How A Simple Urine Test Could Save Your Pets Life

Your beloved pet’s ageing health should be monitored closely allowing for early detection of disease. A simple urine test could be enough to reveal a number of health concerns.  At a pet wellness examination, 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. Bringing in a sample of your pet’s urine at the time of a health check can provide your veterinarian with vital information about your pet’s health status.

A simple yet important urine test can detect potentially life-threatening conditions before they become untreatable. It’s a window into your pet’s health.

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

• use a dry, clean container like a margarine container
• wait until your dog begins to urinate then slowly place the container directly under the stream of urine
• only about a tablespoon of urine is required for a urine test
• once the urine has been collected, it is important to take it to your local vet as soon as possible

Collecting a urine sample from a cat

• remove the cat litter from their tray, only leaving a few pieces for your cat to scratch around with
• once your cat urinates in the tray, tip a small amount of the urine into a clean plastic container
• if your cat is an outside cat it can be much more difficult to collect a sample so we recommend bringing your cat into the practice with a full bladder and then a veterinary nurse can usually express the bladder and collect the sample at the time of your consultation

Pets can live a much longer, healthier, and happier life with twice-yearly monitoring by their vet. A quick urine test can make a real difference to your pet’s optimal wellbeing and their ageing process. Contact your local Greencross Vets today to arrange a wellness check for your pet.