Interpreting Urinalysis Results Flashcards
Discuss the Gross Appearance of normal urine?
Straw coloured, yellow, clear*, no malodourous smell
Discuss Possible Abnormal results and explanations for abnormal gross appearance of urine?
Colour
Dark: Concentrated
Red: Blood- whole or haemoglobin, beetroot ingestion, drugs e.g. rifampicin
Brown/Green: bile pigments
Brown: Myoglobin
Orange or blue: drug treatments e.g. tetracyclines
Discuss Possible Abnormal results and explanations for abnormal Turbidity (cloudiness) of urine?
Turbidity (cloudiness)
Crystals:*normal in horses and rabbits as excrete calcium in urine*
Cells: urinary tract infection, neoplasia
Discuss Possible Abnormal results and explanations for abnormal Smell of urine?
Smell
Fishy odour: bacterial infection
Sweet: ketones (diabetes mellitus or ketosis)
What should the normal result on urinanalysis for glucose?
No glucose
What are the Possible Abnormal results and explanations for abnormal glucose on urinalysis?
Glucose contamination: if urine collected in contaminated container e.g. jam jar with residue
Glucose present: if renal threshold for glucose is exceeded e.g. diabetes mellitus, very stressed cats, or if renal damage in some types of renal disease allows glucose across into filtrate
Discuss the normal result for bilirubin on urinalysis?
No bilirubin
Discuss the abnormal result for bilirubin on urinalysis?
Positive result may indicate liver disease or haemolysis
Discuss the normal results for ketones on urinalysis?
no ketones
Discuss the abnormal results for ketones on urinalysis?
Positive result recorded with conditions of altered carbohydrate metabolism:
Ketosis in cattle
Pregnancy toxaemia in sheep
Starvation
Diabetes mellitus
Discuss specific gravity on urinalysis?
Ignore on dipstick
Not reliable on dipstick, use refractometer
Discuss normal result for blood on urinalysis?
No blood
Discuss abnormal result for blood on urinalysis?
Haematuria(whole blood): from trauma of collection e.g. cystocentesis, inflammation of the urogenital tract, or contamination in a female in oestrus/proestrus
Haemoglobinuria(free haemoglobin):red cell breakdown e.g. immune mediated haemolytic anaemia,
Myoglobinuria: myoglobin will cause a positive haemoglobin result
Discuss normal pH on urinalysis?
Varies
Herbivores: pH>7
Carnivores: pH<7
Changes in the acid base balance of the body will cause changes in the urine pH
Infection with some bacteria, (Proteus and Staphylococcus sp) will cause alkalinisation
Discuss normal protein on urinalysis?
None or +
Discuss abnormal protein on urinalysis?
False positives: Contamination with alkaline cleaning products, alkaline urine
Positive: Urinary tract infections and inflammation, renal disease such as glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome, multiple myeloma (neoplasia of plasma cells)
Disucss normal Urobilinogen on urinalysis?
Trace normal
Disucss abnormal Urobilinogen on urinalysis?
Not useful or reliable in animals
Positive: Can mean haemolytic disease or liver disease
Discuss normal nitrate on urinalysis?
No nitrite