Why is my cat crusty around her urethra?

Why is my Snowshoe Siamese crusty around her urethra? She was spayed at 6 months. Has had this problem since we adopted her at 12 weeks.Does she have urine leakage or some other problem?

  • Vetinfo

    By: Rebecca Osterfund El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    Some felines are not as good at grooming themselves as others. It may be that she is crusty around her vulvar region due to her lack of grooming this area. Other possible causes include having vaginitis or a urinary tract infection. Cats that have these conditions often are urinating excessively and start urinating outside of the litter box. Normal cats urinate 1-3 times a day, so if you are consistently counting more urine clumps in the litter box than this you may want to take her to a veterinarian and have her urine evaluated for presence of an infection. Urinary incontinence is extremely rare in cats and results in the pet urinating when relaxed or sleeping. If she has had crusts around her vulva for a long time with no other symptoms however, it is more likely that her lack of proper grooming is the cause. She may need to have the fur in this area shaved periodically (called a sanitary clip or cut at the groomers) to help keep this area clean. You can also wipe her vulvar area daily with non-scented baby wipes to help keep this area clean. One concern is if the crusts build up on the skin she will be prone to developing a skin infection in this location.

More Questions on Urinary System

  • cat urinary tract infection

    my one cat has all the signs and symptoms that i have read about associated with that of a uti. i have noticed that at the beginning my cat had been licking itself constantly in the genital area, having a strong odor of urine, and refusing to use the litter box like normal. just recently i have noticed that he has been sleeping a lot more then usual, his water intake has almost doubled, and refuses to my knowledge of what i have seen to eat any form of food, either dry or wet. what should I do?

  • Cat urinary tract infection-cat has had four back to back

    4 yo has had 4 back to back UTIs-we give her a 2 week antibiotic course and soon as it finishes she starts digging holes all over the yard. She has been tested for struvite crystals and x-rayed for stones and her blood work shows nothing abnormal. We have her on the urinary tract diet and she eats a combination of wet and dry food in small amounts frequently. She drinks water regularly. She is an outdoor cat who spends most all day out and nights in. I am trying Tinkle Tonic. Help!

  • Cat's bladder the size of a softball

    My 8 yr. cat Layla has been at the vet for 3 days. Her bladder is the size of a softball. They drained & xray & found a small mass blocking her urine flow, they don't know exactly what it is or what to do, they are thinking experimental surgery to move bladder over & allow her to urinate through small opening in lower abdomen, HELP! she also is the only cat out of 7 in household to be diagnosed with leukemia & never goes outside, I am so worried for her!

  • my cat is having trouble with passing urine

    queen cat urine problem? my cat is having troubles with passing urine,she's going on cat tray put only passing drops of urine,

  • My cats drinking a lot of water and excessive amounts of urination

    I have two older cats and just moved. I used to have city water and they would drink about 16 oz of water combined over the course of 2-2 1/2 days. At their new home, they have softened well water. They are now drinking 16 oz a day and are urinating in large amts. A clump of urine is about the size of a womens partially closed hand. Should I be concerned?

  • My cat is not going to the bathroom or eating what should I do

    I just need to know what to do about this its been going on for days my cat is not pieing and pooping or eating what do i do

  • Reoccuring feline urinary tract infection

    my cat has urinary tract infection sometimes, and we give him medicine and it goes away, but it keeps coming back. should i be worried?

  • My cat is bleeding from his anus. Why and how to fix?

    I have a 7 year old male exotic persian...neutered, never had any health issue. For the past month he has been straining to urinate, and defecate. He won't use the litter box. He seeks out corners, sinks, bathtubs, etc, and strains and then bleeds. He has had very little urination, and defecation. His appetite has weakened, and he is not drinking as much water. I have had him to the vet three times, and nothing. Ultrasound is the only thing left to do. Can you help me?

  • Feline renal disease. What can I do at home?

    Dear Doctor, Thank you for taking the time to read my question and hopefully answer it.My cat was diagnosed yesterday with Chronic renal disease, was given fluids, special food and had to be sedated for a full check up. This morning she still doesn't want to eat or drink. She also has had her tongue stuck out a little since last night. The doctor says its nothing although he knows that she has a minor mouth injury. What do you think? Is there anything I can do at home to help her? Thank you so much.

  • Cat food for cat bladder stones

    Is there a type of cat food available that is okay for cats with bladder stones? I currently feed Royal Canin Urinary formula, but my cat throws up every day and I'd like to try something else that won't exacerbate his predisposition for developing struvite bladder stones. He's been throwing up daily for months, with all tests coming back fine. His only symptom is vomiting, so I'm thinking it may have something to do with the food.

  • Cat penis has developed scar tissue?

    My cats developed scar tissue around his penis and can only pee from a very small opening. My vet has tried to make the openning bigger a couple of times, but the tissue grows back, is there any treatment other than a perineal urethrostomy for this condition. This happened because they were taken from their mom when they were 4 weeks and the sibling suck on his penis creating scar tissue around it.Please help!

  • See all questions in Urinary System

Please do not use our site to attempt to diagnose or treat your pet. Your veterinarian is the best source of health advice for an individual pet.

Please do use our site to become better informed about the medical problems your pet may have. We will do our best to ensure that information presented is accurate and up-to-date. The most current information will be at the top of each page. Remember that veterinarians often disagree about the best treatments for pets. There are often several perfectly acceptable ways to treat the same condition. Just ask a lot of questions!

For all emergency situations, please contact your local Emergency Pet Clinic or on-call Veterinarian. Answers are not provided in real time. We can not guarantee an answer to every question, nor can we provide timely responses to urgent questions in many instances.