Your beloved pet’s health should be monitored closely as they age, allowing for early detection of diseases that may be fatal. A simple urine test could be enough to reveal a number of health concerns which is why we always recommend it to our clients who have aging pets. At a pet wellness examination here at Brook Farm Veterinary Center, some of the common things that your veterinarian will for look for are:
- long nails
- dirty and diseased teeth
- arthritis
- obesity
- lumps
- eye and heart disease
Early detection and twice yearly wellness examinations are key to preventing serious disease in your pets. At Brook Farm Veterinary Center we offer a pet wellness plan which includes 2 wellness exams per year to help keep your pet on track. When we ask you to bring in a sample of your pet’s urine at the time of an exam it’s to provide your veterinarian with vital information about your pet’s health status.
A simple yet effective urine test can detect potentially life-threatening conditions before they become too difficult to treat. A urine sample provides our veterinary staff a window into your pet’s health so they can best assist them.
What diseases and health conditions can a urine test help detect?
- diabetes
- kidney disease
- urinary tract infections
- incontinence
- liver disease
- bladder stones
- cushing’s syndrome
How to obtain a urine sample from your pet?
Obtaining a urine sample from a pet can be tricky. There are a few different ways you can do this. Below are some tips to help you.
Collecting a urine sample from a dog:
- Have a clean container to collect the urine and be sure it has a tight lid.
- Place your dog on a short leash so they're not able to travel far away while you're trying to get their sample.
- Take your dog outside and just before you think they are going to do their business you'll want to put the container underneath them to catch the sample. This may take a couple of tries because your dog is going to wonder what you are doing underneath them. This is a much easier task if you have a male dog that lifts its leg to urinate. If you have a female dog that squats to urinate you may want to use something like a soup ladle to collect their sample! If you choose this option, be sure to label it as a Urine Collection Tool and do not return it to your kitchen utensil drawer.
- Once you have collected the urine, your best option is to bring the sample in to be tested right away. We understand that may not be possible. If you are unable to bring it in immediately after, keep the urine sample in the fridge in a well-marked container that is sealed. Urine is no good to us and won't be able to be used if it has been more than 6 hours since taken, so prepare to collect your sample knowing when you'll be able to drop it off to our office.
- First morning collection is always the best sample, so schedule an early appointment whenever you can.
Collecting a urine sample from a cat:
- Clean your cat's litter tray a
- Fill it with non-absorbing cat litter
- Keep an eye on your pet and watch out for when it next uses their litter box.
- Once your cat has urinated, use a pipette or syringe to collect a small quantity of urine, and transfer it into the collection container.
- Then fasten the lid tightly.
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