the risk is that the bloody urine may not be caused by "simple" infection. Other possibilities are inflammation, tumor or stones. If Luna should become completely obstructed, this will turn into an emergency and potentially life threatening condition.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs might be compatible with a urinary tract infection/inflammation. Stress related (idiopathic type of inflammation) infection and presence of crystals are the most common causes of it. I think an ultrasound is needed as more sensitive than the x rays to diagnose more sinister causes like tumors and certain type of urinary stones that may be not detectable with the x rays. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Blood in the urine can be due to a few different problems. If it is red-colored urine and Lily has been urinating more frequently lately, then it is most likely a bladder infection/inflammation, but could also be a kidney infection. If it appears like fresh blood at the end of the urine stream, then this could indicate a problem with the vagina, cervix, or could be coming from the rectum. Either way, it's best that you take Lily to a veterinarian for treatment soon. If she is going to the litter box and nothing is coming out within the last 24 hours, then this is an emergency and I recommend you take her to the vet immediately. They will be able to locate where the problem is and provide the most appropriate treatment. Either way, Lily will need a professional to diagnose this problem and to provide the most effective treatment. Without good treatment, she can have life-threatening complications. I hope that helps and Lily gets better soon.

Poor Calliope! It sounds as though she has been through quite a bit recently. As a female cat, it would be highly unusual for her to develop a urinary tract obstruction, whereas it would be more expected in a male cat showing similar signs. As I'm sure you're aware, common causes of blood in the urine in female cats include urinary tract infection and bladder stones. In Calliope's case, a UTI has been ruled out and the chance of having bladder stones is quite low. However, there are a few types of bladder stones that are not visible on x-rays, but these are uncommon. At this point, it may be worth discussing an ultrasound of her bladder with your vet, as the types of bladder stones not typically visible on x-ray can often be seen on ultrasound. Since she is dragging her hind end, it also may be worth asking her vet to check her anal glands to see if these are causing additional irritation. A consultation with a specialist in veterinary internal medicine could also be considered. I hope this helps and that all goes well!