??? on FLUTD

[tippy]

my cat, checkmate, had been peeing what seemed like every five minutes, but only a drop or two at a time. took him to the vet rite away and the urinalysis did not show bacteria or crystals. the vet isn't sure what is causing him to have such an irritated bladder. The only thing even slightly off was his urine pH was 7 which I guess is the hi end of normal.

he mentioned something about the mucous or something in the bladder may be trapping crystals but he didn't really seem to think it is worth pursuing the ultrasound rite now. My question is about the implications of having a slightly elevated urine pH. I'm sure it varies from cat to cat but is there an approx level at which it causes irritation?

he's doing better now, taking a med i can't remember the name of rite now for his overactive bladder.

Ann

[Traci]

The pH is still within normal range, but ideally, you would probably want 6.0-6.5.......7.0 is considered alkaline, which could be a result of diet or inflammation in the bladder (in the absense of infection or crystals)

Considering the emergency, I would either get a followup urinalysis in about a week or so (continue to monitor him closely for any signs of obstruction), and if nothing is revealed, then opt for the ultrasound to try to detect bladder wall thickening, etc. You need to find out the cause to the urine retention. Discuss diet with your vet as well.

[tippy]

no, i never said he has urine retention. he doesn't at all. he was peeing as fast as his kidneys were producing. he had to be held at the vets a while for them to even get a sample. he has an irritated bladder for some reason and is having sensations which make him have an urge to pee. his meds are to reduce that. there is no emergency and of course a follow up visit is planned.

the vet said a pH of 7 is neutral, not alkaline. my question is about the impact of urine pH on bladder irritation.

Ann

[Traci]

Maybe you'd like to elaborate on the following:

had been peeing what seemed like every five minutes, but only a drop or two at a time

"peeing as fast as kidneys producing" and "only a drop at a time" is not the same thing. Urine retention can cause both symptoms. I suggested an ultrasound to detect bladder wall thickening which could lead to urine retention and in the absence of bacterial infection or crystals, that would be a common rule-out.

the vet said a pH of 7 is neutral, not alkaline.

And I said that 7 is still within normal range but it is considered alkaline, because it near IS alkaline, when it is below 7, it is acidic.

To answer your question about irritation, again, if it's not crystals, bacteria, then the next step is ruling out inflammation, or bladder wall thickening that can induce urine retention. Other diagnostics might include a contrast cystography.