| Cystitis is a very common problem encountered | | | | the inner lining of chicken gizzards, also called ji nei |
| in the cat community. Typically there are signs of | | | | jin. |
| blood in the urine, straining to urinate or even | | | | Chicken gizzard lining has been used for over |
| worse, a blocked bladder. If your cat has ever | | | | 2,000 years in China. Initially it was used in the |
| had a blocked bladder you will know that this is a | | | | treatment of diarrhoea. Later it developed a |
| life-threatening emergency. You need to get your | | | | reputation for promoting digestion and astringing |
| beloved puss up to your vet as quickly as you | | | | fluid discharge. The digestion promoting effects |
| can. | | | | were prominent on both meat and grains. The |
| In my practice this condition is very common. It is | | | | astringing effect was found to actually break |
| more serious for males than for females in that | | | | down kidney and urinary stones. |
| the male cats urine outflow pipe, the urethra, is | | | | An active principle, named ventriculin was named |
| very fine. It can easily become blocked by blood | | | | as the component that gave chicken gizzards its |
| clots or crystalline sludge. Typically there is a | | | | medicinal effects. |
| dietary history of feeding dry cat food. One thing | | | | In the wild situation one of the main food sources |
| we always advise is to stop feeding the dry food. | | | | for cats is birds. Obviously not chickens but |
| Some cats are addicted to eating dry food and | | | | chickens are birds and all birds have gizzards. I |
| refuse to eat anything but dry food. These cats | | | | have to say I'm not entirely sure about what |
| do better if they swap to a prescription diet | | | | goes into the moist style of cat food in a can but |
| designed to be lower in the minerals that cause | | | | I do wonder how much chicken gizzards are |
| the crystals that cause the blockage. They also | | | | incorporated. I doubt that there are any in the |
| contain a urinary acidifier to reduce the chances | | | | dry form of cat food and I often wonder just |
| of minerals forming together to create the | | | | how digestible it really is anyway. |
| crystals. Some cats will still have problems | | | | It makes sense to me to consider adding chicken |
| regardless of what they eat. | | | | gizzards to our cats dinners. The eating of birds |
| One of my interests as a veterinarian is to look | | | | by cats is greatly frowned upon in many circles. It |
| at alternative ways of treating these common, | | | | is especially unacceptable in the National Park |
| often frustrating and frequently life threatening | | | | where I live. |
| conditions. | | | | Obtaining chicken gizzards is at best a challenge. It |
| In my reading around the subject of cystitis in | | | | can however, be readily accessed in its medicinal |
| cats and possible approaches I came across an | | | | form of ji nei jin. |
| interesting thought. | | | | Given that it is a natural component of the wild |
| In traditional Chinese medicine the development of | | | | cat diet and its historical use in Chinese medicine |
| cystitis and crystals in the urine is considered a | | | | as a treatment for cystitis, urinary stones and |
| form of DAMPNESS. Dampness is correlated to | | | | digestive disorders in humans it seems logical to |
| the presence of food allergies or sensitivities and | | | | consider supplementing cats diets with ji nei jin |
| incomplete digestion. Many of the Chinese | | | | especially if they are prone to urinary tract |
| medicines used specifically for the treatment and | | | | problems. |
| dissolution of bladder stones or crystals contain | | | | |