The power of a wee sample

It’s not only blood tests that give us an insight into the health of your pet. Testing your pet’s urine is another essential part of good veterinary medicine.

Did you know that a small amount of urine can give us information about your pet’s internal health, and rule out problems such as kidney disease and diabetes?

As part of a routine urine test, we usually test how concentrated your pets urine is. This gives us an idea of how well your pet’s kidneys are working. We may also test for the presence of blood, look at pH, protein levels and glucose and even spin the urine down to form a sediment to look for bacteria and crystals. Sometimes it is necessary to send your pet’s urine to an external laboratory for testing (such as for deciding what antibiotics are appropriate if a bacterial infection is present.)

Collecting urine at home can be a bit overwhelming and we will be able to advise you on the most suitable technique for your pet. If you don’t succeed at home we routinely collect urine from pets using a very small needle (a painless and quick procedure.) This routine procedure is called a cystocentesis and is necessary if we need to collect urine without contamination.

We will advise you if your pet needs an urinary test but remember, if you think your pet’s urination habits have changed it is best to phone us for advice.