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Welcome to Friday’s Cats.com Newsletter. |
Explore Our Top Guides: |
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Sometimes it’s easy to detect health problems simply by looking at your cat (or into their litter box), but in-depth testing is often required to confirm a diagnosis. |
Keep reading to learn why your veterinarian might want to test your cat’s urine and what a urinalysis can tell you about your cat’s health. |
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK |
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Cats with urinary health problems can often benefit from prescription diets formulated to address specific causes of the condition. Royal Canin Urinary SO is one of the most highly rated veterinary diets formulated to support urinary health in cats. |
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Not only is this recipe high in moisture to boost hydration, but it contains a reduced level of magnesium to help dissolve struvite stones and prevent the formation of calcium oxalate stones. If your cat experiences bladder stones or other chronic urinary issues, ask your veterinarian whether a prescription urinary health formula like this could help. |
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Cats.com receives a commission on purchases made through this product recommendation. This helps us to continue our mission of giving you the best cat information on the web. Thank you for your support! |
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Awesome Finds On Cats.com: |
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VIDEO OF THE WEEK |
The Best Chew Toys for Cats. |
Most cats love a classic catnip-filled mouse or a rattle ball, but do they like chew toys? The answer might surprise you! In this week’s featured video, Sarah and Gordon dive into the world of chew toys for cats. Check it out to learn what benefits these toys provide and how to choose the best one for your cat. |
Check out the video on our YouTube channel. |
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A Vital Test of Bodily Function. |
In Tuesday’s mailer, we talked about what you can learn about your cat’s health by looking at their stool. More specifically, what the color and consistency of your cat’s stool says about their digestive health. |
When veterinarians want to get a sense of a cat’s overall health and bodily function, two tests are the most valuable: blood tests and urine tests. |
The term urinalysis refers to the collective tests performed on a urine sample. These tests are often conducted as part of a routine preventive health screening, but they can also be used to confirm or rule out specific health problems. |
If an analysis reveals abnormal levels of certain substances or if the chemical qualities of the urine are outside the normal range, it’s an indication that deeper investigation is warranted. |
In some cases, an abnormal urinalysis provides early warning of a developing health problem. If symptoms are already present, the results can help point a veterinarian in the right direction to make a diagnosis. When the suspected issue isn’t urinary in nature, a urinalysis is most valuable when combined with bloodwork. |
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Reasons to Get a Urinalysis. |
There are many reasons your veterinarian might recommend a urinalysis—even if your cat isn’t obviously sick. Here are some examples: |
As a normal component of preventive health screenings and can reveal early signs of developing health problems. Your cat’s water intake has changed—generally when they’re drinking more water than usual. As a means of ruling out urinary health problems as a cause of changes in litter box behavior (like peeing outside the litter box). Your cat is producing less urine than usual, is straining to urinate, or there’s blood in the litter box.
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When your cat is showing signs of illness, urinalysis may be recommended even if the issue doesn’t appear to be urinary related. For example, your vet might want to test your cat’s urine if they’ve experienced a change in weight, appetite, or activity level. |
Learn more about what urinalysis can tell you and how much it costs on Cats.com. |
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A Sneak Peek At Sunday's Newsletter. |
Summer is drawing to a close, and the changing of seasons may come with some stressful changes for your cat. In Sunday’s mailer you’ll learn about common signs of stress to look for and what you can do to protect your cat’s mental health. |
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| Meet The Author. | Kate is a pet food nutrition specialist and writer who has been part of the Cats.com family for over three years. She is the doting owner of three cats - Bagel, Munchkin, and Biscuit - and often shares stories about them in weekly mailers like this one! |
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Check your inbox every Tuesday, Friday & Sunday for another round of exciting cat news! |
Have questions about your cat’s health, diet, behavior, and more? Visit our Cats.com community. Our team of expert moderators is available to give you answers and advice specific to your cat’s unique situation. |