Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD)

Feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD, is a group of lower urinary tract conditions in cats, including inflammation, stones and obstruction, and it is one of the most common reasons cats are seen for urinary signs such as straining, blood in the urine or inappropriate urination (veterinary literature). Diet and water intake play a real role in prevention and management. Promoting hydration, notably through [wet food](/glossary/wet-food), helps dilute the urine and reduce the risk of crystal and stone formation, which connects FLUTD to [dehydration](/glossary/dehydration) prevention in a species that drinks little spontaneously. The type of stone matters for treatment: [struvite](/glossary/struvite) stones can often be dissolved through targeted dietary management under veterinary follow-up, whereas [oxalate](/glossary/oxalate) stones do not dissolve with diet and often require surgical removal. A urethral obstruction, more common in male cats, is a genuine emergency and demands immediate veterinary care. Therapeutic urinary diets are prescribed by a vet and adjust mineral balance and urine pH. The marker: FLUTD is a cat-specific cluster of urinary problems where water intake and diet are central to prevention, making wet food and hydration recurring themes in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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