How To Collect Your Pet's Urine Sample

When your pet is sick, we often rely on diagnostic tests to know how to proceed with treatment to resolve their discomfort.

Often this includes needing a urine and fecal test, so we want to help prepare you to understand how to get your pet’s sample for us to test.

Yes, sometimes we may ask you to bring in a sample of your pet’s urine or feces so we can test it. Don’t get discouraged, urine or fecal samples are simple to collect and we’re happy to explain some tips to get it done. 

How to collect a urine sample from your dog:

‍We recommend grabbing a ladle for this! It is best to label the ladle as a urine collection tool and be sure to store it somewhere else besides your kitchen. Whether your dog is female or male, a ladle will help make this process so much easier. When bringing your dog out to use the bathroom be sure to have your collection container and the ladle with you. Observe your pet and watch for specific behavior that they use when about to go to the bathroom.  Have your ladle prepared and aim to catch their sample as they urinate. Once you have the sample in the ladle you’ll want to transfer the sample to the collection container and seal it tightly.  Ideally, the sample is collected mid-stream, meaning you obtain the sample partway through your pet’s urination. Also it’s important to keep in mind that urine is only good to test within 6 hours of being collected. We suggest that you schedule your appointment close to the time you’re able to collect a sample. If you run into any questions, we’re always happy to help!

How to get a urine sample from your cat:

We understand if you’re feeling overwhelmed about having to collect your cat’s urine sample so we’ve decided to put together a guide to help you become more comfortable. If you have an outdoor kitty cat, we recommend bringing your cats litter box indoors. Start by cleaning out your cat’s normal litter box with soap and warm water. Once their litter box is fully cleaned, fill up the bottom layer with non-absorbent litter. Keep an eye on their box throughout the day and to check to see if they’ve gone, simply shift the litter from side to side.  If you notice wetness indicating that they’ve urinated, use a pipette to transfer the urine from their box to the collection container.  We can only test urine samples within 6 hours of collection, so please prepare to collect your sample once you know when you’ll be able to drop it off to us.  If you run into any questions, we’re always here to help!