Collecting Urine

A Urine Sample??? How I am I going to get that?

This is a common question asked by our clients when we request a urine sample from their pet.

Why do we want a urine sample?

A urine sample can help us diagnose bladder infection, diabetes, bladder stones and kidney disease.

Collecting a Urine Sample from a Dog

Try to collect the urine when you know that your dog has to urinate (first thing in the morning or after you come home from work). Use a clean, plastic container.

For females and males that squat down to urinate, a shallow container works well. Keeping your dog on a leash will prevent her from walking away from you. When the dog squats, place the container under her and viola! By George, I think you’ve got it! Boy Dogs

You can aim for this sample, just don’t get wet. When your boy lifts his leg, place your collection container in the urine stream. Some creative people use an old soup ladle or a cup attached to a wire coat hanger.

Collecting a Urine Sample from a Cat

This can be tricky. You can obtain nonabsorbent litter from us, called Nosorb, that can be placed in an empty litter pan. When kitty urinates in the Nosorb, just pour the urine (Nosorb and all) in the container and return it to us. In multiple cat households, it will be necessary to isolate the one cat to a separate room in order to collect the sample from the right cat.

Some cat owners are also able to collect urine as their cat is urinating in the litter box, by placing a shallow container under kitty’s rear end.

Urine Do’s and Don’ts

Do drop off a fresh urine sample when possible. If you can’t get to the hospital right away, urine can be stored in the refrigerator for as long as 6 hours. Don’t confuse the urine with a nice glass of lemonade!

What if I can’t get the sample at home?

All is not lost! We can obtain a urine sample from most cats by cystocentesis (inserting a small needle through the abdominal wall and into the bladder with no discomfort or side effects) if the bladder is full.

For dogs, please do not let Fido urinate out in the grass before coming into the hospital. You can leave her in the car and most of the time, our assistants can collect a sample for you.