Feline Idiopathic Cystitis - FF Article Flashcards
What is the most common cause of lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) in cats?
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) is the most common cause of LUTD, affecting 50–75% of young and middle-aged cats.
What are some risk factors for developing FIC in cats?
Risk factors include being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, indoor-only living, multi-cat households, neutering, and Persian or black-and-white shorthaired cats.
What role does stress play in FIC?
Stress is a major contributor to FIC, and it can exacerbate sickness behaviors, leading to repeated episodes of clinical signs.
What is Pandora Syndrome in the context of FIC?
Pandora Syndrome describes cats with FIC that also show additional clinical signs affecting other organ systems, such as the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory tract.
How is FIC diagnosed?
FIC is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning other causes of FLUTD such as bacterial infections, urolithiasis, and neoplasia must be ruled out first.
What is the primary goal of treatment for FIC?
The primary goal is to reduce stress and encourage the production of more dilute urine, which helps reduce clinical signs and prevent relapses.
What is MEMO in the treatment of FIC?
MEMO (Multimodal Environmental Modification) is a strategy designed to reduce stress and help the cat produce more dilute urine, significantly improving outcomes in FIC cases.
How can water intake be increased in cats with FIC?
Offering wet food, providing multiple water bowls, using water fountains, offering broths, and using prescription diets designed to encourage drinking.
What supplements might help manage stress in cats with FIC?
Alpha-casozepine and tryptophan are nutraceuticals that may help alleviate stress and improve anxiety-related behaviors in cats with FIC.
What urine specific gravity (USG) should cats with FIC aim to achieve?
Cats with FIC should aim to produce urine with a specific gravity around 1.035 to encourage frequent urination and dilute irritant components.
What is the role of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) supplements in FIC treatment?
GAG supplements are believed to help reduce bladder wall permeability, but studies show they are not generally effective in most cats with FIC.
What medications may be prescribed for urethral spasm in FIC cases?
Prazosin, dantrolene, and phenoxybenzamine may be prescribed for cats suffering from urethral spasm.
What are common pain management options for cats with FIC?
Painkillers such as NSAIDs (e.g., meloxicam) and opiates (e.g., buprenorphine) are commonly prescribed to manage pain during acute episodes of FIC.
How does reducing stress help in the long-term management of FIC?
Reducing stress, along with encouraging dilute urine, results in the biggest long-term improvements in managing FIC and reducing the frequency of episodes.
