Acute Urethral Obstruction in a Cat

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A 3-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat was presented after 2 days of pollakiuria and hematuria; 2 hours of vocalization, stranguria, and dribbling urine; and a single episode of vomiting.

Examination revealed 7% dehydration, tachycardia, and a firm, distended bladder; the remainder of the physical examination was within normal limits. CBC, serum chemistry profile, and urinalysis were unremarkable other than 4+ blood and presence of RBCs (TNTC) in the urine. Findings on abdominal ultrasonography likewise were unremarkable, with no evidence of calculi in the urinary tract.

The cat was treated with IV fluids, decompressive cystocentesis, and removal of an obstructive distal urethral mucus plug. An indwelling urinary catheter was maintained for 24 hours, then removed.

FIC = feline idiopathic cystitis, FLUTD = feline lower urinary tract disease, TNTC = too numerous to count