Feline Unacceptable Elimination Flashcards
1
Q
House-Soiling
A
- Catch-all term
- includes unacceptable toileting and marking
- Stool (perichezia) or urine (periuria) deposited in unacceptable location
- May/may not be reltd to medical problem
2
Q
Unacceptable toileting (non-marking)
A
- Discontinuing (at least partially) litterbox use for urne and/or stool
- Urine-generally squat, normal volume onto a horizontal surface
- May void next to the box or in hidden areas (especially soft substrates)
- males and females are equal in frequency
3
Q
Marking
A
- Scratching
- Rubbing
- Urine spraying
- Fecal marking (middening)
-
Normal cat behavior
- some deemed unacceptable
4
Q
Urine Spraying or Middening
A
- Also use litterbox for urination/defecation
-
advertising (not hidden)
- Sexual- urine spraying may convey desire to breed
- Reactional/Territorial/Cofident cats or Anxious cats
- Usually Standing, sniffing, tail up, treading with back feet with a vacant look while backed up against object
- Normal or smaller amounts of wast
- Urine spray on vertical surfaces usually
- may target new or heat emitting objects, owner’s possessions, laundry
- Socially significant area
5
Q
How doe declawing affect uncceptable urination
A
- Increases aggression, barbering, and unacceptable toileting
6
Q
How common is unnaceptable toileting?
A
- 10% of cats have house soiled in their lifetime
- # 1 reson for shelter reliquishment
- # 1 behavioral reason for shelter feline euthanasia
7
Q
Reducing Urine Spraying
A
- Neutering eliminated the behavior in 90% of subjects
- Spaying eliminated the behavior in 96% of subjects
- Neutered males spray more often than spayed females
- Age of Spay/Neuter not related to likelihood of adult-onset urine spraying
- It is more common in multiple cat households
- Cleaning urine marks daily, scooping litterbox daily, changing litterbox weekly decreased urine spraying by 50%
8
Q
What History do we need for cases?
A
- Do we have the right cat?
- Is the box still being used?
- Interaction with housemates
- If Unacceptable urination:
- Volume
- Witnesses
- Verticle/horizontal
- Location
- Windows or exterior doors (outside problem)
- Stairwell, hallway, etc (inside problem)
- Hidden
- How long has it been going on
- What has been tried so far
- Description of Litterboxes?:
- size
- location
- covered/uncovered
- liner/unlined
- scooping frequency
- cleaning method and frequency
- location of play and feeding areas
9
Q
Examining a cat accused of inappropriate urination
A
- Include Orthopedic and Neurological exams
- Urine Spraying:
- Check male for penile barbs
- History of estrous in female
- Unacceptable toileting with stool
- Sedated rectal
- rectal stricture
- impacted aal sacs
- conformtional abnormalities
- Sedated rectal
10
Q
Etiology of Unacceptable Urination
A
- Lower Urinary Tract Disease (interstitial cystitis, UTI, stones)
- Diabetes melitus
- Kidney disease
11
Q
Etiology of Unacceptable Defecation
A
- Constipation
- Hyperthyroidism
- GI disease (inflammatory bowel disease, parasitism, neoplasia, etc.)
