Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is a painful, sterile inflammation of the bladder with no identifiable cause. It is the most common reason for lower urinary tract signs in cats, and it is a diagnosis of exclusion. It matters on the NAVLE because the treatment is mostly environmental, and antibiotics and surgery are common wrong answers.
Key facts
Idiopathic cystitis at a glance- Species and system: cat, lower urinary tract.
- Cause: unknown. Stress, abnormal neurohormonal signalling and the bladder interact (MSD). Newer work frames FIC as a threat-responsive disorder involving the whole cat, with cases sometimes called Pandora syndrome.
- Frequency: a cause cannot be found in about 55 to 65% of cats with lower urinary tract signs.
- Classic patient: young to middle-aged, indoor, inactive or overweight, often in a multi-cat or unsettled home.
- Classic signs: hematuria, pollakiuria, stranguria and periuria; signs usually resolve in 2 to 7 days with or without treatment but often recur.
- Zoonotic or reportable: no.
What's inside
11 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 3 self-test questions and 6 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.