Bladder masses in cats
Overview
Symptoms
Risk
Diagnosis
Vet treatment
Home treatment
Prevention
When to worry
Bladder masses in cats
Bladder masses in cats can have several possible causes. These include bladder stones (uroliths) and bladder tumours. Only about 0.5-1% of tumours in cats are bladder tumours. But most are cancerous and life-limiting. Older, male cats and cats who suffer from chronic or recurrent cystitis are most at risk of developing a bladder mass.
Bladder masses in cats cause problems passing urine. Bladder stones may feel like masses, but they’re not made of tissue. Bladder stones can be removed or dissolved. Bladder tumours are attached to the bladder wall. The first signs are likely to be difficulty peeing or blood in the urine. Bladder tumours are aggressive. With cancer treatment, survival time is up to a year. Prompt identification and treatment offer a better outlook. Always seek help from a vet if you notice anything abnormal when your cat pees.
What are bladder masses in cats?
Bladder masses in cats are swellings inside the bladder. They grow from the bladder lining.
Bladder stones may feel like masses, but they’re not made of tissue. They result from poor diet, genetics or other health issues. Bladder stones can be removed or dissolved.
Bladder tumours are masses growing on or inside the bladder wall. Most are cancerous.
Chronic inflammation resulting from Feline Idiopathic Cystitis and FLUTD occasionally results in thickening and polyps or granulomas. These masses are non-cancerous collections of white blood cells and proteins.
Bladder tumours in cats
Transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) are the most common type of bladder tumour in cats.
TCCs are cancerous masses that develop from the bladder lining.
Bladder tumours occasionally develop from the muscle in the bladder wall.
A common site of TCC is the bladder trigone: where the ureters enter the bladder from the kidneys, and the urethra leaves the bladder.
Symptoms develop due to blockage, inflammation, pain and spread to other organs.
Bladder tumours rapidly spread to other tissues and organs, including lymph nodes, kidneys, liver and lungs.
Diagnosis is often delayed because the symptoms resemble other, more common, bladder problems.
Survival times vary from 1-12 months , depending on stage at diagnosis, treatment decisions and response to treatment.
What are the signs of bladder masses in cats?
It’s often hard to recognise the early signs of bladder masses in cats. This is because the symptoms resemble those of bladder infections, non-infectious cystitis, blocked bladder or bladder stones.
Early symptoms:
Straining and difficulty passing urine
Passing small amounts of urine frequently
Yowling with pain when urinating
Passing blood in urine
Getting recurrent urinary tract infections; bad-smelling urine
Becoming quiet and withdrawn
Later symptoms, with metastasis (spread):
Getting a blocked bladder
Having difficulty passing poo; narrow, flattened poo shape.
Becoming weaker and lethargic
Developing symptoms of kidney disease
Having a distended or swollen tummy
Collapse, coma and death.
Which cats are most at risk of bladder masses?
Cats of all ages, sex or breed can develop a bladder mass. However, certain factors increase your cat’s risk:
Being male and neutered (castrated)
Having suffered from repeated bouts of cystitis, FLUTD or urolithiasis
Being middle-aged or older; increasing risk over 13 years
Possibly exposure to certain chemicals, including pesticides and drugs
How can vets diagnose bladder masses in cats?
Once you report the changes to your vet, the vet will carry out a physical exam. They may be able to feel a firm and possibly painful swelling in your cat’s tummy. They will then advise further tests to find out what is causing the swelling:
Urine tests: general urine analysis and checking for things like abnormal cells, crystals or casts
X-Rays of the abdomen and chest.
Contrast X-Rays: using a special dye to outline the mass on an X-ray
Cystoscopy: using a special camera to examine the bladder from the inside
FNA and Biopsy: collecting samples of cells or tissue to send to a specialist laboratory for identification.
Other tests may include CT, MRI, exploratory laparotomy
How can vets treat bladder masses in cats?
Most bladder mass tumours in cats are aggressive cancers. They can’t be cured. The goal of treatment is to slow down deterioration and make your cat feel as well as possible for as long as possible.
Options include:
Chemotherapy
An operation to remove or reduce the size of the mass: It’s impossible to completely remove TCCs located at the bladder trigone. For these tumours, surgery aims to reduce the size or bulk of the mass
Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory medicines: Piroxicam or meloxicam
Combinations of the above
Caring at home for a cat with a bladder mass
There are no home remedies for bladder masses in cats.
It’s important to make your cat as comfortable and relaxed as possible at home. This means:
Giving all prescribed medicine at the correct time and dose
Providing a safe, quiet and comfortable place to sleep
Giving them peace from visitors and other household pets
Encouraging them to drink
Feeding a special prescription diet to provide the best nutrition and help appetite. Examples include Hills Prescription Diet ON-Care, Hills Prescription Diet a/d, Iams Maxi-Calorie.
Always talk to a vet about special diets and caring at home for your cat with bladder cancer.
Despite treatment and the best home care, bladder cancer will worsen until palliative care can't keep your cat comfortable any more. When that time comes, euthanasia will be the kindest option.
How to reduce the risks of bladder masses in cats
We don't fully understand what causes bladder mass tumours in cats. So it’s not possible to completely remove the risk of developing one.
Given the link between chronic or recurrent cystitis and bladder tumours, reducing the risk of bladder inflammation may help:
Feeding your cat the best diet for their age, breed and lifestyle
Keeping them slim, with a healthy body condition score
Providing a urinary tract supplement to boost urinary tract health
Reducing stress as much as possible
Bladder masses in cats - when to worry
Find your nearest emergency vet if your cat:
Collapses after having difficulty urinating
Is not responding to you
Has not passed any urine for 24 hours, and is vomiting or weak
Seek help from a vet if your cat is:
Having difficulty passing urine
Not passed urine as frequently as normal
Has blood in their urine
Has symptoms of urinary problems and is also losing weight.
Is drinking a lot
Developing a swollen abdomen
Joii can help with:
Choosing diets for cats for the best health and support
Recognising urinary tract problems
Reducing stress and the risk of urinary problems in cats
Choosing and using supplements to support bladder health
