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Confused by the ingredient list on your kitten’s food? You’re not alone. Marketing pet foods that have “human-grade ingredients” is becoming commonplace. While appealing to many pet owners, it is important to be aware that the term “human grade” has no legal definition and is used primarily for marketing purposes.
Foods, typically meats, are labeled either as “edible” or “inedible, not for human consumption.” Once a food leaves the human food chain, even if it is of outstanding quality, it has to be labeled “inedible, not for human consumption.”
Therefore, meats used in pet food must be labeled as “inedible,” regardless of the source or quality of the meat. The only way to make a pet food with ingredients deemed “edible” is to never let the meat leave the human food chain and actually manufacture the pet food in a human food facility and transport it using human food trucks.
Therefore, advertising a product as containing “human-grade ingredients” is untrue if it is not manufactured in a human food facility.
However, just because a pet food isn’t marketed as being “human grade” does not mean that the ingredients are poor quality.
UTI, also known as Urinary Tract Infections, are any infection in the urinary system. Such infections are not common in cats. In fact, not every cat with UTI symptoms has a urinary tract infection. According to NCBI, only one to two percent of cats suffer from urinary tract infections. However, UTIs resemble several other feline diseases; hence, it is imperative to visit a vet for further diagnosis.
Since Urinary Tract Infections can cause severe pain and discomfort, every cat parent must learn about cat UTI symptoms. Here are a few major UTI symptoms in cats:
Blood in the urine
Constant licking of the urinary opening
Crying out while passing urine
Urinating outside the litter box
In order to diagnose UTI in cats, veterinarians first test urine samples. This test helps them detect any bacteria in the urine. Doctors directly draw urine from the bladder with a needle to avoid contamination. Once the urine sample is tested, the vet will then isolate the bacteria to study it further. This step is called the Culture and Sensitivity test. It helps determine the right medicines based on the cat's infection.
First-time infections or acute infections are generally cured using broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, if your cat is suffering from a chronic infection, the vet might recommend additional tests to start bacteria-specific medication.
There are multiple factors that can lead to UTI in cats. Let's explore a few common causes of cat UTI:
Replacement of the urinary catheter
Bladder stone
Issues with the cat's gastrointestinal tract
Although UTI is rare in cats, it's best to take the right measures to prevent it at all costs. Here are a few points on how to prevent UTI in cats:
There are multiple cat UTI home remedies like cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, bone broth, etc. And most of them are believed to alleviate the symptoms of UTI. However, we do not know if these remedies heal you completely. Hence, it is best to consult a veterinary doctor for cat UTIs. Moreover, in some cases, especially if left untreated, UTIs can be recurrent. The vet will provide the right medication to get rid of the bacteria.
