URINE TESTS Flashcards
Name the 3 ways to take a urine sample
Catheterisation - tube into the bladder via genitals.
Aspiration - needle and syringe into the bladder via the abdominal wall.
Free catch - collects from a litter tray.
Name the 9 common urine tests
1) Visual Examination
2) Specific gravity
3) Dipstick
4) pH
5) Protein
6) Glucose
7) White blood cells
8) Cultural sensitivity
9) Microscopic examination
Explain visual examination urine test
In a visual test you are looking at the urine sample to see its colour and consistency.
Is it clear, yellow or amber?
Is it cloudy?
Are there things floating in it, like crystals?
Explain a Specific Gravity (SG) test
This is to check urine concentration, a low concentration can indicate kidney failure
Explain pH test
This is to test how acidic or alkaline the urine is. The animals diet can affect this but it is a good indicator of the animals kidney function. Also if the urine has crystals in it, you can tell which type by the pH. You can also detect conditions such as kidney failure, diabetes, dehydration and urinary obstructions
Explain protein level in a test
The protein levels of the dogs urine will give the vet an idea of how efficiently the kidneys are working
Explain glucose level in a test
Finding a large mount of glucose usually means the animal has diabetes
Explain white blood cells in a test
A high level of white blood cells would indicate an infection in the bladder or kidneys, it is trickier with females as they can often have white blood cells in their urine samples from their vaginas
Explain a cultural sensitivity test
If white blood cells are being found in the urine then sometimes the vet will send the urine to an outside lab for a cultural sensitivity test. They will grow the bacteria in the urine then test it with different antibiotics to see which antibiotic kills it.
Explain a microscopic examination test
this is where the urine isd spun down in a centrifuge. This will allow the vet nurse to separate the sediment from the rest of the urine. The types of thing you will be looking for in the sediment are abnormal cells, red and white blood cells, casts, bacteria, sperm and crystals.