12
Q
Mobility Altered Toileting
A
- Digit surgery (acute/chronic)
- Osteoarthritis
- Obesity
- Neurologic disease (musculoskeletal)
- Vision, olfactory, or cognitive changes can alter toileting as well
13
Q
Diagnostic Testing for House Soiling
A
- CBC
- Chemistry Profile
- Fecal (unacceptable stool)
- Urinalysis via cytocentess
- culture if house soiling with urine
- +/- Thyroid testing
- +/- Diagnostic imagin
- +/- Further testing or hormone testing
14
Q
5 Environmental Pillars
A
- Safe
- Resources
- Play and Predation
- Human Intreaction
- Odor Control
15
Q
5 Pillars: SAFE
A
- Lots of vertical and horizontal space
- Reduce stress
- Eliminate roaming cats
- Don’t feed, cover windows, motion activated sprinklers
- Avoid negative litter box experiences
- Don’t medicate or punish cat in box
- Avoid children/dogs or aversive cats in area
- Resolve pain cat could associate with box as possible
- Eliminate roaming cats
16
Q
5 Pillars: RESOURCES
A
- Don’t force interaction
- Collar with bell for assertive cat (avoid box ambush)
- Separate problem cats temporarily or permanently
- Plentiful food/water stations
- Plentiful & acceptable litter boxes
- Add scratching, play, & rest areas in socially significant spaces
- Make sure all access areas have more than 1 entry/exit to box
17
Q
5 Pillars: Play and Predation
A
- Food puzzle toys
- Motion activated or interactive toys
- Reward-based training
18
Q
5 Pillars: Human Interaction
A
- Positive, Consistent, and Predictable
- Interaction & play as determined by the cat
19
Q
5 Pillars: Odor Control
A
- Disinfect soiled areas
- Litter box desing and hygiene
20
Q
Litter Box Buffet
A
- Fine-grain clumping and uncended is preferred usually
- can do a litter trial to determine substrate preference
- Un-used box preferred
- doesn’t matter if dirty box is from self or from another cat
- Large: at least 1.5x length of cat (nose to tail base)
- Private & well-lit area
- Avoid high tracfic area or noisy appliances
- Avoid food or water near box
- Provide 360 view + greater than 1 exit
- n+1 = one litter box per cat +1
- Keep toe hair shorter
- Minimum 1 litter box per level of home in seperate locations
- Replace malodorous boxes
- May need low entry boxes (elderly, kittens)
- Black light to identify accidents
- enzymatic cleaner to disinfect
- Block or cover problem areas
- Place box in area of inapproprate elimination
- inch to desire location after 2 weeks of consistent use
- Consider cat preferance for Covered/uncovered
- Avoid liners and deodorizers
- Scoop 1-2 times daily
- at least 3cm of litter
- Dump and disinfect with hot, soapy water every 1-4 weeks
- NO bleach
- NO ammonia
- Place lid behind box to collect wall marking if urine spraying
21
Q
Long-Acting Anxiolytic Tips
A
- 4-6 weeks to achieve full benefit
- only in conjuction with environmental management
- Avoid combining serotonin enhancing drugs
- No FDA approved long or short acting anxiolytic in cats
- obtain written & verbal owner consent and discuss side effects
- Abrut withdawal often results in recurrent urine markting
- tapering is recommended if discontinuing
- Initial lab testing, 1 month later, and every 6 months
22
Q
Fluoxetine (Prozac, Reconcile) for Inappropriate urination
A
- SSRI
- 1mg/kg daily
- decreased uring spraying vs placebo at 8 weeks
- 90%reduction at 6 weeks
- decreased uring spraying vs placebo at 8 weeks
- May see GI upset, inappetence, irritability, anxiety, lethargy, decreased grooming, urine, an fecal retention
- Paroxetine and Sertraline had anecdotal evidence
- other SSRIs
23
Q
Clomipramine (Clomicalm)
A
- 0.25 - 0.5 mg/kg daily
- Decreased urine marking vs. placebo by 83% at 4 weeks
- more lasting effects when used >8 weeks
- Efficacy equal to fluoxetine at 8 weeks
- May see GI upset, stool and urine retention, pro-arrythmia, depression, inappetence, sedation, lowered seizure threshold
24
Q
Gabapentin
A
- Mechanism of effect not fully understood
- May use for acute anxiety
- anecdotal use
25
Q
Benzodiazepines
A
- Facilitate GABA activity
- reduce maring only while taking medications
- acute axiety treatment
- NO oral diazepam (hepatotoxicity in cats)
26
Q
Buspirone
A
- Serotonergic and mildly dopaminergic
- about 55% of cats have favorable response
- drug discontinued at 2 months
- up to 1 month to see effects
- bravery drug - may see more assertive/friendly & social cat
27
Q
Progestins (Megestrol Acetate)
A
- Not Recommended
- Only alternative to euthanasia in neutered male refractory to all strategies
- risk of mammary adenocarcinoma, diabetes melitus, liver toxicity
28
Q
Alternative Anxiolytic Therapies
A
- Pheromones:
- Feliway Classic
- decreased urine marking compared to placebo
- with environmental changes decreased uring marking
- Cats appeared calmer in new environments
- Feliway Multicat
- diminished intercat aggression
- Feliway Classic
- Nutraceuticals
29
Q
Veterinarian Role in Controlling Unacceptable Elimination
A
- Ask yearly about litterbox habits
- Early recognition and appropriate management of house soiling = better prognosis
- Guide and Support
- Initially every 2 weeks
- Monitoring
- blacklight, cameras
- Punishing worsens or creates more anxiety
